Summer Outdoor Concert Series Set For SPACE 10th Anniversary

EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston live music venue and recording studio SPACE announced it is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a summer series of outdoor concerts in a few of the town's most beloved locations. Shows will take place in three locations on four weekends in June, July and August, culminating in the inaugural Big Evanston Block Party, organizers announced Monday.

Jake Samuels, executive director of the "Out of Space" concert series, described the chance to step beyond the four walls of the 250-seat venue at 1245 Chicago Ave. as a "bucket list event" and a chance to spotlight the changes that Evanston has seen over the past decade.

"The acts we're presenting this summer all have roots at SPACE whether they know it or not. Either they played the club in their early days or were highly influential to music we love and present regularly," said Samuels, who is also talent buyer for SPACE and Thalia Hall in Chicago.

"This is a vibrant, diverse town that has consistently supported our venue and the acts that we have booked to play here. We'd like to return the favor by bringing a true summer experience to Evanston that we don't think has really existed here in the past; music-focused outdoor events that rival anything happening in neighboring towns."

Performers include legendary Chicago signer and civil rights icon Mavis Staples at Canal Shores, Canadian indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers, funky New Orleans institution Rebirth Brass Band, rap forefather Slick Rick, reunited alternative rock pioneers Dinosaur Jr. and more acts that have yet to be announced.

"Out of Space allows us to paint with a bigger brush, and present talent that may not fit in the confines of SPACE," Samuels said.

The first two weekends of shows will take place at Temperance Beer Company, where SPACE hosted a live music event last summer. That will be followed by a weekend of shows in July on the green of the first hole at Canal Shores Golf Course.

“Canal Shores is thrilled to be a part of this special celebration in our community. SPACE is unique and has brought first class entertainment to [Evanston] for 10 years." said Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association President Chris Carey. "We are thrilled to welcome great names in music and talent to our spectacular setting along the banks of the North Shore Channel."

Then, the "Out of SPACE" summer series culminates with a music-centric block party at the intersection of Dempster Street and Chicago is planned for Aug. 25 and 26, featuring so-far undisclosed artists.

Tickets for all the shows will go on sale Friday, April 6 at 10 a.m. via the Evanston SPACE website.

More information from Evanston SPACE:

On Friday, July 27, Grammy-winning singer and Chicago civil rights icon Mavis Staples will perform with special guest Marc Broussard at Canal Shores welcomed by 93XRT, a media partner on all the Out of Space summer events. Staples, who rose to prominence in the 1960s alongside The Staple Singers, won a Grammy for her album You Are Not Alone, produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. The 18-hole golf course where the concert will take place, which was originally established in 1919, continues to preserve a special green space in the Evanston community.

Kicking off the Out of Space summer concerts will be Americana act Shovels & Rope at Temperance Beer Co. on June 21. The Charleston husband-and-wife duo of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent has built a devoted fan base and drawn national acclaim for their poignant songwriting and high-energy live show, winning Americana Music Association’s Song of the Year award for “Birmingham.” Temperance, SPACE’s neighbor a mile west on Dempster, has been consistently producing unique, meticulously crafted brews in Evanston since 2013.

Indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers perform at Temperance on June 22 with special guest Split Single. The group, helmed by singer-songwriter A.C. Newman, recently released its seventh studio album, Whiteout Conditions. Grammy-winning New Orleans group Rebirth Brass Band, celebrated for both its infectious live show and tradition-minded educational work, will close out the weekend on June 23, returning to the stage at Temperance after headlining last summer’s inaugural “Live on the Lot.”

Alternative rock luminaries Dinosaur Jr. come to Temperance on July 19. The next night, Americana trio The Lone Bellow, whose new album, Walk Into A Storm, was produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb, will headline Temperance. British-born rapper Slick Rick performs at Temperance on July 21 with support from Midwestern hip-hop duo The Cool Kids. Tickets for all Out of Space summer shows go on sale this Friday, April 6, at 10 a.m., via spacepresents.com, evanstonspace.com and eventbrite.com.

Often recognized on the best venue lists of 93XRT, DownBeat and Chicago Tribune, SPACE is part of the 16” on Center development company, which oversees operations of more than 15 restaurants and venues, including Thalia Hall in Pilsen and The Empty Bottle in the Ukrainian Village. SPACE has presented acts ranging from Dr. John, Lucinda Williams and Bob Mould to Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers and Sturgill Simpson.

“It’s been really exciting to watch SPACE evolve over the last 10 years,” says Jake Samuels, Talent Buyer for SPACE and Thalia Hall, who also serves as Out of Space’s Executive Director. “Presenting true legends of their craft alongside performers just starting their careers has been incredible to see, and reaffirming that we can be a club that escapes easy genre tags. Out of Space is a bucket list event for us; a chance to step outside of the 4 walls of SPACE and bring truly top tier performers to outdoor situations that are uniquely Evanston. The acts we’re presenting this summer all have roots at SPACE whether they know it or not. Either they played the club in their early days or were highly influential to music we love and present regularly.”

“Out of Space allows us to paint with a bigger brush, and present talent that may not fit in the confines of SPACE,” Samuels continues. “It’s also a chance to spotlight the changes Evanston has undergone since we began doing shows in 2008. This is a vibrant, diverse town that has consistently supported our venue and the acts that we have booked to play here. We’d like to return the favor by bringing a true summer experience to Evanston that we don’t think has really existed here in the past; music-focused outdoor events that rival anything happening in neighboring towns.”

SPACE’s inaugural Big Evanston Block Party will take place at the intersection of Chicago and Dempster—just north of the venue and one block east of the Dempster Purple Line stop—on Aug. 25–26. The music-centric block party—the first of its kind in Evanston’s Main Dempster Mile—will feature food trucks, beer from Half Acre and live performances from returning SPACE favorites and nationally touring bands.