The beaches are soon to officially open, Major League baseball is here, and to no surprise, music will be everywhere this summer.
If you are avoiding the massive touring shows, here are alternative choices — both free and ticketed — that will keep you busy through Labor Day.
Toronzo Cannon
7 p.m. June 6 at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave. Evanston; tickets $16+
As Buddy Guy nears retirement, Chicago’s Toronzo Cannon has emerged as the city’s next great ambassador of electric blues. Rather than mine the genre’s past, the South Side native draws from his decades of experience as a CTA bus driver to write songs about struggles in everyday life. His guitar playing and stage persona are both wildly entertaining, and his music feels overly modern, more than most contemporary blues players. This show is an album release party for “Shut Up and Play!,” his latest on Chicago’s Alligator Records.
Winnetka Music Festival
5 p.m. June 14-15, Lincoln Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Winnetka; tickets $49+
This is the eighth year for this North Shore indie music festival. This year, it features Seattle rock band Band of Horses, German rock duo Milky Chance, British soul singer Yola, the Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans, singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter and Austin garage rockers Heartless Bastards.
Gerald McClendon
9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. June 14 at Rosa’s Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage Ave.; tickets $15+
The self-described “Soulkeeper” around town, Chicago native Gerald McClendon is a world-traveled R&B singer who captures the classic sound of Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding in his music, as well as the jazz vocalist era of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
Steve Dawson
7 p.m. June 16 at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; tickets $15+
This veteran singer-songwriter is a Chicago luminary for his deep catalog of records, both with his band Dolly Varden and collaborative solo efforts with Chicago’s free jazz community. He’s also a beloved songwriting teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and he often takes his instruction out of the classroom and into the recording studio, where he has recorded several albums by local songwriters. This is an album release show for “Ghosts,” his latest record on Chicago’s Pravda Records.
New Static! Revival Now
7 p.m. June 20 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport St.; tickets $15+
This festival, now in its sophom*ore year, attempts to curate the most exciting — and youngest — bands on Chicago’s thriving indie music scene. On the bill this year are lo-fi noise pop duo Sharp Pins, rockers TV Buddha, the electronic soundscapes of Donkey Basketball and noise-pop band — and sibling duo — twin coast.
Cedric Burnside
8 p.m. June 25-26 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.; tickets $20+
The hill country blues of Mississippi sound much different from what you’ll hear in Chicago or anywhere else, and the only opportunity to hear it directly from the source is from the next generation of those who invented it. Cedric Burnside’s grandfather, R.L. Burnside, was a longtime musician who only gained prominence during the alt-rock era of the 1990s; Cedric — a guitarist and drummer — has carried the torch ever since. His minimalist sound and hard grooves create the backdrop of “Hill Country Love,” his latest record.
Sun Ra Arkestra
8 p.m. and 10 p.m. June 28 at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets $40+
The pioneering composer, bandleader and otherworldly presence Sun Ra may no longer be with us, but his Arkestra continues his music throughout the world. This two-show stand features saxophonist Marshall Allen, who has been with the group since 1958, and more than a dozen players performing Sun Ra compositions. Expect many excursions ranging from big band swing to free jazz.
American Music Festival
July 3-6 at FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd.; tickets $65+
One of the most consistently rewarding events of the Chicago summer, this three-stage, multi-night celebration of American roots music offers something for everyone: zydeco, blues, jazz, country, folk and beyond. Nikki Lane and Sierra Hull are headliners along with the Jayhawks, the Old 97’s and Robert Randolph & The Family Band, along with FitzGerald’s favorites like Marcia Ball, CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, The Waco Brothers, Michael McDermott and Jon Dee Graham. Plus, there’s barbecue.
Charlie Musselwhite with Ivan Singh
6:30 p.m. July 1 in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., free.
When Charlie Musselwhite was a teenager, he moved from his native Memphis to Chicago to hang out at South Side blues clubs and learn from the first generation of electric blues masters. Soon enough, the harmonica player became one himself. Making his name on the psychedelic blues scene on the West Coast, Musselwhite has built a long and distinguished career as a singer, sideman and composer, collaborating with everyone from Bob Dylan to Ben Harper. Now recording for Chicago’s Alligator Records, Musselwhite is as vibrant a performer as ever.
The Baseball Project
7 p.m. July 4 at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; tickets $27+
Summer is the natural time for this supergroup to emerge on concert stages to play perfectly crafted songs based on little-known stories of baseball history. If you’re not a baseball fan, no problem: The songs on “Grand Salami Time!,” the group’s most recent record, are perfect power-pop fare for secular fans of the sport. This is also a special opportunity to catch half of R.E.M in a rare club show: Along with drummer Linda Pitmon, guitarist-singers Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, the Baseball Project’s lead guitarist and bassist are Peter Buck and Mike Mills.
Teairra Marí
11:59 p.m. July 6 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., tickets $25+
Def Jam Records veteran Teairra Marí most recently emerged through a series of mixtapes featuring cameos from Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy and Nicki Minaj. She’s also an occasional actress and reality show veteran. This show, billed as “the Ultimate Black Party’’ for Chicago Black Pride weekend, includes a series of guests including Stevia Smoke Da Rapper, GakTrizzy, ThizzMarley, Aki Da Rapper, Cash Da Trapper, Ok’Jaycen and DJ Gucci Roxx and DJ Brice. And yes, there’s a twerking contest.
Frankfort Bluegrass Festival
10 a.m. July 13-14; downtown Frankfort, free
One of the country’s largest bluegrass weekends of the summer happens in Chicago’s south suburbs every July. The festival spans two days and takes over four stages in Frankfort’s historic downtown, featuring groups from across the U.S. This year’s headliners include bluegrass veteran Peter Rowan and his band, Nashville singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin Boys, Chicago’s Special Consensus, AJ Lee & Blue Summit from California. South Korea bluegrass even gets the spotlight, thanks to sets by Country Gongbang, a group that sings in two languages.
Jah Wobble
8 p.m. July 12 at the Hideout; 1354 W. Wabansia St., tickets $30+
Jah Wobble is widely known for his role as the bassist in Public Image Ltd (PiL), fronted by former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon. He has had a long solo career, too and is now credited as a pioneer in bringing dub music to the mainstream. The British musician has been a much sought-after collaborator throughout his musical life, having recorded with Baaba Maal, Sinead O’Connor, Brian Eno and Pharoah Sanders, and his pursuit of world rhythms continues to make him an influence on a wide range of music from industrial rock to hip-hop. For this show, he will perform dub arrangements to the 1979 PiL classic album “Metal Box.”
Seun Kuti
6:30 p.m. July 15 in Millennium Park; 201 E. Randolph St., free
As the youngest son of pioneer Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti is Afrobeat royalty. He began performing as a saxophonist and percussionist in Egypt 80, his father’s sprawling band, and he became the frontman once the elder Kuti died. In the decades since then, Kuti has made a name for himself as a formidable bandleader and vocalist who, like his father, channels urgent social and political messages through the music.
Out of Space Skokie
5 p.m. July 26-28 in Illinois Science + Technology Park Field; 4900 Searle Parkway, Skokie, tickets $49.50+
Out of Space, the annual festival on Evanston’s Canal Shores public golf course, moves this summer to neighboring Skokie while its original location gets restored. The indie rock lineup is just as strong, however. This year, headliners are Courtney Barnett with Bob Mould and Squirrel Flower (July 26), Thee Sacred Souls and St. Paul and the Broken Bones (July 27), and Guster with The Lone Bellow and Devon Gilfillian.
Charles McPherson Quartet
8 p.m. Aug. 1-4 at the Jazz Showcase; 806 S. Plymouth Court, tickets $20+
August is Charlie Parker month at the Jazz Showcase, and acclaimed alto saxophonist and composer Charles McPherson kicks it off. McPherson’s six decades as a bebop pioneer have led him from recording sessions with Charles Mingus and Art Farmer to collaborations with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and even incorporating bebop sensibilities into music he composed for the San Diego Ballet.
Broadway in Chicago Summer Concert
6:15 p.m. Aug. 12 in Millennium Park; 201 E. Randolph St., free.
Calling all musical theater fans! Spread out your blanket and sing along to selections from past and present Broadway musicals performed live, including “Back to the Future,” “A Beautiful Noise,” “Some Like it Hot,” “Les Misérables,” “Mean Girls,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
Built to Spill
8 p.m. Aug. 22-23 at Metro; 3730 N. Clark St., tickets $40+
Built to Spill’s combination of psychedelic stoner rock and folk-rock lyricism has served as the foundation for music spanning several decades that has always remained timeless. This year is the 30th anniversary of “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love,” the band’s landmark second album. The Boise trio, led by guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Doug Martsch, performs the album in its entirety.
