Fun.
Fun. Credit: Lindsey Byrnes

Taste of Chicago hits Grant Park this week, and as usual it’s got more to offer than massive amounts of food and drink and an equally massive number of festivalgoers—namely a diverse roster of live music. The Bud Light Stage, at the south end of the grounds, hosts themed lineups of mostly local acts from noon till 8 PM Wed 7/10 through Sun 7/14, while the big names every evening at the Petrillo Music Shell lean toward mainstream rock and pop. On Thursday, when the theme on the Bud Light Stage is “Musical Smorgasbord,” alt-rock band Polarcode headlines, but the bill also features country (Rivals of the Peacemaker), reggae (Stann Champion’s Roots Rock Society), funk (Jules Esquire), and more. Friday’s lineup, “We’ve Got the Blues,” includes the Congregation, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, and Zora Young. Saturday is “Indie Rock Day,” with headliners Company of Thieves and sets from the likes of Canasta, Paper Thick Walls, and Vintage Blue. Sunday is another mixed bag: “Anything Goes” appears to mean Kelly Hogan, Hemmingbirds, and the J. Davis Trio, among others. The Petrillo Music Shell hosts indie-pop outfit Fun. with Delta Spirit on Wednesday, chart-­topping R&B smoothie Robin Thicke (see Soundboard) with Estelle on Thursday, Robert Plant’s blues-rock/world-music project the Sensational Space Shifters with the Lone Bellow on Friday, neosoul singer Jill Scott with Maxi Priest on Saturday, and alt-rockers Neon Trees with the Mowgli’s on Sunday. All Bud Light Stage shows are free, as is lawn seating at Petrillo; concert seating at Petrillo is $25 a ticket, and everything but Sunday is sold out. Sunday’s show starts at 4 PM, but the other Petrillo concerts get under way at 5:30 PM. On Saturday at 11 AM, Radio Disney presents a free show for kids at Petrillo with IM5 and Chloe & Halle.