July, already? Summer tends to fly by real quick here in Chicago, especially when our baseball teams are winning, and when there are plenty of music acts coming thru town. The first week of July hits town with a bang, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers team up with Steve Winwood to tackle the United Center. If you’ve never seen Petty, you need to do it now whether you are a fan or just on the fence with him. Constantly bringing a great energy and show to every performance, we recall 2003 when Tom and the Heartbreakers tore through 5 nights at The Vic Theatre in Chicago as something we will never forget. Best Petty song? We have our favorites, but let us know what yours are right here.

Fast forward two days to our annual shin-dig in Grant Park at Taste of Chicago. The show is free to all who come and this year’s lineup is solid with Gomez, Old 97’s, and Alejandro Escovedo for yearly tradition. Plus, the city is launching fireworks off later that night at 9:30pm on the lakefront so make sure to stick around! Past years shows have included John Mayer, Matthew Sweet, Wilco, Counting Crows, Buddy Guy, The Replacements, and many more. Let us know what your favorites were and who we should be putting on the bill in 2009!

We saw what is to come in months ahead this past weekend – a warm sun. When we think of a warm sun we think of live music outdoors in Chicago. Let’s throw the festival scene aside right now for this conversation because we all know Pitchfork and Lollapalooza will come to the front. But, what we want to know is what shows this summer will kill out in the summer sun, whether it’s by the lakefront at Charter One Pavilion, on a neighborhood street or wherever you may see it happen. Jack Johnson at Alpine Valley? Phil Lesh, O.A.R. or John Mellencamp at Charter One Pavilion? Or, how about John Mayer or Dave Matthews Band in the outdoor arenas. It’s part of what makes this city special, so soak it up while you can.