After decades of being presented in the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park, the Chicago Blues Festival is moving to a new (albeit, nearby) location in 2017. The 34th annual edition of the summer music festival will move north to Millennium Park, with headlining performances taking place in the Pritzker Pavilion. The event will remain free and open to the public, taking place from June 9–11, 2017.
"The City of Chicago is committed to presenting high quality live musical performances," Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said in a statement about the change in venue. "We are excited to move the Chicago Blues Festival to Millennium Park where fans will be able to enjoy the finest blues performances in a setting that will only heighten the event’s reputation as the world’s preeminent free blues festival."
In addition to announcing the move to Millennium Park, the city also revealed the initial slate of headlining acts that will be performing at this year's festival. Friday's lineup is headlined by a celebration of the seminal blues group Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues as well as a set from Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who will highlight blues music's influence on rap and hip-hop. On Saturday, Stax Records soul singer-songwriter William Bell, best known for writing "Born Under A Bad Sign," will perform. Texas blues singer-songwriter Gary Clark Jr. is scheduled to close out the festivities on Sunday, with opening sets by Carolina Chocolate Drop singer Rhiannon Giddens and local guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks.
A release mentions that artists playing the Budweiser Crossroads Stage, the Rhythm and Blues Stage and the Front Porch stage will be announced in the coming months, but does not give any clue as to where the Chicago Blues Festival's side stages will be located. The stages are usually situated along Columbus Drive in Grant Park, but the relocation of the main stage to Millennium Park could mean that side stages will be moved elsewhere—some options include nearby Maggie Daley Park or Butler Field.
While the Chicago Blues Festival's move to Millennium Park has likely been in the works for quite some time, the timing of the announcement is curious in light of a recent editorial published in Crain's Chicago Business that accused the city of failing to support Chicago's blues venues and artists. The piece argues that blues music is one of Chicago's most notable cultural exports, but the city is devoid of museums, statues or historic markers that might encourage residents and tourists alike to learn more about the music's rich local history. The Chicago Blues Festival's move to a more high-profile venue is a step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen if the city can channel the enthusiasm for the annual festival into a more substantial examination of the cultural value of Chicago's blues scene and history.
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