North Coast Music Festival @ Union Park

The inaugural North Coast Music Festival is taking over Union Park this weekend for three days of primarily electronic, hip-hop, jam, and rock music. North Coast is the collaborative effort of a handful of independent promoters in Chicago, and is a fine addition to the packed summer music festival scene in our city.

The lineup today includes Umphrey's McGee, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, a Moby DJ set, Boys Noize, Van Ghost, Hey Champ, and many more.

Tickets are $40 (with a $5.99 processing fee) and are available online here. Gates open today at noon, and the festival goes until 10pm. There is no re-entry, and Union Park is located at 1501 W. Randolph St, just at the corner of Lake and Ashland.

Two Hour Comedy Hour @ Gallery Cabaret

Matt Drufke hosts this week's Two-Hour Comedy Hour with a lineup that includes Dan Polydoris, Michael Sanchez, Derek Lazarski and Ryan Walker. This free show features a fresh mix of comedians each week. There's no cover for the 21+ show - though a $5 donation is accepted - and it runs from 7-9 pm at Gallery Cabaret, 2020 N. Oakley (near Western and Milwaukee, just off the Blue Line stop). Guests are encouraged to arrive early.

Rita J. @ Schubas

Rita. J, Bumpus, and DJRC at Schubas, tonight at 10pm. Tickets $10.

Orchard Lounge @ Edible Audible Picnic

Grab your lunch and take it to Pritzker Pavilion at noon for the final Edible Audible Picnic of the season. Focusing on down-tempo, space disco, house, techno, b-boy era electro, hip hop, soul, and funk music that you can move to, Orchard Lounge was formed in Chicago in 2000 by the collective of Ben Silver, Spencer Lokken and Bethany Lokken. This versatile trio has enlightened dance floors nationwide with their eclectic mixes, from sunset chill-out to bass-dropping tech house, and an array of other futuristic sounds.

Berlin Express @ Music Box Theatre

The Music Box Theatre presents a new weekend matinee screening series for September that brings noir to the forefront. Screening as a part of the theater's "Films By Jacques Tourneur", Berlin Express (1948) follows a train full of passengers involved in a post-WWII assassination plot. Tourneur, a veteran of the Hollywood studio system, shot the film in the war strewn ruins of Frankfurt and Berlin as both cities start to repair what once was. Screening starts at 11:30am at the Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport). Tickets are $9.75 and can be purchased at the theater box office.

Cupcake Bike Tour

The gals at Cupcakes Take the Cake are hosting a Cupcake Bike Tour today starting at 1 p.m. The event is free, though be sure to bring cash to purchase cupcakes along the way. RSVP to participate on their site.

Chicago Jazz Festival

The Chicago Jazz Festival continues today on four stages in Grant Park.

Target Clinic Jazz on Jackson Stage
12-12:55pm: Douglas Ewart Nyahbingi Drum Choir
1:10-2:05pm: Paul Giallorenzo's Git Go
2:20-3:15pm: Maggie Brown: "A Tribute to Abbey Lincoln"
3:30-4:30pm: Dana Hall Quintet with special guest Nicholas Payton

The Chicago Community Trust Young Jazz Lions Stage
12-12:30pm: Chi-Arts Jazz Combo
12:45-1:15pm: Jazz Ambassadors Combo
1:30-2:10pm: Kenwood Academy Jazz Ensemble
2:25-3:05pm: Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School Jazz Ensemble
3:20-3:50pm: Lincoln Park High School Jazz Ensemble
4:05-4:50pm: Roosevelt University Jazz Ensemble

Jazz and Heritage Stage
12:30-1:30pm: West End Jazz Band
2-3pm: Cameron Pfiffner's Marco Polo
3:30-4:30pm: Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections
6-7:15pm: Corey Wilkes
7:45-9pm: Steve Cole

Petrillo Music Shell
5-5:50pm: Chuchito Valdés Afro-Cuban Ensemble
6-6:55pm: René Marie "High Maintenance" Quartet
7:10-8:10pm: Charisma: "A Lee Morgan Tribute"
8:30-9:30pm: The Either/Orchestra with special guest Teshome Mitiku

Performances are free. See the festival website for more details.

Wide Open @ Rodan

Chicago DJs King Hippo, Gogo and Tony Junior play a super-sexy, eclectic set tonight at Rodan (1530 N. Milwaukee Ave). In conjunction with their "wide open" anything-goes lineup, the trio will also premiere several Tokyo pop films from SXION23 on the lounge's massive projection screen. The night starts at 10pm and is totally free. RSVP via Facebook. 21+