Live music in North Shore, IL

Join sisters Belinda and Maritza Cervantes for Tots N Tunes: Little Lunas, a fun, kid-friendly session featuring playful songs, movement, and rhythm to get children moving and grooving.

Settle in on the patio for a free evening of live entertainment with music by Mike Jansen. Reservations are not required, and seating is first come, first served. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, so invite a few friends and enjoy the show.

Enjoy an evening on the Acorn Terrace with live musical entertainment. Food and beverages will be available for purchase through Acorn Grill + Terrace.

For more than thirty years, the Al Day Trio has made music together with an easy personal and musical connection. The lineup includes songwriter Al Day handling guitar and vocals, Marc Edelstein on bass and vocals, and Don Stiernberg on mandolin and vocals. Expect a performance that blends longtime favorites from their repertoire with brand new pieces the three have not performed together before.

At Evanston SPACE, Chicago trio Sons of the Never Wrong showcases an energetic alt folk sound built on luminous harmonies, clever lyricism, and finely crafted arrangements. Bruce Roper, Sue Demel, and Deborah Lader blend folk, Americana, jazz, pop, and rock influences into original songs that touch on love and other vivid themes, cultivating a theatrical experience for the ears across 11 studio albums. Their adventurous approach to the genre and jazzy rhythmic turns have earned accolades from the Washington Post, Hemmens Theater, Grand Rapids Press, Midwest Record, UniverCity Magazine, and the Southwestern Observer.

Enjoy live indie pop music for kids and the whole family at Shimmering Summer, featuring The Dreamtree Shakers. The program runs with two daytime sets, so you can catch the music during the garden’s Festival Field activities. Free admission is available, but parking fees still apply.

Head to Northbrook Days for a free live performance by School of Rock Glenbrook. It runs from early afternoon through the later part of the event, so come enjoy some energetic music and great show vibes.

Chance the Rapper headlines at Ravinia Festival. The show is set for 7:30 PM local time.

Oliver Hazard brings its indie-folk storytelling and harmonies to Evanston SPACE. The Waterville, Ohio trio features Michael Belazis and Devin East on vocals and guitar, joined by Nate Miner on keys and vocals. One member came back to Ohio after leading camping trips in California and set out to make an album with two childhood friends. A Facebook raffle granted a single-song studio session, yet they performed the entire record straight through in one take, becoming their 2018 debut LP, 34 N River. The Fader praised the release as a standout in folk-pop, and soon the band appeared at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam. In 2019 they followed with The Flood, a six-song EP that Billboard described as a souvenir. Their self-titled second album arrived in July 2023, combining music from the earlier Northern Lights EP with five new tracks, and the Raindrop River EP landed in December 2024. Their songs lift spirits and find beauty in everyday moments, carrying the heart of Waterville into each performance.

Catch Carriers live at Space in Evanston. The show is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM.

Blues, swing, and soul jazz take center stage when guitarist Joel Paterson leads his Organ Quartet at Evanston SPACE. This one-night appearance features Ben Paterson on Hammond organ, Natalie Scharf on saxophone, and Alex Hall on drums.

Hugh Jackman is bringing his show to Ravinia Festival. Plan to head out for an evening performance starting at 8:00 PM.

Enjoy an evening of live brass music at Music on the Esplanade. The group Brass From The Past will take you on a musical journey from late 60s sounds through the early 80s, with a few tunes from the 90s and 2000s to close out the show. Bring your own chairs since the venue has limited seating, and feel free to picnic before or during the concert, or stop by for dinner and drinks at the Garden’s dining locations. Free admission is available, and parking fees apply.

Enjoy a dynamic evening of flamenco-inspired performance where music, percussion, and movement blend with blues, jazz, and rap. Clinard Dance’s Flamenco Quartet Project brings together artists across genres, creating collaborative compositions built around the history, art, and structure of flamenco. The lineup includes vocalist Joan Collaso, rapper King Mossa, flamenco percussionist Diego Alvarez, flamenco singer "Cachito" Jose Diaz, blues legend Billy Branch, tap artist Jumaane Taylor, guitarist Andrea Salcedo, and flamenco dancer Wendy Clinard.

Leah Lomar Park hosts a Starlight Concert featuring the Cecy Santana Band, offering smooth bossa nova colored by Brazilian roots, refined jazz accents, and vibrant Latin rhythms. The City of Evanston Mobile Food Program will provide food on site, and beer and wine can be purchased.

Join Brian McKnight and Gladys Knight for an evening of vocal jazz, soul, Motown, and classic R&B at Ravinia Festival. The show starts at 7:00 PM local venue time.

Dale Watson brings the Ameripolitan sound he created to Evanston SPACE, weaving honky-tonk, outlaw country, western swing, and rockabilly into a focused, unfiltered mix. For more than forty years, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor has upheld classic country traditions with a commanding voice and the presence of a seasoned bandleader. His release Unwanted reflects that spirit with songs steeped in heartache, hard-won insight, and life on the highway, including Willie Waylon and Whiskey, If You Really Loved Me (Outlive Me), and Life is Like a Song.

At Ravinia Festival, Joe Bonamassa delivers the kind of high-energy concert that has made him a leading live act. Internationally celebrated as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation and cited by Guitar World Magazine as “the world's biggest blues guitarist,” he performs with a seasoned band of renowned musicians. The set features songs from his album Breakthrough along with favorites from across his catalog, highlighting a career that boasts 30 number one Billboard Blues albums, more than any other artist, and a driving force in bringing blues-rock to the mainstream.

At Evanston's Fountain Square, experience a special set from Funkadesi members that highlights the band's Bollywood and Desi side, featuring Pavithra Anand. The evening is presented in partnership with Evanston ASPA, with an information tent sharing details about their work in the community. Families can enjoy no cost art activities hosted by the Ridgeville Park District. Expect lively music, a friendly neighborhood feel, and market finds that add up to a fun outing for all ages.

Enjoy an outdoor summer concert at Fountain Square in downtown Evanston featuring Funkadesi. The band blends Indian bhangra and Bollywood influences with reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean grooves. This Downtown Summer Sounds show is free to attend.

The Watson Twins bring two decades of close-knit harmonies to the SEEING DOUBLE tour, channeling the live energy captured on their concert album made in East Nashville. The music spans their career with selections from Southern Manners EP, Fire Songs, Talking To You, Talking To Me, DUO, and HOLLER, blending honky tonk drive, vintage country ballads, high spirited soul, and contemporary Americana, all grounded in their southern songwriting and identical sister chemistry. Rooted in the same live in the room approach that shaped HOLLER, the performance highlights spontaneous interplay and synchronized vocals. Their acclaimed rendering of The Cure’s Just Like Heaven, once described as "a sweet, gentle, and notably different approach to the gothic rock love song," reflects their strength as interpreters alongside their original material.

Catch the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, with Darrel Walls and Jules Buckley also on the bill. The show begins at 7:30 PM.