SOUTH LOOP — The first Northerly Island show of the season should have been Dispatch on June 1. But heavy rains pushed construction to expand the venue behind schedule, and forced Live Nation to relocate the show to the less scenic UIC Pavilion.
But that doesn't mean Dispatch fans have to miss out on a chance to hear "Bang Bang" under the stars.
Dispatch will perform a second show on Thursday, June 27 at the Northerly Island venue, and ticketholders carrying stubs from the June 1 show will be admitted for free. Tickets are also available to the public for $10 apiece.
Right before the June 1 show, Live Nation, which manages the venue, gave the band two options: postpone until renovations are complete at the end of June, or move the show to the UIC concert hall, which is indoors and has a smaller capacity.
Dispatch reps bemoaned the options, posting on the group's Facebook page that they were "floored and upset," and offered a pre-show tailgating party with the band to augment the change.
But it would seem they got the best of both worlds, and fans are taking note.
"I love how Dispatch is trying to make up for the change in venue, even though it wasn't their fault at all," Facebook user Courtney Elizabeth Lijewski commented on the announcement, posted on Dispatch's Facebook page. "What an awesome band and an awesome group of guys!"
To cut down on scalping, June 1 ticket stubs will only be accepted if they're presented along with the purchasing credit card. Lost stubs can be reprinted by calling Ticketmaster customer service at 800-653-8000, and guests can also bring a printout of their purchase confirmation emails to get into the show.
Proceeds from tickets purchased for the June 27 show will be donated to the Chicago Parks Foundation and OJ Neighbours Elementary School's Music Program, Wabash, Ind., according to the event page. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts an hour later.
