Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, and Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s will be among the special guests at the Musack Rock n’ Roll Carnival taking place on August 23 in Los Angeles. The exact address will only be revealed to those who purchase tickets. As stated on its official website, “Musack’s mission is to give kids and teens a voice through music by providing guitars, drums, and support for music teachers - wherever the need arises.”
Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund will take place at Metro on August 21. The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King” Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.
The Magnolia Pictures documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley opened in theaters around the country today. The screening is being immediately followed by 26 minutes of previously unseen footage showing Buckley performing at The Middle East venue in Cambridge, MA on February 19, 1994. Buckley passed away at the age of 30 in 1997.
The 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest has announced the full schedule of events that will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street. The outdoor event always exudes a friendly, creative vibe and will feature over 150 exhibitors, as well as authors and presenters. Admission is free.
Parody Of Pleasure, the debut solo album from Lydia Night came out today, and finds the former leader of The Regrettes exploring a variety of musical approaches. Night describes her new music as “a window into my weird little brain” and promises to be out on tour soon.
PureSoul will present a tribute to Aretha Franklin at City Winery Chicago on August 16. The brunch performance starts at noon, doors open at 10:30 am. On August 17, City Winery Chicago will host a Prince tribute titled The Purple Madness. Vocalist-guitarist Bobby Miller leads The Prince Tribute Band, which also features dancers. The music starts at 7:00 pm.
The annual Doctor Who convention Chicago TARDIS recently announced that actor Christopher Eccleston will be among the celebrity guests when the event takes place at the Westin Lombard Yorktown in November. Eccleston was pivotal in the success of the British sci-fi program’s 2005 rebirth when he portrayed The Doctor in that first year.
Tickets are now on sale for the Mark Guarino produced Old No. 1 at 50 – A Celebration of Guy Clark featuring Robbie Fulks, John Abbey, Janet Beveridge Bean, Steve Dawson, Josh Caterer, and Naomi Ashley. The event takes place at Evanston SPACE on October 5.
The Smithereens with John Cowsill will kick off a mini tour of the U.S. on August 15 with a show at Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati, OH. The other dates are in St. Louis, MO; Cleveland, OH; Ferndale, MI; Brookville, NY; Old Saybrook, CT; Richmond, VA; and East Greenwich, RI.
Autographed copies of the Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill album Long After The Fire can be preordered via the TalkShopLive website. The album will ship on August 18.
Steven Delisi, a founding member of the Chicago-based power pop band The Thin Cherries, recently released a new single on his Bandcamp page. The catchy indie rocker “When You Say” finds Delisi once again getting solid support from local musicians John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, and Mike Hagler.
The latest issue of Vive Le Rock! chooses the 250 Greatest Punk Songs Ever! Judging from the cover, The Damned, Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, and The Ruts are included. It’s available to order on the counter culture magazine’s website for £6.50 GBP.
Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy released a new album last Friday. The 18-track Ain’t Done With The Blues is available in CD, vinyl, and digital formats on Amazon and other sites.
The Carla Olson and Tall Poppy Syndrome single “Is It True,” which was released in digital format in 2024, is now available as a Deluxe CD + download on Bandcamp. The song offers a 1960s arrangement with a harder edge, and features Olson, Clem Burke, Vince Melouney and Jonathan Lea.
Another VU, the Chicago-based band that performs 1969-era Velvet Underground songs, has gigs lined up at Montrose Saloon on August 29 and September 20; and on November 23 at Simon’s Tavern.
The Wild Honey Foundation will screen a special sneak preview of director Justin Fielding’s long-awaited Power Pop Movie on August 17 at the Wild Honey Backyard Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Musicians featured in the documentary include Marshall Crenshaw, Jody Stephens, Vicki Peterson and the late John Wicks. The Derrick Anderson Combo will perform a set at 7:00 pm before the film is screened.
This year’s Bucktown Arts Fest will take place at Holstein Park (2200 N. Oakley Avenue in Chicago) on the weekend of August 23 and 24. Admission is free, and as it has done for decades, the Fest will feature artists, photographers, and live music. The enchanting alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess, whom I’ve mentioned here several times, will perform from 4:00 to 5:00 pm on August 23. Other live acts include Jared Rabin Band; The Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Jazz Combo; Hope Arthur: Ragtime Piano; Daisychain; and Caught Steelin.
Billy Idol’s latest album Dream Into It gives him new songs to perform on his current series of concerts, along with “White Wedding,” Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and other hits. It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! with Special Guest Joan Jett, has been visiting major cities, and will drop by The Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL on August 14.
Dave Suh and The Dirty Wings, the Americana/grunge trio, have a release party for their 10-track album Set To Begin coming up August 15 at Montrose Saloon. Cisco Pike, Bad Candy and recording artists The Bon Mots will also perform at the venue that night.
United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see three of the band’s most recent members in concert next month. Peter Howarth, who’s done a splendid job as The Hollies’ lead vocalist since 2004, has a show on August 23 at The Exchange venue in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. In addition to Hollies songs, the show will include selections from Only The Lonely - The Roy Orbison Story, a recent stage production in which Howarth played the starring role.
A week later, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, the surviving members of MUD, will reunite to perform songs by that band at The Exchange. They’ll be joined by Pete Phipps, Keith Read, and Ian Parker. Stiles and Parker are both Hollies veterans.
Long-time Chicago comedy group Famous In The Future will have an all-new revue ready to perform when it hosts YippieFest at Chopin Theatre on the weekend of August 15 – 17. The freewheeling festival of the performing arts is inspired by the Abby Fest that was staged for many years by the Mary-Arrchie Theatre company. FIF’s revue is titled Snowflakes In Hell. The full schedule is available on the official YippieFest website.
High Moon Records, which is known for its adventurous series of reissues, has released Sly And The Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967. Available in CD or LP format, it includes a deluxe booklet, interviews with Stone and original band members, rare photos, and memorabilia.
Space in Evanston will continue its Singer-Songwriter Shows series throughout August, with performances by Alice Peacock on August 14; Sydny August on August 22; and Helen Gillet on August 26.
Free spirits can bask in some genuine counter-culture vibes via the Tributosaurus Becomes Woodstock concert coming to FitzGerald’s Outdoors in Berwyn on August 23. Utilizing a rotating roster of local musicians, Tributosaurus has been one of the Chicago area’s best known tribute acts for several years.