Summer concerts making triumphant return to Chicago area
CHICAGO - Can you remember the last concert you saw? It may be tough, but there is a concert comeback in the works at venues both large and small, and from local acts to big name bands.
The absence of live performances wasn’t just a blow to musicians and fans. Kate Tuten with the Chicago Independent Venue League says it has impacted staff at every kind.
"It’s been devastating, but there’s hope on the horizon," Tuten said.
The federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program opened Monday.
Tuten, who is also with The Hideout says SVOG will provide $16 billion worth of emergency grants to independently owned and operated live music venues and theaters.
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"One thing we are really hopeful for is to bring our staff back. We are the lifeblood of the cultural creative economy," said Tuten. "We want to get back to work as well as the artists."
But even the big concert venues have suffered huge losses.
At the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, bands will begin taking the stage in July. The Live Nation website shows Rod Stewart with Cheap Trick leading the way on July 21.
The calendar includes acts like the Backstreet Boys and Luke Bryant, all rebooted from 2020.
Northerly Island kicks things off June 18 with 5 Seconds of Summer followed by the Dave Matthews Band and Alicia Keys in August just to name a few. These shows were also rescheduled from 2020.
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At the United Center, the website shows summer concerts by Justin Bieber and Jackson Browne.
The big acts won’t have the same big crowds, due to COVID-19 restrictions, but music fans seem ready, even if it means masks and social distance.
On a smaller scale, you have everything from Fitzgeralds in Berwyn rebooting their patio to Thalia Hall booking live shows for private events.
"Artists are just as eager to get on stage as staff is to get back to their venues. We’re all just sitting on our hands we cannot wait," said Ryan Arnold with radio station WXRT.