Look for this year's batch of summer concert tours to provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the live music industry this year. After a dismal showing in 2004, the box office looks to be booming, with a trio of the highest grossing live moneymakers of all time -- The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2 -- hitting the road within the course of the next 12 months. While the Stones have yet to announce any dates, McCartney's U.
S. tour doesn't kick off until summer's end and U2 will head back to their side of the pond after May. Even so, the outdoor music season will do just fine, with everyone from shed sell-out guarantees such as Jimmy Buffett and Dave Matthews to surprises such as a Def Leppard/Bryan Adams double bill already raking it in at the box office.
And let's not forget the musical bashes put on by the city of Chicago during the warm months. One can only imagine what numbers the Windy City would tally up if they attached tickets to the hordes that make their way down to Grant Park for festivals such as Blues Fest and Taste of Chicago.
Listed below is a rundown of the summer outdoor concert season thus far in the greater Chicagoland area.
Not all shows for the summer season have been announced at all of the venues at press time, and not all ticket prices include taxes and additional charges.
Traffic jam to the Tweeter
With all of the construction taking place around these parts, it wouldn't be surprising to see the roads leading to Tinley Park's Tweeter Center becoming a literal parking lot. The summer concert season effectively kicks off May 21, with country favorites Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley (7 p.
m., $29 to $53.75), and there's plenty of other shows lined up to put Tinley Park into one big gridlock between now and summer's end.
* Dave Matthews Band -- 7 p.m. June 2, $39.
50, $57
* Judas Priest -- 7:30 p.m. June 3, $23 to $53
* Toby Keith -- 7:30 p.
m. June 18, $31.75 to $67.
75
* Don Henley, Stevie Nicks -- 8 p.m. June 19, $29 to $129
* John Mellencamp, John Fogerty -- 7 p.
m. July 1, $23 to $68
* Sounds of the Underground -- noon July 8, $29.50
* Anger Management Tour -- 7 p.
m. July 11, $52.50 to $82
* Tom Petty, the Black Crowes -- 7:15 p.
m. July 15, $28 to $59.50
* 3 Doors Down, Staind -- 6:30 p.
m. July 22, $24 to $45.50
* Vans Warped Tour -- noon July 23, $29.
75
* Velvet Revolver -- 7:30 p.m. Aug.
13, $23 to $48
* Motley Crue -- 6 p.m. Aug.
27, $23 to $78
Tweeter Center is located at 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park.
FYI: (708) 614-1616 or www.tweetercenter.com/chicago
Ya, hey 'dere -- Where is everybody?
Getting in and out of the Tweeter Center may very well resemble the usual headaches to befall a concertgoer making his or her way up to Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wis. At press time, however, the only tickets on sale at the venue, according to www.ticketmaster.
com, is for Dave Matthews Band's July 23 to 24 performances (7 p.m., $39, $56.
50 both shows).
Alpine Valley is located in East Troy at 2699 Highway D.
FYI: (262) 642-4400
Skyline Jazz at Navy Pier
Navy Pier has long been a prime locale for date nights and family outings, and their music lineup for the summer, while maybe too heavy on the smooth jazz shows Friday and Saturday evenings for some tastes, is still impressive.
One has to wonder how the blues-jam wonders Gov't Mule will sound so close to the lake.
* Flood Ritual -- 7:15 p.m.
May 28, $19
* Martin Sexton -- 7:30 p.m. June 3, $22.
50
* Gov't Mule -- 7 p.m. June 15, $30 (18-and-over show)
* "Smooth Jazz Summer Series" -- 7 p.
m. Fridays from June 17 to Aug. 12, 7 p.
m. Saturdays from June 18 to Aug. 13, $180 to $225
* Muntu Dance Theatre -- 7 p.
m. June 29, $7 to $20
* Dave Koz Friends -- 8 p.m.
July 15 and 16, $60 to $75
* Funk Brothers, Neville Brothers -- 8 p.m. July 22, $59.
50
* Chris Botti -- 8 p.m. Aug.
12, $60 to $75
* "Guitars and Saxes" -- 8 p.m. Aug.
13, $60 to $75
The Skyline Stage is located at Navy Pier at 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago.
FYI: (312) 595-5022 or www.navypier.com
Chicago festivals
The spiritual sounds of the Chicago Gospel Music Festival June 3 to 5 kicks of the Windy City's summer festival season, and leaves its longtime Grant Park digs for the newer, fancier Millennium Park.
Gospel greats the Williams Brothers kick off both the city's summer season and first proper festival performance June 3 at the Park's Pritzker Pavilion, with Solomon Burke and the Destiny Worship Center Choir and the Rance Allen Group. The festivities conclude June 5 with an all-star lineup including Gina Thurston, Annette "Queenie" Lenox and the debut performance of the "Power of Praise" Experience Tour, featuring Tye Tribbett GA, J. Moss, Israel New Breed and Mary Mary.
* The 21st Annual Gospel Music Festival -- 4 to 9:30 p.m. June 3 and 11 a.
m. to 9:30 p.m.
June 4 and 5
The Chicago Blues Festival 2005 follows the Gospel Music Festival by only four days and returns the festivities to Grant Park.
Celebrating its 22nd year and running June 9 to 12, '60s British blues pioneer John Mayall starts things up June 9 at the Petrillo Music Shell with Mick Taylor, a former protégée who went on to spend a few years in a little band called the Rolling Stones. "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor headlines June 10 at the Shell, recent Rock N' Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Guy takes the spotlight June 11, and Mavis Staples concludes the festival June 12.
* Chicago Blues Festival 2005 -- 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.
m. daily June 9 to 12
The city of Chicago's biggest musical bash of the year starts along with Taste of Chicago June 24, with multi-Grammy winning songstress Lauryn Hill kicking things off at 5:30 p.m.
One of the best lineups in years for Taste which runs through July 4, the rest of this year's schedule, including their Country Music Festival roster June 25 and 26, is as follows
* Leann Rimes, Aaron Tippin -- 3 p.m. June 25
* Clint Black, Julie Roberts -- 3 p.
m. June 26
* "Broadway in Chicago" -- 6 p.m.
June 27
* Donna Summer -- 5:30 p.m. June 28
* The Gap Band -- 5:30 p.
m. June 29
* Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revisited -- 5 p.m.
June 30
* Steve Winwood, Dr. John -- 5:30 p.m.
July 1
* Santana, Los Lonely Boys -- 4:30 p.m. July 2
* "Independence Eve Concert and Fireworks Spectacular" -- 7:30 p.
m. July 3
* Moby, John Hiatt, North Mississippi All-Stars -- 3 p.m.
July 4
At press time, lineups for Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival (Aug. 27 to 28) and Celtic Fest Chicago (Sept.
17 to 18) have yet to be announced.
FYI: (312) 744-3315 or www.cityofchicago.
org
Music on the grass
No two nights are usually the same at Ravinia Festival in northwest suburban Highland Park. The classical crowd from Monday easily can be followed by blues fans on Tuesday only for the tie-dye sect to graze the outdoor venue on Wednesday. On the pop radar, Ravinia's lineup is as eclectic as ever.
* Cheap Trick -- 8 p.m. June 10, $40 pavilion, $15 lawn
* BoDeans -- 7:30 p.
m. June 11, $50 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Susan Tedeschi, the Blind Boys of Alabama -- 8 p.m.
June 15, $40 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Doobie Brothers -- 8 p.m. June 22, $45 pavilion, $15 lawn
* The Beach Boys -- 8 p.
m. June 28, $50 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Alison Krauss and Union Station -- 8 p.m.
July 6, $40 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Wyclef Jean -- 8 p.m. July 11, $35 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Lyle Lovett -- 8 p.
m. July 12 to 13, $60 pavilion, $15 lawn
* "Abba: The Music" -- 8 p.m.
July 22, $35 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris -- 8 p.m. July 27, $60 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright -- 8 p.
m. Aug. 10, $35 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Aretha Franklin -- 8 p.
m. Aug. 17 to 18, $75 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Tony Bennett -- 8 p.
m. Aug. 19, $80 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Los Lonely Boys -- 7:30 p.
m. Aug. 20, $40 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Gipsy Kings -- 8 p.
m. Aug 30 to 31, $60 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang -- 8 p.m.
Sept. 2, $40 pavilion, $15 lawn
* Hootie and the Blowfish -- 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10, $45 pavilion, $15 lawn.
Ravinia Festival is located in Highland Park at 200 Ravinia Park Road.
FYI: (847) 266-5100 or www.ravinia.org
'Margaritawrigleyville' and other venues
This year, two summer music extravaganzas have stood apart from the usual summer concert fare.
For better or for worse, Jimmy Buffett is taking over Chicago's Wrigley Field for a two-night, sold out stand Sept. 4 and 5, sending an already rowdy Wrigleyville into what will undoubtedly be a disconcerting mesh of Cubbie blue and parrothead garb. Love him or hate him, let's hope Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band can lift the Cubbie Curse like he did for the Boston Red Sox last year.
Tickets, however, do remain available for Lollapalooza 2005, which is scheduled for Chicago's Grant Park July 23 and 24. Boasting the Pixies, Weezer, Widespread Panic, a reunited Dinosaur Jr. and the Killers among its massive lineup, a two-day pass for the festival is $100 and scheduled to rise to $115 "without notice when quantities run out.
" Additionally, single-day tickets aren't available. At least not yet.
FYI: (888) 512-SHOW or www.
lollapalooza.com
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