You have to hand it to the Department of Cultural Affairs for dropping some surprises into Pritzker Pavilion's summer series. Now, there's nothing wrong with the classical, jazz and "world" music that dominates the schedule. But there aren't too many cities who hand over their downtown's prize architectural music venue to indie rock, electronic, reggae, experimental, and hip hop acts for free concerts.
After the Hideout in 2007 and a variety of venues in 2008 treated lunchtime crowds to weekly shows, Edible Audible Picnics will do the same on Mondays from June 15 through August 24. Chicago's Pit er Pat kicks off the series that's followed by other local and national acts.
And on Monday evenings, DCA presents Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays with a schedule of performers that aren't exactly new, but are still worth heading over to see, highlighted by the Feelies and Red Red Meat (though, there is a TBA headliner on June 8 over Chicago's Mexican-American olio group Allá).
Edible Audible Picnics
June 15 @ Noon - Pit Er Pat
June 22 @ Noon - Soul/Funk Record Part
June 29 @ Noon - Black Moth Super Rainbow
July 6 @ Noon - Experimental Sound Studio
July 20 @ Noon - Reggae Dub Sound Clash
July 27 @ Noon - Chicago Hip-Hop + It Don't Stop
August 3 @ Noon - Third Coast International Audio Festival
August 10 @ Noon - Daedelus
August 17 @ Noon - Emily Wells
August 24 @ Noon - Dark Party + Caural & K-Kruz
Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays
June 8 @ 6:30 PM - TBA + Allá
June 22 @ 6:30 PM - The Sea and Cake + Dirty Projectors
June 29 @ 7:30 PM - The Feelies + Icy Demons
August 10 @ 6:30 PM - Rokia Traoré + Shearwater
August 17 @ 6:30 PM - Otto + NOMO
August 24 @ 6:30 PM - Red Red Meat + Rural Alberta Advantage
