Music and sports are revving up for summer

Now that we’re post-Memorial Day, it’s officially the unofficial start of summer. With that, a whole lotta sports and a whole lotta music are headed our way. O course, we had to give the summer of 2020 a swing and a miss. Because of that, we’re thrilled to see that this summer season is serving up a supersized helping of XP. Of both the athletic and melodic variety (or so it seems to our activity-starved selves).

On the sporty side…

Things are teeing off at Torrey Pines with golf’s US Open on June 17. Organizers opted to keep the number of fans limited. Either proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will be required, in addition to following social distancing and masking protocols.

Over in Europe, the Euro Championship kicks off following a year’s delay. The extravaganza will last a month and span about a dozen European cities. Honestly, it sounds like a logistics nightmare right now. Quelle horreur — we look forward to attending from le couch.

In case you haven’t heard, the Tokyo Olympics are still scheduled to begin July 23. Still because there continues to be major pressure to cancel the Games.

The organizers are still pressing forward. However, whether local spectators will be allowed remains an open question. Regardless of the outcome at this point, Japan is set to sustain major economic losses, which serves as a stark reminder of the risks of all kinds still at play as we all forge ahead — as we must, within reason — with XP plans for the rest of the year.

Over on the tennis courts, the sport is grappling with follow-out from star Naomi Osaka’s exit from the French Open as it preps for Wimbledon at the end of June (planning for 25 percent capacity, though there’s talk of increasing ticket capacity) and the US Open beginning Aug. 30. No spectators were permitted at Arthur Ashe and the other venues last year, but fans will be permitted to fill the stands this summer.

Meanwhile, music is getting back into the swing of things…

Lollapalooza is on Chicago from July 29 to Aug. 1, Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica Ball” tour kicking off Aug. 7 and Harry Styles’ “Love On Tour” storming stages Aug.14. Billie Ellish, Post Malone and DaBaby will be at Governors Ball in September, which, as we previously reported, will take place at Citi Field. And, while Coachella took two years off to Netflix and chill (j/k, we know it was a pandemic pause), the famed fest will return in April of 2022 — tickets are on sale today!

Also, remember all the times you’ve been super grateful to the workers from Rent a Throne and Callahead and Imperial Restrooms and the like? Good news: The porta potty industry is ca$hing in on the IRL comeback. We’re glad somebody’s winning!

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