Music

Summer nights in the city are fun. The warm weather gives us plenty of activities to do at night! Last year, Whole Foods Market in Lincoln Park had a bike-in movie night and they are bringing it back!

Who doesn’t love a good music fest in the summer? Indie Pop, Rock, Electro, Hip Hop, Dubstep, Folk, you name it – Metropia has it!

Sarah Levy, owner of Sarah's Pastries & Candies here! One of the few things I love more than a good pastry is a good party. And that’s exactly what we’ll be having on Thursday, June 7 at A Night of Summer Light, the first-ever event hosted by the Young Friends of The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.

Friday, June 1st promises to be a one-of-a-kind night at Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo’s auxiliary board is hosting their signature fundraiser, Zoo-ologie, in the heart of the Zoo. All the proceeds raised during this unique event will go towards helping care for the animals, keep up exhibits, as well as continue education initiatives all while keeping the zoo free to the public. Lincoln Park Zoo is currently one of only three free zoos in the entire country – and we want it to stay that way! If you live anywhere near Chicago, chances are you’ve enjoyed the beautiful grounds of the LP Zoo at some point in your life. As a DePaul Alum, I walked through the zoo countless times on my way to and from the beach just because I could; not much is free these days, so you have to take advantage and enjoy those few things that are.

Summer is actually here...and I think it's here to stay! The weather for this Saturday is looking great! So far…it’s looking like it’ll be warm, sunny and in the 80’s, a perfect day to come to Elmhurst’s 24th Annual Pet Parade! An event put on by the Spring Road Business Association and the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, this is one fun family filled event that you want to come to!

In 2009, All Pro, Former Chicago Bear, Jerry Azumah and I attended a charity event at the House of Blues for President Bill Clinton. During our visit with the former White House resident, President Clinton said something that would stick with me forever. He mentioned contributions from American households comprise 75% of all giving to nonprofits every year. I looked at my friend and event co-chair, Jerry and smiled knowing the work we did for the Azumah Student Assistance Program (ASAP) that included small donations from our tight and influential network, was a piece of that 75% and our efforts were a part of a bigger picture. A picture that includes over 1,300 listed charities in the Chicagoland area alone!

I love the city of Chicago! No, really I do. Especially in the summer time! There’s always something going on, right? Well, if you didn’t know that and find yourself bored on the weekends you can look forward to festival season. It’s quickly approaching and the city and burbs (yes, I know it’s suburbs) offer a variety of activities during the warm months. From the middle of May till the end of September, you can catch something every weekend.

Love crawfish? Love Louisiana? Love a good time? Well, you’re in luck! It’s that time of year again when the Louisiana Bayou comes to Lincoln Park! McGee’s Tavern & Grille is hosting their 23rd Annual Headsucker’s Ball; Chicago’s nal crawfish boil. Over 2,000 lbs. of crawfish, straight from the Louisiana Bayou, will be boiled with McGee’s secret blend of spices and herbs, corn, Andouille sausage and red potatoes. For just $20 in advance, ($25 at the door for you more spontaneous folks), you can enjoy all-you-can-eat crawfish, red beans & rice, gumbo and jambalaya! Also look for drink specials throughout the day, because who doesn’t need a cold one to wash down all those crawfish?

Who is the hottest new music artist around town? His name is Christacy and if you don’t already know who he is, we guarantee you will soon! Christacy’s first single “Body Language” will be dropping on iTunes Thursday, May 3. Check out a little preview here!

Hey Readers! This is Pat Gilroy from the Chicago rock band The Super Happy Fun Club! I've known and worked with Billy throughout the years and I'm excited to be a guest blogger today! In the summer of 2010 I received a troubling text about a friend who was part of a brutal attack. He stood up for someone who was in harm’s way, and in a terrible turn of events, became the victim. (check out the full story here). Matthew Leone (bassist for the rock band Madina Lake) was at the beginning of a very long journey back to normal life.