Slumgullion #101

Wes Hollywood is coming to International Pop Overthrow in Chicago. Hopefully with songs from a new CD.

Photo from Wes Hollywood Facebook page.

International Pop Overthrow, David Bash’s vagabond celebration of indie rock and power pop, kicks off the 2012 season with a visit to San Diego this weekend. All four showcases will be held at the Eleven club and the roster of artists includes the unstoppable Dave Rave, The New Kinetics, Sue Hedges, The Cherry Bluestorms, and The Swarm. After San Diego, IPO moves on to Phoenix and the Hollywood Alley club for the weekend of March 2nd & 3rd. Then it’s off to Detroit for shows at Paycheck’s Lounge from April 12th through the 14th.

International Pop Overthrow visits Chicago from April 19th through 28th with a whopping 13 showcases at Redline Tap. Unfortunately, The Abbey Pub is not involved this year. Some of the tried and true Windy City talent lined up includes Aaron Fox & The Reliables, Go Time, The Valley Downs, Mimi Betinis (from Pezband), The Pop Dollys, The Abbeys, Phil Angotti, The Webstirs, The Luck Of Eden Hall, Wes Hollywood, The Queue, Red Plastic Buddha, 92 Degrees, Magatha Trysty, Squeegee, and The Goldstars. Notable out-of-town visitors include Dave Rave, Trolley, and Jeremy.

The lineup changes for each city, so it’s a good idea to check out the new, improved IPO website for links to most of the acts who’ll be participating. After Chicago, there are 12 other cities on Bash’s 2012 itinerary.

The Napervillain MILFs, a four-man cover band that takes pride in its unconventional choice of material (Husker Du, The Ramones, The Donnas, Naked Raygun, to name a few examples), will rock their first headlining gig, at Game Pazzo, in Downers Grove tomorrow night. Show time is 10:00 PM.

The next round of Jokes4Miles events takes place on Saturday, February 25th, at Leona’s restaurants in the Chicagoland area. To recap, veteran stand-up comedian Len Austrevich is determined to collect 5,000 videotapes of individuals telling a joke to his son. Miles Austrevich has brain cancer, and he gets a big boost from watching the clips while he’s going through therapy. Anyone interested in participating can visit the nearest Leona’s on the 25th, where a Jokes4Miles crew will be on hand with a camera from 5-11 PM.

“For this event, we’re getting a tremendous amount of support including 15,000 fliers, 10,000 promo business cards and a banner at each location,” Len explained in a recent email. “In addition, 100,000 emails will be sent out promoting this event as well as a viral and press push.” People can also create their own videos and upload them at the Jokes4Miles website.

Trolley, whose Things That Shine & Glow was one of my choices for Top 10 CDs of 2011, will be performing tomorrow night at The Cactus Club in Milwaukee, along with synth rock band The Melismatics, and the hard pop outfit Revolush. The Melismatics are celebrating the release of their CD, Mania.

It was a kick seeing actress Catherine Tate, who played the wisecracking but fearless Donna Noble on Doctor Who a few years back, in a guest role on the American version of The Office last night. Tate revived her Nellie Bertram character, who first appeared toward the end of the 2011 season as as a not so well adjusted potential replacement for the departing Michael Scott as manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Bertram was even more daft in this new episode, so here’s hoping we’ll see her character continue on The Office.

Speaking of Doctor Who, The Nerdist, a fun and informative website that focuses on all things sci-fi and beyond, recently reported on an upcoming comic series that mixes the long-running Brit show with Star Trek. According to writer Kyle Anderson, Assimilation 2 finds the 11th generation Doctor (played by Matt Smith on the telly) joining forces with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) of the Enterprise in order to defeat both the Cyberman and the Borg. Look for IDW Comics to release the first installment in May.

Brian Slupski reports on the Palatine Patch website that Shishonnah, a Celtic music duo comprised of vocalists Liz Madden and Jenne Lennon, will be performing at the St. Paul United Church in Palatine on St. Patrick’s Day. The concert starts at 7:00 PM.

There’ll be a gathering of punk and new wave veterans at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago on March 1st. Glen Matlock, former bassist with the Sex Pistols, and Hugh Cromwell, onetime vocalist of The Stranglers are sharing the bill, and they’ll be joined by Clem Burke, who played drums with Blondie. Chicago area indie band, The Handcuffs are the opening act.

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Vintage Publication Spotlight - Illinois Entertainer

Believe it or not, there was a time when I didn’t write for the Illinois Entertainer. This issue came out in November, 1979, a good eight years before I joined the staff. Along with editor Guy Arnston, some of the regular contributors back then included Cary Baker, Linda Cain, Bill Dahl, Wayne Jancik, Clarke Krueger, Jeff Lind, Paul Natkin, Bill Paige, D. Shigley, and Bill Sosin.

The paper, published and founded by Kenneth L. Voss, was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a turn-of-the-decade feature called “Chicago Bands Primed For The ‘80s.” The cover featured Sosin’s shot of Survivor, Pezband, and Hounds on different levels of a north side apartment building’s back stairwell. The issue included profiles of those three bands, as well as Shoes, Styx, and Yipes.

Voss and Arnston wrote the cover story, which referenced Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Wazmo Nariz, and Skafish. The 96 page special also had an expanded, “A Primer For The ‘80s” version of the Streetwalkin’ column, in which a team of writers covered standout local artists like B.B. Spin, Big Twist, Thom Bishop, Bitch, Clox, Dadistics, Dreamer, Fayrewether, Heartsfield, Jump ‘n the Saddle, Madfox, Harvey Mandel, Ouray, Pearl Handle, and Pin-Ups.

The Rack Jobbing column featured album reviews of Cheap Trick’s Dream Police, Present Tense by Shoes, Cornerstone by Styx, and Tantrum’s Rather Be Rockin’. Cary Baker’s “Renaissance For Homegrown 45s” piece gave props to Huge Hart, Immune System, and Public Enemy. All in all, an extensive and well-researched exploration of Chicago’s multi-faceted music scene.

Some of the more prominent ads in this issue were for The Granada Theatre; The Bee Gees’ Greatest and The Police’s Reggatta De Blanc albums; The Loop and WXRT; record stores like Wax Trax, Rainbow, Laury’s, Swollen Head, Burbank, Dog Ear; Uncle Albert’s, and Rolling Stone; bands like Brief Encounter, Europe, Off Broadway, Risk!, Scraps, Star Trooper, and Trillion; and clubs like B’Ginnings, The Edgewater, The Rock Garden, Knight Moves, Minstrel’s Alley, Pips, The Thirsty Whale, Studio One, and Haymakers.

On a related note, there will be a Haymakers Reunion in a little over a week from now, on February 26th, at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine. There will be live performances by the previously mentioned Bitch, Dreamer, Hounds, Madfox, and Tantrum, as well as the Pezband Allstars, One Arm Bandit (which includes guitarist Hoppy Niles, who was in Pin-Ups), and Jimmy Sohns from Shadows of Knight.

If it was possible, I would give everyone who attended the reunion a copy of the November, 1979 Illinois Entertainer, because it captures that era of Chicago’s music scene so well. Fortunately, organizers, Maureen Welch Bonifazi, Guy Arnston, Kathy Powers-Hall, Christine Trinity, and Chuck Fieldman, plan to have photographs and videos to help recapture those rock and roll moments. And of course, there will be the bands.

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CD Review: Hushdrops - Volume One

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer in 2003.

The ambitious scope of the Hushdrops’ full-length debut may surprise those who remember the Chicago duo’s psychedelic tunes like “Snow” or “Myrtle” on local compilations. Volume One, which arrives after more than 10 years of performing, finds John San Juan (vocals, guitar, piano) and Joe Camarillo (vocals, drums, guitar) covering a lot of ground with help from an assortment of guest musicians.

The hard-hitting though optimistic “Summer People” is a melodic song that was covered earlier by The Webb Brothers, and “Miami Rap” taps into 1960s garage roc. “Macho” is slow and soulful while “Cold Harbor Lane” works as a jazz-influenced instrumental.

The melodic love song, “Emily,” features spirited backup vocals from Carolyn Engelmann, Elizabeth Elmore, and Laura Katter. The three women takes turns singing lead on “Here She Comes,” an energetic track that recalls the English band, Lush. Ultimately though, Volume One is about the tight harmonies and spirited musicianship San Juan bring to a variety of songs.

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Photo of Karin Bergquist from the Over The Rhine Facebook page.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all BHT visitors and especially to my wife Pam, who set up this blog for me. Thanks, Pam, for all your love, inspiration and support.

Now, how about a love song that’s a little different?

“Rhapsodie” was just one of several intriguing tracks on Patience, the 1992 major label debut from the Cincinnati-based alt rock/Americana band, Over The Rhine. Written by singer-acoustic guitarist Karin Bergquist, its exquisite piano and strings arrangement, plus the line, “And I couldn’t love you any more than I do right now” might make this seem like a perfect choice for a first dance at a wedding. But Bergquist was singing about something deeper and more challenging; a love that endures hardships, and the way people in a relationship change over the years. A love that continues even after a couple has broken apart.

“And the cadences we hear/may grow different in the coming years,” Bergquist sings in a gorgeous but haunting voice. “But still I’ll tell you that I couldn’t love you any more than I do right now.” Later she adds, “And if you should ever leave/then I would love you for what you need.”

I interviewed Bergquist and bassist-keyboards player Linford Detweiler for the Illinois Entertainer when Patience first came out. Bergquist agreed that “Rhapsodie” was open to interpretation.

“I had a local artist approach me about doing a video for that,” she said. “He wanted to do it from an AIDS perspective. It’s broad enough to be more than a wedding song. I’m very pleased that it can be taken in different ways.”

Whatever meaning a listener takes away from “Rhapsodie,” it’s a beautiful and powerful reflection on love.

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Yeah Yeah Boys

Photo from the Stockwood Facebook page.

Shortly before Stockwood took the stage at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine this past Saturday night, an offstage announcer informed the crowd that the two-hour concert was going to be filmed. The teenaged Beatle tribute band’s following ranges from young girls to baby boomers, although a steady stream of 1960s hits played on the overhead sound system. Where else would a 13-year old lass hear Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs singing “Sugar Shack”? Durty Nellie’s, with its huge stage, curtains, and bank of colored lights, provided an impressive backdrop for the filming.

Stockwood, with Collin Berg as John, John Morefield as Paul, Nick Solideo as George, and Evan Berg as Ringo, opened with “I Saw Her Standing There.” They looked quite a bit older since I saw them win the Battle Of The Beatles Bands competition at Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago some time ago. At Durty Nellie’s, their first set featured the boys decked out in black suits, white shirts, and skinny ties as they performed vintage Beatles songs. All four members have strong voices, and it’s easy to imagine that someone hearing them from another room would assume the band was comprised of grown men.

Billed as a 2012 Preview, the Durty Nellie’s show added a few welcome twists to the by now overly familiar template for Beatles tribute bands, which involves British accents; costumes; and dividing The Beatles’ timeline into three distinct chapters. When Stockwood came back for their second set, they passed on the Sgt. Pepper uniforms and simply swapped their dress shirts and ties for black turtlenecks. As they romped through mid-1960s fare like “Paperback Writer,” “Ticket To Ride,” and “Day Tripper,” I began hoping they’d stay in that era. Nothing against “Revolution” or “Get Back,” but at least a Beatles tribute band that specialized in the Revolver era would be a new approach.

Alas, after they finished the second set with a spirited “With A Little Help From My Friends,” Stockwood returned in the usual late Beatles period regalia, including long wigs and applied facial hair. Still, they breathed new life into the standard transition where ‘George’ does a solo bit, by having the full band erupt behind Solideo midway through, turning a delicate version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” into a barnburner. And it’s hard to fault Stockwood for wanting to flex their muscles. It was cute when they were little boys playing, “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” but now they want to take on tougher challenges like “Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and “I’ve Got A Feeling.”

Between sets, I struck up a conversation with John Morefield’s grandfather, who was manning the t-shirt and souvenir table. He told me Stockwood was filming the show for an upcoming DVD, and added that a CD was also in the works. I should have asked if the wigs and beards were a new addition to the Stockwood repertoire. I can’t help thinking it would have looked silly when they were performing as little boys. Now in their mid to late teens, Stockwood have been around for eight years. Who knows, maybe they’ll set a record by playing Beatles music their entire lives. Worst things could happen.

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Slumgullion #100

The Jokes4Miles events scheduled for tonight at Chicago area Leona’s restaurants have been postponed. Veteran stand-up comedian Len Austrevich is on a quest to collect 5,000 videotaped jokes for his son, Miles, who has brain cancer.

Last Friday, I spent a few hours hanging out with Len at his headquarters while he coordinated efforts to send crews out to a number of Leona’s locations. I wound up at the Leona’s in Des Plaines where a photographer named Ryan and I stood ready to videotape people who wanted to share a joke with Miles. The waitresses had graciously informed customers of our mission and we got some volunteers. The funny messages help cheer Miles up during his therapy sessions.

The next Leona’s videotaping event should be in a few weeks, as Len Austrevich continues to build support through the media. People can also videotape themselves telling Miles a joke and upload it at the Jokes4Miles website.

Regulars at The Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago are probably familiar with the young lads of Stockwood. The Beatles tribute band will be doing a free concert tomorrow at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine, starting at 7:00PM. Doors open at 6:00PM.

There will be a Remembering Doug tribute on the Doug Fieger Memorial Page on Facebook this coming Tuesday. Organizer Beth Fieger Falkenstein is asking people to post a message about her brother, who was the charismatic singer-guitarist for The Knack. Fieger Falkenstein also suggests fans use a photo of the musician as their Facebook profile on February 14th, which marks the second anniversary of his passing away from lung cancer.

Power pop fans checking out the Rebuilder Concert Series in Kenosha, Wisconsin last Saturday night got an added bonus when former Off Broadway singer Cliff Johnson joined The Bradburys onstage. According to a Facebook post from Bradburys vocalist-rhythm guitarist Dan Pavelich, Johnson sang the Off Broadway hit, “Stay In Time” and Badfinger’s “No Matter What.”

Whitewolfsonicprincess, the alt rock band fronted by James Moeller and Carla Hayden of the Black Forest Theatre group, will be among 4 musical acts performing at the Winter Concert at St. Luke’s next Friday, February 17th. Other acts on the bill include Mr. Mo, Chris Bock, and the Hannah Frank Quartet. The church is located at 939 Hinman in Evanston.

Bangles vocalist-guitarist Susanna Hoffs recently posted on Facebook that Starbucks is playing music from her upcoming solo effort. Hoffs doesn’t have a date for the release yet, but listed the 10 track titles so fans will know when one of her songs is playing on the Starbucks sound system.

In other Bangles news, vocalist-guitarist Vicki Peterson will be taking part in a staged reading of Bradley Kesden’s play, The Love Handyls. It’s part of the Los Angeles-based Katselas Theatre Company’s Inkubator festival, which runs on the weekend of February 18th and 19th.

Chris Hardwick,who created the fascinating and often funny website, The Nerdist, is coming to the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo being held at McCormick Place in April. It would be great if he brought some of his Doctor Who pals along with him. Hardwick joins a growing C2E2 roster that includes other recent additions, comic artist Neal Adams and one of Chicago's most successful and trendy chefs, Stephanie Izard.

Looking for some wild fun this Valentine’s Day? Don’t forget The Handcuffs. The Chloe F. Orwell/Brad Elvis led band will be playing songs from its trio of indie rock CDs at the Double Door on Tuesday. Also on the bill: the four woman, hard rocking band The Wanton Looks; C&W rockers/mockers The Siderunners; the guitar-driven and Who-inspired The Sonnets, the coed garage rock trio The Demerits; and a DJ. The entire event will be streamed live on Gigity.TV.

The Gram Parsons Foundation will sponsor two events on March 14th to celebrate its official launch. Named in honor of the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter who passed away in 1973, The Gram Parsons Foundation is dedicated to providing drug and alcohol counseling to young people. Blitzen Trapper, Brendan Benson (with Eric Burdon of The Animals), Great Lake Swimmers, Poor Moon (a Fleet Foxes offshoot featuring Christian and Casey), and other performers are scheduled for the first fundraiser, which will take place at the Hotel San Jose parking lot from noon to 8:00 PM. The event will be streamed live via VenueOne.

Later that night, Parsons’ daughter, Polly Parsons, will speak at a private VIP fundraiser being held at Hotel San Jose Courtyard from 9:00 to midnight. The performers for the second event have yet to be announced. For further information, visit The Gram Parsons Foundation website.

Beach Town Confidential, a 16-track CD taken from a live performance by The Plimsouls back in 1983, is now available on Alive Naturalsound Records in vinyl, digital, and CD format. Plimsouls founder Peter Case is currently on tour with Paul Collins. The two musicians first came together in the short-lived but highly regarded The Nerves, and plan to play songs by that band as well as by The Plimsouls and The Paul Collins Beat. They’ll be at The Empty Bottle on March 25th.

The Blue Whiskey Cinema Series returns to Cutting Hall in Palatine next Wednesday, February 15th. Also at Cutting Hall, Music On Stage will be presenting Wizard Of Oz from February 11th through 26th.

Mary-Arrchie Theatre's production of the critically acclaimed Tracy Letts play, Superior Donuts runs through March 25th. Sun-Times columnist Mary Houlihan recently wrote a piece on Mary-Arrchie Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky's connection to the play. Mary Arrchie Theatre is located at 735 W. Sheridan in Chicago.

It’s always nice to get feedback from the artists I cover here on BHT. David Mosey commented on my review of his English Kills digital release, and the song, “There's One Last Thing,” which I described as cryptic. (Translation: it sounded intriguing but I wasn’t sure what it meant.) “Oh, and for the record,” Mosey explained, "‘There's One Last Thing’ is an envisioned dialogue exchange between Bogart and Hepburn from Casablanca -- you know the scene where they're trying to finish the champagne before the Nazis arrive, saying goodbye, expecting the march into Paris, hearing the distant report of artillery...” You have to admire a musician who can come up with a catchy synth pop song about Bogey.

I also heard from Lorinda Murphy, wife of Shoes vocalist-guitarist Jeff Murphy regarding my 45 RPM Memories post about the Shoes single “Tomorrow Night”/“Okay” on Bomp Records. I wrote that the A-Side was a different version from the one that appeared on the Present Tense album on Elektra, and that the B-Side was taken from Shoes’ self-produced Black Vinyl Shoes. “Terrence - read your comments on the Bomp single,” she wrote. “FYI...that version of ‘Okay’ is different than the BVS version.” She also mentioned that Shoes are currently in the recording studio, wrapping up work on a new CD.

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45 RPM Memories: Shoes - “Tomorrow Night”

There’s been a sort of class reunion over the past few years involving bands that gave us the initial power pop movement. The Smithereens, The Bangles, and Paul Collins from The Beat have all released successful comeback albums. At some point this year, we’ll be treated to a brand new effort from Shoes, and according to reliable sources like PowerPop blog contributor Mary E. Donnelly and musician/journalist Dan Pavelich, it’s going to be impressive. In the meantime, here’s a look back at one of the Zion, Illinois band’s earliest releases.

I have a vague recollection of buying this single in a south suburban record store from a teenage clerk who seemed to regard the transaction as a gross imposition on the time he needed to spend chatting with a female co-worker. It was released on the Bomp! label in 1978, but by the time I came across it, Shoes’ Present Tense debut on Elektra had been out for a while. I already had “Tomorrow Night” on the album, so I viewed the single as more of collector’s item, particularly with that striking picture sleeve.

Actually, the 45 version, produced by the band and Steve Meyers, feels a bit more sedate than the one Mike Stone produced for Present Tense. But it’s still a classic power pop tune with a great melody, delicate harmonies, and ringing guitars. The urgent opening line, “Don’t say goodbye, ‘cause you’re the one that I need” is the Shoes approach to crafting lyrics in nutshell. Over the years, the band would continually find inventive ways to explore the subject of love. Written by band members Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe, it remains one the group’s signature tunes and an FM radio staple.

The John Murphy-penned, catchy B-Side, “Okay,” was taken from Black Vinyl Shoes, the self-produced record that originally brought Shoes to the attention of record companies across the country.

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