Back in 1980, while viewers waited breathlessly to find out who shot JR., the presidential election went to California governor Ronald Reagan and $1.19 put a gallon of gas in the car, FitzGerald’s decided to celebrate its first Fourth of July weekend in style. Friday night, a young Texas guitarslinger named Stevie Ray Vaughn and on Saturday, piano great Art Hodes and his Chicago Jazz All Stars were outlined in stars on the calendar, hot dogs and burgers on the Weber and plenty of cold beverages marked the beginnings of FitzGerald’s American Music Festival.

Since then, the club and the festival have grown into one of Chicagoland’s most popular destinations. The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot calls the festival “…one of the most inviting music festivals in Chicago… a family friendly vibe, great food and amenities, and, most crucially of all, consistently solid bookings.” This year FitzGerald’s will mark its 30th anniversary with a musical lineup that pulls out all the stops. “In years past, I’ve booked some of my favorite bands and had to say no to others,” notes club owner Bill FitzGerald. “This year being such a big milestone, we decided to shoot off all the fireworks in the shed.”

As usual, the American Music Festival, which is sponsored by 93XRT and Miller Lite, will run over the holiday weekend, from Thursday, July 1st through Sunday, July 4th. Festival tents are already in place covering the club parking lot, and the three stages will showcase over 30 bands from all corners of the country playing a wide range of musical styles: blues (The Nighthawks with Hubert Sumlin, Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band), jazz (Brienn Perry Orchestra, Chicago Salty Dogs), roots Americana (The Blasters with Dave Alvin, Willie Nile, Webb Wilder, Kevin Gordon) to New Orleans R&B and funk (Trombone Shorty, Marcia Ball, Bonerama, Honey Island Swamp Band), Texas roadhouse (Joe Ely Band featuring Stones saxman Bobby Keyes), soul (James Hunter), bluegrass (Travelin’ McCourys, Giving Tree Band, The Tillers), country/honky tonk (Wayne Hancock, Eilen Jewell, The Waco Brothers, Whitey Morgan & the 78’s, Jeff & Vida, Blue Line Riders), Cajun/Zydeco (CJ Chenier, Briggs Brown & the Bayou Cajuns).

Harder-to-classify highlights include Brave Combo, The Lee Boys, Kevin Gordon, Susan Cowsill, Jon Dee Graham, Joe Pug, Jon Langford’s Skull Orchard, Roger Cline & the Peacemakers, Tributosaurus becomes Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra, Uncle Lucius, and the Yellowhammers. Musicians are part of the FitzGerald’s faithful too; several have played at the festival over a dozen times, and headliner Marcia Ball calls it “the best big festival in a small place!”

Neighboring restaurant Wishbone will provide the food and fixins’, ranging from classic American fare to their famous southern specialties including pulled pork, etoufee, jambalaya, vegetarian favorites and a special kids’ menu as well. “Over the years, this has turned into a real touchstone in people’s summer plans,” says FitzGerald. “We have people calling in March to find out the festival dates so they can plan vacations around it, and all their kids who have grown up since we opened are coming in too. Especially with the economy the way it is, we really appreciate all of the support we’ve gotten over the years.”

Admission to the American Music Festival is $30 on Thursday and Friday, $35 on Friday and Saturday, with an early bird discount of $5 off the admission price for the first hour each day. Doors open at 4:30 on Thursday and Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Children 12 and under are welcomed until 9 pm for just $5 each. No single-day advance tickets will be sold; 4-day passes are available through Ticketweb for $100. For complete festival information call the club at (708) 788-2118 or check FitzGerald’s website: www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com

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