Tributes And Treats

The Abbey Pub on Chicago’s northwest side will offer an evening of tribute bands tomorrow night, starting at 9:00 PM. Get Back will play a set of music by The Beatles; singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and his band Beachwood Park will cover The Zombies; Guns And Ammunition will take on The Clash; and Frank J. Canino will travel further back in time than any of the other three acts to impersonate Roy Orbison. As far as I know, this is the first time The Abbey has done a show like this in some time, so it would be great if a lot of people came to show their support. Admission is $8.00. 

Also on tomorrow night, Soundtrack Serenade will perform the entire soundtrack from Pulp Fiction at the High Hat Club on Irving Park Road in Chicago. Pulp Fiction cast member/Saturday Night Live veteran Julia Sweeney will be on hand for a Q & A session. The show starts at 9:00 PM, admission is $7.

In other tribute shows news, Halloweekend: The Return is scheduled for October 30th and October 31st at Wall To Wall Recording at 676 N. LaSalle, just north of downtown in Chicago. The Halloweekend Facebook  page promises a bar and a full lineup of bands. This annual event offers five sets each night, and was the inspiration for my It’s All Party Of My Rock And Roll Fantasy post (August 18th, 2014) in which I suggested a number of famous acts for the participating local bands to cover. Once again, no one took my advice. That heartbreak aside, there are a number of reasons to celebrate this year’s edition.

First, Halloweekend is back to two nights, after having been cut down to one at Martyrs’ in 2013. Plus, a number of its best performers from over the years (it has been at The Abbey Pub as well as Martyrs’) are on board for 2014, and their choices are eclectic and inspired. Phil Angotti, who has successfully honored The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Squeeze, and The Doors, will be taking on Tom Petty this time around. Androgynous Mustache, a group that does tribute shows year ‘round and nailed The Replacements at a previous Halloweekend gig, are doing The J. Geils Band.

Metropolly is fronted by Holly Senchak, a versatile singer-guitarist who impressed in previous shows as Courtney Love, Liz Phair, and the female half of ABBA. She’ll be leading Metropolly through a series of Blondie hits on Halloween night. Will Phalen was so good covering Beck last year, I’m looking forward to his Johnny Cash W/ June Carter set with Anna Phalen this time around. The Bon Mots have offered several entertaining impersonations in the past, and this time they’ll be playing that old time rock and roll of Bob Seger. 

The other acts on board for Halloweekend 2014 are Neal Alger And Co. as King Crimson; Johnny And The Creeps as 2015 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees The Smiths; Dirty Pigeons as Queen; Falldown as Uncle Tupelo; and Chris Dorf And Friends as The Cars. As usual, I suspect some of these band names are nom de plumes for the musicians involved. Admission for each night is $10.