Chicago
Ready For a Heatwave: Everything You Need to Know About the Debut of Chicago’s Newest Fest
Angling for a standout debut in the birthplace of house music, Heatwave Music Festival is the latest newcomer in an increasingly competitive festival scene. Chicago-based promoter Auris Presents are spearheading the effort to make Heatwave the Windy City’s next success story. As the tastemakers behind the city’s leading venues RADIUS, Concord Music Hall and PRYSM, the team certainly has the track record and tenure to boot. Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the inaugural Heatwave Music Festival in Chicago’s historic Douglass Park. HEATWAVE DATES & TIMES The debut of Heatwave takes place on the weekend of July 16th and 17th, with festival hours running from 2pm to 10pm each day. LOCATION & TRANSPORTATION The festival is set...
Rage Against The Machine’s Zach de la Rocha Injures Leg During Show In Chicago
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty The frontman for Rage Against the Machine suffered an injury to his leg during the band’s show in Chicago. Zach de la Rocha would wind up finishing the concert while seated. Fans at the Rage Against the Machine concert in Chicago, Illinois got an unexpected shock as Zach de la Rocha hurt his leg during the band’s show on Monday night (July 11th). The group was playing at the United Center on the second stop of their highly welcomed reunion tour, and four songs into the set, de la Rocha appeared to have an accident. Footage of the moment was captured by a fan, but it is unclear how the singer incurred his injury. Related Stories He was helped off of the stage by crew members, but he returned shortly afterward. He sat on a set of mon...
Summer Hoops: Dreamville & Wilson Announce Return of The Chi-League
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Wilson / Wilson The legendary summer basketball league that has given birth to numerous elite basketball players in Chicago is continuing its comeback thanks to a major sporting goods company and Dreamville. On Wednesday (June 8th), it was announced that the iconic pro-am basketball league that was once a highlight of the summer season in the Windy City is returning to the courts as the Dreamville Chi-League Powered By Wilson. The official game ball supplier of the NBA and the WNBA is teaming up with the famous label and entertainment brand to sponsor the league which will feature both notable pro players from the NBA and leagues overseas in addition to former collegiate standouts and local legends. Gatorade will also serve as a co-sponsor of the league. ...
Spring Awakening Music Festival Postpones 10-Year Anniversary to 2023
Spring Awakening Music Festival was hoping to celebrate their milestone 10-year anniversary this year, but as summer begins to turn the corner in Chicago, the beloved dance music event has announced that the festivities are on hold until 2023. “We felt the festival was not at the level you’ve come to expect and deserve,” their statement read in part. “We are focusing all our energy on delivering a kick-ass lineup and new festival experiences for 2023.” Taking place in the heart of Chicago, the Addams/Medill Park-based event has faced multiple bumps in the road in recent history. After a forced cancellation due to the initial onset of COVID-19, it returned in 2021, but was roiled by inclement weather which forced an evacuation of the grounds. Subsequently, the brand’s sister festival, Sprin...
How to Get Tickets to Lollapalooza 2022
Chicago’s Lollapalooza 2022 lineup was just announced and as usual, it’s set to host some of the biggest names in music along with one of the most eclectic roster of artists this year. Get tickets here, and read on for the full lineup. What Is Lollapalooza? The Grant Park, Chicago-based festival enters its fourth decade with performances beginning on Thursday, July 28th and running though Sunday, July 31st. The four-day festivities will take place across nine stages and feature over 170 artists, including a special performance by Jane’s Addiction, the band led by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. Who Is Headlining Lollapalooza in 2022? Dua Lipa, Green Day, J. Cole, and Metallica fill the festival’s top-line, followed by Doja Cat, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Baby, and Kygo. Who Else Is Playing...
Lollapalooza Reveals 2022 Lineup: Metallica, Green Day, Dua Lipa & More
Lollapalooza has revealed its 2022 lineup, with Metallica, Green Day, Dua Lipa, and J. Cole topping the bill. Other notable acts include Doja Cat, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Baby, Glass Animals, Charli XCX, Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Turnstile, IDLES, Denzel Curry, King Princess, Manchester Orchestra, Tove Lo, Caroline Polachek, Måneskin, 100 gecs, Dashboard Confessional, and Wet Leg. Plus, there will be a special guest performance from Jane’s Addiction, the band fronted by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. Also playing are Billy Strings, Don Toliver, The Kid Laroi, YG, Kaskade, Dominic Fike, MUNA, Local Natives, Royal Blood, WILLOW, Girl in Red, Tinashe, Black Coffee, The Marías, Banks, Remi Wolf, Beach Bunny, PinkPantheress, The Regrettes, Pom Pom Squad, KennyHoopla, Genesis Owusu, The Wo...
Carl Cox, Charlotte de Witte, More Announced for Chicago’s ARC Festival: See the Full 2022 Lineup
ARC Festival is returning to the birthplace of house music in 2022 with a staggering lineup. The organizers of the Chicago electronic music festival have announced the artists for for its 2022 edition, scheduled for Labor Day Weekend at Union Park. Set to perform are Carl Cox, Adam Beyer □ Cirez D, Charlotte de Witte, Chris Lake, Gorgon City, Nora En Pure, Lane 8, Claptone and many more. The fest will also feature a number of iconic electronic music artists, like Fatboy Slim, Skream, Carl Craig and Richie Hawtin. The generational gap will be filled by a bevy of today’s brightest producers, including ANNA, Giolì & Assia, Vintage Culture and Wax Motif. They’ll perform across four stages. Eric Prydz performs at ARC Festival 2021. Jason Myers/Memorandum Media for EDM....
Chicago Soul Singer Syl Johnson Dead At 85, Hit Song “Different Stroke” Legendary In Hip-Hop Sampling
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Timothy Hiatt / Getty Syl Johnson, a soul and blues singer out of Chicago, has reportedly died. Johnson’s 1967 hit “Different Strokes” was used by a number of Hip-Hop notables via sampling. Local outlet CBS Chicago reports that the family of Johnson issued a public statement regarding the passing, which occurred this past Sunday (Feb. 6). From CBS Chicago: Hall of Fame Legend, Syl Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, MS). Dad, Brother, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Uncle, Friend & Artist, he lived his life as a singer, musician, and entrepreneur who loved black music,” the family said in a statement. As the outlet notes, Johnson’s brother, Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson passed away six days prior at the age of 93. Johnson was...
North Coast Music Festival to Host Armin van Buuren, ILLENIUM, Porter Robinson, More In 2022
Playing on its core tenet of “Celebrate Our Differences,” Illinois’ North Coast Music Festival has announced a massive first wave lineup for its 2022 edition. It comes complete with representation of all the major EDM genres as well as a slew of local artists. Lineup highlights include a handful of stages curated by industry-leading labels, including FISHER‘s Catch & Release, Diplo‘s Higher Ground, and Seven Lions‘ Ophelia Records, as well as headlining performances by Armin van Buuren, ILLENIUM, Porter Robinson and Kaytranada. Alive Coverage The Midwest staple, now in its 12th edition, will return to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview after a successful debut last year. The 2021 event drew 78,000 attendees across three days and saw the implementat...
Jussie Smollett Takes Stand For 6 Hours In Criminal Trial
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Getty The criminal trial of Jussie Smollett continued with high drama in Chicago. The actor was called to testify to refute allegations that he staged the hate crime he claimed to be a victim of, with salacious details about one of the attackers being mentioned by Smollett himself. The former Empire actor took the stand on Monday (Dec. 6), facing charges that he lied to police about being attacked by two men in his downtown Chicago neighborhood in January 2019 after returning home from a trip. The two brothers, accused of committing the attack on Smollett, delivered impactful testimony the week before, claiming that the openly gay and Black actor crafted the entire attack to gain publicity. The 39-year old sat and testified for si...
Juicy Smolliét aka Jussie Smollett Heads To Trial This Week In Alleged Attack Hoax Case
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Juicy Smolliét aka Jussie Smollett was initially cleared of any wrongdoing after charges of staging an attack were thrown out of court after his February 2019 arrest. On Monday (Nov. 29), jury selection has begun in the former Empire actor’s disorderly conduct case where he faces six felony counts. ABC 7 Chicago reports that Smollett’s trial takes place almost three years to the day he told the authorities that he was the victim of a violent attack near his Chicago home and hit with racist and homophobic verbal attacks. Prosecutors believe that the 39-year-old actor staged the attack based on accounts that two men were paid thousands to help Smollett arrange the attack. Cook County Prosecutor Kim Foxx’s office threw out the charges,...
New Documentary Explores Cultural Divide Between Chicago’s House Heads and Hip-Hop Fans
Chicago is the birthplace of house music and an incubator for hip-hop hitmakers, yet the city remains divided over how it views its musical legacy. A forthcoming documentary titled It’s Different In Chicago, slated for debut at the Black Harvest Film Festival in November, uncovers the animosity between fans of house music and fans of conscious rap, otherwise known as “backpackers.” Directed by David Weathersby, the film explores how this divide manifests through the lens of numerous Chicago-native industry professionals who provided their first-hand impressions. “I’ve noticed that, especially within the Black community, we like the music but it also becomes our tribe—the flag that we fly,” Weathersby told the Chicago Sun-Times. “And chronicling...
