Winnetka Music Festival is pleased to welcome indie/alternative rock band GUSTER to the BMO Harris Stage on @Properties Field as our 2022 headliner. This Boston based band, born in the mid nineties with eight outstanding studio albums to their credit, will deliver their unique sound - a mix of roots rock, folk, and experimental pop - to fans - many of whom grew up on their music. A band that “refuses to abide by industry pigeonholing”, GUSTER’s sound is recognized for its vocal harmonies, unique percussion and engaging live shows.
Opening for GUSTER is Grammy-nominated blues influenced American rock band THE RECORD COMPANY. A favorite at Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, Rolling Stone Country was prompted to name the trio’s set among the event’s “5 Best Country and Americana Moments” while declaring it “a wildly energetic show and one of the most communal experiences of the festival."
With the full support of the Village of Winnetka and the Winnetka Park District, the festival kicks off on Saturday June 18th at midday with music and interactive experiences for kids of all ages on the Family Stage (hosted by @Properties). At 3PM the downtown comes alive featuring an expansive array of food trucks, local restaurants and drink options, fun in the Games Area (hosted by Pinstripes) along with all the great music. In addition to the Main Stage (hosted by BMO Harris) located on @Properties Field the fest hosts an intimate indoor stage at The Winnetka Chapel for seated listening (The Chapel Stage is hosted by Fields Auto Group). The Chapel acts will be presented by the iconic Evanston SPACE. Also new for this year is our Local Stage (hosted by @Properties) featuring home grown talent from the North Shore.
The festival lineup is curated each year by Val Haller, Winnetka resident and founder of Valslist Music, a former New York Times music columnist known in the industry for identifying top emerging talent. Haller said “The Winnetka Music Festival has become one of the most unique and respected music festivals in the Midwest. New artists are anxious to perform here because of the quality of the fest and the friendly and intimate environment. This year we really wanted to enhance the experience for fest-goers by adding nationally recognized bands.” Fans of the fest can say ‘I saw them when’ as our emerging bands achieve critical acclaim, and this year might say, ‘I can’t believe I saw Guster and The Record Company in Winnetka!’
The festival setting in the pristine streets of Winnetka is idyllic and conveniently located adjacent to the Winnetka stop on the Metra line. It’s also steps away from Lake Michigan and local shopping. Winnetka is no stranger to music, having spawned the blues great Mike Bloomfield, and band members of Fall Out Boy, Louis the Child, MUNA, K. Flay, Liz Phair and others. And long before there was a music fest the streets of Winnetka were made famous as the backdrop for many John Hughes films including Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, Home Alone, and the inspiration for Caddie Shack. In honor of Winnetka’s great film and music tradition the 2022 fest will feature a limited capacity special screening of “Born in Chicago” the recently released and acclaimed documentary about Chicago’s place as home of the Blues, narrated by Dan Aykroyd; Executive Producers Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, with consulting producer and New Trier graduate Marshall Chess of the famed Chess Records.
The 2022 festival requires a ticket for admission. Both GA (general admission) and VIP tickets are available now.
Tickets to the festival will be offered on pre-sale to past ticket holders and those on the festival email list beginning March 2 at 10AM. The Presale ends, and both GA and VIP tickets will be on-sale to the public beginning March 4 at 10AM. To receive a pre-sale code those interested must sign up for Winnetka Music Festival emails through the fest website at www.winnetkamusicfestival.com.
For more band announcements & information about the festival follow us at the Winnetka Music Festival website www.winnetkamusicfestival.com and on social media.
For tickets and more information visit winnetkamusicfestival.com
For fest updates and announcements:
Instagram: @winnetkamusicfest @valslist
Facebook: @winnetkamusicfestival @valslist
Twitter: @winnetkafest @valslistmusic
TikTok: @valslist
