Finally Festing Brothers in Tune
Artists appearing at Blues on The Fox
June means it ' s festival time again and now in its 22nd year , the annual Blues on the Fox festival gives folks another alternative to the downtown blues fest has attracted music and blues fans from all over the state and the country . Featuring A-list artists performing the blues and up-and-comers already making a name for themselves , Blues on the Fox pays tribute to musicians John Lee “ Sonny Boy ” Williamson , Tampa Red , Big Bill Broonzy and others who recorded their historic sound at the Leland Hotel in downtown Aurora . " Pay tribute to the past , rock out with the present and prepare for the future of blues at Blues on the Fox ," according to the organizers . This year ' s headliners include Elle King , Sonny Landreth and Aaron Neville . Visit riveredgeaurora . com for tickets and details .
The grandaddy of suburban festivals takes place in Berwyn . Launched in 1981 , FitzGerald ' s American Music Festival has grown from a three-band barbeque night to one of the most critically acclaimed summer festivals in the Midwest . The festival ' s main focus is roots / Americana music – including traditional rock to soul , rockabilly , country , blues , jazz and bluegrass . The FitzGerald ' s family welcomes bands from all over the country and a healthy dose of local bands , with a special emphasis on music from New Orleans and Texas . Unlike many of the popular music festivals in the -Day Fest ( June 29 , 30 , July 1 , 3 ) is held on the grounds of the club . This year ' s festival includes pop music leg-
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the city , the 4-Day Fest ( June 29 , 30 , July 1 , 3 ) is held on the grounds of the club . This year ' s festival includes pop music legend Nick Lowe with Los Straightjackets , Joe Ely Band , Marcia Ball , James McMurtry plus 65 other bands . 4-Day Passes are on sale ( www . fitzgeraldsnightclub . com ) as well as single day tickets .
The biggest and the most family-friendly among the suburban festivals is Naperville Ribfest . Organized by The Exchange Club of Naperville , the non-profit is dedicated to the elimination of child abuse and domestic violence . This year ' s fest featuring Rockabilly stalwarts the reunited Stray Cats , plus R & B MC Pitbull , and 50 other bands over 4 days ( July 4-7 ). Get an extra $ 10 off your Navistar Stage ticket by using code ILENT at ribfest . net
Will County fest goers swear by Taste of Joliet every year , and this year ' s event ( June 23-25 at Memorial Stadium , 3000 W . Jefferson ) keeps the streak going . With 25 food vendors , carnival , and headliners Rick Springfield , Dennis DeYoung , Brothers Osborne and more . Tickets and fest details can be found at TasteOfJoliet . com .
Not to be outdone in town , the folks at The Forge have teamed up with the City of Joliet to offer Rock The Block which takes place June 15,16 and 17 at the corner of North Chicago Street and East Van Buren Street in downtown Joliet . The event will feature live music , food and vendors all three days including Everclear , Marcy Playground and Local H as part of the Summerland Tour . Military members get in free with ID . Visit The ForgeLive . com for details .
If you head north over the boarder , Krautfest is another popular fest that draws from the Tristate area featuring everything you ' d expect from a classic Wisconsin festival : Beer , brats , fireworks and some amazing bands in cluding Hoobastank , and Saving Albel . Throw in a sauerkraut eating contest and a full carnival and we know where we ' ll be June 8 , 9 and 10 . Visit kraurfestwisco . com for details .
Concertville Chicago
" A 70-acre " Lincoln Yards " project developer Sterling Bay is planning along the North Branch of the Chicago River will feature as many as five entertainment venues built in conjunction with concert giant Live Nation , if the developer gets its way ," according to Crains Chicago Business .
Naturally , an entertainment complex of this magnitude could have adverse effects on other live music venues in
Lincoln Yards town , as well as added congestion in the neighborhood - so expect a tug-of-war between all parties over Lincoln Yards .
Scott Gelman and Danny Zelisko
There are definite perks to being a concert promoter - engaging with and getting to know rock stars professionally and personally is definitely on the top of the list . However , it ' s often long days , late nights and a fair share of worry . The modern-day promoter wears many hats and performs a plethora of jobs : procuring the talent , setting up the box office , renting the venue , setting the ticket prices , signing contracts with the band , paying insurance and licensing fees , hiring security and caterers , and then - hopefully - selling enough tickets to cover their expenses .
The nature of the business is supply and demand , and in a way , promoters are like professional gamblers hedging their bets against the odds . Local promoter Scott Gelman of One Eleven Productions and longtime friend Danny Zelisko ( a Park Ridge native and Maine East High School graduate ) have each been promoting shows for over 40 years . Collectively , Zelisko and Gelman have produced shows for well-established acts including U2 , The Rolling Stones , Madonna , Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett — to name a few — and they are responsible for bringing British rock icon Alan Parsons ’ s 35th anniversary Eye in the Sky tour to the Copernicus Center on June 5 .
Although the duo has known each other for four decades , this is the first time they ' re promoting a show together in Chicago . “ I ’ ve been doing shows with Alan Parsons all over the country for the last 20-25 years ,” Danny Zelisko of Danny Zelisko Presents said during a recent phone interview from his home in Phoenix . “ They ’ ve been playing St . Charles a lot over the years but not playing Chicago proper . This is my first time presenting a show in Chicago after all these years , and I ’ m really happy to be doing it with Scotty .”
Being a concert promoter can be nerve-wracking , especially when you ' re operating as an independent one . Big-time production companies like AEG Presents , Feld Entertainment and LiveNation can make an independent promoter feel like a small fish in a big pond . “ There are all these giant tours that the big companies focus on ; all the U2s of the world ; Taylor Swift ; all the people who are playing the stadiums ,” Zelisko said . “ But there ’ s a number of other groups who aren ' t iconic household names who are still out there working . They know that they ’ re not on the tip of everybody ’ s [ tongues ] - these kids who are working in the concert companies nowadays . And frankly , they don ’ t have time for it … but we do .” Gelman further explains . “ Nothing against LiveNation or AEG , I think they ’ re very good companies for what they do ,” he said . “ But the missing link is the old mom and pop approach , which is : Danny and I will call up the manager , sometimes talking to the artists [ directly ] and definitely being at all of our own shows . It ’ s that personal touch .”
As the promoter , there ’ s a considerable amount of pre-planning that goes into every concert . “ A lot of people show up for the show an hour before , and all of a sudden the show is there ,” Gelman said . “ But [ for us ] that process started four to six months , sometimes a year ago . And then
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