Feb. 09--The lineup for the third annual Windy City Smokeout taking place July 10-12 at Grand Avenue and the Chicago River is scheduled to include headliners Lee Brice, Chris Young and Pat Green, according to co-organizer and Joe's Bar co-owner Ed Warm.
Green performed at the first Windy City Smokeout in 2013 at Rush Street and Illinois Street and will take the stage July 10. Young and Brice -- who kicked of their co-headlining tour last month -- will be festival first timers when they perform July 11 and 12, respectively. Other acts scheduled to perform at the country and barbecue fest: Old Dominion, A Thousand Horses, Will Hoge, Randy Rogers Band and Dan + Shay.
"We look for artists who are a great fit musically for the incredible vibe," Warm said over the phone. "And we really try to identify up and coming talent that are emerging on the country scene that we think people should know. We want acts that are getting great buzz like A Thousand Horses and Old Dominion."
Warm launched Windy City Smokeout with the Melman siblings, who are his partners on the country-themed bar and BBQ restaurant Bub City. The first fest drew more than 12,000 fans in its first year before moving to the larger Grand Ave. and Chicago River space in 2014, where it drew more than 18,000 fans (including the Bulls' Jimmy Butler and Carolina Panthers' Greg Olsen), according to a Windy City Smokeout spokesperson.
Warm said guests can once again expect a bigger fest this year with more restaurants, including barbecue from celebrity chef Myron Mixon, Bub City, Chicago Q, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (which is opening by Joe's this spring), Smoque, The Salt Lick from Driftwood, Texas and Pappy's Smokehouse from St. Louis.
"It's going to be bigger," Warm said. "There will be more grounds going toward the Tribune (Freedom Center) building. You'll see a different layout. We've got more space and more BBQ teams. I think you're going to have a better guest experience. We don't just want to be a concert, but also an experience."
Windy City Smokeout
When: July 10-12
Where: Grand Avenue and Chicago River
Tickets: $40 for general admission, $99.50 for three day pass; windycitysmokeout.com
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