Three Chicago-area bands will perform inside the Elmhurst Art Museum's galleries and studios Saturday, July 11, giving residents a chance to wander between sets of mariachi, funk-rock, and indie singer-songwriter music while sipping beer and browsing summer exhibitions.

The event is Soundbites, the museum's annual concert that borrows its format from a progressive dinner. Instead of courses, attendees move freely between rooms to catch live music at their own pace. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at 150 Cottage Hill Ave. in Elmhurst, with performances starting at 7 p.m.

The lineup, according to the museum's event page, runs on a staggered schedule: Sima Cunningham at 7 p.m., Mariachi Cuatro Vientos at 7:45 p.m., and Dr. Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine at 8:30 p.m. Each act will perform sets inspired by the museum's current summer exhibitions, which include "On Wonder, Mind & Magic" by Jeanette Andrews and "Near Eternity" by Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford.

Cunningham is a Chicago-based musician, songwriter, and founding member of the band Finom. She has toured with Jeff Tweedy, co-owns Foxhall recording studio in Chicago, and hosts a monthly singer-songwriter series called I Hear Voices at Constellation.

Mariachi Cuatro Vientos, founded in Chicago in November 2018, focuses on showcasing traditional mariachi music. Dr. Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine blends funk, rock, and blues with influences ranging from Motown to Talking Heads. The museum described the band on its Facebook page as "a genre-bending project from Chicago" that "shares a love for the craft that shines through in the studio and on the stage."

Tickets cost $40 for non-members and $30 for museum members, according to the museum's online shop. That's $10 less per ticket than last year's Soundbites, held Sunday, June 22, 2025. The price includes drinks and light bites. Marz Community Brewing Company is sponsoring beverages.

The museum, a nonprofit founded in 1981 by a group of Elmhurst teachers, artists, and community organizers, occupies more than 15,000 square feet of exhibition and education space. Its campus includes the McCormick House, a 1952 Mies van der Rohe-designed home moved to the site in 1992.

Members can obtain their checkout discount code by emailing [email protected] or calling 630-834-0202, ext. 10. Tickets are available at the museum's online shop.