A Grand Finale: Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos Close Out Levitt VIBE Chicago at Rainbow Beach
The summer of 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary for Chicago’s music lovers, and the Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series is preparing to conclude in spectacular fashion. On Saturday, August 16th, the series finale will feature an exceptional double bill that perfectly encapsulates the innovative spirit and cultural diversity that has defined this remarkable concert series: Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos will take the stage at Rainbow Beach for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of musical boundary-pushing.
Venezuelan Innovation Meets Chicago Experimentation
This closing night represents more than just the end of a concert series – it’s a celebration of how traditional Latin music continues to evolve and inspire new generations of artists. The pairing of Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos creates a fascinating dialogue between Venezuelan innovation and Chicago’s experimental music scene, offering audiences a chance to witness two distinct approaches to reimagining Latin musical traditions.
Los Crema Paraíso: Redefining Venezuelan Sound
For the past 15 years, Los Crema Paraíso has been at the forefront of redefining Venezuelan joropo music through its innovative interpretation as a power rock trio, often termed Neofolklore. This Venezuelan psychedelic Rock trio based in New York City turns Venezuelan folk rhythms into super danceable hybrids like Techno-Joropo and Malagueña-Pop.
The band, named after a beloved Caracas’ ice cream parlor, is a Venezuelan power trio made up of Neil Ochoa (Si Se, Chicha Libre), José Luis Pardo (Los Amigos Invisibles), and Álvaro Benavides (Pedrito Martinez Group). Their impressive pedigree speaks to the high caliber of musicianship audiences can expect, with each member bringing extensive experience from renowned Latin music projects.
What makes Los Crema Paraíso truly special is their ability to create a rich tapestry of sounds, textures, and captivating guitar melodies interwoven with polyrhythmic drums and robust bass lines, akin to opening a Pandora’s box of musical exploration. Their sophomore album, De Pelicula, is an update on what has been referred to as “High Speed Bossa Nova” and offers a melange of classic Venezuelan songs, rock anthems and original tracks influenced by Noel Petro, Tom Jobim, Llanera music, Medeski, Martin and Wood and Pink Floyd.
This eclectic range of influences demonstrates how Los Crema Paraíso approaches tradition not as something to be preserved unchanged, but as a living foundation for continuous creative exploration. Their music represents the globalizing nature of contemporary Latin culture, where Venezuelan roots can seamlessly incorporate elements from jazz fusion legends and progressive rock pioneers.
Dos Santos: Chicago’s Experimental Cumbia Masters
Representing the home team, Dos Santos is a dynamic quintet from Chicago, renowned for their versatility in both progressive and experimental cumbia. Whether performing at vibrant summer festivals in Pilsen or intimate jazz venues like The Hideout, their adaptability and consistency have won them a diverse and enthusiastic following.
The group’s five members have their own storied careers in a diversity of styles—from jazz, R&B/soul, traditional Mexican folk, punk, cumbia, salsa. This diversity of background creates a unique chemistry that has made them at the forefront of a new era of Latinx alternative music, deftly bridging pan-Latin and progressive sounds to capture the idealized aesthetics of 21st-century multicultural expression.
Their sound has been described as a fascinating blend of cabaret, cumbia, and Latinx punk, all wildly wrapped in a jazz framework, while others characterize their approach as spanning from jazz-tinged psychedelia to dissonant cumbia. This range demonstrates their ability to move fluidly between different emotional and sonic territories, making each performance a journey through various musical landscapes.
What’s particularly exciting about Dos Santos is their Chicago roots and their understanding of the city’s unique cultural position. As a band that has equally thrived in neighborhood festivals and avant-garde jazz clubs, they understand how to connect with diverse audiences while maintaining their artistic integrity.
A Perfect Pairing for the Series Finale
The combination of Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos for the Levitt VIBE finale creates several layers of musical conversation. Both groups share a commitment to taking traditional Latin genres as starting points for bold experimentation. Both understand that honoring cultural heritage doesn’t mean remaining static – it means continuing to evolve and find new ways to make these traditions speak to contemporary audiences.
The Venezuelan joropo innovations of Los Crema Paraíso will complement the Chicago-bred cumbia experiments of Dos Santos, creating an evening where audiences can hear how similar innovative approaches manifest differently based on geography, cultural context, and individual artistic vision. The lakeside setting of Rainbow Beach provides the perfect backdrop for this musical dialogue, offering the kind of relaxed, festival atmosphere where both bands’ experimental tendencies can fully flourish.
Rainbow Beach: The Perfect Finale Venue
Rainbow Beach represents an ideal conclusion venue for the Levitt VIBE series. Its location along Lake Michigan provides a spectacular natural amphitheater where the expansive sounds of both bands can resonate across the water. The beach setting encourages the kind of communal, celebratory atmosphere that has defined the entire series, allowing families and music lovers to spread out blankets and create their own perfect listening environments.
The venue’s accessibility and welcoming atmosphere align perfectly with the Levitt Foundation’s mission of providing high-quality musical experiences to all community members regardless of economic circumstances. As the summer draws to a close, Rainbow Beach offers an opportunity for one final outdoor gathering before autumn arrives, making this concert both a musical and seasonal celebration.
The Legacy of Levitt VIBE Chicago 2025
This finale concert represents the culmination of an ambitious vision brought to life through the partnership between the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation and the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago. Over ten consecutive Saturdays, Chicago audiences have experienced an remarkable range of musical artistry, from traditional presentations to cutting-edge innovations, all united by the commitment to cultural celebration and community building.
The choice to conclude with Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos signals the series’ dedication to showcasing both established and emerging voices in Latin music innovation. These aren’t nostalgic performances designed to recreate the past – they’re forward-looking artistic statements that demonstrate how cultural traditions continue to evolve and inspire new creative possibilities.
Planning Your Finale Experience
As the final concert of the series, August 16th promises to draw music lovers from across the Chicago area who have been following the series all summer, as well as curious newcomers drawn by the unique double bill. The free admission removes any barriers to experiencing this exceptional musical pairing, but the anticipated crowd suggests arriving early to secure optimal listening spots.
The beach setting encourages bringing chairs, blankets, and picnic supplies to create a comfortable evening experience. Both bands’ energetic performance styles and the celebratory nature of a series finale suggest an evening filled with dancing, community connection, and musical discovery.
A Celebration of Musical Innovation
The Los Crema Paraíso and Dos Santos double bill represents everything that has made the Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series such a success: exceptional artistry, cultural celebration, community accessibility, and the joy of musical discovery. These are two groups that understand music’s power to bring people together while simultaneously pushing creative boundaries.
As summer 2025 draws to a close, this finale concert offers Chicago one last opportunity to gather outdoors for the kind of musical experience that creates lasting memories and strengthens community bonds. Whether you’ve attended every concert in the series or this is your first Levitt VIBE experience, August 16th at Rainbow Beach promises to be an evening that perfectly captures the spirit of musical adventure and cultural celebration that has defined this remarkable summer of free concerts.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness two groundbreaking approaches to Latin music innovation as the Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series concludes with the kind of artistic excellence and community celebration that makes Chicago’s cultural scene so vibrant and inclusive.
Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series
About the Series
The Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series is a free outdoor concert series that brings high-quality live music to public spaces in Chicago neighborhoods. The series features 10 free concerts from June 14th through August 16th, 2025 (Every Saturday this summer), taking place at various Chicago parks including Gage Park and La Villita Park.
Levitt VIBE is a matching grant pilot program that brings the joy of free concerts to public spaces in major city neighborhoods where access to arts experiences may be limited. The Chicago series is presented by the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, showcasing diverse musical performances that reflect the rich cultural tapestry of the city’s communities.
About the Levitt Foundation
Through our grantmaking and research, the Levitt Foundation leverages the power of free, live music to strengthen the social fabric of communities, creating places people love while amplifying local pride, injecting joy into underused public spaces and fostering more equitable, thriving and sustainable communities one city, and one concert, at a time.
The Levitt Foundation is dedicated to building community through music by supporting free outdoor concerts across America. In 2024, the national Levitt network of music venues and concert sites is presenting 650+ free concerts in 45 towns and cities, with audiences over 750,000. Beyond supporting free concerts, the Foundation is committed to advancing equitable music ecosystems through research and community partnerships.
Mission Impact
The Levitt VIBE program represents the Foundation’s commitment to creative placemaking, activating underused public spaces and transforming them into welcoming, inclusive community destinations. Each Levitt Music Series location presents 7 to 10 free concerts each year that inject new life into public spaces and create vibrant community destinations.
Through the power of free, live music, the Levitt Foundation works to create healthy, thriving communities where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to experience the joy and connection that music brings to public spaces.
For more information about the Levitt VIBE Chicago Music Series, contact the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago. To learn more about the Levitt Foundation and its nationwide network of free concerts, visit levitt.org.
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