Chicago's once-vibrant Petrillo Bandshell sits idle

State of play: The old bandshell sits virtually unused, and the pavilion chairs have been removed, leaving a large slab of concrete in the middle of Grant Park.

Flashback: Over the past 50 years, the outdoor amphitheater off Columbus Street has hosted the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Taste of Chicago concerts, sports championship celebrations and more.

• It goes back even further in Chicago history if you count its original location closer to Roosevelt Road.
• In 1975, Mayor Richard J. Daley named the original bandshell after former Parks commissioner James C. Petrillo, who had programmed Grant Park music concerts. It moved to its current location in 1978.

Driving the news: This year, Taste of Chicago confirmed it won't be using the bandshell in September again. Taste performances will happen on a temporary stage near Buckingham Fountain.

• The future of the venue is undecided.

What they're saying: "The Park District is evaluating it as part of the Grant Park Framework Plan, which includes gathering input from community stakeholders," a Chicago Park District spokesperson told Axios.

• "The Petrillo Bandshell is currently available for permitted use."

Reality check: Hardly anybody is renting it out.

Yes, but: The Park District says Lollapalooza has filed for a permit for the bandshell and will use it as a side stage, much to the chagrin of some audience members who don't like the acoustics and sight lines.

The bottom line: Petrillo's days might be numbered, but it will always hold a special place in many Chicagoans' hearts for the memories made there.

Here are some memories from the Petrillo Bandshell over the years from Axios Chicago readers:

Kevin M.: "I was dating a beautiful young woman in 1996 when the Democratic National Convention (DNC) landed in Chicago. The woman got us tickets to Aretha Franklin's DNC performance at Petrillo Bandshell. As Miss Franklin sang 'America the Beautiful,' fireworks showered the sky over Lake Michigan."

• That date, Karin, became Kevin's wife.

Anne B.: "In the fall of 1979, when Pope John Paul II visited Chicago, the mass was held in Grant Park in front of the Petrillo Bandshell. A temporary platform had been built in front of the bandshell as an altar for the mass. There were over a million people gathered in Grant Park that day."

• "Every time I pass the bandshell, I still remember that exciting and historic day."

Larry G.: "The Replacements broke up at the Taste of Chicago on the Petrillo stage in 1991."

Barbara C.: "It was July 4, 1952. I would have been 7. Our blanket was on the lawn and the end of the 1812 Overture heralded my very first fireworks coming off the lake. I looked at my dad in awe to expound on this wonder, and he was crying."

• "I never saw my dad cry before or after that day."

Bassman: "My fondest memory of Petrillo was the time that Sly and the Family Stone was scheduled to do a free concert in 1969. It was extremely hot and Sly was famous for being late but in this case hours went by and he wasn't on stage."

• "Finally people started throwing beer bottles on the stage, fights started breaking out and within a few minutes a full fledged riot broke out. My friends and I were maced trying to get out of there. Getting maced is a scary terrible experience. I don't recommend it."

Paula M.: "Sheryl Crow; going down on the back of my friend's Vespa and feeling so cool to be able to leave easily [and] avoiding the Red Line crowds. Santana opened by Los Lobos. My sister and brother-in-law were visiting from Detroit and it is still one of the best concert memories for all of us!"

Thom C.: "Two distinct memories of the 'temporary' structure on our forever clear and free lakefront: Pope John Paul's outdoor Mass in 1979. Later, at the end of a Bike the Drive event, I caught my first strains of Funkadesi performing for tired bikers, one of the best Chicago bands ever."

Adrienne K.: "I remember seeing Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer perform (separately) on two consecutive nights of the Chicago Blues or Jazz Festival at the Petrillo Music Shell several years back. They were amazing!! Jammed full of fans grooving to their fabulous music!"

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include readers' memories.