Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
One of my favorite things about living in Chicago is the music scene.
On just about any given night, you can catch performances from local artists giving you house, blues, jazz, drill and more.
The music always plays on in Chicago, and every now and then, the rest of the world pays attention and catches on.
In today’s newsletter, we’re taking a look at the city’s local rock music scene and how, thanks to emerging acts like Dehd and Friko, we might be in the midst of a rock revival with echoes of the 1990s.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the race for Chicago’s school board, this year’s Ribfest People’s Choice Award winner and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chicago music scene is rocking again, and it’s getting national attention
Reporting by Selena Fragassi | For the Sun-Times
When rock reigned: In August 1993, Billboard declared Chicago the “Cutting Edge’s New Capital.” At the time, all eyes were on the city’s growing rock scene, positioning it to be the next to break out after Seattle’s grunge revolution. Artists like the Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, Urge Overkill, Liz Phair and Material Issue led A&R label reps to basically set up a basecamp in Wicker Park. The bands were booking major tours, becoming the darlings of rock radio and the faces of MTV. Now, 30 years later, could it be happening all over again?
The feeling is back: While rock may sound different in 2024, the feeling is back. If you tune into WKQX (101.1 FM) or WXRT (93.1 FM) today, you’re likely to hear newer Chicago acts like Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Friko, Sincere Engineer and Dehd taking the airwaves in regular rotations alongside well-known artists. Respected tastemaker labels like ATO records, Mom + Pop and Matador Records have also been signing them in a feeding frenzy.
Look at the lineups: The uprising is also evident in this summer’s festival lineups. Friko and Brigitte are playing Lollapalooza; Lifeguard has a spot at Pitchfork; and Sincere Engineer is playing Riot Fest. Some acts will also grace stages at the Newport Folk Festival, Summerfest and as far as Japan’s Fuji Rock this year. And all of it has Chicago industry insiders — and beyond — excited.
Key quote: “That’s what it was like back in the day with the Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Material Issue — when Chicago exploded onto the national scene,” says Metro founder and owner Joe Shanahan, a key player in the 1990s rock movement here. He not only sees the similarities — young, artsy twentysomethings working in tandem to build a scene — but also the potential. As Shanahan adds, “I hope this [becomes] the same.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Spring weather hits summer markets: Big temperature swings this spring were nerve-wracking for farmers, who saw some crops damaged or killed when the mercury plunged. And that could affect supplies of some fruits and vegetables at Chicago-area farmers markets, farmers say.
- A conflict of interest? State Sen. Napoleon Harris III has been chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Insurance Committee for several years. He recently became an “investor” with insurance brokers in the south suburbs. He denies any conflict of interest.
- Candidates race to file: Prospective candidates lined up Monday to present the signatures they collected to run for Chicago’s inaugural school board race.
- Hello heat wave: The Chicago area is enduring what will be a weeklong heatwave, with temperatures expected to remain in the 90s. All city pools are open, as are several cooling centers around the city.
- Court Theatre’s artistic director departs: In his three decades as artistic director, Charles Newell has taken the Hyde Park company to a series of heights, marked by a number of Jeff Awards, growth in audiences, and in 2022, the Tony Award for Regional Theater.
- Harry Styles pop-up hits Bucktown: A shop for the singer’s beauty brand, Pleasing, will be open through July 14, to promote Styles’ new nail polish set, offering clothes, ice cream a chance to check voter registration status.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🕯️
Get hands-on at Candle Castle & Co.
This week’s Sun-Times Staff Suggests comes from staff reporter Mariah Rush, who recommends trying some candle-making at Candle Castle & Co.
‘Treat myself moment': Mariah tells me that she decided to give a class at Candle Castle & Co. a try after finding it on Instagram. “At $55 a person, it was definitely a treat-myself-moment,” Mariah tells me, saying she went on her birthday in April with a friend. “We clearly didn’t have an original idea, because several fellow candle-makers were also turning a year older,” Mariah says.
At the shop: Mariah describes Candle Castle’s Bucktown space as “calming.” During her visit, she and a group of 20 other candle-makers spread out at tables as a candle-making expert guided them through the process.
Easy process: “It was incredibly simple and took less than 45 minutes to do,” Mariah says. “We picked which fragrances we wanted from dozens of sample scents, as well as our ‘vessel’ to hold the soy wax candle. After going through the few steps to create our candle, we decorated it with glitter and shells and gave it a name as the wax dried.”
Mariah’s choice: “I picked a lemony scent and a pink vessel that I sprinkled gold glitter on. I’ve burned over half of ‘Lana’ in the last two months and enjoyed every sniff of it.”
📍Candle Castle & Co., 1815 N. Milwaukee Ave.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Ribfest Chicago returns to North Center with expanded offerings, but it’s still ‘all about the ribs’
Reporting by Dorothy Hernandez
Thousands of food fans funneled into North Center this weekend for the 24th annual Ribfest Chicago.
Ten local and national barbecue vendors served up their best throughout the three-day festival, all vying to bring home the People’s Choice Award, which was decided by a panel of celebrity judges.
But it was Milwaukee’s Thomas Green Jr., of Mr. Greens BBQ, who took home the top prize.
For Green, in addition to the sauce and rub, family is an essential component of his ribs. He melds his Chicago-area roots — his dad grew up on the West Side and his mom grew up in Maywood — with local Wisconsin ingredients such as chilies and honey for his own spin on ribs.
For example, his sweet heat sauce is inspired by Chicago mild sauce, a vinegar-based condiment, that he put his own spin on to “create our own sweet heat sauce.”
He cooks his ribs for four hours over charcoal and white oak and cherry wood, wraps them, adds more seasoning and then cooks for another hour to let that flavor permeate the St. Louis-style ribs
This year’s fest also featured new attractions for all ages. For the kids, an expanded play area had face-painting and inflatables. And for adults, a whiskey tasting included 20 different whiskeys.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit community organizations, including Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club, Friends of Ravenswood School, Chicago Rescue Authority and Common Pantry, organizers said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
How are you staying cool amid the heat wave this week?
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
