Incoming

The Lost Record, a collection of songs Susanna Hoffs recorded with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s in her garage back in 1999, is now available on Bandcamp, Amazon, and other streaming sites. (Musicians Bill Bottrell, Brian MacLeod, and Dan Schwartz also contributed to the 10 tracks.) Bangles fans will recognize “Under A Cloud,” which appeared in a different version on the band’s 2011 album Sweetheart Of The Sun. The catchy “Living Alone With You” is another highlight.

The CD comes out on October 25, and there will be a vinyl edition in early December.

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will offer an eclectic double bill tomorrow (Wednesday) night when The Spindles open for Kent Rose And The Remedies. The Spindles are local clubs veterans and their Past And Present album offered an entertaining mix of British Invasion flavored originals and a few well-chosen cover versions. Singer-songwriter Kent Rose has been impressing critics as well as fellow musicians during a decades-long career that has seen him release authentic old school country and western albums. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Best wishes to Montrose Saloon honcho Eric Chial on today being his birthday.

   

The Fleshtones are coming to FitzGerald’s in Berwyn this Friday. The long-time, critically acclaimed garage rockers will no doubt feature songs from their latest supernatural-influenced album Face Of The Screaming Werewolf. That evening will also feature a couple Chicago area favorites; New Duncan Imperials (celebrating their 35th year) and The Handcuffs.

It’s nice to see the new Animal Records store in Evanston is getting a warm welcome from the local press and at least one well-known vinyl collector. The Gossip Wolf column in the October 17 issue of the Chicago Reader featured an interview with owner Greg Allen explaining his long-time goal of  opening a record store, and about a week ago, drummer Brad Elvis of The Handcuffs posted photos on Facebook of the several albums he purchased at Animal Records. The store is located at 624 Grove Street.

The Famous In The Future comedy group will present A Judy Christmas on the weekend of December 20 – 22 at The Den Theatre in Chicago. Although not as beloved as A Charlie Brown Christmas, this parody of vintage TV holiday specials is back for its third year. Its weekend run in 2023 and 2022 sold out. Tickets ($22 – $25) are available via the Famous In The Future website. Full disclosure: I was a member of Famous In The Future for several years.

iBAM! - The Irish Books, Arts And Music Celebration will be held at the Irish American Heritage Center on November 16. The center, which is known for its many entertainment events, is located at 4626 N. Knox Avenue.

Slumgullion

The CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights event will return to Plumbers’ Hall at 1340 W. Washington in Chicago next Saturday, November 9 for its 20th anniversary. As always, there will be lots of vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and all kinds of rock music related merchandise. There will be live bands and DJs, along with beer and food vendors. The CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights is a benefit for CHIRP Radio, and the independent station is hinting this might be the last one we’ll see.

 

Return of the Mud men. Long-time fans of The Hollies (the band has never broken up and the current line-up has been together for over 20 years) are aware that bass player Ray Stiles was a member of the British 1960s/70s glam rock band MUD. Stiles and former Mud lead guitarist Rob Davies will perform “Dyna-mite,” “Tiger Feet” and other hits during a series of Mud reunion concerts starting on November 7 at The Old Brewery Store in Faversham in the U.K. Hollies keyboard player Ian Parker will be joining them on the tour.

The Spindles, a Chicago power pop band that’s been known to cover The Hollies, will open for country music recording artist Kent Rose And The Remedies at Montrose Saloon on November 6. The Spindles have a new album coming out in March 2025 that will include a cover of the catchy “Rock For It,” originally done by The Elvis Brothers.

Wild Honey Foundation, the California-based a 501(c)(3)non-profit that supports various worthy causes by staging concerts, will host a Matthew Sweet fundraiser at the McCabe’s Guitar Shop venue in Santa Monica on November 10th. Performers will include Vicki and Debbi Peterson; Dan Wilson; Richard Lloyd; Greg Leisz; Val McCallum; Tony Marsico; and John Moremen. Tickets are now on sale via eventbrite. 

In related news, the GoFundMe page created to help cover Sweet’s medical costs has so far raised $449,060 of its $750K goal.

Here’s an event I missed on yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post: Pure Soul is presenting a Bob Marley Soul Brunch at City Winery Chicago tomorrow at noon. City Winery Chicago is located at 1200 W. Randolph, just west of downtown.

Sonic45, the self-proclaimed “Chicago-based new-wave quintet” led by sports broadcaster/musician Len Kasper, will return to the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights on November 24. The performance will likely include songs from Sonic45's impressive new album SuperSonic. 

There’s good news tonight for those of us who ordered the Melanie And Kim Monday fanzine put together by Music Arkives and musician Melanie Vammen. The 60-page effort celebrates the friendship and musical partnership of Vammen and the late Kim Shattuck of The Muffs while helping a charity. Tonight’s email from Vammen states “the zines are FINALLY in! I'll be signing them this week and in the mail they'll go!” She added that Melanie And Kim Monday raised “a great amount of money for the ALS Network.”

The Fleshtones are coming to FitzGerald’s in Berwyn next Friday, November 8. The long-time, critically acclaimed garage rockers will no doubt feature songs from their latest supernatural-influenced album Face Of The Screaming Werewolf. That evening will also feature a pair of Chicago area favorites; New Duncan Imperials (celebrating their 35th year) and The Handcuffs.

The Handcuffs have been busy on the club scene lately, promoting the new vinyl edition of their 2022 album Burn The Rails. They’ll perform at Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on November 22. The SIT UP straights, a band featuring local music scene veterans, will also be on the bill that night at Mary’s Place.

Those of us who rocked out to Queen long before “Bohemian Rhapsody,” will be glad to learn the band members themselves have overseen a remixed, remastered and expanded version of their 1973 debut Queen I. Apparently, they were not amused by how it was produced back in the day. Now it’s a 6-CD+1LP box set with 63 tracks and 43 brand new mixes. A special 2024 official video of the superb song “Keep Yourself Alive” can be viewed on YouTube.

A low ticket alert has been issued for the BoDeans annual post Thanksgiving shows on the weekend of November 29 – December 1 at City Winery Chicago. A post on the Wisconsin-based American rockers’ Facebook page notes these holiday gigs sell out every year. Tickets are available at the venue.

British fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands can spend a few hours this Halloween at The World Of Tim Burton exhibition being held at London’s Design Museum. According to an Associated Press piece by Jill Lawless that ran in yesterday’s Chicago Sun-Times, the exhibition features “props, puppets, set designs and iconic costumes.” The exhibition runs through April 21, 2025.

The Babes With Blades Theatre Company is presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Edge Theatre (5451 N. Broadway) through November 23. The production is directed by Lauren Katz, with fight direction by Jillian Leff. Babes With Blades is a women-focused company that has been on the Chicago theatre scene for several years.

Author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s book Eternal Flame - The Authorized Biography Of The Bangles, which is due out in February 2025, is now available for pre-order on various sites. It would be nice to see the band given some serious consideration for an induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

A charity event titled To Find A Friend: An Evening of Tom Petty Music for Hurricane Relief will take place at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL on November 23. Several local acts will perform Petty songs, and proceeds will benefit the North Carolina Arts Disaster Fund.

International Pop Overthrow - Boston runs through tomorrow night at The Square Root in Boston. IPO - New York kicks off next Thursday at The Parkside Lounge and will run through Sunday, November 10.

The Nielsen Trust, a side project for Cheap Trick members guitarist-vocalist Rick Nielsen and drummer Daxx Nielsen, has concerts coming up on November 14 at The Arcada in St. Charles, IL and on November 15 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. It’s hard to believe it’s been over three years since I saw this group at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine; possibly because I still distinctly remember how good its show was. Another of Rick’s sons—vocalist-guitarist Miles Nielsen from The Rusted Hearts—was also part of that Durty Nellie’s show, along with his (Miles’) wife Kelly Steward. It looks like the same lineup will perform at the November dates.

Chicago: Home Of House, an exhibit honoring the city’s pivotal role in the widespread success of house music, has been extended on Navy Pier through December 15. Admission is free.

Eric Idle, a founding member of the Monty Python comedy group and co-creator of a highly entertaining comedy-musical, has just released a new book titled The Spamalot Diaries. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Spamalot came together, based on Idle’s own journal and email correspondence.

Six Stories Up On The Campaign Trail - A Student Council Calamity will run at Filament Theatre November 18 – 27, on weekends only.

Peter Himmelman, the Minneapolis singer-songwriter who’s given us emotionally charged songs such “Woman With The Strength Of 10,00 Men,” has released a book titled Suspended By No Strings that offers poems, and tales with a spiritual feel.

Halloween Song: “This Is Halloween”

One last post from the BHT vault for 2024. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween.

Danny Elfman emerged as a spooky presence on the alt rock scene in the 1980s when he fronted Oingo Boingo on hit songs such as “Dead Man’s Party” (see my October 24 post) and “Stay.” His quirky energy and maniacal grin, along with that deep voice, made lines like “Leave your body and soul at the door” simultaneously threatening and fun. He moved on to writing scores for Tim Burton movies like Beetlejuice, Batman, Corpse Bride and Sleepy Hollow. His best work might have been for Burton’s dual holiday feature The Nightmare Before Christmas, which gave us the angst-ridden hero Jack Skellington.

“This Is Halloween”, one of the many highlights from the soundtrack, ushers us into the holiday town via an ominous beat, full orchestra, and operatic choruses. Comic voices abound as several creepy residents introduce themselves: “I am the one hiding under your bed./Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red.” Elfman’s clever rhyming couplets and macabre humor make “This Is Halloween” an enduring classic.

With the holiday now upon us, homeowners across America await the arrival of trick-or-treaters. Depending on how authentic the kids’ costumes are, playing “This Is Halloween” could be the perfect soundtrack as they make their way up your front steps. Just be sure to dole out enough candy to keep them satisfied. 

Weekend Reminders

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Recently, Thursday posts have focused on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. This column follows that format.

The B-52’s will be rocking the Anthem music venue in Washington, D.C. tonight with all their off-kilter and irresistibly fun hits. Chicago area fans will have their chance to party out of bounds this Saturday at the Riviera Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The band also has shows coming up in Las Vegas November 13 – 16. Check out my October 2 post for a Halloween song profile on “Planet Claire.”

The whitewolfsonicprincess album release event taking place tonight at Evanston SPACE is Halloween appropriate since the Chicago-based band’s Love Without Fear offers another batch of “21st Century Druid Music.” Led by vocalist-percussionist Carla Hayden and guitarist James Moeller, wwsp mixes a sense of mysticism with engaging arrangements.

 

Sting, former Police vocalist-bassist, has already notched a few Chicago dates on his Sting 3.0 Tour at the Auditorium Theatre. He return to that venue tomorrow and Saturday. Sting is joined by guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas on this tour.

Trouser Press Books will hold a book launch for its new edition of author Roman Kozak’s This Ain’t No Disco: The Story Of CBGB at the Generation Records store in New York City tomorrow. According to a recent Facebook post, the publisher has “invited some fabled figures to share war stories about CB's, answer audience questions and sign books.” Those figures  are Chris Frantz from Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club; photographer Ebet Roberts; The Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick; singer-songwriter/former CBGB employee Deerfrance; CBGB booker Louise Parnassa Staley; and musician/producer Jonathan Paley.

The Old Town School Of Folk Music will sponsor Tegan and Sara on Junior High and Crushes at the Athenaeum Center For Thought And Culture this Saturday. The event is an onstage conversation with the famous recording duo about writing, music, and their Young Adult book series. It’s a co-presentation with Chicago Humanities. The Athenaeum Center is located at 2936 N Southport Avenue of Chicago’s north side.

Experimental Haunting: Mancini And McLuhan

The penultimate Halloween song profile for 2024 turns out to be a doubleheader featuring a 1962 film-related song that I first posted here on October 31, 2009 and a 1972 jazz fusion composition I’d never heard of until last Saturday. Henry Mancini’s “Experiment In Terror” was the theme to the Blake Edwards thriller of that same name, while “Spiders (In Neal’s Basement)” was one of the four extended tracks on McLuhan’s debut album Anomaly. The McLuhan here wasn’t the philosopher Marshall McLuhan but a seven-piece Chicago band inspired by him.

Clocking in at just under six minutes, “Spiders (In Neal’s Basement)” is by far the shortest track on Anomaly. The adventurous song mixes smooth modern jazz with strip joint bump and grind, while vocalist-bassist Neal Rosner delivers the satirical, off-kilter lyrics. (It might also be guitarist-vocalist Dennis Phillips, trumpet player-vocalist David Wright, or a mixture of all three.) At any rate, it’s a fun choice if you have intellectual types at your Halloween party. 

Anomaly became a collector’s item over the decades, and a new vinyl edition produced by Ellis Clark of The Social Act and Big Hat Big Trouble fame has been released. Depending on when you read this, you could purchase a copy at a re-release celebration starting at 7:00 pm tonight at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. McLuhan can be contacted via its official Facebook page or website. 

“Experiment In Terror” has a slow, ominous beat and twanging guitars that conjure images of a monster creeping along some darkened street. People in the Chicago area might be surprised to learn this instrumental was composed by Henry Mancini for a 1962 cops and robbers movie called Experiment In Terror. Around here, it’s much better known as the theme for the TV show Creature Features, which presented old time horror movies like House Of Dracula; Frankenstein; The Wolf Man; and The Mummy’s Ghost on WGN every Saturday night from 1970 to 1976. “Experiment In Terror” will be forever linked to that show’s signature graphic of a horrifying guy in the top hat and cloak.

“Experiment In Terror” also brings back memories of our childhood fascination with monsters, hours spent trick or treating, and neighborhood Halloween parties in garages or basements. Here’s hoping everyone has a safe and fun holiday tomorrow.

Halloween Song: The Red Plastic Buddha - “Stuck On Zero”

“Stuck On Zero” is the final track on the 2014 CD Songs For Mara from Chicago-based psychedelia masters The Red Plastic Buddha. The band was aiming for darker themes on this effort, including “addiction, obsession and madness.” This came along with consistently inventive instrumentation, and in the case of “Stuck On Zero,” a hefty dose of gallows humor.

The song opens with a trudging arrangement that evokes images of zombies on the prowl. Lead singer-bassist Tim Ferguson opts for a yelping vocal style that’s equal parts rock star and deranged creature, spitting out quick rhymes that suggest that zombie guys want pretty much the same things most living guys want; an attractive mate, some cool wheels, job security, and a macho image.

“When I come back from the dead I ain’t messing around,” Ferguson warns at the dawn of this song. “Get on the wrong side of me I’m gonna run you down.” He appreciates his girlfriend (“She loves me for my brains/Yeah man, she’s my world”) and doesn’t have time for the usual zombie means of getting around. “I won’t be moving slow/I’ll dig your daddy up and steal his GTO.”

There’s no mention of eating people in the lyrics, but being a zombie does come across as being a full time occupation. “Won’t work no 9 to 5/My new full time gig is being un-alive.” This particular zombie also has aspirations for achieving fame. “When I come back from the dead won’t be no room for doubt/Zombie superstar I got it wall worked out.” Even the living dead have dreams sometimes.

Halloween Song: Steeleye Span - “Alison Gross”

Another repost from the BHT haunted vault.

Steeleye Span’s successful career of updating centuries-old ballads with electric guitar and drum arrangements began in England around 1969. “Alison Gross,” from the band’s 1973 release Parcel Of Rogues, spins the tale of a witch trying to win a man’s heart through bribery. She offers him a series of riches, starting with a red mantle with golden flowers and fine fringe. Nothing she conjures can change his low opinion of her appearance, though.

“Away, away, you ugly witch/Go far away and let me be,” he responds. “I never would kiss your ugly mouth/For all of the gifts that you give to me.” Infuriated, Alison Gross whips out her magic wand and turns him into a worm. According to Wikipedia, Steeleye Span added its own chorus and left off the original ballad’s happy ending, which had the man being restored to his proper shape on Halloween by a passing fairy.

Also, he may not have been transformed into an earthworm, since the original lyrics used the word wyrm, which meant dragon. Unlike some of the ancient ballads, which can be slow and gloomy, “Alison Gross” feels like a rowdy Halloween party song villagers might have sung while swinging steins of mead.