July's 5 Can't-Miss Shows (Dave Chamberlain)

1

Rachid Taha

(Logan Square Auditorium)

A French-Algerian musician who makes dance `n' roll injected with heavy Eastern influence--especially Algerian rai--Taha only rarely plays the states.

July 1

2

Sounds of the Underground

(Tweeter Center)

Every mom and dad's nightmare, a day-long journey through the ugly and brutal side of metal and hardcore; featuring Lamb of God, High on Fire, Clutch and GWAR, among others.

July 8

3

Anger Management Tour

(Tweeter Center)

Although the Tweeter Center will likely sell out on account of 50 Cent's bodyguards filling the stands, this is Eminem's show and we can't wait.

July 11

4

Vans Warped Tour

(Tweeter Center)

The day-long event that is definitely not your older brother's punk rock hits town with headliners The Offspring and My Chemical Romance; Chicago's own Fall Out Boy will likely steal everyone else's thunder.

July 23

5

Ozzfest

(Tweeter Center)

What's the more perplexing head-scratcher: that this is the tenth year of Ozzfest, or that Ozzy made it another ten years? This year's anniversary lineup features the godfathers, Black Sabbath, headlining for Iron Maiden, Rob Zombie, and the underrated Shadows Fall.

July 30

July's 5 Can't-Miss Shows (Tom Lynch)

1

Lollapalooza

(Hutchinson Field)

The music event of the summer--our Coachella, our Glastonbury, our Woodstock--hits Grant Park right when the summer heat wave should peak. But the two-day carnival boasts an awesome, impressive lineup that includes headliners the Pixies and Weezer, plus performances by Death Cab for Cutie, The Arcade Fire, The Killers, Dinosaur Jr., Liz Phair, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and more. Other sets to not miss: The Watchmen, Ben Kweller and France's M83. But, let's not forget the debacle of Woodstock `99--let's keep the fires and the unwarranted sexual advances to a minimum, people.

July 23-24

2

Intonation Music Festival

(Union Park)

Pitchfork Media brings us the other outdoor rock festival of July, with a subtly pleasant lineup of indies like local heroes Tortoise, Death from Above 1979, Broken Social Scene, Magnolia Electric Co., The Decemberists, Will Oldham, The Wrens and Deerhoof.

July 16-17

3

Billy Corgan

(Vic)

The return! Corgan shows his face again with the release of his first solo record, "TheFutureEmbrace," a cosmic boom of synths and harmonics. Since the bridges have pretty much been burned between Corgan and the ex-members of Zwan, plus the total absence of other Pumpkins James and D'Arcy, it looks like Corgan is ready to put down his poetry pen and pluck a Strat.

July 5-6

4

Moby

(Petrillo Band Shell)

As far as Taste of Chicago musical acts go, this is as good as it gets. Okay, so the sound may suck, but experiencing Moby on the 4th while lying on the Grant Park field, stomach stuffed with Moby-hating meat products, overlooking the skyline with a breeze shaking off the lake could be a gentle, dreamlike dance. Or not.

July 4

5

Cowboy Junkies

(Park West)

Don't ever forget how good that "Sweet Jane" cover actually is.

July 15

July's 5 Can't-Miss Shows (Melissa Lane)

1

15th Annual Old Skool House Music Reunion

(Behind Museum of Science and Industry)

This year, the chosen few honor Wayne Williams' thirtieth anniversary as a DJ, list TBA.

July 2

2

Darshan Jesrani (of Metro Area) and Lee Foss

(Smart Bar)

Jesrani plays the soulful early club classics, Detroit techno and experimental electronica that inspired Metro Area.

July 2

3

The Go! Team

(Double Door)

The squarely seventies psychedelic Jackson 5 has been hailed as one of the year's most innovative new acts.

July 15,also at Intonation Music Fest July 16

4

Gravy Train

(Empty Bottle)

If the ladies of L'Trimm mothered Peaches, they straight grandmothered Gravy Train.

July 22

5

Superpitcher/Mazi

(SummerDance)

The Cologne-based DJ and producer's minimal techno and electro pop has got all the kids swooning.

July 27

July's 5 Can't-Miss Shows (Dennis Polkow)

1

Betti Xiang and Yang Wei

(Pritzker Pavilion)

The pair present a night of traditional folksongs with the added bonus of a collaboration with conductor Josephine Lee and the Grant Park Orchestra in the score from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

July 6

2

Van Cliburn

(Ravinia)

The Cold War icon makes his first trip to Ravinia in three decades.

July 16

3

Adrian Belew

(Park West)

Part of King Crimson's musical royalty returns as a solo artist with a power-trio.

July 16

4

Fulcrum Point New Music Project

(Martin Theatre, Ravinia)

In a program called "Music, Poetry, and Inspiration from America and the Middle East," the Fulcrum Point New Music Project pairs with the Chicago Chamber Choir for performances of pieces by Golijov, Boulos, Schiff, Vali and Ranjbaran that attempts to bridge the culture gap.

July 19

5

Otello

(Ravinia)

New music director James Conlon has chosen Verdi's "Otello" as his initial operatic offering in concert. Traditional opera-goers may miss the staging and costumes, but the power and virtuosity of the mighty Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus should more than compensate.

July 23

(2005-05-24)

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