Friday, June 26

South Stage (Halsted & Addison)
4:00 PM - Kimi Hayes Band
Kimi Hayes and her band define American music at its finest: full of pure rock and soul, blending the guts and passion of Joplin and Raitt, the pop sensibilities of Sheryl Crow and Matchbox Twenty, and the live unbridled energy of Etheridge and Springsteen.

5:30 PM - Windy City Cowboys
Windy City Cowboy is all about the sound; the sound of the instruments that is. Combining traditional stringed instruments with skilled musicians is the backbone of the Windy City Cowboy trademark sound.

6:00 PM - Rock Candy
This Chicago-based cover band plays the best in upbeat dance, hip hop, 80's, pop and rock music. A five piece, highly versatile band on a mission to make you move and groove, their style has led to increasing popularity, a growing fan base, and even the opportunity to open for Bret Michael's on his recent Windy City concert stop.

8:00 PM - Dot Dot Dot
One of Chicago's hottest full time touring bands, Dot Dot Dot features an all-star cast of Adam Blair, $tephan, and Michael from The Fabulous Janes, and Rose and Little Lisa from Catfight. Playing past and present hits along with their own original material, Dot Dot Dot ­ which was featured recently on FOX-TV's The Next Great American Band - delivers each song with explosive energy, intensity and commitment. This is a band that is sure to be a household name before too long.

North Stage (Halsted & Grace)
5:00 PM - Drag Show featuring Chicago's Best Female Impersonators
[This special Pride Drag Show will feature popular local and nationally known performers, including: Hydrate Hydrag show host and former Miss Continental Plus Tajma Hall; Baton Show Lounge star, first ever transsexual model at Ford Modeling, former Miss Continental (and the titles go on and on) Mimi Marks.]

6:00 PM - Jeanie Tracy
This long-time dance music diva not only sang in the church choir while growing up but also studied opera and piano. In the 1970s she was busy in both the recording studio as well as on stage, starring in the musical Slave Driver as well as Sing Mahalia Sing opposite Jennifer Holliday. Into the 1980s Tracy provided vocals for the soundtrack for Apocalypse Now; recorded with Sylvester on the 1981 duet "Here Is My Love;" and had two hits on the dance charts. After a hiatus from recording, Tracy experienced a career resurgence in the late nineties that resulted in two Top 20 Dance hits with "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "Keep The Party Jumpin'." In 2001 her collaboration with Rosabel, "The Power," spent one week at number one and then in 2004 she reached number one yet again with "Cha Cha Heels," another Rosabel collaboration. Tracy's third number one came in 2007 with "Party People", a collaboration with Altar.

7:00 PM - Drag Show featuring Chicago's Best Female Impersonators
[This special Pride Drag Show will feature popular local and nationally known performers, including: Baton Show Lounge stars Monica Munro and Sasha Colby; Roscoe's star Frida Lay; Circuit Latina star Veronica Zaid; Kit Kat star Kiarra Fontaine and Hydrate star Vanity Fair. This show is not to be missed!]

8:00 PM - Martha Wash
Once a back-up singer in the 1970's for the legendary Sylvester, Martha Wash has become a legendary diva in her own right by recording some of the most recognizable pop, R&B, and dance hits of the past 30 years. Dubbed "The Queen of Clubland," her hits include "It's Raining Men," "Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (which sold over 6 million copies worldwide), "Everybody, Everybody," and "Strike It Up." Her latest recording effort, "Keep Your Body Working" (with Tony Moran), reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart at the end of 2007. Once you hear Wash's amazing God given voice, you'll never forget her.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

12:30 PM - PETCO's Pet Pride Parade! with Miss Foozie
Another fun-filled highlight at this year's Chicago Pride Fest will be a Pet Pride Parade sponsored by PETCO. Everyone is welcome to bring their dogs, cats and other animal kingdom friends to this festive procession that starts at 12:30pm.

The short parade route will start at the North Stage, proceed down nearby streets before returning to the Chicago Pride Fest grounds and ending at the South Stage. There a panel of jurors will honor the best participants with gift certificates from both PETCO and local retailers at 1:30pm.

South Stage (Halsted & Addison)

2:00 PM - Spirit Brigade
Chicago Spirit Brigade is a hi-energy high-flying LGBT cheerleading squad dedicated to putting on entertaining, high-intensity performances while raising money for various community organizations. In the midst of its sixth season, they have have raised a substantial amount of funds for HIV/AIDS & cancer not-for-profit organizations that provide direct care services. www.chicagospiritbrigade.org

3:00 PM ­ ROTC (Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps)
ROTC Chicago is an all-male color guard ensemble that combines precision military style marching maneuvers and intricate twirling rifle work, all done to the beat of fun and energetic dance music. Clad in camouflage shorts, sleeveless military shirts and combat boots, ROTC always puts on an entertaining show that leaves audiences wanting more. www.rotcchicago.org

3:30 PM - The Joans
The Joans is the first band to give legendary Hollywood star Joan Crawford the rock and roll voice she deserves! The Joans want to make others aware of the groundbreaking over the top persona that was and is Joan Crawford by embodying her unique spirit through a musical recipe of one part new wave pop, a dash of garage rock, a generous helping of camp, and a pinch of theatrics topped off with original songs. The band has become hugely popular within the community and throughout the in the city and is sure to put on a fantastic performance at Pride Fest. www.thejoansband.com

4:30 PM - TBD

6:00 PM - 7Deez
Chicagoland's premier 70's Disco-Funk-Motown tribute band brings the look and sound to the stage with music from KC & the Sunshine Band to Wild Cherry and everything in between. Established in 1998, 7Deez has performed extensively in the Chicagoland area at various bars and clubs, on the neighborhood festival circuit, and for corporate events. www.7deezband.com

8:00 PM - 16 Candles
Every once in a while a band comes along with such enthusiasm that you simply can't ignore them. Such is the case with 16 Candles, a group formed in 2003 that has become a favorite throughout the Midwest. The five members of 16 Candles make it their personal duty and pleasure to infuse life and vitality back into all of the great 1980s dance songs. Their mission is to fuse nostalgia and style to create a sight & sound spectacular unlike any other. www.sixteencandlesband.com

North Stage (Halsted & Grace)

1:30 PM - BOI TOIZ
Rapidly growing in popularity in Chicago and throughout the Midwest, this Versage Productions presentation features Drag Kings and Queens in a burlesque style show that is sure to please and entertain.

2:30 PM - Deborah Gibson
Known as "Debbie Gibson" to her older fans, this former teen pop icon has had quite an impressive and illustrious 20-year musical career that includes Billboard chart topping success and many critically acclaimed appearances on Broadway. A music prodigy, Gibson exploded on the pop music scene at the age of 16 and quickly became the youngest person ever to write, produce and perform a number one single, ("Foolish Beat"). To date she has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide and taken star turns in the stage productions of Les Miserables, Grease, Funny Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy, The King and I, Chicago and Cabaret.

3:30 PM - Drag Show featuring Chicago's Best Female Impersonators
This special Pride Drag Show will feature popular local and nationally known performers who can frequently be seen at Hydrate, Roscoe's, Spin, and the Baton Show Lounge.

4:30 PM - Thelma Houston
This Mississippi native of is best known as the disco diva whose cover of the disco classic "Don't Leave This Way," launched the track and her career into pop music immortality. After signing with Motown in 1971 and releasing several critically acclaimed albums, Houston's career really began to take off as the disco genre began to emerge in the mid-70s and "Don't Leave This Way" was released. The song went to number one on the R&B chart in February 1977 and then topped the pop chart two months later. Since then Houston has steadily recorded and performed over the years, delighting audiences worldwide.

5:30 PM - Drag Show featuring Chicago's Best Female Impersonators
More great entertainment by the best in the city.

6:30 PM - Crystal Waters
A native of Philadelphia who grew up in New Jersey in a musical family, Waters burst onto the scene in 1991 with the mega-hit "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)," the dance floor anthem that has since become a house music classic. Following the success of "Gypsy Woman," she again hit it big globally with "100% Pure Love" in 1994, which spent an impressive 45 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Waters has enjoyed continued popularity throughout the years, performing at sold-out concerts around the world and scoring more dance floor and commercial success with tracks such as "Destination Calabria" (2007) and "Never Enough" (2008).

7:30 PM - Inaya Day
Inaya Day is a true house music diva who has recorded such timeless dance music classics such as "Horny" by Mousse T, "Keep Pushin', and her number #1 dance smashes "Movin' Up," and "Can't Stop Dancin'." One of the hardest working and most popular vocalist in the dance music industry, Inaya's latest hits include "Nasty Girl," "Lift Me Up," "I Am the One," and a remake of the Sheila E. classic, "The Glamorous Life."

8:30 PM - Ultra Naté
Ever since Ultra released the internationally renowned deep house classic, "It's Over Now" in 1989, she has been a perennial force in dance music. Her endurance attests to her musical acumen as a solid songwriter and performer who seemingly never fails to connect her listeners. Over the years she has released many chart-topping tracks, including "Show Me," "Found A Cure," "If You Could Read My Mind" (as part of Stars on 54); "Automatic," and Twisted (Got Me Goin' Round)." And then there is her anthem "Free," the global #1 dance hit in 1997 that is regarded by many as one of the Top 10 dance tracks of all-time. In addition to being a diva on the mic, Ultra is also an accomplished house music DJ who guides the monthly Deep Sugar parties at Paradox Nightclub in Baltimore and who has made appearances at major venues around the world. She ably demonstrates her DJing abilities on her most recent album Alchemy: GST Reloaded.