Music fans, listen up! Chicago is full of concerts practically every day of the week, so it’s easy to get your live music fix. But how do you keep up-to-date so you know what’s happening and where? Below are the 8 best resources for finding concerts in Chicago:
The Chicago Tribune launched Metromix.com to cater to socially-active young adults interested in learning about local trends and hotspots. The website offers a guide to local restaurants, clubs, concerts, pubs, movies, and events. They also offer an iPhone app specific to Chicago and run Metromix-branded print publications. From time to time, you’ll find their sections within other publications, such as the RedEye.
While not Chicago-specific, SongKick is a great resource for following your favorite bands. SongKick lets you know when bands are coming to town so you can plan ahead. The website works by indexing a number of vendors, local newspapers and venue websites to create a comprehensive database of upcoming concerts. By signing up, you can also list your favorite artists so you receive a personalized alert as soon as their tour dates are announced.
ChicagoConcerts.org is an independent website that lists upcoming concerts in Chicago. The concerts and events are sorted by date, which makes it a little difficult to track your favorite artists specifically, but it might open you up to a new favorite!
ThrillCall.com is a live events and concerts discovery site, with concert listings as well as ticket offers. Upon subscription, you can sign up for real-time mobile and online alerts for upcoming shows. ThrillCall also offers a mobile app that makes it easy to track artists and share information with friends within your network.
Since it was founded in 2004, Yelp has been a great resource for finding local businesses. But did you know you can also find upcoming events and concerts in Chicago through Yelp? From the homepage, click on Events to see trending concerts. You can sort the list by date, type of event, popularity of the events, and what your other friends are attending, among other criteria.
Chicagoland Country is designed specifically for country music lovers! Whether you’re looking to catch a live show or are interested in singing along to country karaoke, this website will tell you exactly where you should go.
Time Out Chicago is the ultimate guide to restaurants, nightlife, and – of course – events! From the homepage, select Music and Nightlife to see what’s coming up. You’ll find lots of concerts listed under The Week’s Most Popular Gigs and several others under Concerts in Chicago this Week and Book these Concerts Now. Scroll further down to find out the Best Chicago Nightlife Venues and Who is Playing Where. You are likely to find most of the popular venues such as Schubas, Empty Bottle, Metro, and Lincoln Hall listed. Have kids? Select Things to Do and click on Kids to find activities and concerts for the young ones.
Party Earth makes it easy to discover things to do in your city based on what you enjoy. To search for upcoming concerts, click on Events and then Concerts from the dropdown list. Then, check just under the menu bar and select today, tomorrow, or choose a date to view events. You can also sort events by genre or popular neighborhoods.
Top Chicago Venues To Check Out
Chicago is a melting point for all the best music, from rock to blues to jazz and more! Plus, some of the largest festivals in the US, such as Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, are held in Chicago. Beyond looking through the websites mentioned above, you can also follow specific venues to see their upcoming concert lists. Here are some of the best Chicago venues to check out:
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The Metro – This is the ultimate destination for live music fans! The Alkaline Trio and the Smashing Pumpkins started out playing gigs here.
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Subterranean – This is a North-side venue with a main floor and a balcony, both having great views.
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Grant Park – This venue hosts several free concerts annually. This is also where the Lollapalooza festival is held.
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House of Blues – This is a preferred destination for bigger concerts. It also has a restaurant just underneath the stage which serves Louisiana favorites.
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The Beat Kitchen – While on the smaller side, the Beat Kitchen is still an awesome concert venue to check out.
With so many events and concerts in Chicago to check out, there’s always something to do, practically any night of the week! What are your favorite venues in Chicago, or where do you find details about upcoming concerts? Leave a comment below to let us know!
Photo by woodleywonderworks
Megan L.