April 2019 events calendar for Chicago

A protégé of Young Thug and Migos, young rapper Lil Baby has quickly built a name for himself amid Atlanta's fertile but crowded trap music scene. His 2018 debut album Harder Than Ever (which featured his collaboration with Drake, "Yes Indeed") was nearly overshaddowed by a subsequent pair of mixtapes, featuring inescapable tracks like "Pure Cocaine" and "Drip Too Hard." At the Riviera, Lil Baby headlines a stacked bill of current hip-hop stars, including Florida duo City Girls (responsible for the Cardi B-assisted single "Twerk") and "Thotiana" emcee Blueface.

Alternative hip-hop icon Open Mike Eagle grew up on the South Side of Chicago, attending break dancing sessions at Promontory Point and rapping with the city-wide Nacrobats crew. Today, he's at forefront of a crop of cerebral, conscientious rappers who pair deeply-personal reflections with esoteric references to video games, ‘90s movies and comic books. OME's most recent album, Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, served as a tribute to his childhood in the now-demolished Robert Taylor Homes housing project in Chicago that toes the line between nostalgic reminiscence and timely social commentary. At Schubas, he's joined by Philadelphia rapper Sammus and surreal filmmaker Video Dave.

Former Chicagoan (and current Los Angeles resident) Andrew Bird has a penchant for the city's coziest venues—he's performed intimate sets at the Hideout and filled the pews at Fourth Presbyterian Church for his Gezelligheid holiday shows. To celebrate the release of his latest album, My Finest Work Yet, the acclaimed violinist and whistler will take the stage at legendary Uptown jazz club Green Mill for two nights in April. If you don't snag tickets, don't worry—we're almost certain that Bird will bring his looping string melodies and earnest rock refrains to a larger venue this summer.

Antlers frontman Peter Silberman recorded the band's breakthrough LP Hospice in his bedroom a decade ago, unsure of how an album teeming with with sadness, ache and heartbreak would fare. Ten years later, the record's deeply personal themes are still resonating with listeners, spurring the group to perform a handful of acoustic shows in celebration of its anniversary. Silberman will perform with Antlers drummer Michael Lerner, joined by Tim Mislock, a New York composer who creates woozy, meditative instrumental music.

Ever since he effectively dissolved Spacemen 3 and struck out on his own, Spiritualized frontman Jason Pierce has been chasing the grandiose swells of the "Wall of sound" production style employed by Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. While working on his latest album, And Nothing Hurt, Pierce reached the maximum number of tracks that his recording software would allow, layering his songs with lush string, horn and vocal arrangements. The resulting songs put the over-the-top studio wizardry to good use, turning simple rock and pop tunes into sweeping, painstakingly-composed anthems.

With its theatrical, awe-inspiring stadium-sized live shows, it's easy to see why Muse is seriously massive worldwide—it's often-cheesy attempts at social comentary are always overshadowed by a hefty dose of spectacle. The English band's latest album, Simulation Theory, should make for an interesting stage production, at least if it's Stranger Things-inspired neon album art is any indication. Backed by an array of ‘80s synthesizers and drum machines, Muse wholeheartedly embraces pop culture's current obsession with nostalgia, cooking up a record that sounds like an operatic cross between Depeche Mode and New Order. Peppy dance-rock act Walk the Moon open the show.

Under his Of Montreal moniker, Kevin Barnes has explored glam, psych, new wave, prog rock and EDM, but his 15th album, White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood, is set to the pulsing beat of an ’80s dancefloor. Barnes claims that the inspiration for the album came out of his research on the theory that he world we know is just a simulated reality, but musically it's a tribute to extended dance mixes of ’80s pop songs, resulting in collection of sprawling compositions underpinned by vintage drum machines and synths. Georgia-based band Yip Deceiver joins Of Montreal at this special Lincoln Hall 10th anniversary show, mining a nostalgic, dance-friendly vein of R&B and funk.

Named for the boutique brand of amplifiers they favor, Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson front Seattle drone collective Sunn O))), which is typically augmented by a rotating cast of collaborators. Donning monk robes, the group doles out thick slabs of distortion and feedback, blurring the line between the chaotic disarray of noise music and the brutal melodies of contemporary metal. Sunn O))) comes to the Rockefeller Chapel is support of Life Metal, the first of the group's two planned 2019 release, both recorded with Chicago's own Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio. Pack your earplugs and show up early for a set from David Pajo's longrunning project, Papa M.

In the decades since she recorded her first solo EP in the kitchen of her Chicago apartment, Neko Case has established herself as a formidable country and rock troubadour (and an integral part of Canadian indie rock super group the New Pornographers). Co-produced with Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, Case's latest album, Hell-On, plays to all of her strengths, filled with folk-rock ballads that showcase Case's powerful voice and her reliably dark sense of humor. During Case's two-night stand at the Vic, Shannon Shaw of Shannon and the Clams supports.

Endlessly catchy and boundlessly energetic, Deerhoof's two-plus decades of musical output is still full of surprises. The quartet's 2017 album, Mountain Moves, finds the group collaborating with artists like Lætitia Sadier and Xenia Rubinos, providing a contrast to the chirpy vocals of lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki and the band's blistering funk-punk arrangements. Here, the band returns to Lincoln Hall in celebration of the venue's 10th anniversary, joined by experimental Philadelphia rockers Palm and local outfit Bleach Party.