For my money, Jesse De La Pena is right up there with the best DJs in Chicago. Combine his deep crates and casually technical prowess with the fact that he often plays at no-frills clubs and lounges (with slim cover charges), and you can almost guarantee a good time. Well versed in club-music history, De Le Pena is somewhat of a chameleon, with his sets moving from New Wave classics, EBM and house to R&B and funk. De Le Pena is just a few years shy of being officially over the hill, but for DJs like him, being a graybeard can be a good thing. For his birthday bash, expect a crowded dance floor and many club classics. With Major Taylor, Uncle Milty, Willy Joy and more. (Michael Hirtzer)
Still Breathtaking: A Preview of Sting at Ravinia Festival Sting's solo catalog boasts more than a dozen studio albums. He may not rack up the hit singles like he once did, but he remains a compelling writer, musician and performer.
Last Punks Standing: A Preview of Mekons at Hideout Mekons have endured by refusing to adhere to anyone's ideas regarding what is and isn't punk rock (which is in and of itself a defiantly punk attitude).
