We're less than one week away from the arrival of the 2011 North Coast Music Festival, which brings electronic dance, hip hop and the occasional alternative rock artist to Chicago's Union Park.
David Guetta, Wiz Khalifa, Common and Gogol Bordello are just some of the big names at the fest, which runs from Friday, September 2 through Sunday, September 4. We'll be checking in each night with reports and reviews about each day's music.
We're most looking forward to seeing Gogol Bordello, the gypsy punk band whose manic energy makes every show memorable. The two biggest names on the lineup, Guetta and Khalifa, unfortunately occupy the same time slot on Friday night - not the best planning on the part of organizers. We'll be splitting our time between the two sets. To make matters worse, one of Chicago's hottest local DJ acts, Midnight Conspiracy, also plays at the same time. Yikes!
We're also disappointed that Neon Indian, a previously-announced performer, is no longer on the schedule. They were one of the most impressive acts at last summer's Pitchfork Music Festival. But other exciting artists remain, including acclaimed DJ act Major Lazer, kooky pop band Of Montreal, and jam band Lotus.
According to the event's website, three-day passes have sold out, but individual passes remain available. Tickets are $50 for Friday and $60 each for Saturday and Sunday. We give NCMF credit for charging less for Friday passes, since the music starts three hours later that day. It's always annoyed us to no end that Pitchfork charges the same for Friday tickets that they do for Saturday and Sunday.
See you at the festival! Check out more of my Chicago live music articles.
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