Slumgullion

U2 has released a video of a new single titled “Street Of Dreams” that’s now available for viewing on the Rock Cellar website. The song has a classic U2 arrangement along with an inspirational message about following your dreams. It’s an enticing preview of a full album the band promises will be released in the near future.

This should have been included this in yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post. 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 tomorrow night.

Stewart Copeland Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood And Other Adventures - An Evening Of Conversation With The Hall Of Fame Rock Star is scheduled at the North Shore Center in Skokie, IL on July 31.

Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy’s Celebrate The Legend Tour kicked off two days ago in Toronto, ON, and will run through October 29 with a concert in Memphis, TN. The tour includes a July 25 sold-out show at the Chicago Theatre; and Guy will celebrate his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on October 1.

The 9th Annual Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on August 16 at Buddy Guy’s Legends venue in the south end of downtown Chicago. A post on the official Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame notes that tickets will only be sold in advance.

Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris will perform three concerts together next week. 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.

Joe Algeri, the multifaceted Australian musician/producer/indie label founder, is keeping busy these days with projects involving his groups The Outryders and The Jangle Band. He’s also working on an album from Chicago musician Herb Eimerman. Hopefully, we’ll hear the results soon.

The Kinks: Brothers, a new exhibition created by Ray and Dave Davies with artist Christian Furr, will open at London’s Gibson Garage on July 24.

Singer-songwriter Stephen Kohler, a long-time participant of the Chicago music scene, has an 11:00 am free brunch show coming up on July 25 at Madame Zuzu's in Highland Park, IL. That’s the combination teahouse and record store run by Billy and Chloe Corgan. Kohler will likely perform his new single titled “Paintbrush,”as well as songs from his 2025 album Anthem.

John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson have a six-date tour that kicks off in Mahomet, IL on July 31 and runs through August 30 with a show at The Rhode Island Folk Festival in Riverside, RI.  Cowsill and Peterson will likely showcase songs from their Long After The Fire album, as well as material from The Bangles and The Cowsills.

LaRue DeVille, an offshoot of long-time Chicago club band Red Wigglers, along with punk rock cover band Horse And Sparrow, will share a double bill at Double Clutch Brewery in Evanston on August 13. Both bands that night will feature vocalist Erica Loftus, whose impressive resume also includes performing with The Right Tidys and The Collectors. There’s no cover charge.

Ivy has added November dates to its Traces Of You Tour, with concerts now scheduled for Berkeley, CA; Seattle, WA; Brooklyn, NY; Boston MA; and Philadelphia, PA. The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour is 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. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Keyon Harrold, the Grammy Award nominated trumpeter, vocalist and producer, has a performance coming up on Sat, July 25 at the Epiphany Center for the Arts on Chicago’s north side.

International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash will serve as Master Of Ceremonies when the 11th Annual Harry Nilsson Sing-A-Long takes place on July 20 at Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles. Several musicians will be paying tribute, including Steve Barton from Translator and solo artist/Maple Mars founding member Rick Hromadka. Admission is $15 for advance tickets and $20 at the door.

In related news, the schedule for International Pop Overthrow - Los Angeles, which will run from August 7 through August 16, is now available on the official IPO website. Several acts, including Plasticsoul; Lori Garrote And The Chaos; Kerosene Stars; The Jeremy Band; the above-mentioned Rick Hromadka, will perform at the Redwood Bar and Corbin Bowl venues. The IPO website is a good way to discover new music since many of the participating acts listed have links to their Bandcamp pages.

This year’s Hometown Celebration - A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro will take place on August 16. The featured acts will be The Linburgers (Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel & Curt Morrison); Dag Juhlin; Michael McDermott; and Heather Lynne Horton. Brehmer will always be remembered as one of Chicago’s best-friendliest and knowledgeable radio personalities, especially for those of us who met him in person. It’s great to see this benefit taking place again.

Temp Wishes, a new band led by the perpetually busy Josh Chicoine of The M’s, will open for veteran guitarist Cory Hanson at The Hideout in Chicago on August 2. Chicoine, along with fellow Temp Wishes members Edward Anderson; Colby Starck; and Glenn Rischke, recently recorded a single titled “Flash Fantasy.”

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.

A trio of UK acts comprising Colin Blunstone of The Zombies; new wave stars The Fixx; and musician/producer Peter Asher will tour America throughout the month of September. The 19 stops will include New York, NY; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, MN; and Waukegan, IL.

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.

Upcoming concerts at the 2026 Summer Concert Series at the Riverside Park venue in Aurora, IL include UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell on August 9; The Beach Boys on August 14; and Poi Dog Pondering on August 15.

Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, will headline a Chicago Alternafest! event taking place on August 15 at the Underground Lounge. Piper No; Oh My Lover; and Mystic Mulberry will also be on the bill. Enter Xenon, the latest album from Custard Flux, was chosen as one of 2025’s best prog rock albums by the Brit magazines MOJO and Classic Rock. Underground Lounge is located at 952 W. Newport Avenue in Chicago.

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; record release info; or concert tickets going on sale.

As noted in a recent Facebook post by the Chicago indie rock band The Handcuffs, the fifth annual Puttin’ on the Gretsch will take place this Saturday afternoon on the Patio Stage at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The event honors the legendary guitar, and will feature live performances by (Handcuffs vocalist-guitarist) Chloe F. Orwell; Naomi Ashley; Andon Davis; Tim Menard; and John Szymanski. Musicians Paul Bivans and Michael Krayniak will provide support. Admission is free; Puttin’ on the Gretsch will run from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

The Smithereens, with guest lead vocalist John Cowsill will open for The Fixx tomorrow night at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Ponte Vedra, FL; and Saturday night at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch a free performance tonight of “deep cuts, and beyond…” by Courtesy Patrol at the Friendly Music Community in Berwyn, IL. The music starts around 8:30, and there’s no admission charge. Courtesy Patrol features local musicians Dag Juhlin, Chris Neville, Jon Paul, and Jason Batch. 

Folk rock icon Paul Simon will bring his A Quiet Celebration Tour to Highland Park, IL for performances tomorrow and Saturday night at the Hunter Pavilion at Ravinia Park.

The Spindles, Go Time!, And Kevin Lee And The Kings—bands with years of experience of rocking the Chicago music scene—will share a triple bill on this Saturday at Heroes West in Lemont, IL. Each of these acts has recorded impressive albums, so there will be a lot of original material to enjoy that night.

Chicago radio station WXRT’s Live From The XRT Concert Archives continues tomorrow night at 9:00 pm with a 2002 July 4th Concert performance by Midnight Oil. Live From The XRT Concert Archives can be heard on 93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.

Incoming

The Smithereens, with guest lead vocalist John Cowsill will open for The Fixx in Norfolk, VA on this very night. The same two bands will perform on Wednesday in Richmond, VA;  Friday in Ponte Vedra, FL; and Saturday in Orlando, FL. As noted in a post on the official Smithereens Facebook page, 2026 marks the 40th Anniversary of the band’s full-length debut album Especially For You. And it sounds just as good as ever. 

Depending on what time you read this, you could check out local musician Phil Angotti in his “Phil Murray the K” DJ mode playing selections from his beloved collection of 45s and albums at Simon’s Tavern. He’ll be spinning from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm; Simon’s Tavern is located at 5210 N. Clark St. on Chicago’s north side.

The individual who posted on a Hollies Facebook page last week that the band would perform two concerts in October is now stating those events have been cancelled. Hopefully, it’s just a temporary setback, and The Hollies will still embark on that long-awaited world tour at some point in the near future.

Joe Algeri, the multifaceted Australian musician/producer/indie label founder, is keeping busy these days with projects involving his groups The Outryders and The Jangle Band; as well as an album from American musician Herb Eimerman. Hopefully, we’ll hear the results soon.

You be me for a while. Androgynous Mustache, a collective of Chicago area musicians known for ambitious tribute shows honoring famous recording artists, will perform as The Replacements tomorrow night at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL.

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s latest album The Great Divide has been getting a lot of airplay on stations such as WXRT here in Chicago, and he’ll perform tomorrow night with Gigi Perez at Wrigley Field. There will be a pre-show event at Gallagher Way, the self-described “backyard for Wrigley Field concerts,” featuring Cult Canyon, a local band led by vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, who’s best known for his work with The M’s.

Folk rock icon Paul Simon will bring his A Quiet Celebration Tour to Highland Park, IL for performances this Friday and Saturday at the The Hunter Pavilion at Ravinia Park.

Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy’s upcoming tour will start in Toronto, ON this Wednesday, and wrap up in Memphis, TN on October 29. The tour includes a July 25 sold-out show at the Chicago Theatre; and Guy will celebrate his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on October 1.

The Spindles, Go Time!, And Kevin Lee And The Kings—bands with years of experience of rocking the Chicago music scene—will share a triple bill on this Saturday night at Heroes West in Lemont, IL. Each of these acts has recorded impressive albums, so there will be a lot of original material to enjoy that night.

Slumgullion

It looks like fans who’ve been waiting for The Hollies to go on tour again will soon get their wish. A post on a Hollies Facebook page known to have legitimate connections to the lads announced tickets will go on sale this coming Monday for concerts on October 16 and 17 at The Grand in Lancashire in the UK. The shows are being described as a warm up for an upcoming world tour.

A trio of UK acts comprising Colin Blunstone of The Zombies; new wave stars The Fixx; and musician/producer Peter Asher will tour America throughout the month of September. The 19 stops will include New York, NY; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, MN; and Waukegan, IL.

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, a new documentary about the musician/producer from Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, is currently showing in movie theaters across America. Several major stars are featured in the film, including James Taylor; Linda Ronstadt; Carole King; Paul McCartney; and Robin Williams.

International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash will serve as Master Of Ceremonies when the 11th Annual Harry Nilsson Sing-A-Long takes place on July 20 at Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles. Several musicians will be paying tribute, including Steve Barton from Translator and solo artist/Maple Mars founding member Rick Hromadka. Admission is $15 for advance tickets and $20 at the door.

In related news, the schedule for International Pop Overthrow - Los Angeles, which will run from August 7 through August 16, is now available on the official IPO website. Several acts, including Plasticsoul; Lori Garrote And The Chaos; Kerosene Stars; The Jeremy Band; the above-mentioned Rick Hromadka, will perform at the Redwood Bar and Corbin Bowl venues. The IPO website is a good way to discover new music since many of the participating acts listed have links to their Bandcamp pages.

Congratulations to Chicago-based musician/recording artist Joel Paterson on being chosen to join Bob Dylan on tour. Even before journalist/author Mark Guarino broke the story in the Chicago Sun-Times, many people already knew because of numerous positive messages to Paterson from his fellow musicians on social media. 

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s latest album The Great Divide has been getting a lot of airplay on stations such as WXRT here in Chicago, and he’ll perform at Wrigley Field on July 14. There will be a pre-show event at Gallagher Way, the self-described “backyard for Wrigley Field concerts,” featuring Cult Canyon, a local band led by vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, who’s best known for his work with The M’s.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Hometown Celebration - A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 16. The featured acts will be The Linburgers (Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel & Curt Morrison); Dag Juhlin; Michael McDermott; and Heather Lynne Horton. Brehmer will always be remembered as one of Chicago’s best-friendliest and knowledgeable radio personalities, especially for those of us who met him in person. It’s great to see this benefit taking place again.

U2 has released a video of a new single titled “Street Of Dreams” that’s now available for viewing on the Rock Cellar website. The song has a classic U2 arrangement along with an inspirational message about following your dreams. It’s an enticing preview of a full album the band promises will be released in the near future.

Singer-songwriter Stephen Kohler, a long-time participant of the Chicago music scene, has a new single out titled “Paintbrush.” The song finds Kohler once again collaborating with Frisbie band members Liam Davis and Gerald Dowd, who helped out with Kohler’s 2025 album Anthem. The song takes a positive approach while paying tribute to Kohler’s late brother.

Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy’s upcoming tour will start in Toronto, ON on July 15, and wrap up in Memphis, TN on October 29. The tour includes a July 25 sold out show at the Chicago Theatre, and Guy will celebrate his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on October 1.

The Kinks: Brothers, a new exhibition created by Ray and Dave Davies with artist Christian Furr, will open at London’s Gibson Garage on July 24.

The 19th Annual Petaluma Music Festival will take place on July 25 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds in Petaluma, CA. 10,000 Maniacs; The Smithereens; Cherry Poppin' Daddies; Alejandro Escovedo; and Chuck Prophet are among the acts scheduled to perform.

The Smithereens, with guest lead vocalist John Cowsill will open for The Fixx in Norfolk, VA on July 13; Richmond, VA on July 15; Ponte Vedra, FL on July 17; and Orlando, FL on July 18. 

John Cowsill will also be busy performing with his wife Vicki Peterson of The Bangles on a six-date tour that kicks off in Mahomet, IL on July 31 and  runs through August 30 with a show at The Rhode Island Folk Festival in Riverside, RI.  Cowsill and Peterson will likely showcase songs from their Long After The Fire album, as well as material from The Bangles and The Cowsills.

Chicago-based recording artists Naked Brunch and Radkey will perform on the Hill Stage at the Merchant Street MusicFest in Kankakee, IL on July 25. The band will likely showcase songs from critically acclaimed 2025 debut album At the Humanoid Motel.

Whiting, Indiana’s annual Pierogie Fest will be held on the weekend of July 24 – 26, and some of the featured acts will be familiar to Chicago music fans. The Polkaholics bring a rock and roll sensibility to their ethnic songs; and Metropolly, led by Holly Senchak Dausch and Adam Dausch, is a frequent participant in the Hallowweekend shows at Montrose Saloon. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti is a popular performer of original material and cover versions.

The Spindles, Go Time!, And Kevin Lee And The Kings—bands with years of experience of rocking the Chicago music scene—will share a triple bill on July 18 at Heroes West in Lemont, IL. Each of these acts has recorded impressive albums, so there will be a lot of original material to enjoy that night.

R.E.M. bassist-vocalist Mike Mills, violinist Robert McDuffie, and Allman Brothers (and other bands) keyboards player Chuck Leavell will join forces with the Orchestra Of St. Luke’s for A Night Of Georgia Music at Carnegie Hall in New York on July 25. The one-night-only event will feature them covering Otis Redding; Ray Charles; The Allman Brothers; R.E.M.; The B-52’s; Outkast, and other acts. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at Carnegie Hall.

Toronto indie rock band Metric is currently on the road in support of its 10th album Romanticize The Drive. The tour, which features special guests Broken Social Scene and Stars, will include concerts in Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago (July 24 at Aragon Ballroom), Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

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, record release info, or concert tickets going on sale.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (today, if you have the WXRT presale code) for this year’s Hometown Celebration - A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 16. The featured acts will be The Linburgers (Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel & Curt Morrison); Dag Juhlin; Michael McDermott; and Heather Lynne Horton. WXRT on-air personalities will also be there. Brehmer will always be remembered as one of Chicago’s best-friendliest and knowledgeable radio personalities, especially for those of us who met him in person. It’s great to see this benefit taking place again.

A hearty welcome to Mike Campbell And The Dirty Knobs as they take the stage tonight at the Vic Theatre in Chicago. The band will likely perform songs from their recently released album Mission Of Mercy. Guitarist-vocalist Campbell played an essential role with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.

U2 has released a video of a new single titled “Street Of Dreams” that’s now available for viewing on the Rock Cellar website. The song has a classic U2 arrangement along with an inspirational message about following your dreams. It’s an enticing preview of a full album the band promises will be released in the near future.

Single day tickets are now available for the Evanston Folk Festival taking place September 12 and 13 on the lakefront at Dawes Park in Evanston, IL. The performers include Trampled By Turtles; Indigo Girls; Josh Ritter; James McMurtry; Kathleen Edwards; Lucy Wainwright; and a Roses For The Roches tribute featuring Nora O’Connor, Sima Cunningham, and Kelly Hogan. There will be a Fest Kickoff with Punch Brothers on September 11 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston.

The Rolling Stones’ long-awaited new album Foreign Tongues will drop tomorrow. The hard-edged first single “In The Stars,” which was released a while back, suggests Mick and the lads are still at the top of their game. Other notable albums coming tomorrow include Frozen Charlotte by Jack White and Loveland by Suki Waterhouse. 

The impressive and always fun combo of Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets will be one of the headline acts at this year’s Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on Chicago’s north side. The event takes place this weekend, and will also feature Margo Price; Dehd; Robbie Fulks; Sons Of The Silent Age; The Tossers; JD McPherson; Hurray For The Riff Raff; an Al Green Tribute; and several other acts. Also, as noted in a Square Roots Chicago Facebook post, visitors to the festival can check out a new mural honoring the late folk legend John Prine on an outside wall of the Old Town School Of Folk Music.

Taste Of Chicago continues tonight in Grant Park with headline act Original Koffee. The Fest will run through Sunday, with performances by Common, Babyface; and Julieta Venegas.

Ivy has added November dates to its Traces Of You Tour, with concerts now scheduled for Berkeley, CA; Seattle, WA; Brooklyn, NY; Boston MA; and Philadelphia, PA. The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour is 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. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Incoming

The impressive and always fun combo of Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets will be one of the headline acts at this year’s Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on Chicago’s north side. The event takes place this weekend, and will also feature Margo Price; Dehd; Robbie Fulks; Sons Of The Silent Age; The Tossers; JD McPherson; Hurray For The Riff Raff; an Al Green Tribute; and several other acts. Also, as noted in a Square Roots Chicago Facebook post, visitors to the festival can check out a new mural honoring the late folk legend John Prine on an outside wall of the Old Town School Of Folk Music.

The Rolling Stones’ long-awaited new album Foreign Tongues will drop this Friday. The hard-edged first single “In The Stars,” which was released a while back as a preview, suggests Mick and the lads are still at the top of their game.

Taste Of Chicago will return to Grant Park this Wednesday and run through Sunday, with performances by Beach Bunny; Original Koffee; Common, Babyface; Julieta Venegas; Friko; and others.

The Church will perform at Park West in Chicago tomorrow night as part of The Singles Tour. The Australian rockers are best known for their 1988 irresistible single “Under The Milky Way Tonight” and they have gigs coming up in St. Paul, MN; Kansas City, MO, and Denver, CO. The July issue of the Illinois Entertainer features Tom Lanham’s cover story on The Church. 

Congratulations to Chicago-based musician/recording artist Joel Paterson on being chosen to join Bob Dylan on tour. Even before journalist/author Mark Guarino’s piece ran in last Thursday’s Chicago Sun-Times, many of us were aware of this honor because of all the positive messages to Paterson from his fellow musicians on social media.

Mike Campbell And The Dirty Knobs will likely perform songs from their recently released album Mission Of Mercy at their show at the Vic Theatre in Chicago this Thursday. Guitarist-vocalist Campbell played an essential role with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.

The 19th Annual Petaluma Music Festival will take place on July 25 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds in Petaluma, CA. 10,000 Maniacs; The Smithereens; Cherry Poppin’ Daddies; Alejandro Escovedo; and Chuck Prophet are among the acts scheduled to perform.

Chicago-based recording artists Naked Brunch and Radkey will perform on the Hill Stage at the Merchant Street MusicFest in Kankakee, IL on July 25. Naked Brunch will likely showcase songs from its critically acclaimed 2025 debut album At the Humanoid Motel.

Whiting, Indiana’s annual Pierogie Fest will be held on the weekend of July 24 – 26, and some of the featured acts will be familiar to Chicago music fans. The Polkaholics bring a rock and roll sensibility to their ethnic songs; and Metropolly, led by Holly Senchak Dausch and Adam Dausch, is a frequent participant in the Hallowweekend shows at Montrose Saloon. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti is a popular performer of original material and cover versions.

English guitarist-vocalist Johnny Marr will perform what he describes as “intimate warm-up shows” at Stylus in Leeds tonight, at the O2 Academy tomorrow night in Liverpool. Marr recently released the catchy new single “Spin” as a teaser for his upcoming solo album The Age Of Everything, which is due out on October 2.

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