Our ROAD TRIP series brings to light essential ska/reggae/soul events happening not-so-close by that are definitely worth the cost of transportation.
Chicago: The Windy City. Wrigley Field. Chicago (The Band). O’Hare International Airport. Pitchfork. A Big Silver Bean?. Lollapalooza. John Belushi. Riot Fest. Al Capone. Kanye West. The Other Belushi. That Silver Bean Again (seriously, what’s up with that thing?). Jump Up Records. Mike Kinsella. Come On, Feel The Illinoise. This concludes the list of things I know about Chicago.
Look, I can’t be bothered to “do my own research” to find out what other things are good/characteristic of Chicago, especially after hearing about how good Reggae Fest Chicago 2016 is going to be. The one-day festival, held at Chicago’s Addams Medill Park on Saturday, August 13th, will run on two stages with staggered set times. Reggae Fest boasts an impressive line-up of reggae greats and upcoming artists, including Toots & The Maytals in their first live performance since 2013, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Hepcat (!), Derrick Morgan, The Budos Band, and more. As is to be expected with anything Jamaican music-related in the Chicago area, the festival is hosted by DJ Chuck Wren of the always great Jump Up Records, along with DJ J Niice from Chicago’s B96 radio and local venue Subterranean’s DJ Papa G.
Find out more about this festival by checking out it’s official website. Tickets go on sale this Friday (May 13th), and can be found here. VIP tickets are also available, which offer a closer stage-viewing area, specialty bar and other accommodations.
Reggae Fest Chicago 2016:
North Stage
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Toots & The Maytals
7:15 pm – 8:15 pm – Iration
5:30 pm – 6:15 pm – Budos Band
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm – Daby Toure
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm – Keith & Tex
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm – Akasha
South Stage
8:15 pm – 9:00 pm – Lee “Scratch” Perry
6:30 pm – 7:15 pm – Hepcat
4:30 pm – 5:15 pm – Derrick Morgan
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm – Charley Organaire & The Sunshine Festival Band
12:45 pm – 1:15 pm – The Prizefighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNIE1E2XZRw