Wild Flag

In addition to the Downtown Sound series, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has now unveiled the lineups for its Dusk Variations and Music Without Borders series at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion. Described as “mixing pop and alternative genres with classical music,” Dusk Variations features performances by Rasputina and My Brightest Diamond with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra; the Music Without Borders series, curated by Michael Orlove, includes Hanggai, RAM, Sierra Maestra, and Yemen Blues.

The majority of the summer street festivals littering Chicago are basically just blockades that make it impossible to get wherever the hell you need to go in less than 45 minutes, but a handful are actually worthwhile. The first lineup announcement for the Green Music Fest (June 25-26) features Yo La Tengo, Les Savy Fav, and the Thermals, and the Do-Division Street Fest (June 4-5) has confirmed a few acts on what looks to be an eclectic roster, with Big Freedia, Omar Souleyman, Led Zeppelin 2, and a DJ set by Bonobo.

More festival news: The ambitious Neon Marshmallow fest, introduced by Dan Smith and Matt Kimmel last year, will return for three days this June. It’s been relocated to the Empty Bottle, and this year’s lineup includes groundbreaking electronic-music composer Morton Subotnick, Oneohtrix Point Never, Pelt, Bill Orcutt, and White Rainbow.

Other Early Warnings this week that are more than worth a damn: Anal Cunt, the Cars, Centro-Matic, Peter Gabriel, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sloan, TSOL, Wavves, Wild Flag. Check out my full list after the jump: