Arts & Entertainment

Sound & Gravity Festival Leads a Packed Slate of Chicago-Area Concert Recommendations

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

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Curated by Mike Reed, the booker and jazz musician who co-founded the gone-too-soon Pitchfork Music Festival, the Sound & Gravity festival is Chicago’s best new addition to its stacked summer festival lineup. It’s four days of music across like-minded and nearby venues mostly congregated in Avondale and Roscoe Village. A single-day ticket gets you access to all shows on a given date, but with a lineup as diverse as this, you’ll want to spring for the four-day pass.

Wednesday, Sept. 2: 
Antibalas at SPACE. Tickets. 
This long-running Brooklyn band fuses Afrobeat, jazz and punk. 

Thursday, Sept. 3: 
Alabaster DePlume, Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes, Kassa Overall at Rockwell on the River. Tickets. 
Three acts who push the boundaries of jazz. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Discus, Memory Card, Poolish at Schubas. Tickets. 
A collection of jangly and guitar-driven indie rock as part of the Lakeview venue’s $5 local showcase. 

Dos Santos, Leroy the Poet at Rockwell on the River Patio. Tickets. 
The headliners make head-spinning, experimental and rhythm-first Latin-inspired rock and jazz. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Heart Trio, Mick Turner at Constellation. Tickets. 
Expect the unexpected with the band consisting of William Parker, Cooper-Moore and Hamid Drake. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Isaiah Rashad, Alemeda at Salt Shed. Tickets. 
This Chattanooga, Tenn., rapper is a critical darling. 

John Fogerty, Steve Winwood at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre. Tickets. 
Bring your dad to Tinley Park for this stacked bill of classic rock talent. 

Friday, Sept. 4: 
Ana Roxanne, Capatosta, Eliana Glass at Constellation. Tickets. 
This lineup is firmly nestled at the intersection of ambient and electronic. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Jim White Trio, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Uniflora at Beat Kitchen. Tickets. 
The openers are one of Chicago’s most exciting and youngest rock bands. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Joy Orbison, Ben UFO, Chris Stussy, more at Arc Music Festival. Tickets.
Head to Union Park for a four-day festival of electronic, dance and DJ talent. The first day. 

Kalia Vandever, Patrick Shiroishi, Chris Ryan Williams at Hungry Brain. Tickets. 
Shiroishi’s genre-fusing jazz is heady, unpredictable and always stunning. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Resavoir, Sam Wilkes at Rockwell on the River Patio. Tickets. 
Chicago trumpeter/producer Will Miller just announced a gorgeous new album. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Snoop Dogg at Ravinia. Tickets. 
The iconic rapper and occasional Martha Stewart collaborator heads to Highland Park. 

Walt McClements, Jessica Risker, Official Claire at Judson and Moore. Tickets. 
A wide-ranging lineup: Expect according, folk and local openers. Part of Sound & Gravity festival.

Woods, Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas, Water Damage at Rockwell on the River. Tickets. 
The long-running folk rock outfit leads this stellar bill. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Saturday, Sept 5: 
Adam O’Farrill’s Elephant, John Irabagon & Dan Oestreicher, Russ Johnson at Hungry Brain. Tickets. 
The trumpeter and composer leads a new quartet. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

American Analog Set, Son Lux at Athenaeum Theater. Tickets. 
Head to the Lakeview theater for a cozy show. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Black Marble, Public Circuit, Jimmy Cicero at Thalia Hall. Tickets. 
The first-of-three opener returns to his home city for a rare local performance. 

The Blessed Madonna, Laurence Guy, Moodymann, more at Arc Music Festival. Tickets. 
Head to Union Park for a four-day festival of electronic, dance and DJ talent. The second day. 

Gregory Uhlmann Extra Stars, Tomeka Reid Quartet, Microplastique at Judson & Moore. Tickets. 
One of this newsletter producer’s favorite guitarists leads this fantastic lineup. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Keith Fullerton Whitman, Ami Dang, Katinka Kleijn & Kari Watson at Guild Row. Tickets. 
This Brooklyn composer fuses electronic textures into his jazz-minded arrangements. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Marc Ribot, Josh Johnson, Lee Ranaldo & Leah Singer & Contre Jour at Constellation. Tickets. 
The iconic guitarist and collaborator leads a bill of heavy-hitters. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

My New Band Believe, Setting, TV Buddha at Beat Kitchen. Tickets. 
The former Black Midi member’s “My New Band Believe” is one of the best albums of 2026. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Young Thug, Nav at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets.
The wildly influential Atlanta rapper heads to Uptown. 

Sunday, Sept. 6: 
Dagmar Zuniga, Jana Horn, Advance Base at Guild Row. Tickets.
Folk and ambient music in Avondale. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Joan Shelley, Otto Benson, David Moore at Constellation. Tickets. 
Benson’s “Peanut” is an unbelievable album of quiet, dreamy folk. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Joe McPhee &  Ken Vandermark & Chris Corsano, Mary Halvorson & Sylvie Courvoisier, Tomas Fujiwara at Hungry Brain. Tickets. 
Trios and duos and solo projects, oh my. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Sir Richard Bishop, Twin Talk, Black Duck at Judson & Moore. Tickets.
This Michigan guitarist is not a knight but he does headline an eclectic lineup. Part of Sound & Gravity festival. 

Squeeze, Adam Ant at Ravinia. Tickets. 
Fans of the ‘80s should flock to Highland Park. 

Underworld, Nia Archives, Anyma, more at Arc Music Festival. Tickets. 
Head to Union Park for a four-day festival of electronic, dance and DJ talent. The third day. 

Yellow Swans, Tyondai Braxton, Eli Winter at Beat Kitchen. Tickets. 
The experimental duo headliners celebrate 25 years making music. Part of Sound & Gravity festival.

Monday, Sept. 7: 
Chaepter, Flesh Tape, Mensa at Empty Bottle. Free. 
There’s nothing better than a free Monday show in Ukrainian Village.

Danny Elfman at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets. 
You’ll probably hear a film score created by this adventurous composer.

Honey Dijon, Derrick Carter, Serafina, more at Arc Music Festival. Tickets. 
Head to Union Park for a four-day festival of electronic, dance and DJ talent. The final day. 

Tuesday, Sept. 8: 
TLC, Salt-n-Pepa, En Vogue at Northerly Island. Tickets. 
There’s one rule for attending this concert: “No Scrubs.”

Wiki at Three Top Lounge. Tickets. 
The beloved rapper will put on an intimate show at Salt Shed’s rooftop bar. 

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WTTW News arts coverage is supported by the JCS Arts, Health & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation.

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