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 Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Lupe Fiasco, The Disco Biscuits, Benny Benassi, Flying Lotus, Maps & Atlases, 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.

Berlin Express @ Music Box Theatre

The Music Box Theatre presents a new weekend matinee screening series for September which 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 11:30 at the Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport). Tickets are $9.75 and can be purchased at the theater box office.

Chicago Jazz Festival

The Chicago Jazz Festival concludes today with performances on four stages in Grant Park.

Target Clinic Jazz on Jackson Stage
12-12:55pm: Paulinho Garcia Quintet
1:10-2:05pm: Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble
2:20-3:15pm: Brad Goode Quartet
3:30-4:30pm: Brian Blade and The Fellowship Band

The Chicago Community Trust Young Jazz Lions Stage
12-12:30pm: Northside College Prep Jazz Combo
12:45-1:15pm: Whitney Young Magnet High School Jazz Combo
1:30-2:10pm: Lakeview High School Jazz Ensemble
2:25-3:05pm: John Hersey High School Jazz Ensemble
3:30-4:05pm: University of Chicago Jazz X-Tet

Jazz and Heritage Stage
12:30-1:30pm: Bethany Pickens Trio
2-3pm: NOMO
3:30-4:30pm: Saalik Ziyad's 5 After 7 Project
6-7:15pm: Harlan Jefferson
7:45-9pm: Nick Colionne

Petrillo Music Shell
5-6pm: Brad Mehldau Trio
6:15-7:05pm: Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls
7:20-8:15pm: Henry Threadgill's Zooid
8:30-9:30pm: Kurt Elling Quintet with special guest Ernie Watts

The festival is free. See the festival website for details.