Fleetwood Mac tribute, Chicago Blues Angels part of June lineup at The Venue in Aurora

The Venue in downtown Aurora, recently announced its June lineup, which includes their fifth anniversary weekend, Chicago Blues Angels guitarist Mondo Cortez’ birthday party and a Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

On Saturday, June 1, Grammy-nominated Liquid Soul will bring their “steady-grooving funk” to the stage. The acid jazz pioneers bridge the musical gap between standard jazz improvisation, funk and hip hop. The show will be outdoors weather pending. Strawberries BBQ will be on site with food for purchase.

Great Moments in Vinyl will return to The Venue with a tribute to Jimmy Buffett on Sunday, June 2. Hosted by William Lindsey Cochran, a band of handpicked Chicagoland musicians will play the songs that created the myth and give you the stories behind the music in Margaritaville. The show will be outdoors weather pending. Rent-A-Chef will be on site with food for purchase. Show starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

On Friday, June 7, The Venue will host a free concert from 6 to 8 p.m. for First Fridays. The Ron Porter Band will perform for the free First Fridays show. Doors will open starting at 5 p.m. for an open house during the downtown-wide event. Throughout downtown, the First Fridays event lineup includes more than two dozen activities for all ages to enjoy at no cost.

The Wildwoods will visit The Venue stage on Saturday, June 8. The bluegrass trio has gone viral on social media with their enchanting folk harmonies. They’ll be joined by special guest The Matthew Pittman Band. Tickets cost $15-$20 in advance, $20-$25/door.

Chicago Blues Angels will celebrate Mondo Cortez’ birthday at The Venue on Friday, June 14. Cortez is the founder of the Chicago Blues Angels band, which specializes in American roots music, rock ‘n’ roll, Blues and rockabilly since 1999. Tickets cost $15-$20 in advance, $20-$25/door.

On Saturday, June 15, Braden Smith Quartet will perform on The Venue stage. Smith is a saxophonist originally from California. He now lives in Aurora where he runs French 75 Gallery and Lounge with his mother, artist Hope Ashworth. Smith performs regularly when French 75 hosts live jazz on Wednesday evenings. The Braden Smith Quartet will be releasing an album later this year. This will be his first time on The Venue stage. Tickets cost $15-$20 in advance, $20-$25/door.

Blues powerhouse John Primer will perform at The Venue on Friday, June 21. Grammy-nominated blues icon John Primer has led The Real Deal Blues Band since 1995. Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound and style of Chicago Blues. Primer appears on more than 87 albums with 17 albums in his own name. Tickets cost $20-$25 in advance, $25-$30/door.

Local singer songwriter Nick Wiesner will return to The Venue stage on Saturday, June 22. His soft rock, indie inspired approach to music wields a melancholic intimacy that is intended for the healing of the mind, heart and soul. Tickets are general admission and cost $15.

Album Covers will perform an outdoor show at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 23 with Tom Petty’s “Full Moon Fever.” Led by Scott Tipping, Album Covers can only be seen on The Venue stage. The show will be outdoors at Mundy Park weather pending. Strawberries BBQ will be on site with food for purchase. Tickets cost $20-$25 in advance, $25-$30/door.

On Friday, June 28, Kaleta & Super Yamba Band will visit The Venue stage. Based in NYC, Kaleta and his band have erupted onto major stages and video screens. They were featured on Adult Swim’s Fishcenter Live show and they rocked Paste Magazine’s Emerging Music Festival in NYC. After that performance, Afropop Worldwide fell in love with Kaleta, saying “his James Brown grunts have got to be some of the best in the business!” Tickets cost $20-$25 in advance, $25-$30/door.

Second Hand News will perform hits from Fleetwood Mac’s catalog on Saturday, June 29. The six-member Fleetwood Mac tribute band offers a night to remember with perfect harmonies and infectious electricity. Tickets cost $20-$25 in advance, $25-$30/door.

On the following Tuesdays, Pete Ellman Big Band will perform on The Venue stage with their summer concert series: June 18, July 16 and Aug. 20. Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Unless otherwise noted, doors open for all shows at 7 p.m. Shows start at 8 p.m. The Venue, located at 21 S. Broadway in downtown Aurora, offers a wide selection of craft beer and other beverages at the bar.

Free street parking is available along with free surface lot parking located across from City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place at the corner of Downer Place and Water Street. The Venue’s entrance is located along Water Street Mall, adjacent to City Hall and Mundy Park.

For tickets and additional show information, visit themusicvenue.org.