Incoming

Photo from the official George Harrison Facebook page.

The Eye Of The Beatle. As noted on the official George Harrison website, Random House will publish a book of personal photographs he took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.”

Speaking of books, the 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street in the south end of downtown Chicago. The event will feature over 200 presenters, 70 programs, and 150 booksellers and exhibitors. Admission is free.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

Vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert of Chicago-based indie rockers The Bad Examples recently posted on Facebook that he has over 50 gigs scheduled for this summer. That might include Ralph’s World events (his kids-rock side project), but at any rate, The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on July 25. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, Covert creates songs with The Bad Examples that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows this week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest on July 26 and 27. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, will run tomorrow through Saturday at The Lowry in Salford in England. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak. 

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company this Thursday night at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm. Two nights, later, four bands will share the bill at Montrose Saloon; Tiny Airfares, Superfrye And The Valiant ‘72s, Go Time!, and Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires this Friday. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret this Friday night. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

Veteran country and western act Kent Rose And The Remedies will perform at Cary’s Lounge 2251 W. Devon this Sunday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will share the bill with Medicine Ball and Brother Wolf at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton) night this Friday night. The music starts at 10:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off this Saturday in Denver. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle, and the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 16. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Saturday Slumgullion

Tickets are now on sale for The Who - The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour concerts on September 7 and 9 at the United Center In Chicago. Other stops include Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s scheduled to drop on September 26.

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company on the final night of their 2025 Thursday residency at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows next week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Push Puppets recently posted an imaginative video (production by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales) for “Launching A Satellite” on its official Facebook page.  The song is from the Chicago area band’s fourth album Tethered Together album, which once again offers melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret on July 18. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off on July 19 in Denver, and will include a show on October 16 at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo,  and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

As mentioned here in previous posts, McLuhan has been selling vinyl copies of its ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly at gigs. As of July 25, the adventurous seven-piece Chicago band inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan will have CD copies of that album for sale via Think Like A Key Music. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

Weekend Reminders

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.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He’s performing in Hampton Bays, NY tonight, Port Chester, NY tomorrow, and Woodstock, NY on Sunday. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Singer-guitarist Mike Cohen has become a familiar face at the Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, and he’ll be back tomorrow night performing favorites from the Great American Songbook. This time out he’ll be joined by bassist Ed Hasse and drummer Doug Marocco. All that swinging music will start at 7:00 pm.

The Journey – Part 3, coming out tomorrow, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

The Southport Art Fest returns this Saturday and Sunday on Chicago’s north side. In addition to 100 artists displaying their work, there will be live music on both days, including Special Guest Dolph Chaney And The Phins at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out tomorrow. She’s backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The Chicago Artisan Market will take place indoors this Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at 401 Morgan Street in the Fulton Market neighborhood. The event promises Food, Fashion, Home and Art.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Incoming

Depending on when you see this, you could still catch two of Chicago’s better known entertainment journalists having an interesting discussion at The Book Cellar store on Lincoln Avenue tonight. Specifically, it will be Mark Caro interviewing Cary Baker about his (Baker’s) new book Down On The Corner - Adventures In Busking And Street Music. In addition to being a journalist, Baker managed PR at IRS Records for several years. The conversation starts at 6:30 pm; The Book Cellar is located at 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue.

On the subject of journalism, this past Sunday’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, with help from WBEZChicago, included a special Sounds Of Summer bonus section. Its profiles of upcoming concerts are enhanced with terrific photos. Editors Cassie Walker Burke and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis worked with contributors Morgan Ciocca; Selena Fragassi; Mark Guarino; Nudia Hernandez; Courtney Kueppers; and Elizabeth Landt to pull this helpful guide together. 

The Journey – Part 3, due out this Friday, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Also, a tip of the bowler to the official website for The Kinks regarding how quickly they sent an item I ordered from their online store. It arrived in a manner of days. Okay don’t laugh, but it’s a Dandy Tea Towel.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The band’s final show this Sunday in London has sold out.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday night at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out this Friday. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Celebrating With Ringo Certainly Does Come Easy

Photo from the official Ringo Starr Facebook page.

Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr, one of the coolest people on this planet, as well as a stellar musician. His message of Peace And Love—proclaimed by his fans around the globe at noon their time—is genuine and desperately needed. Ringo’s official Facebook page is one big virtual party today, with several photos and videos submitted by fans and organizations. When he jokingly insists he’s actually 24 years old inside, it’s easy to believe him.

I saw Ringo perform with Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey; Colin Hay from Men At Work; Graham Gouldman from 10CC; and Steve Lukather from Toto at the Chicago Theatre in 2018. Here’s an edited final paragraph of the review I posted a few days later: 

The set list stretched back to the early Beatles days for “I Wanna Be Your Man” and up to Starr’s contribution to the White Album, “Don’t Pass Me By.” The audience sang along with the iconic “Yellow Submarine,” and the concert also included his solo hits “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” and “You’re Sixteen.” The finale was “A Little Help From My Friends,” which featured his musicians and just about everyone in the Chicago Theatre joining Starr on the vocals.

Outdoor Barbecue

Mods and Rockers on their toes. Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, is being staged at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London through July 13. It will then run July 15 – 19 at The Lowry in Salford. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

Chicago area band Push Puppets discuss their new Tethered Together album with journalist Ashley Perez -Hollingsworth in the cover story for the July edition of the Illinois Entertainer. As on their previous releases, Push Puppets offer melodic, well-crafted indie rock on this fourth album, which is available in digital and CD formats on Bandcamp.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival on the weekend of July 11 – 13. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The final show of The Over And Out Tour takes place in London on July 13, and like earlier shows in Birmingham and Manchester, it’s sold out.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The London-based indie rock band Wolf Alice will release “The Sofa,” the second single from The Clearing on July 11. The release date for the album itself has been moved forward to August 22, and the band’s North American tour will kick off on September 10 in Atlanta. Wolf Alice will return to The Vic in Chicago on September 26; other stops include Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Boston; Montreal; Toronto; Dallas; Denver; and Los Angeles.

Tickets are now on sale for Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund 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.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

The Journey – Part 3, due out on July 11, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

A new five-track, ten-inch vinyl E.P. of R.E.M.’s iconic first single “Radio Free Europe,” will be released on September 12 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the actual United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news and information to various countries. The E.P. can already be downloaded on Bandcamp; and it can pre-ordered alone or in various bundles from the band’s official website.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

American garage rock masters The Chesterfield Kings have released a seven-inch green vinyl single of “Your Strange Love,” a song they co-wrote with Steven Van Zandt for their 2024 album We’re Still The Same. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles song “It’s Only Love.”

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

Fans of the sophisticated techno pop trio Ivy have a surprise coming on September 5. That’s when Traces Of You, a 10-track album of previously unreleased songs recorded by Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, will be released. Sadly, we lost Schlesinger due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The Dallas-based band Shortwaves released Mental Health In The Information Age, a proper, 12-track album on June 1 after posting a series of demos over the past year on their Bandcamp page. Vocalist-guitarist Joey Shortwave, AKA Joseph Holbrook, previously led The Lash Outs, and he brings a similar blend of satiric lyrics and punk/pop energy to these new songs.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Gina Birch from the Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out on July 11. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

Weekend Reminders

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.

As noted in a Facebook post by Illinois Entertainer founder and Chicago area rock music expert Ken Voss, Cheap Trick will perform a free concert in Elk Grove, IL tomorrow at 8:00 pm. It’s part of the village’s Mid-Summer Classics Concerts Series.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch Americana rockers Ouray performing at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tonight. The show starts at 7:30.

One Of These Nights, a tribute band devoted to The Eagles, will perform at the Mount Prospect 4th of July Festival tonight at 9:15 pm.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band BoDeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI tonight, and has an 8:00 pm show tomorrow at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

Saturday in the park, I think it was the 5th of July. Chicago, with special guest the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band Stevie McVie, will perform at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL this Saturday night.

This anniversary goes to forty one. The 41st Anniversary 4K Re-Release of This Is Spinal Tap hitting theaters this Saturday will include a preview of the sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

The 42nd American Music Festival kicked off today and will run through this Sunday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The impressive lineup includes Lee Fields; JD McPherson; Samantha Fish; The Wallflowers; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; The Watson Twins; The Western Elstons; Joel Paterson; and Sunshine Boys.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event on July 6 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.