Friends, this has been an action-packed summer, and there is even more action in August, including both of Chicago’s great Ukrainian gatherings. It will be hot, sunny, and sometimes stormy, so let’s be sure to drink enough fluids and check the weather before our events. As is usually the case, many of our activities require advance registration, so please remember to look ahead, get online, and secure your tickets. Here we go!
We’ll start right in with a weekend of street festivals, beginning today, Friday, August 2nd, with the Edison Park Fest, 6730 Olmstead Ave., http://www.edisonparkfest.org/. If you take a Metra train and exit at Edison Park, you’ll be in the fest as you leave the train. Perfect!
Before we get caught up in the music, let’s stroll over to the craft fair and business expo, to see if we can connect directly with neighborhood people and shops. What do you think? Should I get this metal lawn ornament? Yes, let’s eat. Look, the main stage is right in front of the beer garden!
“Good Clean Fun” is up on stage, aren’t they just full of energy? Husband and wife, Mike & Traci, are well known for delivering favorite, high-energy hits from every style of music, and they are doing a good job this evening, don’t you think? Now the real star of tonight’s show is “Kashmir”, a Led Zeppelin tribute band. They are leading us through all the different musical and fashion styles that Zeppelin brought to the stage and to their albums. The singing even gets close to Robert Plant’s impossible vocals. That must be hard, but they sound super, don’t they?
Saturday, August 3rd we’ll be in the West Town neighborhood for their celebration, “Dancing In the Streets”. It’s located at 1700-1800 W Hubbard St., www.westtownchamber.org/dancing-in-the-streets,
The festival is the brainchild of On Tour Brewing Company founder, Mark Legenza. Mark named the festival after a Grateful Dead song, and scheduled it specifically to celebrate the memory of Jerry Garcia. There is lots of beer available, from six different craft breweries, all located in West Town.
The festivities open at Noon, so let’s arrive hungry then indulge in some treats at a number of the food trucks. (Look at all those trucks and vendors!) The music is live and lots of fun, it’s really got us swaying and moving already. In fact, we feel like dancing so pardon us while we make some space and get our groove on. Leaving already? No, not us, we could dance until dawn.
Tonight, Friday, August 9th, please join us at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The MAC, www.atthemac.org, is hosting the final night of their Pop Concert Series, in the Lakeside Pavillion. Tribute artist, Elton Rohn is performing Elton John’s greatest hits. It’s almost 7:30 p.m., so hurry. Elton has done so much, over such a long time, that it’s hard to believe that one performer can capture the music, vocals and emotional feel across the whole of his catalog. He’s doing just that, isn’t he? Doesn’t he even look just like Elton John? What a wonderful concert. Thanks for joining us.
On Saturday, August 10th, meet us for lunch about 1:30pm, at Goddess and the Baker, 35 S. Wabash Ave., www.goddessandthebaker.com, where the food is delicious, and the coffee is just right. I’m having the smoked salmon plate (lox and bagel), how about you guys? The turkey, bacon and egg croissant and a simple morning sandwich? Perfect. Yes, please, coffee for everyone.
It’s time now to make our way north and west to the Ukrainian Village Fest, 2245 W. Superior St. As we all know, the Ukrainian festivals are the best. They are celebrations of a culture that has endured, and even prospered, despite repeated invasions and occupations, starvation pogroms under Stalin, and the destruction from the current war.
The highlight of the day is the entertainment. Most of the introductions are bi-lingual, have you noticed? The performers are a good mix, with younger students and accomplished musicians and dancers. Watch the twirling and leaping that’s happening during Ukrainian folk tunes. WOW! Ukrainian fashion, especially the traditional, intricate beadwork and embroidery, never ceases to amaze me, and yes, I do need a new shirt, so I think I’ll take this one, thank you.
It’s time to eat and the food is excellent; tasty, hearty and satisfying. Here, taste the vereneky and cheburek for yourself. See what I mean?
This festival is sponsored by Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Parish, This church, complete with its golden dome, is built in the Byzantine-Ukrainian style of 11-13th century Ukraine, the church is cruciform with the altar facing east, and is an architectural standout. Isn’t it beautiful?
The Chicago Air and Water Show is now the oldest and largest free admission air and water exhibition in the United States, and today, Sunday, August 11th, is our day to see it. Pack food, leave early, and meet us at Oak St. Beach by 8:00am. We’ll get settled and relax until the action starts. The Air Force Thunderbirds are demonstrating precision flying at such incredible speeds as to almost defy belief. Here come the Army’s Golden Knights expert parachuting teams, look at the stuff they can do on their way down to the sand, then land accurately and gently enough that they just bounce up, smiling and ready to go again. Astonishing. Now look! Is that a P-51 from WWII? It seems so small next to an F-16. Look at this team of “barn-stormers” with their bi-planes that were designed in the 1920s. Amazing. WOW. This was definitely a day to remember.
Today, Saturday, August 17th, St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, 5000 N. Cumberland Ave. is hosting Uketoberfest, www.ukrainianfest.com. Once again, the food is outstanding, allowing us to partake in our favorite dishes. While many of the performers are the same, many are not, and there are a number of different businesses and shops offering clothing, goods and services.
Right now, we must get seats for Hromovytsia, www.hromovytsia.com/. This is the best Ukrainian dance ensemble around. “Hromovytsia” translates to “thunderstorm”, can’t you tell? Look! They are amazing! The other performers have been excellent, capably expressing meaning through their voices and instruments, in such a way that we don’t need translators, yet Hromovystia takes this to a whole new level. Whew!
It’s Saturday, August 24th, and it’s time to take in a Candlelight Concert. Candlelight Concerts is a series of special classical music concerts that take place where the only lighting is candlelight. Tonight, we’ll be at 1500 N. Hoyne Ave., Wicker Park Lutheran Church, a beautiful structure, built in the Romanesque style, for a selection of Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop music played by the members of a group from Houston, “Amp’d Quartet”.
These world-class masters of string instruments have been praised for creative pop arrangements and lively, vibrant stage presence. C’mon, let’s get our seats. What do you think about the way this quartet is presenting tunes as varied as John Legend’s “Ordinary People” and Jill Scott’s “He Loves Me?” It’s pretty cool, and really different in this normally quiet, contemplative setting.
Thursday, August 29th, marks the opening of Chicago’s very best music celebration, the Chicago Jazz Festival. It starts today in the Cultural Center and moves to Millennium Park for the rest of the long weekend. We can’t make it today, so check out the schedule here, www.chicagojazz.com. Tomorrow, you can tell us all about it.
The music starts at 11:30am on Friday, August 30th, on the Von Freeman stage, North Pavillion, and will continue here until 4:00pm when the Pritzker Pavillion opens up.
Let’s walk around for a while and get something to stay hydrated. We can easily hear all the acts yet still talk sensibly. These artists are local, and quite accomplished, don’t you agree? They are also very different from each other: the Big Shoulders Brass Band sounds nothing like Bethany Pickens, but it’s all jazz, and all wonderful. The acts on the Pritzker stage are even better; how is that possible?
Today, Saturday, August 31st, we will be popping into Taste of Polonia, https://topchicago.org, at the Copernicus Center, 5613 W. Lawrence Ave., where we can indulge in good Polish food to our heart’s content, examine the wares from various Polish-themed vendors, and take in some great music. The main, “Tribute” stage, has a massive rock ‘n roll line up for us. The Eddie Wojcik Tribute pays homage to one of Chicago’s longest lasting and most popular Dance & Polka bands of the 60s, 70s and 80s. If you think you don’t care for polka, you’re wrong. Aren’t these guys infectious? If don’t know how to polka, I’m sure lots of folks will be happy to teach you, it’s easy.
The Blooze Brothers do more than just pay tribute. This choreographed 12-piece show covers music from the 40’s to Top 10, Swing, Motown, Soul, R&B, Classic Rock, all with the crazy antics of the famous Jake and Elwood Blues. They are wild, aren’t they? It’s an honest expansion from the original band (John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd), carrying forward the energy, music and intentions that Jake and Elwood brought to the stage and screen. I love this show, and the 1974 Dodge Monaco Blues Mobile doesn’t hurt either.
Today, Sunday, September 1st, is the last day of the Jazz Fest, so let’s not waste a moment. Meet us on the Harris Theater Rooftop, a bit before 11:00am, and we’ll listen to some of Chicago’s “Young Lions” jazz bands and solo artists. I’m impressed by these young, dedicated and talented musicians. I don’t recognize their names yet, but don’t you think that every one of them can and should make a career of bringing such great music into our lives?
There are fine acts on the Von Freeman stage as well, but we can’t be in two places at once, sadly. The big names are on the main stage; let’s get some food and drink and find spots on the lawn. Are you taking in the breadth and complexity and graceful fluidity that we get to experience? Just amazing. All this music, all these different artists, from the city and the whole country, are playing for us, here, and it’s all free. But suddenly, sadly, it’s over.
Well friends and readers everywhere, here we are in September. The weather is wonderful, and while Chicago’s outdoor festival season is just about complete, there are always new, interesting adventures waiting for us. We’ll get together next month.
