Concerts for 2014 at Chicago’s Millennium Park This Summer

There’s a lot to see and hear at Chicago’s Millenium Park this summer of 2014. And there are lots of free concerts! Though famous for the Grant Park Music Festival, the park has much more to offer. Beginning in late May, enjoy an indie pop and rock free concert series on Monday nights, new music and electronica free concerts, and a free jazz series culminating with the Chicago Jazz Festival. (click at bottom for more info).   The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events released Millennium Park’s full summer free concert schedule, which starts up June 2 with the indie-centric Downtown Sound and the FREE Monday music series will kick off with Robbie Fulks and Funeral Bonsai Wedding on Monday, June 2. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays.  Admission to each concert is free.  Seating area opens to the general public at 5:30PM CST.  CLICK HERE for more details. Jazz  series details still to come

 

 

Premiering a week later is Millennium Park’s all-new program, Loops and Variations, a series of six FREE CONCERTS that mix new music with electronica. It features performances from Yacht on May 29 with Hauschka & Chicago Q Ensemble, Arca & Jesse Kanda on June 5 with Civitas Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird on June 19,Oneohtrix Point Never and Nate Boyce on June 26 with Spektral Quartet, and a couple of other performances. The full Loops & Variations lineup can be found at the bottom of this post. Each show begins at 6:30PM and all the concerts are free

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The music continues with the return of the beloved Grant Park Music Festival celebrating its 80h anniversary and the acclaimed Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz series, which this year will showcase jazz with a distinctively Chicago flavor on six separate nights, culminating in the 34th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival.  All concerts are free and take place at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion at 6:30pm.

 

 

Downtown Sound:
The free concert series, Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays returns to Millennium Park in Chicago for a sixth summer, featuring an eclectic mix of music discoveries, cutting-edge indie rock, pop bands and rock veterans. Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, the series includes ten double-bill concerts on Monday nights, running June 2 through August 11, 2014. All concerts begin at 6:30 p.m.

 

The 2014 schedule is as follows…

• June 2 – Robbie Fulks and Funeral Bonsai Wedding
• June 9 – Omar Souleyman and Joshua Abrams’ Natural Information Society
• June 16 – Richard Thompson Electric Trio
• June 23 – Bob Mould and Split Single
• June 30 – My Brightest Diamond and White Mystery
• July 7 – Joe Pug and Hurray for the Riff Raff
• July 14 – Noura Mint Seymali and Ted Sirota’s Heavyweight Dub
• July 21 – Pillars & Tongues (headliner to be announced)
• July 28 – NO CONCERT
• August 4 – Maps & Atlases and Wooden Shjips
• August 11 – Russian Circles and Colin Stetson

 

 

Loops and Variations:
Loops and Variations is a series of six concerts that mix new music with electronica, and the FREE CONCERTS will be held on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. (Thursday, June 20 will be the opening night of the 28^th Chicago Gospel Music Festival.).  It features performances from Yacht on May 29 with Hauschka & Chicago Q Ensemble, Arca & Jesse Kanda on June 5 with Civitas Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird on June 19,Oneohtrix Point Never and Nate Boyce on June 26 with Spektral Quartet, and a couple of other performances. The full Loops & Variations lineup can be found at the bottom of this post. Each show begins at 6:30PM and is 100% FREE.

 

 

May 29: Yacht, Hauschka & Chicago Q Ensemble

June 5: Arca & Jesse Kanda, Civitas Ensemble

June 12: Third Coast Percussion, Ghost Beach

June 19: Eighth Blackbird*

June 26: Oneohtrix Point Never with Nate Boyce, Spektral Quartet

July 3: Alarm Will Sound, Dream Koala

 

Grant Park Music Festival

June 13—August 18, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.  The Grant Park Music Festival celebrates its 80th season June 11-August 16 in Millennium Park.  Join Carlos Kalmar and the Grant Park Orchestra for the Festival’s 80th Anniversary Season opener, featuring the dazzling young piano sensation Natasha Paremski performing one of Tchaikovsky’s keyboard gems.

 

grantparkmusicfestival.com

 

2014 Schedule

(All programs subject to change)

June Wednesday, June 11, 6:30pm Friday, June 13, 6:30pm Saturday, June 14, 7:30pm Wednesday, June 18, 6:30pm Friday, June 20, 6:30pm Saturday, June 21, 7:30pm Wednesday, June 25, 6:30pm Friday, June 27, 6:30pm Saturday, June 28, 7:30pm

July Wednesday, July 2, 6:30pm Friday, July 4, 6:30pm Saturday, July 5, 7:30pm Wednesday, July 9, 8pm Friday, July 11, 6:30pm (at the South Shore Cultural Center) Saturday, July 12, 8pm Wednesday, July 16, 6:30pm Thursday, July 17, 7pm (at the South Shore Cultural Center) Friday, July 18, 6:30pm Saturday, July 19, 7:30pm Sunday, July 20, 3pm (at the Columbus Park Refectory) Wednesday, July 23, 6:30pm Friday, July 25, 6:30pm Saturday, July 26, 7:30pm Monday, July 28, 6:30pm Wednesday, July 30, 6:30pm

August Friday, August 1, 6:30pm (at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance) Saturday, August 2, 7:30pm (at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance) Wednesday, August 6, 6:30pm Friday, August 8, 7:30pm Saturday, August 9, 7:30pm Wednesday, August 13, 6:30pm Friday, August 15, 6:30pm Saturday, August 16, 7:30pm

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Location:
Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion
201 East Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL THE FREE CONCERTS