Carlise Guy & the Nu Blu Band to Perform in Navy Pier’s ‘Chicago Live!’, with Special Guest Buddy Guy
CHICAGO—Navy Pier today announced that Carlise Guy & The Nu Blu Band, with Special Guest Buddy Guy, will appear at this weekend’s Chicago Live! festival on Saturday, September 20 at 9 p.m. on the Lake Stage at Polk Bros Park. A dazzling fireworks display will immediately follow.
“To have Carlise and Buddy Guy join us is truly a dream come true. Few artists embody the legacy, heart, and soul of Chicago quite like Buddy, and his performance will be a gift to our city and to music lovers everywhere,” said Marilynn Gardner, President and CEO of Navy Pier. “Chicago Live! has always been about celebrating Chicago’s cultural vibrancy and uniting our community. We are profoundly grateful to Carlise and Buddy, to our presenting partners the Pritzker Foundation and Peoples Gas, and to every performer who make this festival so special.”
The performance will be a highlight of the two-day Chicago Live! festival. Taking place on Saturday, September, 20 and Sunday, September 21, Chicago Live! is now in its fifth year and will be the largest event to date, welcoming more than 100 Chicago-based artists and ensembles in back-to-back performances across five Pier stages. New this year will be the world premiere of five commissioned pieces ranging from unique musical compositions to breathtaking dance works from Giordano Dance Chicago, Aerial Dance Chicago, Victor Garcia, MOMENTA Dance Company, and Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra.
At age 89, Buddy Guy is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, and a living link to the city’s halcyon days of electric blues. As he continues to record and tour the United States in 2025, his impact remains as large as ever throughout the city of Chicago.
Buddy and Carlise Guy’s performance during Chicago Live! supports the ongoing efforts of the Chicago Blues Legacy Committee’s Reclaiming the Blues, Reclaiming Chicago initiative. Through a dynamic civic initiative, the Chicago Blues Legacy Committee is leading efforts to commission a permanent public statue at Navy Pier honoring Blues legends, creating a cultural landmark and reinforcing Chicago’s international cultural reputation.
The Chicago Blues Legacy Committee, spearheaded by Dee M. Robinson with Honorary Chairman Buddy Guy, is dedicated to reclaiming Chicago’s position as the global epicenter of Blues music. The city cemented itself as the mecca for Blues in the 1950s and ‘60s after traveling Black musicians made their way north, experimenting and playing together to create the distinct sound. The Chicago Blues Legacy Committee unites influential leaders including Andy Rubenstein (Accel Entertainment), Charles Johnson (SodexoMagic), Larry Huggins (Riteway Construction), Rodney Williams (Choose Chicago Board), Melody Spann Cooper (WVON Radio), and Charles Smith (World Business Chicago). Together, they are driving a visionary initiative that celebrates cultural heritage, fosters community pride, and strengthens Chicago’s international reputation.
Presented by the Pritzker Foundation and supported by Peoples Gas, Chicago Live! was launched in 2021 to reconnect audiences with Chicago’s performing arts community. Exclusively featuring Chicago artists and ensembles, the festival has grown from 43 performing companies in its inaugural year to over 100 unique back-to-back performances. Chicago Live! remains a celebration of the diverse artists and brightest companies that make Chicago truly one-of-a-kind.
“The Pritzker Foundation is honored to support Chicago Live! as it unites our city in a celebration of its extraordinary cultural vitality,” added Penny Pritzker, Trustee of the Pritzker Foundation. “Having Buddy Guy, a Chicago legend and global ambassador of the blues, headline this year’s festival stands as a powerful testament to the creativity, resilience, and connections that define Chicago.”
The complete schedule for Chicago Live! can be found on the Navy Pier website.
Click here for images of Buddy Guy.
Note: All artists, times, and dates are subject to change.
About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the most visited destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming nearly 9 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases over 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities, and more. The Pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 with the unveiling of the Centennial Wheel, Polk Bros Park, and Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. Today, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing redevelopment efforts including the 223-room Sable hotel, the all-transient Navy Pier Marina, and thrilling new attractions such as Flyover Chicago. The Pier is proud to present free programming designed to inspire and engage communities across the city and globe, including the #1 Fireworks display in the nation. For more information, visit NavyPier.org.