Get ready for July’s concerts!

In the second half of July, three of the biggest names in R&B—Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, and Jill Scott—will be playing three of Chicago’s most famous venues.  If you’re attending any of all of these shows, read below to find out the latest information about them and how eATLAS’ nearby Adventures can enhance the experience. 

By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)

July 18^th

Alicia Keys’ Keys to the Summer tour comes to the United Center. Fans will be able to hear all of Keys’ smash hits, including “Fallin’,” “No One,” and “Girl on Fire,” and she’s also been covering Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” at each stop.

The innovative production—created by Keys, video director Diane Martel and designer Chiara Stephenson—puts a rotating stage in the center of the arena’s floor to ensure that everyone has a good view. In the press release, Keys described the show as “completely unforgettable and unmissable,” adding that it’s “a celebration of freedom and self-liberation! It’s going to be colorful, magical and will light up your body, soul and all of your senses!”

Opening for Keys will be Libianca, a Cameroonian-American singer who made the Top 20 on “The Voice” in 2021. The next year, her song “People” was a global smash, topping the singles chart in the Netherlands and reaching No. 2 in the U.K. and New Zealand. 

Before heading to the United Center, stop by the West Loop, where eATLAS has two free tours dedicated to the local street art. The first takes place throughout the whole neighborhood and the second focuses exclusively on Fulton Market.

July 22^nd – 23^rd

In support of her most recent release, 2022’s Renaissance, Beyoncé is all-but guaranteed to dazzle the crowds that fill Soldier Field on July 22^nd and 23^rd for her first tour in seven years. As one would expect, the concert will be a spectacle like no other, complete with numerous costume changes, show-stopping choreography, and a see-it-to-believe-it production where the star enters the stage via a chrome cocoon and leaves it while flying over the crowd on a gleaming horse.

Much of the material she’s been performing on this tour comes from Renaissance, but the BeyHive can also look forward to hearing tracks from her entire career, including “Love on Top,” “Formation,” “Run the World (Girls),” and, of course, “Crazy in Love.” Even though “Irreplaceable” and “Single Ladies” have yet to make an appearance, she’s sung “River Deep, Mountain High” as a tribute to the late, great Tina Turner at most of the stops.

The proximity of Soldier Field to the Museum Campus gives those attending the show a perfect opportunity to play our scavenger hunt of some of the pieces of public art on display in front of the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium. A little bit south of Soldier Field sits Bronzeville, where you can take a 45-minute driving tour of the historic sites in the neighborhood known as the “Black Metropolis.”

July 24^th – 25^th

In 2000, Jill Scott introduced herself to the world with her debut, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. The Grammy-nominated record placed her at the forefront of the burgeoning neo-soul movement along with Erykah Badu and D’Angelo. This year, she’s revisiting that landmark release in concert, and she’s playing two sold-out shows at the Chicago Theatre on July 24^th and 25^th. Scott is performing 17 of the 18 songs on Who Is Jill Scott? in sequence, with the sole exception being the album’s closer, “Try,” and bookending it with other songs from her catalog, such as “The Real Thing” and “Golden.”

eATLAS has several adventures in the Loop, where the Chicago Theatre is located. The Center of American Architecture tour shows how the skyscraper evolved in the 20^th century, and the Art Deco Madness tour focuses on buildings that use the design style that was in vogue from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. The Chicago Movies Scavenger Hunt tests your knowledge of cinema and architecture as you visit locations in the Loop that have been seen on the silver screen. Finally, if you’re looking for places to drink before or after the concert, take our Chicago Cocktail Adventure.

There are always plenty of activities taking place in Chicago, especially in the summertime, so keep checking eATLAS’ blog for the most up-to-date information!