Chicago Artists Team Up for Nov. 7 'Parade to the Polls' Concert
The latest wave of Chicago stars have been more than vocal in their support of social issues and true to form, Chance The Rapper will lead a cross-section of the city's rising talent for a 'Parade to the Polls' concert at Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park on November 7.
The show, which is hosted by Chance's Social Works foundation, features local acts Malcolm London, Taylor Bennett, Twin Peaks, Eryn Allen Kane, oddCouple, Stefan Ponce and many more. In our August cover story we looked at the strong current of social awareness that has been a centerpiece of the acts that have emerged from what we've come to call the Chicago Renaissance. The same group that has taken busloads of kids to museums in the summertime, hosted monthly Open Mike's around the city and supported concerted movements for good in Chicago and beyond will help point their peers towards nearby polling stations.
In a press release, Chance explained the reasoning for the surprise show, "This election is very important, a chance for new leaders and new opportunities to emerge.” He continued, “SocialWorks and I are proud to partner with Virgin Hotels Chicago, Boost Your Voice and The TurboVote Challenge to give everyone a voice in the democratic process and encourage people to vote, both locally and nationally.”
The show Monday is but one part of an ongoing effort by the Social Works initiative aimed at getting young voters to the polls. Earlier this week, they teamed up with the team at Prime Fortune for Flex Your Vote: A Millennial Celebration of Democracy at the Harold Washington Library. The panel discussion featuring Ken Bennett and Corey Gilkey of Leaders, among others described itself as a "youth driven display of empowerment designed to help millennial voters navigate the election space through a celebration of the arts." The initiative has done so via voter registration shops and town hall events that culminate with next week's show.
Election day is November 8 but early voting is available across the city. Do your part, follow suit, whatever you need to do to get yourself to the polls after the weekend. Click below to find your polling place.
UPDATE: Due to high demand, the 'Parade to the Polls' event has been moved to the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park, check the map above for directions.
