Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Bee Gees, Beatles Art, Beat Kitchen, Bands Of Abbie Fest, And A Flashback Host


Poster art from Rock Art Show Facebook page.

The Australian Bee Gees Show is now playing at the Broadway Playhouse just north of downtown Chicago, and runs through August 4th. Tickets are $35 - $80. I was glad to see Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones write in his review that the show includes some of the Gibb Brothers’ early hits like “Massachusetts” and “New York Mining Disaster 1941.” I would have centered the entire show in the 1960s, but there are probably a lot of people who prefer the disco era.

Rock Art Show, the online store that offers art work and photographs of and by famous rock musicians, is back for another WLS-sponsored visit to the Chicago area. The 94.7 WLS-FM Rock Art Show & Sale will be held this weekend at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale. There will also be concert posters and gold records for sale. The Rock Art Show's exhibit hours are 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday. Admission is free.

Once again, Ron Campbell, who was the director and animator of the 1965-1969 Beatles cartoon series, and worked as an animator on the Yellow Submarine film, will be a special guest. I've been to a few Rock Art Show exhibits in the past (last year, it was right across the street from Lollapalooza) and one of the best things is that the pieces can be pretty affordable. There are even some cool postcards for sale.

A number of years ago, some International Pop Overthrow - Chicago showcases were held at Beat Kitchen on Belmont Avenue. IPO founder David Bash has since settled on Red Line Tap as his go-to venue in the Windy City. Still, there are a couple nights coming up at Beat Kitchen that will have a similar, if not official IPO flavor. Veteran power pop band The Abbeys, who have performed at IPO - Chicago every year from the start; will be part of four-band lineup tonight that also includes Logan Square, who made their IPO debut at Red Line Tap this past April; the quartet Overman; and Australian singer-songwriter Sherry Rich. Then on Thursday, Kevin Lee and The Kings, who performed songs from their new Breakout CD at IPO this year, will be sharing the bill with Common Shiner, a melodic pop band that has made a few IPO appearances; comic/hard rock band Guerilla; and Dogs Of Fortune. The price for each night is a mere $8.

The Abbeys, fronted by founding members and harmony specialists, Mike Cohen and Jeff Janulis, were also one of the first bands to sign up for the Mary-Arrchie Theatre's 25th Annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. This is the first year the The Abbie Fest will have a full schedule of live bands. 

I've been submitting Abbie Hoffman Fest Memories posts on Facebook the past few days for the dual purpose of trying to be entertaining, and hoping to drum up interest in this freewheeling celebration of the performing arts. The response has been good, and I was happy to see Frank Carr, a member of my old comedy group Famous In Future, has posted his own Abbie Fest Recollection on Facebook. The more the merrier.

Wendy Rice, the long-time, popular host of WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback, will be at the radio station's booth at the Farmer's Market at the Daley Center in downtown Chicago this Thursday afternoon. She'll be overseeing the Chicago COUNTRY Chef's Challenge  involving culinary school students.

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