All in Festivals

Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

Jack Siegel
Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Sunday, December 7, 2025, 15 Christmas carolers could be seen on the sidewalk adjacent to Daley Plaza, where the City’s annual Christkindlmarket is located. They hoped their songs would highlight what many believe is a genocide unfolding in Gaza. The melodies were familiar, but the words to the Christmas songs had been changed to highlight the death and destruction that the Palestinian People have been experienced during the last two years. Here are my thoughts about and images from this holiday demonstration.

Jazzfest, Day 3

Jazzfest, Day 3

Jack Siegel
Blues, Chicago Tourism, Festivals, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The third day of the 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival brought a variety of jazz styles to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Alto saxophonist Gary Bartz played some funk, as well as the airy sounds of early Seventies electrified jazz. Closing out the day, Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers played many familiar songs rooted in the New Orleans jazz tradition. Here are my thoughts and images from the day’s performances.

Jazzfest, Day 2

Jazzfest, Day 2

Jack Siegel
Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The second day of the 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival brought a variety of jazz styles to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Hands down, pianist Patricia Barber outdid everyone with her lyrical wordplay rooted in the Beat poets and her piano work, but her band was also outstanding because it maintained a consistency musical line throughout Barber’s performance. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.

GazaPalooza

GazaPalooza

Jack Siegel
Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Today, I attended another pro-Palestinian demonstration; this one at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Upper Wacker Drive. The heritage Palestinians apparently chose this location because it provided maximum visibility to those headed to Lollapalooza. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and the march that followed.

Blues Fest, Day 2

Blues Fest, Day 2

Jack Siegel
Blues, Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The 2025 Chicago Bluesfest opened its run in Chicago’s Millennium Park today. For me, the big name of the day was Christone “Kingfish” ingram who played during the B.B. Ing Centennial Tribute on the main stage at the Pritzker Pavilion. Tomorrow Kingfish is the headliner. Here are my thoughts about Kingfish’s and all the other often incendiary performances, together with my images.

Venezuelan Election

Venezuelan Election

Jack Siegel
Chicago, Demonstrations, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

We have a new ‘heritage’ group demonstrating in the streets of the Chicago: members of Chicago’s recently arrived Venezuelan Community. They took to the downtown streets today to celebrate what they hoped would be the defeat of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in today’s election. Here are my thoughts about and images from this colorful demonstration.

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