Here I am, on the heels of an energizing Dead & Company double header at Wrigley Field last month. But instead of satiating my appetite for jam music, it’s only made me hungrier. Fortunately for me and other local jam enthusiasts, we’re just over a month out from the inaugural Sacred Rose, a three-day fest featuring Americana, psych-rock, jam, indie, soul, funk, and bluegrass acts. It's exactly the kind of eclectic festival the Chicagoland area has been needing.
Sacred Rose takes place from Friday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Aug. 28 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Passes are still available, so get your tickets and get ready for one of the more interesting festivals of the year! We're so excited about the fest that we're also giving away a pair of tickets for the festival! Entry period ends on July 26, so check out our giveaway post here to enter!
Drop us anywhere in this fest and we’ll be happy, but these are some of the acts we're particularly looking forward to seeing in August!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
Gone Gone Beyond
Kicking off the fest from 12:30–1:15 p.m. is Gone Gone Beyond, with their blend of folk-Americana, electronica, jazz, soul, and world music referred to as “mesmerizing future folk.” Many of their songs include socially conscious lyrics sung by frontwoman Kat Factor, including the folksy/dubby “Little Moon” and the reflective “Here for a Moment.”
- Valerie Nikolas
Yves Tumor
Yves Tumor was one of the more exciting acts I saw last year and their inclusion in Sacred Rose is a clear highlight. Maybe the most eclectic choices in the festival lineup, Yves Tumor's experimental and boisterous sound is going to really liven up the crowd. Expect a little moshing and a mind meltingly good time!
- Julian Ramirez
Animal Collective
Rounding out the chiller jam acts are indie giants Animal Collective, who will bring their genre-bending flavor of experimental rock to the Vega Stage from 8:15–9:30. I’m sure many of us are hoping for a hit of nostalgia with some classics from Merriweather Post Pavilion.
- Valerie Nikolas
PHILCO (Phil Lesh & Friends)
Let there be songs to Phil the air. I haven’t personally seen the Grateful Dead’s bassist live, but I’ve anecdotally heard his shows are a bass-heavy, jazzier answer to other Dead collaborations. This summer he’ll be joined by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, guitarist Nels Cline, and a host of other collaborators including Jeff Chimenti. Here’s hoping for an “Unbroken Chain” as they headline Night 1 on the Canopy Stage starting at 9pm.
- Valerie Nikolas
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
lespecial
Because every fest needs a little headbanging. lespecial’s heavy, rock-influenced sound brings a darker side to Sacred Rose, and I am fully here for it. Their signature blend of “heavy future groove,” a blend of metal, prog, house, and dub is fully on display in the transcendent “Fruit Wolf Dance,” which I’m hoping they play during their 2:15–3:15 set at the Vega Stage.
- Valerie Nikolas
Lotus
To know them is to love them. Lotus blends live instrumentation for a rock-and-roll sound mixed with jamtronica. And their light show is pretty sick. I haven’t seen them since guitarist Mike Rempel announced his departure in late 2021, but I’m hoping they still bring the same signature energy. Catch them at the Vega Stage from 4:30–5:45 at the Vega Stage.
- Valerie Nikolas
Goose
Despite a recent rise to the top of the jam band scene to join with the likes of Umphrey’s McGee, moe., and STS9, I still haven’t seen Goose live yet. Their lyrics and sound are so beautifully crafted, it’s no wonder they’ve gained such popularity in the last five years. That’s why I am “So Ready” to hear a live “Dripfield” on the Dreamfield Stage from 8:45–10:45pm
- Valerie Nikolas
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28
Hiatus Kaiyote
This Australian genre-fluid quartet blends R&B with jazz and psychedelic rock in a big band sound that showcases Nai Palm’s honey-sweet voice. I’m hoping to hear a sultry “Red Room” and I know “And Here We Go Gentle” will have the whole crowd at this 5:15–6:15pm set lighting up.
- Valerie Nikolas
Kamasi Washington
Day three of the festival is chock full of amazing artists and Kamasi Washington should be near the top of your must see list. Washington's sound is transcendent jazz that digs right into your head an refuses to leave. You be grooving along to his massive tracks instantly and forget all your worries.
- Julian Ramirez
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
As a cover band, doing justice to a band as prolific as the Grateful Dead is quite the tall order. But that’s exactly what JRAD has managed to do, by infusing Dead classics with their own flair. They’ll be posted at the Canopy Stage for a two-hour set starting at 8 and closing out the fest.
- Valerie Nikolas
Khruangbin
Going for a summer evening drive with the windows rolled down? Need some unassuming background music for having friends over? Khruangbin is the perfect answer to those scenarios, with their low-key psychedelic sound infused with global influences ranging from Spain and the Middle East to the Thai rock of the ‘60s. Catch them closing out the fest from 9:30–11pm at the Vega Stage.
- Valerie Nikolas
Get in the mood for Sacred Rose with their official Spotify playlist, score tickets at www.sacredrosefest.com, checkout their full lineup below, and don't forget to enter our giveaway which is running til July 26!