Slumgullion #86

Photo from Lucinda Williams website.

And She Was Nothing Like Mel On Flight Of The Conchords. A recent edition of The Fest For Beatles Fans online newsletter shines a spotlight on Freda Kelly. Back when The Beatles were first playing The Cavern Club in Liverpool, Kelly was an ardent fan who befriended John, Paul, George, and Ringo. When Brian Epstein came on board, she was hired as his secretary, and was soon crowned as the first Official Beatles Fan Club Secretary. At one point, she reigned over a worldwide membership of 70,000 people.

Kelly shared her experiences at the 2001 Fest For Beatles Fans in New York, and is slated to be one of the guests for Chicago in 2011. She’s also the subject of a new documentary by director Ryan White called Good Ol’ Freda. Kelly and the filmmakers have turned to the Kickstarter website for help in raising $50, 000. Anyone interested in participating will have to act fast, because Good Ol’ Freda needs to meet its goal by November 11th. With seven days left to go, Good Ol Freda has reached the $36,000 mark. There are some interesting perks for contributors, and for those of us in the Chicago area, it would be nice to give Kelly an extra reason to smile when she comes to visit next August.

Cooking Up Creativity. Pavement Group is inviting the public to play an essential role in its annual speed playwriting competition. Amuse Bouche 2011 will put the Chicago-based theater company’s writers Amelia Roper, christopher oscar peña, David Perez, Joe Waechter, Jordan Seavey, and Mallery Avidon on the spot when they’ll each be given just 24 hours to create a 15-minute piece based on a list of recipe ingredients. Pavement Group will soon post details on its Facebook page as to how people can help decide which ingredients will be required. The event will be staged at Collaboration, 1579 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago on December 9th, 10th, and 11th.

Discover New Music With David. David Bash is bringing International Pop Overthrow, his traveling showcase of power pop and indie rock, to New York this week. Eighteen bands, including Lannie Flowers and The Anderson Council (the name’s a clever variation on Pink Floyd) have already performed at the Local 269 club, and there’s plenty more to come this weekend.

The bands may not be superstars, but Bash’s impeccable instincts have always made International Pop Overthrow a great place to discover new music. Zombies Of The Stratosphere, just to randomly pick a band off the schedule, takes its name from a 1952 sci flick. Its catchy tunes, like “Love Song 99” and “The Other Side Of The World,” have inventive harmonies and fetching melodies. There will be showcases at Local 269 tonight, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, and Sunday evening.

Book Mark. Just a reminder that local author Susan Kaye Quinn will be signing copies of her new book Open Minds tomorrow, November 5th from 10 AM to noon at the Caribou Coffee in Palatine, 581 E. Dundee Road. The paranormal tale is book one of Quinn’s Mindjack Trilogy.

Car Wheels On Palatine Road. Lucinda Williams, the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her distinctive vocals and gritty musical portraits, will be performing at Durty Nellie’s in my home town of Palatine this coming Tuesday, November 6th. Williams recently her latest CD, Blessed, featuring the hard-edged ballad, “Buttercup.” Tickets for the show, which includes opening act singer-guitarist Blake Mills are $30. Show time is 8:00 PM.

Seeing Red. Mary-Arrchie Theatre will be staging Adam Rapp’s Red Light Winter from November 10th through December 18th at its Angel Island location at Sheridan Road. The play, directed by longtime Mary-Arrchie member Carlos Lorenzo Garcia, concerns a pair of American buddies who fall for the same hooker while visiting Amsterdam’s famed Red Light District. The November 11th performance will be followed by a post-show soiree. Tickets are $18 - $22.