Photo of Metro sign from Joe Shanahan’s Facebook page.Tonight is the second night of the Michael Shannon And Jason Narducy And Friends Play R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant performances at Metro in Chicago. The shows have long since been sold out, so here’s a salute to those who were able to buy tickets. Joe Shanahan, who runs Metro, definitely was impressed by the show, based on his Facebook post today. Michael Shannon And Jason Narducy And Friends Play R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant will return to Chicago on September 25 for a show at The Riviera Theatre.
Michael Stipe of R.E.M. has collaborated with producer/songwriter Andrew Watt on the theme song for the HBO series Rooster. “I Played The Fool,” an easygoing and well-crafted song, is available to stream on various sites.
Scott Ligon’s All Stars will perform on April 3 at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park IL. It’s not clear who those All Stars will be, but since Ligon often associates with top notch, Chicago-based musicians, this will definitely be interesting.
Theater Of The Mind, an imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, will run through May 31 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind is a Goodman Theatre production.
“It’s Been Too Long,” the first single from Ringo Starr’s next album, is now available to stream on various sites. The album, titled Long Long Road, 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.
Cult Canyon will bring limited-edition vinyl copies of its new Smoke Tricks album to an in-store performance tonight at Rattleback Records on the north side. The Chicago-based band, led by Josh Chicoine of The M’s fame, has an official record release event tomorrow night at The Hideout Inn, located at 1354 W. Wabansia. As of today, Smoke Tricks is available on Bandcamp.
Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris will perform three concerts together this summer. The dates are July 23 at Kresge Auditorium in Interlochen, MI; July 24 at Meadow Brook Amphitheater in Rochester Hills, MI; and July 26 at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL. Nash also has a full schedule of shows with his band this year.
Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti’s monthly Wednesday night residency at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will continue on March 18 when he performs the music of the English band Squeeze. On a related note, Angotti 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.
Mike Campbell And The Dirty Knobs have a show coming up at the Vic Theatre in Chicago on July 9. Guitarist-vocalist Campbell played an essential role with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, and released Vagabonds, Virgins And Misfits, his third album with The Dirty Knobs, in 2024.
Tickets are now on sale for The Imperial Sound’s May 30 show at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL. The band’s approach combines neo-soul, jazz, blues, and rock, with a dash of vintage supper club ambience.
The John Fogerty and Steve Winwood Legacy Tour is coming to the Credit Union1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL on September 3. Other dates on the tour include Boston, MA; Atlantic City, NJ; Vienna, VA; Charlotte, NC; and Hollywood, FL.
Gary Klebe from Shoes has a solo album titled Out Loud coming out April 10 on Black Vinyl Records. The catchy single “Not Tough Enough” can be heard on YouTube.
Bob Dylan’s Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 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 Waukegan, IL on March 30.
Congratulations to The Second Summer on recently signing with Hardstop Records. The power pop band hopes to have a new album (their second) coming out later this year. In the meantime, The Second Summer has gigs coming up at Gallery Cabaret in Chicago tomorrow, and at The Village Club in Western Springs, IL on April 17.
John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson were certainly impressive opening for The Smithereens last Friday night at The Des Plaines Theatre, and they’ll return to Illinois on April 25 for a concert at The Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock. Cowsill and Peterson will likely showcase songs from their debut album Long After The Fire, along with a few songs from The Bangles and The Cowsills.
The Black Ensemble Theater on Chicago’s north side is presenting The Jackie Wilson Story through April 26. Black Ensemble Theater is now celebrating its 50th season.
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 options.
Chicago’s self-described 21st Century Druid Music/Celtic Blues Band whitewolfsonicprincess has what they describe as “a late afternoon extravaganza”coming up on March 21 at Cary’s Lounge. The enchantment starts at 4:00 pm; the venue is located at 2251 W. Devon.
Thrift Store Halo and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, two bands well known in Chicago for bringing catchy rock to their club appearances and albums, will perform at Reggies just south of downtown on May 23. Levee District, who describe their approach as “Pure Power Pop from Chicago's saloons, brothels, key clubs, and late night dives” are also on the bill that night.
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.
Sons Of The Silent Age - The Cracked Actor Cabaret is coming to City Winery Chicago, straight west of the downtown area, on April 23. 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.
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 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.
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.
