Slumgullion

Record Store Day and The 13th Annual CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights are coming up next month, but in the meantime, vinyl fanatics can mingle with local vendors and collectors at Beat Swap Meet this Sunday afternoon at The Empty Bottle. Admission is $5 or you can bring some canned goods for a local food pantry. The event promises a wide ranges of musical formats, including some rare (and more expensive) releases. Beat Swap Meet will run from noon until 6:00 PM, and is for all ages as long as those under 21 are accompanied by an adult.

You better sit down, kids. The full schedule for Paulpalooza was announced earlier this week, and in addition to Mr. McCartney, the massive lineup includes Florence + The Machine, Tame Impala, Django Django, and Delta Spirit. As usual, Lollapalooza sold out before it was known which acts would be appearing, so it’s likely a lot of McCartney fans were left at the starting gate. Of course, any parents who gave their kids money for tickets could now just claim those tickets as their own.

In other ex-Beatle-related news, Paul McCartney will give a speech as part of Ringo Starr’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 18th in Cleveland. The ceremony will be broadcast on HBO on May 30th.

The young but authentically psychedelic foursome Secret Colours will be bending minds at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago tonight. The Kickback, Born Cages, and American Wolf are also on the bill. Music starts at 8:00 PM.

If you follow musicians on Facebook, you’ve probably noticed a lot of them have pets. So it’s no surprise that a lineup of bands will be performing tonight at the A Cause for Paws benefit at the Underground Lounge at 952 W, Newport in Chicago. Alder Kings, Skull Fogger, Magatha Trysty, and Polarizer will be rocking to help the West Suburban Humane Society. The music starts at 7:00 PM. Magatha Trysty, by the way, promises to have a new album out some time this year.

Echoes Of Chicago is celebrating the city’s 178th birthday tomorrow night, March 28th, by bringing over 50 artists, three bands, and a marketplace to the 3rd floor of the Block Thirty Seven - Shops On State space at 108 N. State Street.

The Red Line Tap will present a two-hour variety show this Sunday, starting at 4:00 PM. Standup comedian Elizabeth Gomez will kick things off, followed by dance troupe The Revelettes; and the alternative rock bands The Darkroom Men, Gunnelpumpers, and Whitewolfsonicprincess.

Squeeze has announced that it will embark on its first UK tour in three years. The performances start on September 25th and run through October 24th. Tickets go on sale March 27th.

Those of us who remember watching The Monkees TV show on a school night can relive part of that experience by watching New Candy Store Prophets perform the band’s Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones album in its entirety at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue this coming Monday, March 30th.

Archie Powell and The Exports, the Chicago-based power pop band that tapped into a darker, speed metal place on its latest release Back in Black, are doing a free show at Empty Bottle this coming Monday night. 

The Smithereens return to The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles next Friday, April 3rd. Their last performance there was in October 2014 as part of a very fun 1980s showcase that also included The Romantics, Marshall Crenshaw, and Tommy Tutone. The format dictated that each act do a short set, but this time around, hopefully St. Charles will experience The Smithereens in all their power pop glory. 

Speaking of power pop icons, Paul Collins recently noted on Facebook that he’s honored that part of his European tour will include sharing a bill with John O’Neill of the legendary Irish punk group The Undertones, next Friday at the Sandinos Cafe - Bar in Ireland. O’Neill will be performing with artist Locky Morris as the duo Red Flare.

Four Doctors, no waiting. Doctor Who has been back on the air for 10 years now. Congratulations to Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi for bringing the time-traveling alien from the planet Galifrey back to life and helping him thrive on our modern airwaves. Also, a round of applause for all the performers who have made The Doctor’s companions so much fun. The Doctor Who Facebook page has put together a montage of some of the show’s most shared clips during that time.