Bonus Slumgullion

Yesterday’s serving of Slumgullion was a bit smaller than usual due to my wife Pam and I heading off to The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL to see The Smithereens with John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson at last night.

The Smithereens have been recording catchy rock and roll for decades, and they were at the top of game last night. With John Cowsill as an impressive guest vocalist, the band roared through “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Top Of The Pops,” “Only A Memory,” “House We Used To Live In,” and several other gems.

Cowsill and his wife Vicki Peterson—the evening’s opening act—showcased songs from their debut album Long After The Fire, along with a few Bangles songs and The Cowsills’ version of “Hair.” After The Smithereens brought down the house with an extended take on “Blood And Roses,” Peterson was invited back to join Cowsill and The Smithereens for an unpredictable and fun set of encores.

Happy Birthday to Jeff Janulis, vocalist, guitarist, and chief songwriter for the Chicago based power pop band The Spindles. Jeff is an avid fan of The Hollies, as evidenced by the faithful cover versions of “Look Through Any Window” and “Bus Stop” on his band’s Past And Present and Wavelength albums respectively. Wavelength was included on a number of websites’ best albums of 2025 lists, by the way. Happy Birthday, Jeff. Have a great time celebrating.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys have a gig coming up on March 20 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Rojas, a singer-guitarist and songwriter, is a long-time member of Los Lobos.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

“It’s Been Too Long,” the first single from Ringo Starr’s next album, is now available to stream on various sites. The album is titled Long Long Road and will feature collaborations with T Bone Burnett; Sheryl Crow; Billy Strings; Molly Tuttle; Sarah Jarosz; and St. Vincent. It’s due out April 24.

A Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The memorabilia on display will be centered on McCartney’s days of recording and performing with his wife Linda and Denny Laine, along with his first solo album. In the meantime, fans can stream the Paul McCartney and Wings - Man On The Run documentary on Amazon Prime.

Outronaut, the instrumental band known for its high-energy performances on the Chicago club scene, released a seven-minute, more introspective song titled “The Magnificent Defeat” on Bandcamp today. This is Bandcamp Friday, where the money goes directly to the artists and labels, so Outronaut has decided to donate 100% of the revenues to The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

The Psychedelic Furs with special guests We Are Scientists tour begins on May 12 in Minneapolis and ends on June 14 in Rocklin, CA. There’s a stop at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL on May 15.

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, a former member of the power pop bands The Abbeys and Pop Dollys, has embarked on a successful career playing selections from The Great American Songbook at dinner clubs. After a short time off, Cohen is back to performing regular gigs and will be at the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on March 13.

Paul Weller’s upcoming release Weller At The BBC Vol. 2 is now available to pre-order in 3-LP or 3-CD formats from his official website. The album is due out on April 24.

As noted in the March edition of the Illinois Entertainer, today’s new releases include Make-up Is A Lie by Morrissey and Trixies by Squeeze. Later this month, we’ll see PLAY ME by Kim Gordon and A Pound Of Feathers by The Black Crowes on March 13; Paradises by Ladytron on March 20; and Creature Of Habit by Courtney Barnett and The Former Site Of by The New Pornographers on March 27. That same issue features Media columnist Rick Kaempfer’s tributes to Chicago radio personalities he rightfully believes deserve to be honored by The National Radio Hall Of Fame. His suggestions include Lin Brehmer; Ron Britain; Roy Leonard; Mitch Michaels; Bob Sirott; and Bobby Skafish.

The Homegrown Arts And Music Festival is looking for bands and acoustic artists to perform at its 14th annual event on July 25 in Lisle, IL.

The Zombies plan to release their first album Begin Here as a remastered in the original 1965 mono mix version on April 17. Available in LP, CD, and digital formats, it will combine all the tracks from the English and American original versions and be released on their own Beechwood Park Records label. The first single “The Way I Feel Inside” is already out, and the album can be pre-ordered in various adventurous options.

International Pop Overthrow has been bringing indie rock/power pop festivals to cities around the world for quite a few years, and will begin its 2026 season with a nine-day visit to Chicago from April 17 to 25. Founder/CEO David Bash recently posted the full schedule on Facebook, and it includes several long-time favorites. IPO will also make stops in Liverpool, Stockholm, Glasgow, Los Angeles, and New York this year.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include The Flat Five on April 29; the Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Tickets are now on sale for the Santana And The Doobie Brothers Oneness 2026 Tour, which will run from mid-June through the end of August. Fans in the Chicago area will get the first look at this USA tour, since it kicks off on June 13 in Tinley Park, IL. Other stops include Cincinnati, St. Louis, Toronto, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Dallas. Santana’s 2025 album Sentient features his collaborations with Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. 

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the Chicago scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

XTC: I Am The Audience, a new book from author David Marx about the critically acclaimed English band led by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, is now available to pre-order on the Sorrento Books UK website. It features multiple interviews with fans and famous musicians, as well as rare photographs.

In related news, this year’s Record Store Day event on April 18 will include the XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981 double album. The songs performed at Emerald City include “Life Begins At The Hop,” “Respectable Street,” “Making Plans For Nigel,” and “Generals and Majors.”

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd Annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield.

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as a recent performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs will have their first gig of 2026 on March 14 at Liar’s Club (1655 W. Fullerton ) on Chicago’s north side. They’ll be part of a triple bill with The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids. The Handcuffs have been busy working on their next album.

The schedule for this year’s SummerFest in Milwaukee, WI has been announced, with concerts taking place on June 16 – 20; June 25 – 27; and July 2 – 4. Performers include Echo And The Bunnymen; Alejandro Escovedo; Modern English; The Dream Syndicate; The Roots; Kim Gordon; Little Feat; Old 97s; Sons Of The Silent Age; Muse; Spoon; Gin Blossoms; BoDeans; The Jayhawks; Soul Asylum; and Spin Doctors.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Sons Of The Silent Age - The Cracked Actor Cabaret on April 23 at City Winery Chicago straight west of the downtown area. These guys have been impressing audiences around town with their David Bowie tribute for years; this particular event will feature them performing stripped down arrangements of his songs.

Happy Birthday to Joe Shanahan, whose several years of running the Metro venue in Wrigleyville has made him one of the Chicago music scene’s best known players. He’s particularly respected for his support of upcoming alternative rock acts. All that, and he’s a pretty good DJ as well.

The Smithereens will perform at The Des Plaines Theatre in downtown Des Plaines, IL at 8:00 pm tomorrow night, with John Cowsill as the guest lead vocalist. If you take the Metra train there, a walk across the street will bring you to the venue’s front door. The Smithereens have long been an impressive live act, with catchy rock gems such as “Blood And Roses,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Only A Memory,” and “A Girl Like You.” Cowsill has been singing with The Smithereens on a semi-regular basis, and this time he’ll be joined by his wife, Bangles vocalist-guitarist Vicki Peterson. The duo released their debut effort Long After The Fire last September.

Bandcamp Friday returns tomorrow, which means the downloading site waives its share of sales on music purchases for 24 hours. As noted in a recent Bandcamp email, it “sends even more money directly to the artists and labels you support.”

Tickets are now on sale for Bob Dylan’s Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which will begin its journey on March 21 at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Other dates include the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, IL on March 28 and the Genesee Theatre in Waukeegan, IL on March 30.

Longtime Chicago rockers Kevin Lee and The Kings will share a double bill with Billy and The Vintage Saints on March 21 at The Chicago Loop Sports Bar in Streamwood, IL.

As noted by Chicago Sun-Times journalist Mary Houlihan in her weekly column The Mix (always a good source for entertainment listings), Black Ensemble Theater on the city’s north side will present The Jackie Wilson Story this Saturday through April 26. Black Ensemble Theater is now celebrating its 50th season.

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm this Friday at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe this Saturday, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Incoming

Happy Birthday to John Cowsill, who’ll be in the Chicago area this Friday night as the guest lead vocalist for The Smithereens when they perform at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. He started his music career as a child in The Cowsills, and has performed and recorded with numerous acts ever since. Singing with The Smithereens has become a semi-regular gig for Cowsill, and this time, he’ll be joined by his wife, Bangles vocalist-guitarist Vicki Peterson. The duo released their debut effort Long After The Fire last September, and it would be nice to hear some songs from it this Friday at the Des Plaines Theatre.

The Smithereens are an impressive live act, with several albums to choose from and catchy rock gems such as “Blood And Roses,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Only A Memory,” and “A Girl Like You.” In addition to their gig in Des Plaines this Friday, The Smithereens have upcoming shows with John Cowsill in Tucson, AZ; Scottsdale, AZ; Boca Raton, FL; Largo, FL; and Atlantic City, NJ.

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm this Friday at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe this Saturday, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

The Zombies plan to release their first album Begin Here as a remastered in the original 1965 mono mix version on April 17. Available in LP, CD, and digital formats, it will combine all the tracks from the English and American original versions and be released on their own Beechwood Park Records label. The first single “The Way I Feel Inside” is already out, and the album can be pre-ordered in various adventurous options.

International Pop Overthrow has been bringing indie rock/power pop festivals to cities around the world for quite a few years, and will begin its 2026 season with a nine-day visit to Chicago from April 17 to 25. Founder/CEO David Bash recently posted the full schedule on Facebook, and it includes several long-time favorites. IPO will also make stops in Liverpool, Stockholm, Glasgow, Los Angeles, and New York this year.

A Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The memorabilia on display will be centered on McCartney’s days of recording and performing with his wife Linda and Denny Laine, along with his first solo album. In the meantime, fans can stream the Paul McCartney and Wings - Man On The Run documentary on Amazon Prime.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include The Flat Five on April 29; the Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Tickets are now on sale for the Santana And The Doobie Brothers Oneness 2026 Tour, which will run from mid-June through the end of August. Fans in the Chicago area will get the first look at this USA tour, since it kicks off on June 13 in Tinley Park, IL. Other stops include Cincinnati, St. Louis, Toronto, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Dallas. Santana’s 2025 album Sentient features his collaborations with Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the Chicago scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

Paul Weller’s upcoming release Weller At The BBC Vol. 2 is now available to pre-order in 3-LP or 3-CD formats from his official website. The album is due out on April 24.

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

Mordecai Smyth’s March 1 gig at the Crumbs Coffee Shop in Woodley, Reading in the UK will no doubt showcase catchy, offbeat songs such as “Breaking The Backs” and “One And The Same” from his new Gather The Scattered Mind album on the Mega Dodo label. Musician/producer/DJ Robert Sowden will be the supporting act.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd Annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield.

XTC: I Am The Audience, a new book from author David Marx about the critically acclaimed English band led by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, is now available to pre-order on the Sorrento Books UK website. It features multiple interviews with fans and famous musicians, as well as rare photographs.

In related news, this year’s Record Store Day event on April 18 will include the XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981 double album. The songs performed at Emerald City include “Life Begins At The Hop,” “Respectable Street,” “Making Plans For Nigel,” and “Generals and Majors.”

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as a recent performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys have a gig coming up on March 20 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Rojas, a singer-guitarist and songwriter, is a long-time member of Los Lobos.

The schedule for this year’s SummerFest in Milwaukee, WI has been announced, with concerts taking place on June 16 – 20; June 25 – 27; and July 2 – 4. Performers include Echo And The Bunnymen; Alejandro Escovedo; Modern English; The Dream Syndicate; The Roots; Kim Gordon; Little Feat; Old 97s; Sons Of The Silent Age; Muse; Spoon; Gin Blossoms; BoDeans; The Jayhawks; Soul Asylum; and Spin Doctors.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs will have their first gig of 2026 on March 14 at Liar’s Club (1655 W. Fullerton ) on Chicago’s north side. They’ll be part of a triple bill with The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids. The Handcuffs have been busy working on their next album.

The Hollywood Bowl in Southern California has announced its 2026 concert schedule, which kicks off on May 2 with Lewis Capaldi and Joy Crookes and wraps up on October 31 with My Chemical Romance and Thrice. Other acts coming to The Hollywood Bowl this year include Los Angeles Philharmonic; Foo Fighters; Al Green; The Beach Boys; Buddy Guy; Burning Spear; Cheap Trick; De La Soul; The English Beat; Gin Blossoms; Gladys Knight; Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass; Herbie Hancock; Patti Labelle; The Roots; Squeeze; St. Vincent; Ziggy Marley; and ZZ Top.

Tickets are now on sale for the John Doe And Exene Cervenka See How We Are: An Acoustic Show at Old Town Of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park area on June 13. The founding members of X will perform songs by the L.A. punk band as a duo.

An official screening of director Jonas Åkerlund’s documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead will take place on March 12 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. WDRV The DRIVE on-air personality Janda Lane will host the event.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe on March 7, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

The Psychedelic Furs with special guests We Are Scientists tour begins on May 12 in Minneapolis and ends on June 14 in Rocklin, CA. There’s a stop at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL on May 15.

Phil Angotti And Friends will present a Beatles Brunch In The Club at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL this Sunday at noon. These guys have been doing the Beatles Brunch thing for a while now and are rather fab at it.

Depending on when you read this, you could catch the Grammy Award winning gospel group Blind Boys Of Alabama at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL at 7:00 pm tonight. Blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland, who’s earned several Grammy nominations, will perform at that same venue tomorrow night. And this Sunday night at Evanston SPACE, PureSoul Presents will bring Highway Dreams - 50 Years Of Tom Petty.

An Evening With Cat Power - The Greatest 20th Anniversary Tour kicks off today in Minneapolis, MN, and will arrive in Chicago tomorrow for a performance at The Riviera Theatre. The tour celebrates Cat Power’s critically acclaimed album The Greatest, which found the Atlanta singer-songwriter experimenting with a new, soulful approach. Other stops on this tour (she has another one planned for the summer) include Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn, Boston, and Philadelphia.

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held this Sunday at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ.

Liar’s Club will present an adventurous matinee double bill this Sunday featuring psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and the high energy instrumental band Outronaut. Both acts have several years of experience on the Chicago music scene. The rocking starts at 3:00 pm; Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on’s north side.

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL promises tickets will go on sale “soon” for Mud Morganfield on April 28, and Love with Johnny Echols on July 15. That could mean tomorrow, but I can’t say for sure.

Incoming

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield. FitzGerald’s is having an In-Person Pre-Sale Party this Sunday for those who want to nab their American Music Festival tickets early. The Pre-Sale Party will have free live music by Los Gallos, but those planning to attend are encouraged to RSVP on the venue’s official website.

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the local scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as his performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights last week demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include Blind Boys Of Alabama this Thursday and Shemekia Copeland on Friday. Looking at Evanston SPACE further down the road you’ll find The Flat Five there on April 29; Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Liar’s Club will present an adventurous matinee double bill this Sunday featuring psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and the high energy instrumental band Outronaut. Both acts have several years of experience on the Chicago music scene. The rocking starts at 3:00 pm; Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on’s north side.

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held this Sunday at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ. The event’s Facebook page promises to feature vendors from all over the tri-state area.