Photo: Chris McGuire

Great Performers of Illinois
Chicago aside, Illinois has seen its share of performers. Really. Renowned discourser Abraham Lincoln, for one. And while we can’t resurrect him from the grave, an impersonator hits the park for some old-timey lecturing Friday 18–Sunday 20. You’ll also find the park crawling with roots performers, a corn maze, wine tastings and booths from eclectic state museums. Highlights include Aurora-based Skándalo Musical playing Duranguense music (Friday 18, 5pm); and blues artists Jimmie Vaughan and Lou Ann Barton in a concert honoring Buddy Guy (Sunday 20, 8pm).

Audible Architecture: Chicago Nightclubs at Noon
Our fair city might be filled with Mieses and Sullivans, but, undeniably, music helps compose its cultural landscape. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Millennium Park teamed up with the Pitchfork Music Festival to curate this new concert series featuring cutting-edge bands. They kicked off the season with risky, little-known acts such as the Killer Whales and recently rediscovered ’70s folk artist Gary Higgins. Saving the best for last, upcoming performers include Dutch rhythmic, anarcho-punk band the Ex (August 11); Malian pop singer Habib Koité (August 25); and guitarist and local mainstay indie-rockers Tortoise (August 4). Concerts take place some Mondays at noon, but we’ve heard they can start late. So when you roll back into work from your lunch break with grass stains on your butt, be armed with a good excuse for boss-man. Next performance: Bill Callahan, July 28.

Grant Park Music Festival
While this orchestra music series is anything but new (it originated in 1931 to provide free concerts during the Depression), this year’s bill packs in more than your standard classical fare. In a July 30 new-media performance, the Grant Park Orchestra debuts Brit DJ Nitin Sawhney’s score to A Throw of Dice, a 1920 silent Bollywood film. Flutists, singers and sitarists mix with jazz and electronic musicians for a true multiculti experience. Sawhney also performs on the piano and celeste while the film is screened. Next performance: Gershwin’s Greatest Hits, Friday 18, 6:30pm.

Audio Picnic
This might be one of the few times DJs aren’t fueling a raging dance party. As its name suggests, this DJ series gives you an early evening aural nibble: Chill out on the Great Lawn while a rotating lineup of DJs spins in the Pritzker Pavilion’s sound booth on occasional Mondays at 6pm. Past performers have included minimal techno artist Kate Simko and noted crate-digger Rob Sevier collaborating with historian Tim Samuelson. We’re looking forward to Chicago Sound Clash (August 18), which features short sets by local DJs from labels such as Bloodshot Records and Drag City. Next performance: Golden Age of Radio, August 4.