88 concerts for summer: Taylor Swift to Drake, this is a huge year for live music

It’s been a nonstop drumbeat of concert announcements for 2023: Taylor Swift, Springsteen, Beyoncé, Drake. LCD Soundsystem is coming in a new Re:SET festival. Just announced on the heels of a Wilco residency, Jeff Tweedy will tour solo this summer starting at the Vic.

Chalk it up to a case of carpe diem, says one local guy who should know.

“For artists, it’s like, none of us can be sure we won’t get shut down again in a year,” says Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, speaking recently from Highland Park. “If you’re a touring act, the sense is you’ve got to get out there now.”

He said some venues and promoters are still reeling from when they were dark during the pandemic, and the public has shown it’s willing to pay to see bands. There’s no reason to wait. “That’s my sense of it, anyway. I just turned 56, those two years we were shut down are two years I can’t get back.”

The Smashing Pumpkins are next headed on tour to Australia.

The concerts on this list begin this weekend and stretch through the end of September. For the most part, we’re not including Chicago bands, street fests or local clubs here; look for those in later stories. Events and dates are all subject to change.

John Mellencamp: April 13-15 at the Chicago Theatre; msg.com

100 gecs present: 10,000 gecs tour 2 with Machine Girl: April 20 at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom; concerts.livenation.com

MANÁ: April 28-29 at United Center; unitedcenter.com

Diana Ross: May 5 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana; hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com

Luke Combs: May 6 at Soldier Field; soldierfield.com

Blink-182 with Turnstile: May 6-7 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

The Killers: May 11 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana; hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com

Bright Eyes: May 12 in Chicago at Salt Shed; saltshedchicago.com

Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando: May 13 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana; hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com

Caroline Polachek: May 16 at the Riviera Theatre; ticketmaster.com

Lizzo’s Special 2our: May 17 at the United Center; livenation.com

The National: May 18-21 at the Auditorium Theatre; mytickets.auditoriumtheatre.org

Natalie Merchant: May 19 at the Chicago Theatre; msg.com

Jeff Tweedy: May 19-20 at the Vic Theatre; wilcoworld.net

Billy Porter’s Black Mona Lisa Tour: May 26 at Chicago Theatre; msg.com

Janet Jackson’s Together Again Tour: May 27 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenation.com

Seal: May 27 at the Chicago Theatre; msg.com

Sueños Music Festival with Wisin y Yandel and FEID: May 27-28 in Grant Park; suenosmusicfestival.com

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: June 1 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour: June 2-4 at Soldier Field; livenation.com

Gospel Music Fest: June 3 in Millennium Park; ChicagoGospelMusicFestival.us

Barenaked Ladies: June 6 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Chicago Blues Festival with Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials and Los Lobos: June 8-11 in Millennium Park; ChicagoBluesFestival.us

Dead & Company: June 9-10 at Wrigley Field; mlb.com

Heatwave Music Festival: June 10-11 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; heatwavemusicfestival.com

The Cure’s Shows of a Lost World Tour: June 10 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Blues on the Fox Festival with Shemekia Copeland and Buddy Guy: June 16-17 at RiverEdge Park in Aurora; paramountaurora.com

Billy Strings: June 17 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Lauryn Hill: June 17 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Chicago Pride Fest: June 17-18 on Halsted Street; northalsted.com

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band: June 18 at Chicago Theatre; msg.com

Chicago: June 18 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Fall Out Boy with Alkaline Trio: June 21 at Wrigley Field; mlb.com

Counting Crows and Dashboard Confessional: June 23 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Chicago House Music Fest: June 24 on Humboldt Park Boathouse Lawn; ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us

Morgan Wallen’s One Night at a Time Tour: June 22-23 at Wrigley Field; livenation.com

Young the Giant with Milky Chance: June 23 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Stevie Nicks: June 23 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Re:SET festival with LCD Soundsystem, boygenius and Steve Lacy: June 23-25 at Riis Park in Chicago; chicago.resetconcertseries.com

Summer Smash Festival: June 23-25 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview; thesummersmash.com

Miche Fest with Prince Royce and Elvis Crespo: June 24-25 in Harrison Park in Pilsen; michefest.live

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Garbage: June 27 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

TWICE’s Ready to Be Tour: June 28-29 at United Center; unitedcenter.com

Anita Baker with Babyface: June 30 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

The Hold Steady with Mountain Goats: June 30 and July 1 at Salt Shed; saltshedchicago.com

Santana’s 1,001 Rainbows Tour: June 30 and July 1 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

American Music Festival with Lucinda Williams: June 30 to July 3 at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn; fitzgeraldsnightclub.com

Shania Twain’s Queen of Me Tour: July 1 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenation.com

Bryan Adams So Happy It Hurts Tour with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: July 2 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont; livenation.com

Cypress Hill: July 2 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana; hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com

Drake with 21 Savage in the It’s All A Blur Tour: July 5-6 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Ne-Yo: July 7 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Dave Matthews Band: July 7-8 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Weezer: July 9 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana; hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com

Styx: July 11 at RiverEdge Park in Aurora; paramountaurora.com

Windy City Smokeout with Zach Bryan and Zac Brown Band: July 13-16 outside the United Center; windycitysmokeout.com

Sad Summer Festival with Taking Back Sunday: July 21 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; sadsummerfest.com

Foreigner’s Historic Farewell Tour: July 22 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenationentertainment.com

Pitchfork with The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver: July 21-23 at Union Park in Chicago; pitchforkmusicfestival.com

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour: July 22-23 at Soldier Field; livenation.com

Thomas Rhett: July 28 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Ed Sheeran’s +-=÷x Tour: July 29 at Soldier Field; livenation.com

Lollapalooza with Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Red Hot Chili Peppers: Aug. 3-6 in Grant Park; lollapalooza.com

Lionel Richie with Earth, Wind & Fire: Aug. 5 at United Center; unitedcenter.com

Matchbox Twenty’s Slow Dream Tour: Aug. 6 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; concerts.livenation.com

Madonna’s Celebration Tour: Aug. 9-10 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Aug. 9 and 11 at Wrigley Field; mlb.com

P!NK: Aug. 12 at Wrigley Field; mlb.com

Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd & The Monsters: Aug. 12 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

John Legend: Aug. 13-14 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Sam Smith’s GLORIA the tour: Aug. 15 at the United Center; livenation.com

Nickelback’s Get Rollin’ Tour: Aug. 18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenation.com

ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour: Aug. 19 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenation.com

Goo Goo Dolls’ Big Night Out Tour: Aug. 22 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; livenation.com

Buddy Guy and George Benson: Aug. 23 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Guns N’ Roses: Aug. 24 at Wrigley Field; livenation.com

Boyz II Men and The Isley Brothers: Aug. 26 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Arctic Monkeys: Aug. 27 at the United Center; unitedcenter.com

Disturbed’s Take Back Your Life Tour: Aug. 30 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; concerts.livenation.com

Beck and Phoenix: Aug. 31 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; pavilionnortherlyisland.com

Chicago Jazz Fest: Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 in locations including Millennium Park; ChicagoJazzFestival.us

Duran Duran’s Future Past Tour: Sept. 1 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; pavilionnortherlyisland.com

Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper’s Freaks on Parade 2023 Tour: Sept. 1 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park; livenation.com

Carrie Underwood: Sept. 1-2 at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park; ravinia.org

Arc Music Festival: Sept. 1-3 at Union Park; arcmusicfestival.com

North Coast Music Festival: Sept. 1-3 at SeatGeek Stadium; northcoastfestival.com

Taste of Chicago: Sept. 8-10 in Grant Park, plus events June 24 (Humboldt Park), July 15 (Pullman Park) and Aug. 5 (Marquette Park); TasteofChicago.us

Peter Gabriel’s i/o The Tour: Sept. 30 at United Center; unitedcenter.com

This story has been updated to add Styx on July 11.

dgeorge@chicagotribune.com