The Magnificent Mile will celebrate Harmony with the Environment with the Summer Concert Series presented by Walgreens!

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The Magnificent Mile was lined with loyal Mat Kearney and Parachute fans. What started out as a rainy day, ended up being the perfect afternoon for the final concert in The Summer Concert Series presented by Walgreens.

August 20
Noon

Pioneer Court
401 N. Michigan Avenue

Bio:
After Kearney’s title track of his 2006 album Nothing Left to Lose throttled up the charts, he spent a lot of his time on the road. Three years later, he returns with City of Black & White, an album informed by the traveling, performing and adventuring the Oregon-born, Nashville-based singer did while supporting his breakthrough album. An open-hearted album of self-discovery, City of Black & White is a chronicle of the people he met and missed during that journey.

If Nothing Left to Lose sent Kearney on a marathon tour—during which he opened treks for the likes of John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, and The Fray, in between his own headline stints—it also built up to an eventual happy return to Nashville, his home for the past eight years. And City of Black & White definitely reflects that, as it’s marked by the pride and happiness that comes with spending five years trying to make it, and then finally getting there. “At its core, this record is about community—finding it and losing it,” he says. “There’s definitely the theme of this traveling/sojourner/vagabond kind of guy landing in the midst of people that he loves, and who love him—guy/girl, musician, old people, all of that. It feels as if the traveling sojourner of Nothing Left to Lose has found a home, a group of companions, and a love.”

A quintessential late-bloomer to music, Kearney didn’t write his first song until midway through college. Three years later, and thanks in large part to VH1—which kept “Nothing Left to Lose” in rotation for 45 consecutive weeks—he was playing Madison Square Garden and appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman. “Nothing Left to Lose,” “Undeniable” and “Breathe In Breathe Out” all cracked the Top 40.

“It still feels surreal every night,” says Kearney. “I feel like I may be fooling someone, like the audience is going to one day prove to be all cardboard cutouts or something. I’m so grateful and honored to be doing what I’m doing.”

With temperatures topping 90 degrees, the summer heat couldn’t keep Better Than Ezra fans away from this hot performance!  Surrounded by lush gardens and a breathtaking architectural back-drop, eager concert guests were thrilled with chart-topping hits from the band such as “Good,” “Juicy ” and “Extraordinary”.

June 24
Noon

Pioneer Court
401 N. Michigan Avenue

Bio:
Everyone knows Better Than Ezra. They’re the million-selling band with hits like “Good” and “A Lifetime” that sells out venues coast to coast and enjoys a legion of fans so faithful they’ve dubbed themselves the Ezralites. So, what’s the story behind that name? 

“We have never revealed it, even under duress,” says front man Kevin Griffin. “We just said, ‘Why don’t we just keep it a secret, and that will be our one little publicity stunt.’ As a result, there’s a couple of books out there about the origin of band names. U2 or Rolling Stones will have a paragraph dedicated to them, and then there’s like a page and a half on the origins of Better Than Ezra, which is just hilarious.”

While the band name remains a well-kept secret for now, the seemingly mysterious title of Better Than Ezra’s latest project, Paper Empire, speaks right to the heart of a world asking a lot of questions and ultimately discovering the things worth holding onto.

“I was drawn to that phrase “Paper Empire,’ Kevin explains.  “It seemed apropos given the current economic woes and where we are right now. Most of these institutions in your life—whether it’s love, relationships, your belief system, religious convictions, or politics—are pretty fragile when it comes down to it. There’s a really precarious nature to everything that you hold dear in your life. If you recognize that, you’re more likely to do a better job taking care of it.”

The John Hancock Center Plaza was awash with colorful umbrellas, as eager and dedicated fans braved the rain, enjoying favorite hits from featured performer, Collective Soul and newcomer Ryan Starr.

July 10
Noon

John Hancock Center Plaza
875 N. Michigan Avenue

Bio:
Globally known for mega-hits such as “Shine,” “December” and “The World I Know,” Collective Soul hails from Atlanta, GA and has produced 7 #1 singles and sold over 10 million records. The band broke into mainstream popularity with their 1993 debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid. The group’s self-titled second album arrived the following year and logged a 76-week run on the Billboard Top 200. 1999’s critically acclaimed Dosage saw Collective Soul further its run as rock radio superstars. The first single “Heavy” set a new high mark for 15-weeks at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.  “Tremble For My Beloved” also appears on the gold-certified soundtrack for the hit film Twilight.

The new album is expected summer 2009.