Slumgullion

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

I was saddened to see the recent Facebook posts from journalists Cary Baker and Albert Williams, and musician Lee D’buddah stating that Bohemia lead vocalist Carla Evonne has passed away. One of Chicago’s first and best punk bands, Bohemia never achieved the national success it deserved. I interviewed the band members in April, 1983 for the Prairie Sun newspaper prior to an afternoon concert at the University Of Illinois - Chicago. They were promoting their No Ordinary Moon EP and came across as very friendly and cool. Rock In Paradise, Carla.

Green Day’s American Idiot is coming to the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago on June 18 and will run through July 25. The musical will be directed by Susan V. Booth, with music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer.

Happy Birthday to vocalist Holly Senchak Dausch, who along with Adam Dausch, is a founding member of Metropoly. The alt rock band hails from Munster, Indiana, but is familiar to several Chicagoans via its inspired tributes to acts such as Hole, Liz Phair, Garbage, and Blondie at the Halloweekend tribute show that’s been staged at various Chicago venues over the years.

Australia’s adventurous and frequently humorous garage rock band Hoodoo Gurus will visit London for a single concert on September 28 at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town. Girlband, a Nottingham, UK alt rock trio that sounds pretty cool judging from their Facebook page, will be the opening act.

Congratulations to Marty Lennartz on his 40 years as a DJ at the Chicago alt rock station WXRT. Lennartz worked various shifts over that span before landing the coveted weekday early morning shift. I’ve talked to him at a few WXRT events, and found him as friendly in one-on-one situations as he is doing radio show.

Death Cab For Cutie released its latest album, I Built You A Tower, today and will embark on a massive tour starting July 10 in Minneapolis.

Chicago-based band The Bad Examples, whose clever and catchy songs often call to mind the music of Squeeze, will perform at the Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles, IL on July 18, and at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL on August 15. Later that month, they’ll perform at International Pop Overthrow - San Diego on either August 21 or 22 (the schedule hasn’t been released yet).

The Riverside Park venue in Aurora, IL has announced its 2026 Summer Concert Series, which includes Cheap Trick on June 25; UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell on August 9; The Beach Boys on August 14; and Poi Dog Pondering on August 15.

The lineup for this year’s Riot Fest, which will take place September 18 – 20 at Douglass Park in Chicago, has been announced. Participating acts include Alanis Morissette; Social Distortion; Morrissey; Iggy Pop; Elvis Costello; Pixies; Patti Smith And Her Band; and Sugar. Tickets are available on the official website.

Billy Idol must have enjoyed his 2025 It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! gigs because he’s scheduled four new ones for this fall. The first is on September 10 in St. Louis, MO; followed by September 11 in Grand Rapids, MI; September 13 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH; and September 16 in Kansas City, MO. Bangles founding member and solo artist Susanna Hoffs will be Idol’s special guest at each location.

Susanna Hoffs has a solo gig at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on September 14. It’s a co-presentation with Chicago Humanities. A week later, Hoffs has a five-night engagement at the Café Carlyle at the Carlyle Hotel in  New York.

Souvenirs - 80 Years Of John Prine, a four-day event, will kick off October 8 at the Chicago Theatre. Members of Prine’s band will perform, along with Steve Earle; Ratboys; Jon Langford; Kathleen Edwards; Alynda Segarra; Amos Lee; Shemekia Copeland; Josh Ritter; Margo Price; and The Cactus Blossoms. Actor John C. Reilly will serve as host. All proceeds from Souvenirs will benefit the Prine-inspired Hello In There Foundation.

Jack White recently kicked off a massive tour that will keep him busy through November 21. It’s a mixed bag of European and American gigs (many of which have sold out) that includes Chicago on July 23 and 24.

As recently noted by Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Kaitlin Washburn, the people at Lollapalooza have donated $1.1 million to Chicago public schools to help expand art education programming. That’s certainly worth a standing ovation. This year’s Lollapalooza festival takes place from July 30 to August 2 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago. The lineup includes Lorde; The Smashing Pumpkins; Sombr; Wet Leg; Suki Waterhouse; and Wolf Alice.

Joe Algeri and Paul Colombini of the Australian power pop band The Outryders are on the verge of releasing their first album in a few years. The new songs will also feature Illinois native, bass player Herb Eimerman, who has worked with Algeri on several projects, thanks to modern recording technology.

Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney, women performers who first found fame in the 1990s and have been successful ever since, will join together for The Flannel and the Fury Tour this fall. They’ll perform at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds in Chicago on September 17; other stops on the tour include Los Angeles; Denver; Brooklyn; Philadelphia, and Boston. 

The Rolling Stones’ new album Foreign Tongues is due out on July 10, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon and other sites. A video of the hard-edged first single “In The Stars” on YouTube finds the band at the top of their game.

The Roger Daltry - A Great Night Out! North American Tour will kick off in Mesa, AZ on August 23 and wrap up on September 29 in Medford, MA. Fans in the Midwest can choose New Lenox, IL on September 12 or Milwaukee, WI on September 15.

SOLSTICE, which is being described as “A Festival Where Nature Is Not The Backdrop, But The Headliner,” is coming June 19 – 22 to Trematon Castle in Cornwall, England. As noted on the SOLSTICE website, the event will offer live music, dialogue, and workshops centered on the concept of “what a truly nature-centric culture could look like.” Performers include Anna B Savage; Alexis Taylor; Boss Morris; and Chapel Of (Nature) Love. Andy Bell and Deb Grant are among the DJs scheduled.

Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm And Time is now open at the Motown Museum in Detroit, MI, and will run through September 27. The website states the exhibit will focus on the years 1967 through 1975, “when the label expanded beyond its signature love songs to embrace experimentation and socially conscious storytelling.”

Chicago indie rock band The Handcuffs have a series of live performances scheduled for the next few months. They’ll be at the Metro Jam Festival with Sonny Landreth in Manitowoc, WI on June 20; Summerfest (as Kim Gordon’s opening act) in Milwaukee, WI on June 25; Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on June 27; Evanston SPACE with whitewolfsonicprincess on July 28; and PravdaFest at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL on September 12. Also, The Handcuffs have recorded two new songs in the studio for a picture sleeve single to be released some time this summer.

A new music documentary titled Peter Asher Everywhere Man explores the multi-decade career of the English musician and producer. Several major stars are featured in the film, including James Taylor; Linda Ronstadt; Carole King; Paul McCartney; and Robin Williams. Peter Asher Everywhere Man will be shown in select theaters on June 19.

Theater Of The Mind, the imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, has been extended through August 30 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind, a Goodman Theatre production, has been picking up rave reviews in Chicago newspapers.

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.

First, a warm welcome to everyone who’s in town for the Chicago Blues Festival. The annual event, which started in 1984 and is believed to be the world’s largest blues festival, opens today and will run through Sunday. Admission is free. Opening day is taking place at the Ramova Theatre at 3520 S. Halsted and will feature a panel discussion as well as performances by John Primer (doing a tribute to Theresa’s Lounge) and Willie Clayton. The following three days of the Chicago Blues Festival will be held at Millennium Park downtown, with C.J. Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Elvin Bishop Duo; a multi-artist tribute to 55 Years Of Alligator Records; and a Women In Blues Tribute To Mama Yancey and Big Mama Thornton among the many shows. See the official Chicago Blues Festival for the full schedule. Today’s issue of the Chicago Sun-Times includes a very informative piece by Courtney Kueppers on Alligator Records’ 55-year history.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch EXPO ’76, the eclectic covers band, performing from 6:00 to 8:00 pm tonight at Riverwalk Tiny Tap in downtown Chicago. Two days from now, EXPO ’76 will perform at FitzGerald’s Patio in Berwyn, IL.

Also depending on when you see this, you can catch a performance by Tony Richards from 6:00 to 8:00 pm tonight at the Basil Leaf Cafe. His solo jazz guitar performances have gained a loyal following on the Chicago scene. The venue is located at 2465 N. Clark Street.

The Smithereens, with Marshall Crenshaw as guest vocalist, have a show coming up this Saturday at The Birchmere venue in Alexandria, VA.

Phil Yates of the Chicago-based power pop band Phil Yates And The Affiliates, recently returned from International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool, and has a solo gig coming up at Uncommon Ground - Lakeview this Saturday. The Transference and Joe Dilillo are also on the bill that night.

Phil Angotti And Friends have performed a number of Beatles Brunches around the Chicago area and they have another one coming up this Sunday at noon at FitzGerald’s On The Patio in Berwyn, IL.

International Pop Overthrow regulars (in Chicago and elsewhere) Kerosene Stars will share a triple bill with Kenneth Scott Peters and Lonefeather at the Dan Electro’s venue in Houston, TX this Saturday. Kerosene Stars have been releasing power pop albums since their 2014 self-titled effort.

Josh Chicoine, founder of The M’s’s, has added another new band to his repertoire, to go with the recently formed Cult Canyon. Temp Wishes finds him working with veteran musicians Edward Anderson; Colby Starck; and Glenn Rischke, and they just released a single titled “Flash Fantasy.” The band will make its live performance debut tomorrow as part of a double bill with art pop trio Quasar Wut-Wut at the Hungry Brain venue on Chicago’s north side.

Chicago-based prog rock band McLuhan has been keeping busy since reuniting a few years back, and has a show scheduled at The Copper Fiddle Distillery in Lake Zurich this Saturday night. 

Montrose Saloon has a Power Pop On Stage event coming this Sunday that will feature The Unswept, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, and Andy Bopp. The music starts at 6:00 pm.

Chicago-based power trio Triple will be part of a four-act showcase at Liar’s Club on Chicago’s north side tomorrow night. Pritchard will get things rocking at 9:00 pm, followed by Triple at 10:00 pm, Bone Bag at 11:00 and Umbra And The Broken Siege at 11:00 pm. Liar’s Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton.

Veteran Chicago band The Claudettes, whose adventurous music challenges critics as well fans to slap a label on it, will release their next album, Garage Glamour, on Pravda Records tomorrow.

Montrose Saloon has a Power Pop On Stage event coming this Sunday that will feature The Unswept, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, and Andy Bopp. The music starts at 6:00 pm.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Terry White and The Loaded Dice will share a double bill at Cary’s Lounge on Chicago’s far north side this Saturday night. There is no cover charge.

Incoming

Happy Birthday to bassist/vocalist Michael Steele, formerly of The Bangles. (She’s the one closest to the record player on the album cover.) Contrary to what some people think, The Bangles wrote quite a bit of their material, and Steele contributed some really cool songs to their albums. As with her band mates Susanna Hoffs, Debbie Peterson, and Vicki Peterson, she should be in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Tickets are now on sale for the Susanna Hoffs gig at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on September 14. It’s a co-presentation with Chicago Humanities.

Chicago-based band The Bad Examples, whose clever and catchy songs often call to mind the music of Squeeze, will perform at the Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles, IL on July 18, and at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL on August 15. Later that month, they’ll perform at International Pop Overthrow - San Diego on either August 21 or 22 (the schedule hasn’t been released yet).

You know summer is on the way when bands start booking shows on the Chicago riverfront. EXPO ’76, the eclectic covers band that brings plenty of fun regardless of the season, will perform from 6:00 to 8:00 pm this Thursday at Riverwalk Tiny Tap in downtown Chicago. Two days later, EXPO ’76 will perform at FitzGerald’s Patio in Berwyn, IL.

Just when you thought Cult Canyon was The M’s founder Josh Chicoine’s latest band, he’s added another new one. Temp Wishes, which finds him working with veteran musicians Edward Anderson; Colby Starck; and Glenn Rischke, has recorded a single titled “Flash Fantasy.” The band will make its live performance debut this Friday as part of a double bill with art pop trio Quasar Wut-Wut at the Hungry Brain venue on Chicago’s north side.

Phil Yates of Chicago-based power pop band Phil Yates And The Affiliates, recently returned from International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool, and has a solo gig coming up at Uncommon Ground - Lakeview this Saturday. The Transference and Joe Dilillo are also on the bill that night.

Phil Angotti And Friends have performed a number of Beatles Brunches around the Chicago area and they have another one coming up this Sunday at FitzGerald’s On The Patio in Berwyn, IL.

Chicago-based prog rock band McLuhan has been keeping busy since reuniting a few years back, and has a show scheduled at The Copper Fiddle Distillery in Lake Zurich this Saturday night. 

Chicago-based power trio Triple will be part of a four-act showcase at Liar’s Club on Chicago’s north side this Friday. Pritchard will get things rocking at 9:00 pm, followed by Triple at 10:00 pm, Bone Bag at 11:00 and Umbra And The Broken Siege at 11:00 pm. Liar’s Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton.

International Pop Overthrow regulars (in Chicago and elsewhere) Kerosene Stars will share a triple bill with Kenneth Scott Peters and Lonefeather at the Dan Electro’s venue in Houston, TX this Saturday. Kerosene Stars have been releasing power pop albums since their 2014 self-titled effort.

Veteran Chicago band The Claudettes, whose adventurous music challenges critics as well fans to slap a label on it, will release their next album, Garage Glamour, on Pravda Records this Friday.

Montrose Saloon has a Power Pop On Stage event coming this Sunday that will feature The Unswept, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, and Andy Bopp. The music starts at 6:00 pm.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Terry White and The Loaded Dice will share a double bill at Cary’s Lounge on Chicago’s far north side this Saturday night. There is no cover charge.

Saturday Slumgullion

See Thursday’s Weekend Reminders post for events happening this weekend.

If you detect a new computer smell coming from this post, it’s because I recently bought a new Mac Mini. It’s not fully operational yet, but I have to thank my wife Pam for getting it up and running. Without her help, I would have been distributing Broken Hearted Toy via a mimeographed sheets these past 15 years.

Australia’s adventurous and frequently humorous garage rock band Hoodoo Gurus will visit London for a single concert on September 28 at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town. Girlband, a Nottingham, UK alt rock trio that sounds pretty cool judging from their Facebook page, will be the opening act.

The lineup for this year’s Riot Fest, which will take place September 18 – 20 at Douglass Park in Chicago, was announced earlier this week. Participating acts include Alanis Morissette; Social Distortion; Morrissey; Iggy Pop; Elvis Costello; Pixies; Patti Smith And Her Band; and Sugar. Tickets are available on the official website. 

Billy Idol must have enjoyed his 2025 It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! gigs because he’s scheduled four new ones for this fall. The first is on September 10 in St. Louis, MO; followed by September 11 in Grand Rapids, MI; September 13 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH; and September 16 in Kansas City, MO. Bangles founding member and solo artist Susanna Hoffs will be Idol’s special guest at each location.

You know summer is on the way when bands start booking shows on the Chicago riverfront. EXPO ’76, the eclectic covers band that brings plenty of fun regardless of the season, will perform next Thursday at Riverwalk Tiny Tap in downtown Chicago. Two days later, EXPO ’76 will perform at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL.

Jack White will start touring today and keep at it through November 21. The tour is a mixed bag of European and American gigs, including Washington, D.C. on July 10; and Chicago on July 23 and 24. Several of these global concerts are sold out.

As recently noted by Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Kaitlin Washburn, the people at Lollapalooza have donated $1.1 million to Chicago public schools to help expand art education programming. That’s certainly worth a standing ovation. This year’s Lollapalooza festival takes place from July 30 to August 2 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago. The lineup includes Lorde; The Smashing Pumpkins; Sombr; Wet Leg; Suki Waterhouse; and Wolf Alice.

Joe Algeri and Paul Colombini of the Australian power pop band The Outryders are on the verge of releasing their first album in a few years. The new songs will also feature Illinois native, bass player Herb Eimerman, who has worked with Algeri on several projects, thanks to modern recording technology.

Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney, women performers who first found fame in the 1990s and have been successful ever since, will join together for The Flannel and the Fury Tour this fall. They’ll perform at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds in Chicago on September 17; other stops on the tour include Los Angeles; Denver; Brooklyn; Philadelphia, and Boston. 

Phil Angotti And Friends have performed a number of Beatles Brunches around the Chicago area and they have another one coming up on June 7 at FitzGerald’s On The Patio in Berwyn, IL.

The Rolling Stones recently announced their new album Foreign Tongues, which is due out on July 10, can now be pre-ordered from Amazon and other sites. A video of the hard-edged first single “In The Stars” on YouTube finds the band at the top of their game.

As announced by the Chicago-based, multifaceted writer Mark Guarino in a recent Facebook post, the Souvenirs - 80 Years Of John Prine four-day event will kick off October 8 at the Chicago Theatre. Members of Prine’s band will perform, along with Steve Earle; Ratboys; Jon Langford; Kathleen Edwards; Alynda Segarra; Amos Lee; Shemekia Copeland; Josh Ritter; Margo Price; and The Cactus Blossoms. Actor John C. Reilly will serve as host. All proceeds from Souvenirs will benefit the Prine-inspired Hello In There Foundation.

The Roger Daltry - A Great Night Out! North American Tour will kick off in Mesa, AZ on August 23 and wrap up on September 29 in Medford, MA. Fans in the Midwest can choose New Lenox, IL on September 12 or Milwaukee, WI on September 15.

A remastered seven-inch vinyl single of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash, with “Straight To Hell” on the B-side, will be available from various sites starting on June 12.

SOLSTICE, which is being described as “A Festival Where Nature Is Not The Backdrop, But The Headliner,” is coming June 19 – 22 to Trematon Castle in Cornwall, England. As noted on the SOLSTICE website, the event will offer live music, dialogue, and workshops centered on the concept of “what a truly nature-centric culture could look like.” Performers include Anna B Savage; Alexis Taylor; Boss Morris; and Chapel Of (Nature) Love. Andy Bell and Deb Grant are among the DJs scheduled.

Mike Campbell And The Dirty Knobs are coming to The Vic in Chicago on July 9 with special guest Sarah Lee Guthrie. It’s the second date on an upcoming tour that starts two days earlier in Minneapolis. The band has a new album titled Mission Of Mercy coming out on June 12.

Toronto indie rock band Metric will kick off a tour with Broken Social Scene and Stars on June 8 in Austin, TX. Metric will be promoting its 10th album Romanticize The Drive. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago (July 24 at Aragon Ballroom), Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm And Time is now open at the Motown Museum in Detroit, MI, and will run through September 27. The website states the exhibit will focus on the years 1967 through 1975, “when the label expanded beyond its signature love songs to embrace experimentation and socially conscious storytelling.”

Chicago indie rock band The Handcuffs have a series of live performances scheduled for the next few months. They’ll be at the Metro Jam Festival with Sonny Landreth in Manitowoc, WI on June 20; Summerfest (as Kim Gordon’s opening act) in Milwaukee, WI on June 25; Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on June 27; Evanston SPACE with whitewolfsonicprincess on July 28; and PravdaFest at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL on September 12. As posted on Facebook today, The Handcuffs have recorded two new songs in the studio for a picture sleeve single to be released some time this summer.

A new music documentary titled Peter Asher Everywhere Man explores the multi-decade career of the English musician and producer. Several major stars are featured in the film, including James Taylor; Linda Ronstadt; Carole King; Paul McCartney; and Robin Williams. Peter Asher Everywhere Man will be shown in select theaters on June 19.

Theater Of The Mind, the imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, has been extended through August 30 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind, a Goodman Theatre production, has been picking up rave reviews in Chicago newspapers.

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.

Billy Idol must have enjoyed his 2025 It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! gigs because he’s scheduled some new ones for this fall. The first is on September 10 in St. Louis, MO; followed by September 11 in Grand Rapids, MI; September 13 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH; and September 16 in Kansas City, MO. Bangles founding member and solo artist Susanna Hoffs will be Idol’s special guest at each location.

Best wishes for a Happy Birthday to musician/journalist/publisher Tim Thomas. I’ve been buying issues of his sporadically released Pittsburgh-based rock and roll zine Secret Scene for a few years now. Issues are available via the Secret Scene Bandcamp page.

As noted in the CELEBRITIES column in today’s Chicago Tribune, rhythm and blues vocalist Gladys Knight and Creedence Clearwater Revival vocalist-guitarist John Fogerty were also born on this date. Best wishes for a splendid day to Gladys and John, and congratulations on those amazing careers.

Paul McCartney’s latest album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, an introspective look at his earliest days with The Beatles, will be released tomorrow. In related news, a Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit recently opened on at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Rattleback Records, a definitely cool store on Chicago’s far north side, has a three-act showcase of garage rockers Tuff Sudz, power pop/rock quartet A.M. Slingers, and former The M’s leader Josh Chicoine’s new band Cult Canyon coming up tomorrow at the Burlington Bar. A.M. Slingers will be celebrating the release of their second album To The Nines; and Cult Canyon recently released their Smoke Tricks album. Burlington Bar is located at 3425 W. Fullerton. 

Crawlspace Of The Pantheon, the latest album from Dayton, OH indie rock band Guided By Voices, will also be released tomorrow. Judging from their official website, there are no immediate plans to tour.

A four-act showcase at Montrose Saloon tomorrow will feature The 321’s; Bellevue Holiday; Means Of Production; and Ride The Lightning. The rocking starts at 7:30 pm. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side.

The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival kicks off tonight in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland and will run through this through Sunday. According to the official website, the event will feature “Big Top Concerts each night as well as 30 Hours of Open Air Free Gigs on the Rockin’ Streets of Ballyshannon Co.”

This Sunday, City Winery Chicago will present the Highway Dream: 50 Years Of Tom Petty Brunch. It’s being staged by PureSoul, which has brought several tributes to famous acts to venues around the Chicago area. The music starts at noon.

International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool 2026 kicked off last Sunday and will run through through this Sunday at The Cavern Pub and The Cavern Club in The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool. The official International Pop Overthrow website has the entire Liverpool 2026 schedule; with links for most of the acts who’ll be performing. For a personal touch, check out the video clips of some of the participating acts on the IPO founder David Bash’s Facebook page.

The Chicago-based, freewheeling covers band EXPO ’76 will perform tomorrow at Fuller’s Pub. EXPO ’76 has released an official album, titled Hot In The Dark, that reflects the variety of styles this band covers, and it’s available to purchase on their website. Fuller’s Pub is located at 3205 W Irving Park Road on Chicago’s north side.

Congratulations to The Zombies’ lead vocalist Colin Blunstone on the success of his UK Believe In Miracles Tour, which wraps up tonight with a show in London.

Monty Python’s The Holy Grail will continue its run through this Sunday at the CIBC Theatre in downtown Chicago.

The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour, named after a 2025 album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, comes to the Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway venue in Wells, NV this Saturday. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Incoming

Paul McCartney’s latest album The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, which judging from the first single “Days We Left Behind,” offers an introspective look at his earliest days with The Beatles, will be released this Friday. As noted on the official Paul McCartney Facebook page, record stores around the globe will stage listening events a day earlier. In related news, a Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit recently opened on at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Happy Birthday to Ralph Covert, the versatile singer-guitarist who has led the Chicago-based band The Bad Examples for several years now. His clever and catchy songs often call to mind the music of Squeeze. Covert has also found extensive success as the creator of children’s rock music via Ralph’s World.

The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival kicks off this Thursday in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland and will run through this through Sunday. According to the official website, the event will feature “Big Top Concerts each night as well as 30 Hours of Open Air Free Gigs on the Rockin’ Streets of Ballyshannon Co.”

Rattleback Records, a definitely cool store on Chicago’s far north side, has a three-act showcase of garage rockers Tuff Sudz, power pop/rock quartet A.M. Slingers, and former The M’s leader Josh Chicoine’s new band Cult Canyon coming up this Friday at the Burlington Bar. A.M. Slingers will be celebrating the release of their second album To The Nines; and Cult Canyon recently released their Smoke Tricks album. Burlington Bar is located at 3425 W. Fullerton.

International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool 2026 kicked off yesterday and will run through through this Sunday at The Cavern Pub and The Cavern Club in The Beatles’ hometown. Dozens of acts are scheduled to perform, including long-time IPO world travelers Dave Rave and The Jeremy Band. The official International Pop Overthrow website has the entire Liverpool 2026 schedule; with links for most of the acts who’ll be performing. For a personal touch, check out the video clips of some of the participating acts on the IPO founder David Bash’s Facebook page.

A four-act showcase at Montrose Saloon this Friday will feature The 321’s; Bellevue Holiday; Means Of Production; and Ride The Lightning. The rocking starts at 7:30 pm. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side.

The Zombies’ lead vocalist Colin Blunstone still draws rave reviews 60+ years after the band emerged from the British Invasion scene. He’s likely finding more critical acclaim during his UK Believe In Miracles Tour, which will wrap up this week with shows in Wimborne tomorrow; Worthing on Wednesday; and London Thursday.

This Sunday, City Winery Chicago will present the Highway Dream: 50 Years Of Tom Petty Brunch. This is a PureSoul event, and will start at noon. PureSoul has staged many tributes to famous acts at venues in the Chicago area.

The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour, named after a 2025 album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, comes to the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles this Wednesday; and the Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway venue in Wells, NV on Saturday. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter AJ Rosales has a performance coming up at the Friendly Bar in Berwyn, IL tomorrow. The show is part of the Friendly Community Songwriter Series, and will include Rosales introducing new material that wasn’t on his Phasedrift album or earlier releases. The music starts at 7:00 pm, and there is no cover charge.

Monty Python’s The Holy Grail will continue its run through this Sunday at the CIBC Theatre in downtown Chicago.

The Chicago-based, freewheeling covers band EXPO ’76 will perform this Friday at Fuller’s Pub. EXPO ’76 has released an official album, titled Hot In The Dark, that reflects the variety of styles this band covers, and it’s available to purchase on their website. Fuller’s Pub is located at 3205 W Irving Park Road on Chicago’s north side.