Last year’s Summer Smash was easily one of the best festivals of the year. With performances from A$AP Rocky, Lil Baby, Chance The Rapper, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Durk and many more, the Chicago festival, curated by Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett, was a can’t miss.
Building off their momentum from last year’s epic festival, this summer’s fest is just as impressive and organizers have just shared the official daily lineup with some brand new additions. Kicking things off on Friday, June 17th will be Wiz Khalifa, Trippie Redd, Lil Skies, Rico Nasty and headliner Lil Uzi Vert who will look to top his 2021 performance.
Saturday’s lineup is just as great, as Post Malone will deliver his first performance following the June 3rd release of his latest LP, “Twelve Carat Toothache”. Hitting the stage before Posty will be Polo G, Ski Mask The Slump God, Bia and G Herbo to name a few.
Last but not least, on Sunday, Playboi Carti will headline alongside the festivals undercard like Oliver Tree, Lil Yachty, 2 Chainz and more.
Tickets are on sale now at the festival’s official website, with single day passes starting at under $100.
The iconic rap rock band delivered a career spanning set for their Wisconsin fans on Sunday night.
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Limp Bizkit performs at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI on May 22, 2022 (Photo by Dan Garcia).
It seems like just yesterday when Limp Bizkit was one of the biggest names in music, circa the days that MTV and VH1 had a pulse on what was popular and Fred Durst provided the industry with a heavy counter to the NSYNC, Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys of the world. Fast forward a couple decades and a few hiatuses later and the same group that brought you “Nookie” and “Break Stuff” is now giving us dad vibes but while still selling out huge venues across the country thanks to their unmatched energy and catalogue of hits.
That brings us to the bands latest tour, the ironically dubbed, “Still Sucks” tour. And while the band is of course joking around and poking fun at themselves with the tour’s title, little to nothing sucked about last night’s performance at Green Bay’s Resch Center. Now in the back 9 of their U.S. tour, which has made stops at arenas in a number of secondary markets as well as a few primary markets, the band is as good live as they’ve ever been, which is why they can still dominate massive crowds, as they did a few hours south at Lollapalooza this past summer.
But you can’t just go years without seeing Limp Bizkit live and jump right into it, which is why Fred Durst recruited Yung Gravy to “lube the crowd” before Limp Bizkit hits the stage each night. Minnesota’s Yung Gravy, a 26-year-old rapper and University of Wisconsin-Madison alum, wouldn’t necessarily be your first guest for support of a Limp Bizkit tour, but his sound and sense of humor is perfect for a Limp Bizkit concert, even though the two acts are separated by decades and genres.
The former UW badger got the night started with tracks like the Mr. Sandman sampled, “Mr. Clean”, and of course his 2020 single, “Oops!”, which is his biggest hit today.
Moments after Yung Gravy said his farewells to the packed crowd of Green Bay Packers fans, just a couple blocks from the historic Lambeau Field, it was time for the Fred Durst led Limp Bizkit to greet their loyal fans. Rather than spoil fans with a classic right off the bat, the band stayed true to the tour and kicked things off with “Dad Vibes”, the lead single from their newest LP, “Still Sucks”, which they are touring in support of.
Durst, with his new dad get up, instead of his signature t-shirt and backwards fitted cap, started the show on his version of an Archie Bunker-like recliner, where we was later joined by the rest of his band. From guitarist Wes Borland to John Otto on the drums and more, the 2022 version of Limp Bizkit is as true to the OG version of the band as a Day 1 fan could ever hope for.
The band then continued with a couple of their classics, including “Rollin'” and “My Way”. One definite highlight from the performance included the band’s performance of “Nookie” where they invited a young fan on stage who Durst stressed “did not do it for the nookie”, just one of many moments where Limp Bizkit showed off their sense and humor and crowd work throughout the night.
And as the crowd matched the bands energy with each song, the anticipation of the evening built until the night’s final moments, with a live performance of Limp’s 2000 hit “Break Stuff”, which put a rageful exclamation on a night full of moshing for the hundreds of fans in the GA pit. The Resch Center will certainly not experience a night like last night for quite some time.
Check out our favorite photos from Limp Bizkit’s headlining “Still Sucks” tour below and grab your tickets for the tour’s remaining dates here.
Pop punk legends, Simple Plan and Sum 41, brought their co-headlining tour to The Rave in Milwaukee, WI on Saturday night.
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Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier performs in front of fans at The Rave’s Eagles Ballroom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 (Photo by Dan Garcia).
Two decades removed from a couple of pop punk’s most pivotal LP’s, Simple Plan’s No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls and Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler, the Blame Canada Tour was born to bring some nostalgia to audiences across the continent.
Last night, Milwaukee was the next lucky city to experience a night brought to fans from the Canadian punk legends, and perhaps the most exciting lineup for fans of the genre since the Warped Tour made its exit from the live music world. And with such a great lineup, we of course had to capture photos of some of our favorite moments from the entire night.
Check out our favorite photos from the Blame Canada Tour’s Milwaukee stop below and get tickets for the remaining dates of the Blame Canada Tour at Simple Plan’s official website here.
Thousands of Milwaukee biggest rock fans filled the Fiserv Forum on Friday night to enjoy performances from Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Lilith Czar, Asking Alexandria and Wage War.
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Lilith Czar performs at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI for Hog Fest 2022.
102.9 The Hog (WHQG-FM) brought some of the most exciting names in rock music, new and old, to Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum for a memorable night of live music. Hog Fest 2022 saw performances from rock legends Godsmack, as well as a number of other great bands and artists like Lilith Czar, Three Days Grace, Asking Alexandria and Wage War.
The epic roster of performers was not something to miss and had something for everyone, making Friday night easily of Milwaukee’s biggest rock concerts since live music returned to Wisconsin.
John Mayer brought his headlining Sob Rock Tour to the Windy City for back-to-back sold-out performances on Thursday and Friday night.
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John Mayer brings his Sob Rock Tour 2022 to the United Center in Chicago, IL on Thursday, April 28, 2022 (Photo by Dan Garcia).
In support of his eight studio album, Sob Rock, John Mayer brought his massive headlining arena tour to the house that Michael Jordan built for back-to-back sold-out performances for some of his biggest Chicago fans.
The “New Light” singer kicked off and ended his Thursday night performance with some of the LP’s best tracks, with cuts from and album of some of his career songs sprinkled throughout the 19-track set list. From start to finish the evening was full of highlights and we were there to capture some of our favorite moments.
Fans can visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets and more information on the remaining dates of the Sob Rock Tour.
As the last snowflakes melt throughout the city, the live music scene is gaining momentum in Chicago, paving the way for what will certainly be an epic festival season in the summer. And while we can’t wait for festivals like Lollapalooza, the Windy City Smoke Out and more, there are some amazing shows coming to Chicago this month and at some historic venues.
From a couple big nights at the United Center with John Mayer, to Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated 2-night residency at the Aragon Ballroom which sold-out in seconds, there are some huge shows coming to a venue near you in April.
Check out our list of the 5 can’t miss concerts in Chicago in April!
Conan Gray proved he is on a path to stardom with his headlining performance, selling out one of Milwaukee’s largest venues.
Conan Gray brings his 2022 world tour to the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee on March 30, 2022 (Photo by Dan Garcia).
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Pop music’s Conan Gray is on a fast track to stardom. Since the release of his 2020 debut, Kid Krow, Gray’s following has increased exponentially. Last night’s performance, which was initially scheduled for one of the smaller rooms in the venue was quickly upgraded to The Rave’s Eagles Ballroom, one of the biggest venues in Milwaukee. Not only was the show upgraded to a larger room, but last night’s show was for a sell-out crowd of Gray’s most loyal fans.
And from the moment the Texas native stepped on staged, performing his upbeat track “Wish You Were Sober”, it was obvious why the show was a sell-out, even on a weekday night. Fans sang every word, from the hits like “Maniac” and “Heather” to the B-sides from Kid Krow like , which are great tracks in their own right. Unless it was a dad or boyfriend in attendance as a chaperone, no one at Wednesday night’s performance was a casual Conan Gray fan. However, even many of the +1s in the crowd left as big fans thanks to Gray’s infectious personality and stage presence.
Although Gray was performing slightly under the weather and with some production limitations due to the size of the stage, none of the above mattered and would not have been noticeable without Gray sharing things with his fans between songs. Highlights of the night included the set’s encore performances of “Heather” and “Maniac”, the slowed down moments with “Astronomy” and “The Story” and even when Conan helped a fan ask her date to prom.
Conan Gray’s success was inevitable and he’s the epitome of a born star. He’s bigger today than he was when the tour began a month ago and when he returns to Milwaukee, last night’s huge sell-out performance will seem intimate in comparison.
Fans can visit Conan Gray’s official website for tickets to the remaining dates of his headlining tour. The Conan Gray World Tour 2022 resumes tonight at The Armory in Minneapolis.
Sting performs at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL (Photo by Dan Garcia).
Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival, one of the most unique festivals in the country, has blessed music fans with their full 2022 lineup.
Headlining the Illinois festival this upcoming summer will be names like Stevie Nicks, Common, Sting, Pitbull, Why Don’t We, The Revivalists, John Fogerty, Little Big Town, Bonnie Raitt and many more. The festival kicks off at the end of May and will run until the middle of September.
Ravinia attracts hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the season and features seating in a 3,000+ seat pavilion as well as an expansive lawn area for fan picnics during performances, unlike nothing else that you’ll experience. You can visit the festival’s official website for tickets and more information.
Check out some highlights from Ravinia’s 2022 lineup below and check out their full schedule here.
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny celebrated his birthday in Chicago on Thursday night with the first of three sold-out shows at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.
Bad Bunny performs at the Allstate Arena on March 10, 2022 (Photo by Dan Garcia).
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Latin trap rapper Bad Bunny is one of the biggest artists in the world. You may only hear him on Top 40 stations domestically when he teams up with artists like Cardi B and Drake, but when it comes to live shows, no one can fill a room like the 28-year-old superstar.
Bad Bunny’s success was further validated this week as the “I Like It” rapper performed for three sold-out crowds in Chicago at the Allstate Arena, as part of his El Último Tour Del Mundo (in support of his third solo LP of the same name). And if three arena shows wasn’t enough, Bad Bunny is returning to the city this summer for a massive headlining stadium show at Soldier Field. You can get your tickets for the forthcoming performance now at Ticketmaster.
With one of the biggest names in music coming to town, and while celebrating his 28th birthday, fans couldn’t wait another moment for Bad Bunny to hit the stage on Thursday night. And it wasn’t just any ole’ stage, as Bad Bunny performed on a literal transformer that went from a big rig semi truck with pyro to a stage that lowered toward the crowd in the middle of the arena floor.
Opening with his 2020 record, ‘Booker T’, the huge wrestling fan and part-time WWE wrestler got the night started with a banger. Bad Bunny continued the first half of his sets with a number of records from his latest album.
Through the second act of the night, Bad Bunny performed a huge selection of tracks from his career, giving fans everything they wanted and more with a 30+ song setlist, including tracks like ‘La santa’, ‘Vete’ and ‘Volvi’ (his collab with Aventura) to name a few.
All in all, Bad Bunny proved to us everything we already knew. He is one of the biggest rappers in the world and he is a performer before anything else. His songs are great and beloved by many but the performance of his songs is as important as the recordings. While many rappers mail in their live shows with 20 songs and a basic stage, Bad Bunny puts time, effort and plenty of money into his shows, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for his stadium tour this summer.
Bad Bunny’s tour resumes this weekend with his remaining Chicago performances, you can pick up tickets for his remaining tour dates here.
Lady Gaga brings her Joanne World Tour to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH (Photo by Dan Garcia/The Early Registration)
With COVID-19 cancelation hopefully in the rearview, Lady Gaga has mapped out her next stadium tour.
Gaga’s “Chromatica Ball” tour will make a number of stops through Europe before heading to the states for performances at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Fenway Park in Boston and many more, until the tour comes to an end on September 10th at Dodger Stadium.
Tickets purchased for the tour’s original 2020 dates are still valid and all others can purchase tickets via Ticketmaster.com now.
Check the full itinerary for Gaga’s “Chromatica Ball” tour below.
The Early Registration 