Ah, the end of summer. What bitter days. When folks pack away the beach towels, when beers are saved for Monday Night Football, and storefronts advertise Back to School sales instead of Summer Specials. Let’s not even start on how stale the movies get for the next month or so. (Then again, were they ever good at all this summer?) Then there’s the weather. The beautiful autumn season teases us with soul-inspiring sights: the leaves change face, the days grow shorter, and the evening sky bleeds purple and orange, all while the air is just right. This last for only so long, however, when the Jack O’ Lanterns close their eyes, unveiling beautiful, bountiful pumpkins that welcome families, feasts, and… snow. Then it’s, “Fuck, we’re back to winter!”

If you’re not a cynic though, the end of summer can be quite enjoyable – at least The Shams Band frontman Donnie Biggins seems to think so.

In what will undoubtedly be Chicago’s wonderful, summery curtain call, Biggins’ Chitown folk outfit will headline the first annual The Square Affair. What exactly is… The Square Affair, you say? It’s a festive shindig in the heart of Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, where local and regional favorites like Jon Drake and The Shakes, The Minneapolis Henrys, and Derek Nelson & The Musicians plan to sweat your socks off before you throw ‘em back on for the chilly season ahead. It all goes down at the Logan Square Auditorium this Friday, August 27th. But that’s not all. Courtesy of Old Style, spectators will have the chance to buy some Square Affair merchandise, to which all proceeds go to The Intonation Music Workshop, who will be on-site at the festival, as well.

As always, Consequence of Sound has you covered, and we’ll be giving out two passes to the event. If you’re interested in attending, send us an email with your name and we’ll see fit that you get in. Well, at least one of you. The rest will have to “shell out the cash” for tickets, which you can grab here for a whopping $8 dollars each.

Unfamiliar with the acts? Shame on you. After all, we’ve covered 75% of the bill before (via our Listen spotlights), but here’s a little something to jar your memory: The Square Affair Sampler EP.

See you there… square!