Obviously the big news in terms of music content in the Reader is our guide to the Chicago Jazz Festival (I especially like the Blue Note-inspired artwork on the cover). That’s hardly the only fest in town this weekend, though, and not even the only one that gets a guide in the Reader. Chaka Khan headlines the African Festival of the Arts, the Bash on Wabash looks pretty impressive in spots, the North Coast Music Festival features a pileup of dance music, hip-hop, and jam bands, and Adventures in Modern Music, presented by UK music mag the Wire and the Empty Bottle, starts Wednesday with Rhys Chatham, John Wiese, and Bill Orcutt.
Elsewhere in the music section, Gossip Wolf dishes on the enigmatic Bibi Merhdad (who’s playing the multidisciplinary Joyous Outdoor Event this weekend alongside some other quality acts), Photo Pit gets up close and personal with an oddly beef jerky-looking Iggy Pop, the Secret History of Chicago Music sketches the mysterious story of Sorcery, I profile post-rock oldies Frontier and indie newbies California Wives, and the List recommends shows by David Boykin, Dum Dum Girls, and Hallogallo 2010, a new project from Krautrock king Michael Rother.