Pitchfork

Chicago's a great city for live music most of the time, but in the summer, we kinda sorta rule. I mean, there's this, which is reason enough for celebration (at least, we like to think so). And of course this big sucker right here, always a sight to behold. And now that the city has temporarily stopped taking swigs from that big bottle of crazy sauce, there's every indication that the summer of 2008 is gonna be yet another fine time to make your way to the Second City.

We'd like to take this opportunity to turn your attention to the many street fairs and neighborhood festivals that pop up damn near every weekend during the summer, playing host to a rotating cast of bona fide musical talent, generally asking only chump change for their efforts. The first such event of note, the Do Division! Fest at the intersection of Division and Damen, is coming up awful fast-- this coming weekend, to be exact. Lucero, Mucca Pazza, Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, Tally Hall, De Novo Dahl Tight Phantomz and others take the stage May 31, while Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Frightened Rabbit, the 1900s, Gil Mantera's Party Dream, and others join in the following day, June 1.

Next up is the Taste of Randolph Street, going down in the Randolph Street corridor in the West Loop. June 20 finds former Soul Coughing leader Mike Doughty and his band taking the stage, while the following night sees sets from Drive-By Truckers and Bobby Bare, Jr. On June 22, Josh Ritter, Matt Costa, Delta Spirit, and oh yes, Baby Loves Disco have their Taste.

The next big one emerges with not a whimper, but a freakin' BAM! Yep, the Belmont Music and Arts Festival-- on Belmont between Damen and Leavitt-- will play host to Cursive, Maritime, the Redwalls, Sybris, Unwed Sailor, and the Waco Brothers when it kicks off June 28. The next night, American Music Club, Casiotone for the Painfully alone, Maria Taylor, Justin Townes Earle, Johnathan Rice, and local faves the Smoking Popes head up to Belmont.

Then there's the Wicker Park Fest, just up the block from the Pitchfork Batcave on Damen between North and Schiller. The fest goes down July 26-27, and though we don't have the day-to-day breakdown just yet, we're told Polvo, Isis, Ra Ra Riot, Film School, and Red Sparowes will take the stage over yonder.

Finally, there's the mother of all Chicago city festivals: the Taste of Chicago, which takes over Grant Park from June 27 to July 6. In addition to all the food, Stevie Wonder, Estelle, Fantasia, Gomez, Chaka Khan, Alejandro Escovedo, Angie Stone, and many others will perform at the Petrillo Music Shell.