Incoming

Local singer-guitarist Phil Angotti will be joined by the Nash Duo of cellist Christopher Ferrer and violinist Emily Nash when he performs a brunch time tribute to The Beatles at City Winery Chicago this Sunday at noon. Having performed Beatles brunches several times at this venue over the years, Angotti has become quite good at them.

Let’s lift a toast to vocalist-guitarist Gary Klebe of Shoes on the occasion of this being his birthday. The Zion, IL band pioneered do-it-yourself recording and gave us several catchy rock songs.

Happy Birthday as well to actor/director/playwright and former Mary-Arrchie Theatre Artistic Director Richard Cotovsky. A section of West Sheridan Road, where Mary-Arrchie was once located, is now named Honorary Richard Cotovsky Way. Back when I was a member of the Famous In The Future comedy group, we performed several times at Mary-Arrchie’s annual Abby Fest.

The first gig of the new year for whitewolfsonicprincess will take place on February 18 at the Wilmette Theatre in Willamette, IL. A Facebook post from the 21st Century Druid Music practitioners states there’s a bar in that venue, and there will likely be at least one other act on the bill. The band’s founding members, Carla Hayden and James Moeller, are also veterans of Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s Abby Fest. 

Vocalist-violinist Susan Voelz and cellist Helen Money will perform tomorrow night at The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia) on Chicago’s north side.

Week three of Buddy Guy’s 16-date January residency at his Legends venue kicks off this Thursday with Bobby Rush and Showers/Simmons as his special guests. Guy will also have guests for his Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night gigs, and he’ll be back with more shows in week four and five. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

Long-time entertainment writer Mark Caro (Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.) has talked with several rock musicians on his Caropop podcast, and recently started making some of those interviews available on his YouTube channel. Caro has an easy-going, knowledgeable style that leads to fascinating conversations with his guests. The recently posted Caropop episode, in which he interviews Robyn Hitchcock about the eccentric English musician’s album 1967: Vacations In The Past and memoir 1967: How I Got There And Where I Never Left is a prime example.

In related news, tickets go on sale this Friday for Robyn Hitchcock’s April 10 concert at the Athenaeum Center on Chicago’s north side.

Gina Marie, whose versatile singing made quite an impression on the 2024 album Pastures Of Plenty by Gina Marie and The Golden Bucks, will perform with the Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra on January 22 at Chicago’s acclaimed Green Mill Cocktail Lounge.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will perform with The Feds and Second City Seance at Liar’s Club on January 25. Liar’s is located at 1665 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side.

Tickets are now on sale for the 10,000 Maniacs show at City Winery Chicago on February 12. The band, which gave us hits such as “Like The Weather,” “Trouble Me,” and “Candy Everybody Wants,” will celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2026 by releasing of box set of material from their Elektra/Rhino Records years, as well as an album of new songs.

The critically acclaimed (Downbeat magazine, Chicago Reader) Joe Policastro Trio will likely showcase songs from their recently released Mending Wall album at two venues this week. They’ll be at Merriman’s Playhouse, Inc in South Bend, IN tomorrow and Caffè Vivace in Cincinnati, OH on Saturday. Bass player Policastro—along with guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery—is known for adding adventurous touches to traditional jazz music.

Congratulations to The Spindles on their album Wavelength being named by several websites and blogs as one of 2025’s best albums. The Chicago area power pop band has also garnered kudos for “Getaway” as one of last year’s best singles.

International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash has released his Top 150 Albums of 2025, with UK folk/power pop singer-songwriter Lavinia BlackwAll’s The Making nabbing the number one slot. Other honorees include Trolley; Tchotchke; Juliana Hatfield; the above-mentioned The Spindles; The Grip Weeds; The Len Price 3; Jeremy; Smoking Popes; Chris Stamey; Coke Belda; Tamar Berk; The Webstirs; Guided By Voices; Cheap Trick; Ken Stringfellow; Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill; and 20/20.

Desiree Burcum and Frank Carr of the Chicago-based Famous In The Future comedy group (as mentioned in today’s first paragraph, I was once a member) have changed the name of their alt-rock side project from The Rut to The Lovely Rut. The band has a gig coming up at Phyllis’ Musical Inn this Friday, so you can judge their appearance for yourself. They’ll be joined by local bands Boiaderio and Gunnelpumpers, who will likely be attractive as well. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division on Chicago’s near north side.

Frank Carr of Famous In The Future recently reminded me of a skit he wrote several years ago, in which we played a couple of guys watching a football game. Check out these two lines:

Chris: Williams is having a great year, huh?
Tony: Yeah. I thought he had it in him. He just needed time to develop. 

Maybe Frank has psychic powers. Anyway, congratulations to the Chicago Bears on that exciting finale this last Saturday.

Slumgullion

“Queen Of The Scene,” the first single from The Buzzcocks’ upcoming Attitude Adjustment album, sports an energetic, guitar-driven arrangement and Steve Diggle’s unmistakable vocals. The 14-track Attitude Adjustment will be released on January 30, which is also the day The Buzzcocks embark on a busy year of touring that includes performances in the UK, Europe, and (so far) two gigs in the USA.

Two of the Chicago area’s better-known bandleaders will share the stage when the Songs And Stories With Nicholas Tremulis and Frank Orrall After Dark event takes place at the Art Makers Outpost in Evanston on January 25. In a recent Facebook post, Tremulis states that he and the Poi Dog Pondering vocalist will swap songs and stories, and offer other entertaining bits. The swapping and entertaining starts at 6:00 pm; Art Makers Outpost is located at 609 South Boulevard in Evanston.

It looks like Squeeze, a band well known for spinning tales with clever lyrics and irresistible melodies, will explore the seedy side of English nightlife on their upcoming album Trixies. A recent video clip on the Squeeze Facebook page asks, “Who hangs out at Trixies? All the sort of people who carry something lethal.” Still, we can count on founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook to work their usual songwriting magic. Trixies is due out in March.

Tickets are now available for the 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration taking place on February 21 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. The event aims to raise awareness for MusicCares, and organizers Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma always recruit some of Chicago’s best musicians to participate as special guests.

Vocalist Deena Shoshkes and guitarist-vocalist Jon Fried of the Hoboken, NJ band The Cucumbers will simultaneously release the Hello, George novella and As You Heard Me album on Valentine’s Day. Fried wrote the book, based on the song “There’s a Crop Circle on My Daddy’s Land” by Shoshkes and Vaughan Daniel, and worked with Shoshkes on what’s being called the novella’s soundtrack. The Cucumbers have been described as a power pop band, but the satiric Hello, George focuses on the ups and downs of a country music star. Each year, I wrap up a series of holiday songs on Broken Hearted Toy by praising the rollicking version of “Auld Lang Syne” The Cucumbers contributed to the Ho Ho Ho Spice various artists charity album.

Ralph Covert, the versatile singer-songwriter for the Chicago-based band The Bad Examples, will tap into his extensive supply of children’s songs with a Ralph’s World Solo Concert at the Oak Park Temple in Oak Park, IL on January 19. The event will support the Glasser Preschool.

Cherry Red Records will release Various Artists: CBGB - A New York City Soundtrack 1975 - 1986 as a 4-CD set on January 30. The tribute includes songs by Patti Smith; Blondie; The Dictators; Ramones; Television; The Dead Boys; Talking Heads; The dB’s; Genya Ravan; Tuff Darts; The Cramps; Cherry Vanilla; Suicide; Bush Tetras; Mink Deville; Richard Hell and The Voidoids; Tom Verlaine; Richard Lloyd; Sylvain Sylvain; The Bongos; Beastie Boys; Sonic Youth; and Nona Hendryx.

Tickets are now on sale for an April 10 concert by long-time indie rock band Throwing Muses at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. Led by vocalist-guitarist and acclaimed songwriter Kristen Hersh, the band has plenty of material to chose from, but might concentrate on songs from their 2025 album Moonlight Concessions.

As noted by author/former IRS Records publicist/journalist Cary Baker in a recent post on the Wild Honey Foundation Facebook page, The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

Congratulations to the Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley on the positive attention their new album A Carnival Of Grey And White received in  the latest issue of the U.K. rock magazine Shindig. There’s an article by Clive Webb on page 16, and reviewer Ben Graham suggests “Trolley could well be the perfect fusion of new-wave and progressive art pop” in his four-star review.

Tim Thomas, editor-in-chief of the indie rock newspaper Second Scene, recently posted on Facebook that he’s “planning another special Issue for the Spring that will again feature art and, this time, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by those who have been featured in previous Issues.” Second Scene, which is available through its Bandcamp page, consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he tosses in some art and literature.

The critically acclaimed (Downbeat magazine, Chicago Reader) Joe Policastro Trio will likely showcase songs from their recent Mending Wall album during an upcoming performance at Merriman’s Playhouse, Inc. in South Bend, IN on January 14. Bass player Policastro, along with guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, is known for adding adventurous touches to traditional jazz music.

The Smithereens, who were recently inducted (along with Darlene Love) into the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame at the Count Basie Center in Redbank, NJ, have a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

Gina Marie and The Golden Bucks, a Chicago-based Americana sextet whose 2024 album Pastures Of Plenty offers several examples of authentic country and swing, can just as easily slip into genuine blues. “Without That Man,” the latest single from Pastures Of Plenty, employs a slow, slinky arrangement to capture the sense of loss singer Ruth Etting brought to the original 1931 version.

As noted in the British rock magazine Shindig No. 169 (for some reason they don’t go by month), 1960s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock have released a new album on the Big Stir label. Reviewer Andy Morten gave Monster / White Light four stars, while declaring The Strawberry Alarm Clock “refuse to play the oldies game, instead writing new material that’s as inquisitive and exploratory as their 1967 gear.” Morten also points out the band still has five original members.

Australian garage rockers Hoodoo Gurus will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on January 29 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. The listing on the Ticketek site promises the band’s material will be “reimagined on an epic scale, with orchestral arrangements bringing fresh energy and grandeur.” In other down under news, Hoodoo Gurus, along with Iggy Pop; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; and ZED will share a tour in Auckland, New Zealand on January 23, 26, and 31.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Sons Of The Silent Age, the Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band led by vocalist Chris Connelly, has a tradition of kicking off the new year with a benefit performance at Metro. The January 31, 2026 event finds Sons Of The Silent Age taking “Our second trip through the Berlin trilogy, consisting of the albums Low, Heroes, and Lodger.” A second set will concentrate on Bowie’s hit singles and well-known material. And, as noted by guitarist Steve Gerlach in a Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

What’s The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, a new book from author Bill Kopp, is now available from HoZac Books for $21.99. Kopp’s exploration of musical storytelling includes an interview with concept album master Pete Townshend, and a foreword by Let’s Active founder and critically acclaimed producer Mitch Easter.

Congratulations to Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, on his latest album Enter Xenon coming in at number 8 on MOJO’s Top 10 Prog albums of 2025 and grabbing the number 2 spot for the Top 5 Prog Albums in Classic Rock. Seems like these UK rock magazines really like his music. Curvey is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums and graphics.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events in New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26.

Autographed copies of musician Melissa Auf der Maur’s upcoming book Even the Good Girls Will Cry are available to pre-order from the TalkShopLive! website. Auf der Maur, who’s known for performing with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, describes her book as “part rock memoir, part travel diary, [and] part psychedelic scrapbook.”

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Hey Nonny’s Women’s Jazz Festival continues tonight at 7:30 with Carmani Edwards and Honey Noir featuring Alysha Monique, Amyna Love and Nashon Hollaway. There’s a 4:00 pm set with Christy Bennett tomorrow; and a 7:30 set with Stacy McMichael and JoVia Armstrong. The festival wraps up with three sets on Saturday: Hey Nonny’s Rising Stars at noon; Lucy Smith with JoAnn Daugherty at 4:00 pm; and Joanie Pallatto and Tromblau And Friends at 7:30 pm.

The Smithereens, who were recently inducted (along with Darlene Love) into the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame at the Count Basie Center in Redbank, NJ, will return to the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI for a show tomorrow night. Marshall Crenshaw will once again serve as their guest vocalist.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter AJ Rosales, who released his impressive Phasedrift album a while back on Bandcamp, has an 11:00 am show coming up this Saturday at the City News Cafe. Rosales specializes in melodic, acoustic songs with well crafted, introspective lyrics reminiscent of vintage Neil Young. City News Cafe is located at 4018 N. Cicero.

British indie rockers The Cribs will release their first album in five years when Selling A Vibe drops tomorrow. If the previously released single “Never The Same” is any indication, The Cribs are back to their catchy, guitar-driven ways. Tomorrow is also the day they kick off an extensive U.K. tour. 

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy recently kicked off his traditional January residency at his Legends venue and has gigs there tonight through Sunday, with a different supporting act for each night. Guy has more performances scheduled throughout January, with the next batch starting January 15. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival, which features four plays written by local high school students, continues its run at Chicago Dramatists tomorrow at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 2:30 and 7:00 pm. Chicago Dramatists is located at 798 N. Aberdeen.

L.A. musicians Deke Dickerson and Dave Stuckey are hosting the Elvis Presley Birthday Bash tonight at the Venice West venue in Los Angeles. Several acts will perform, including Ronnie Mack And The Legendary Barndance Band; Billy Vera; and Carla Olson. The event is in memory of publicist and TV host Art Fein, with proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association.

Incoming

Photo from the The Smithereens official Facebook page. 

The Smithereens will return to the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI this Friday, with Marshall Crenshaw once again serving as their guest vocalist.

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy recently kicked off his traditional January residency at his Legends venue and has gigs there this Thursday through Sunday, with a different supporting act for each night. Guy has more performances scheduled throughout January, with the next batch starting January 15. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

As noted by author/former IRS Records publicist/journalist Cary Baker in a recent post on the Wild Honey Foundation Facebook page, The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival, which features four plays written by local high school students, continues its run at Chicago Dramatists this Friday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 2:30 and 7:00 pm. Chicago Dramatists is located at 798 N. Aberdeen.

L.A. musicians Deke Dickerson and Dave Stuckey will host the Elvis Presley Birthday Bash this Thursday at the Venice West venue in Los Angeles. Several acts will perform, including Ronnie Mack And The Legendary Barndance Band; Billy Vera; and Carla Olson. The event will be in memory of publicist and TV host Art Fein, with proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association.

Ralph Covert, the versatile singer-songwriter for the Chicago-based band The Bad Examples, will tap into his extensive supply of children’s songs with a Ralph’s World Solo Concert at the Oak Park Temple in Oak Park, IL on January 19. The event will support the Glasser Preschool.

British indie rockers The Cribs will release their first album in five years when Selling A Vibe comes out this Friday. They released the catchy, guitar-driven single “Never The Same” a few days ago, and will kick off an extensive U.K. tour on Friday. 

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights kicked off its annual Women’s Jazz Festival tonight and it will run through this Saturday. See the official Hey Nonny website for the full festival information.

Sunday Papers

Ebet Roberts photo of Michael Stipe from the official R.E.M. Facebook page. 

Happy Birthday to Michael Stipe. His vocals on R.E.M. songs, starting with the spooky Chronic Town EP in 1981 and throughout the Athens, GA band’s successful career, were mesmerizing if not always understandable. He continues to work on fascinating recording projects and worthy causes to this day.

Congratulations to the Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley on the positive attention their new album A Carnival Of Grey And White received in  the latest issue of the U.K. rock magazine Shindig. There’s an article by Clive Webb on page 16, and reviewer Ben Graham suggests “Trolley could well be the perfect fusion of new-wave and progressive art pop” in his four-star album review.

Tim Thomas, editor-in-chief of the indie rock newspaper Second Scene, recently posted on Facebook that he’s “planning another special Issue for the Spring that will again feature art and, this time, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by those who have been featured in previous Issues.” Second Scene, which is available through its Bandcamp page, consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Thomas tosses in some art and literature.

Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival, which features four plays written by local high school students, opened this past Thursday at Chicago Dramatists and will continue on each Friday at 7:00 pm and each Saturday at 2:30 and 7:00 pm through January 24. Chicago Dramatists is located at 798 N. Aberdeen.

There’s encouraging news for those of us who’ve been looking forward to the release of Justin Fielding’s documentary on the power pop genre. Fielding now has a basically complete edit of The Power Pop Movie, and hopes that with industry/financial support—particularly regarding the licensing of music—the film could be released in a few months.

Desiree Burcum and Frank Carr of the Chicago-based Famous In The Future comedy group (I was once a member) have changed the name of their alt-rock side project from The Rut to The Lovely Rut. The band has a gig coming up at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on January 16, so you can judge their appearance for yourself. They’ll be joined by local bands Boiaderio and Gunnelpumpers, who will likely be attractive as well. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division on Chicago’s near north side.

As noted in the British rock magazine Shindig No. 169 (for some reason they don’t go by month), 1960s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock have released a new album on the Big Stir label. Reviewer Andy Morten gave Monster / White Light four stars, while declaring The Strawberry Alarm Clock “refuse to play the oldies game, instead writing new material that’s as inquisitive and exploratory as their 1967 gear.” Morten also points out the band still has five original members.

The critically acclaimed (Downbeat magazine, Chicago Reader) Joe Policastro Trio will likely showcase songs from their recent Mending Wall album during an upcoming performance at Merriman’s Playhouse, Inc. in South Bend, IN on January 14. Bass player Policastro, along with guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, is known for adding adventurous touches to traditional jazz music.

The Smithereens will perform at the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI with Marshall Crenshaw as their guest vocalist on January 9. The band has a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

Chicago-based indie rockers Local H rang in the new year at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, and have several shows coming up in 2026 as part of a triple lineup with Filter and Finger Eleven.

Australian garage rockers Hoodoo Gurus will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on January 29 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. The listing on the Ticketek site promises the band’s material will be “reimagined on an epic scale, with orchestral arrangements bringing fresh energy and grandeur.” In other down under news, Hoodoo Gurus, along with Iggy Pop; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; and ZED will share a tour in Auckland, New Zealand on January 23, 26, and 31.

Gina Marie and The Golden Bucks, a Chicago-based Americana sextet whose 2024 album Pastures Of Plenty offers several examples of authentic country and swing, can just as easily slip into genuine blues. “Without That Man,” the latest single from Pastures Of Plenty, employs a slow, slinky arrangement to capture the sense of loss singer Ruth Etting brought to the original 1931 version.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Congratulations to Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, on his latest album Enter Xenon coming in at number 8 on MOJO’s Top 10 Prog albums of 2025 and grabbing the number 2 spot for the Top 5 Prog Albums in Classic Rock. Seems like these UK rock magazines really like his music. Curvey is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums and graphics.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events in New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

What’s The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, a new book from author Bill Kopp, is now available from HoZac Books for $21.99. Kopp’s exploration of musical storytelling includes an interview with concept album master Pete Townshend, and a foreword by Let’s Active founder and critically acclaimed producer Mitch Easter.

Local singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and the Nash String Duo will perform a brunch time tribute to The Beatles at City Winery Chicago on January 18. Having performed Beatles brunches several times at this venue over the years, Angotti has become quite good at it. Looking further down the road, the Phil Angotti Band will be at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights on February 19.

Autographed copies of musician Melissa Auf der Maur’s upcoming book Even the Good Girls Will Cry are available to pre-order from the TalkShopLive! website. Auf der Maur, who’s known for performing with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, describes her book as “part rock memoir, part travel diary, [and] part psychedelic scrapbook.”

Sons Of The Silent Age, the Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band led by vocalist Chris Connelly, has a tradition of kicking off the new year with a benefit performance at Metro. The January 31, 2026 event finds Sons Of The Silent Age taking “Our second trip through the Berlin trilogy, consisting of the albums Low, Heroes, and Lodger.” A second set will concentrate on Bowie’s hit singles and well-known material. And, as noted by guitarist Steve Gerlach in a Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

Post Of Christmas Past: Four “Auld Lang Synes,” My Dear

I’ve shared this post several times over the years, and if you’re putting together a last-minute playlist for your New Year’s Eve celebration, here are some worthy candidates.

One of the reasons people get misty-eyed at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life is because all the family, friends, and neighbors singing “Auld Lang Syne” at the Bailey residence reminds us of our own situation. The song has always conveyed a bittersweet message. A celebration of the loved ones we’ve cherished throughout our lives and can count on for help, but a recognition that for one reason or another, many of them have moved on. John Lennon explored a similar sentiment with The Beatles on “In My Life.”

There was a time when just about everybody thought of Guy Lombardo when it came to “Auld Lang Syne” since he and his Royal Canadians played it every New Year’s Eve for years on radio and TV. Nowadays, nobody under 60 would know who he was, although his version is available on iTunes and YouTube. It sounds particularly melancholy. 

“Auld Lang Syne” continues to be covered by various musicians. The version by The Smithereens on their terrific album Christmas With The Smithereens opens with the band harmonizing like a barbershop quartet. From there, the guitars and drums kick in and the arrangement morphs into a pulsating surf rock tune that’s predominantly instrumental.

Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken also tackled the song as part of side project group called Husky Team. This fun instrumental take, which is included on the Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 CD, mixes “Auld Lang Syne” with the Booker T & The MG’s 1960s hit, “Green Onions.”

My favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne” comes from a New Jersey band called The Cucumbers, and as far as I can tell, it’s only available on the various artists CD Ho Ho Ho Spice. The guitar-driven, slightly Celtic, power pop arrangement and Deena Shoshkes’s spirited vocals cast out any trace of sadness and offer instead an exhilarating sense of triumph. The journey’s over and the quest has been successful. Definitely inspirational, but not the feeling we’ve come away with at the close of any recent years. Here’s hoping we’ll never stop trying to make things better.

But Wait, There’s More

Tad Fettig photo of Peter Buck from the official Drink The Sea Facebook page.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe and festive New Year’s Eve, and success with all your goals in 2026. Here are a few more items for this week’s Incoming/Weekend Reminders posts.

Drink The Sea, an exotic, experimental band of established musicians that includes R.E.M. founding member Peter Buck, has a U.S. Tour coming in 2026 that will visit several cities, including Boston, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. Tickets are now on sale for the Drink The Sea concert coming to Chicago’s Old Town School Of Folk Music on February 13.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Terry White will return to Fitzgerald’s in Berywn, IL this Friday for a happy hour show in the Sidebar. White held a record release party for his latest album You Won’t Have A Name at FitzGerald’s back in September, but this time out, he’ll likely draw from an extensive career that includes solo efforts as well as being in bands such as Modern Day Saints and The Zimmermen. His happy hour show Friday will start at 5:30 pm.

As noted in the British rock magazine Shindig No. 169 (for some reason they don’t go by month), 1960s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock have released a new album on the Big Stir label. Reviewer Andy Morten gave Monster / White Light four stars, while declaring The Strawberry Alarm Clock “refuse to play the oldies game, instead writing new material that’s as inquisitive and exploratory as their 1967 gear.” Morten also points out the band still has five original members.

Tickets are now on sale for the Bonnie Koloc Trio all-ages show at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL on March 24. Koloc, a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, was a driving force in Chicago’s emerging folk scene back in the 1970s. She was a Founders Choice inductee into the Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year.