Slumgullion

Photo from Aimee Mann Facebook page.

Tributosaurus, the Chicago-based band known for its ambitiously authentic recreations of popular musical acts. will be channeling Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers at the Backlot Bash in downtown Skokie tonight at 8:30 PM. Tomorrow’s lineup has Certain Stars, The Handcuffs, and The Fixx. Tristen, The Steepwater Band, Rivals Of The Peacemaker, and Local H are scheduled for Sunday.

The Downtown Palatine Street Fest also kicks off tonight, with 80s cover band Sixteen Candles as the headline act. Ralph’s World is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00 PM, and Serendipity, five teenage girls who’ve been making a name for themselves with live appearances in the northwest suburbs while recording a CD of original material, will play Sunday at noon. American English headlines later that night, at 6:00 PM. Other acts include Dennis Florine, ARRA, Wedding Banned, and Rock Candy. See the Palatine Street Fest website for the full schedule. 

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for The Psychedelic Furs show at The Vic in Chicago on October 13th. The Lemonheads, featuring Juliana Hatfield, are sharing the bill.  

The Yardbirds are among several other bands who’ll be playing at the 60th Anniversary of the Sausalito Art Festival  this year on September 1st through the 3rd. Other bands include America, The Fixx, Herman’s Hermits, Smash Mouth and The Grass Roots. The Yardbirds also have a Chicago gig at City Winery on September 5th. 

Heard Aimee Mann’s new single, “Charmer” on the radio yesterday, and it sounds like a winner. It’s taken from the CD of the same name, which is set for release on September 18th. She’ll be touring in support of her latest release, with a Chicago date at Park West on November 14th and 15th. In the meantime, fans will be seeing double on the video for “Charmer.” 

WXRTs’ Sunday Night Concert this week features an Elvis Costello performance recorded at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago back in 1977. I covered that show, which featured Tom Petty as the headliner, for a paper called Metro Calendar. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t fully appreciate Costello at the time. Of course,  I was only ten years old. Out of towners can stream the concert on the radio station’s website.

Condolences to WXRT air personality Terri Hemmert on the passing of her mother, Betty. Terri, a gifted dj who has always connected with listeners on a personal level, occasionally mentioned her mother on the air, particularly their shared loved of The Beatles. Donations can be made to The Betty Hemmert Scholarship Fund at Rock For Kids – WXRT. 

Season 7 of Doctor Who will be preceded by a lighthearted look at his two companions, Amy and Rory Pond. Titled Pond Life, it’s a series of short vignettes about what the couple gets up to when they’re not zipping around time and space with The Doctor. There’s an introductory video about it on the Doctor Who Facebook page, although I’m still not sure if Pond Life will be appearing on the BBC or showing up on YouTube. Either way, it looks like fun.

Signal Ensemble Theatre continues its 10th Anniversary season with the dark comedy of Princes Of Waco by Robert Askins. It runs through September 22nd.