Saturday Slumgullion

Eleventh Dream Day, the long-running and critically acclaimed Chicago alt-rock band, is the headliner tonight at City Made Fest in the Andersonville neighborhood. 

The Hypocrites have picked up positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times of their scaled-down version of Green Day's American Idiot. It runs through October 25 at The Den Theatre on Milwaukee Avenue. Tickets range from $28 to $36.

Mary-Arrchie Theatre kicks off its 30th and final season this week with a production of the Peter Morris two-performer play Guardians. It’s a hard-edged look at war-time atrocities.  

WXRT Program Director Norm Winer will be honored with a Fifth Star Award from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs during a ceremony on Wednesday, September 16 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Winer has been guiding the progressive rock station for over 35 years. The event is free and will include performances by Sandra Delgado and Reginald Robinson; Steppenwolf Theatre; Sweet Honey In The Rock; NTO (Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra) and the WXRT All Stars featuring Kelly Hogan, Frank Orrall, JC Brooks and Jimmy Chamberlin; and The Joffrey Ballet Exelon Strobel Step-Up Dancers.

City Winery Chicago will present Behind The Lens with Photographers Henry Diltz and Pattie Boyd this coming Wednesday, September 16. This qualifies as an official event of A Hollies Summer In Chicago since Diltz did a fantastic photo shoot with The Hollies in 1966, and took the iconic cover shot for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s debut album. He also did the cover of The Doors’ Morrison Hotel, and has worked with some of rock’s biggest stars. Boyd wrote about her marriages to George Harrison and Eric Clapton in her book Wonderful Tonight, and is also a successful photographer. Tickets for the City Winery show range from $28 to $36.

The Doctor Who-themed A Fandom Tea Party is being sponsored by the Ladies Night group from 6:00 to 8:00 PM next Wednesday, September 16 at Graham Cracker Comics at 77 E. Madison. Ladies Night group of female sci-fi/ comic nerds that usually meets at the store on the first Wednesday of each month and encourages women to “bring comics you are reading or creating, swap stories and share recommendations.” A Fandom Tea Party that will feature free tea samples and baked goods.

Great Moments In Vinyl, a collection of some of Chicago's best-know musicians who perform tributes to entire albums, will cover Cheap Thrills by Big Brother And Holding Company and Janis Joplin's Pearl next Wednesday night at Martyrs' on Lincoln Avenue.

The Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will be showcasing songs from its upcoming release Caught In The Darkness while performing on tour with Irish alt-rockers Pugwash. That tour includes a September 17 show at 27 Live in Evanston. In a recent email, Trolley frontman Paul J. Wall described Pugwash as having an "XTC, ELO, Beach Boys and Beatles style." Pugwash’s new release, Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends) came out yesterday, and the 27 Live gig will be the band's first journey to Illinois. 

I took a short break from slaving over this column to check out An Art Affair Around The Square here in Palatine. It's always a much smaller art fest than the ones in Chicago, but I did come across an interesting artist and a pair of photographers that I've haven't seen before. Fred Larucci creates a wide range of work as part of The Night Gallery, including portraits of Jimmy Stewart, Don Knotts, Madonna, Adam Ant, various monsters, and characters from Twin Peaks, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead. He also does a very realistic series of coins. Dale and Gail Horn are the photographic artists/owners of the Destiny Photographic Art  company, and offer striking photographic images from around the world on metal. An Art Affair Around The Square also runs tomorrow.

The Facebook page for Minstrel Palooza Live 2015 promises that more than a dozen bands will take part in a seven-hour celebration of the Minstrel Music store next Sunday, September 20 at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine. The actual lineup of bands (starting at 2:00 PM) remains shrouded in mystery other than the recent announcement that hard-hitting/satirical power pop band Van Go is now slated to go on at 5:00 PM instead of 4:00 PM. Minstrel Music has been serving musicians for several years in Niles, Illinois.

A number of years ago, I performed in a musical satire about Barbie, staged by the Famous In The Future comedy group, written by and starring my fellow group member Desiree Burcum. My part was a Dapper Dan doll who had an unrequited obsession with the statuesque fashionista, and we had a duet that proved I don't have a ounce of musical talent. (Although I did write the lyrics to that song.) Hopefully, there will be no Dapper Dan crooning at the Carson Roberts Department Store Kenvention 2015, which takes place next Thursday through Saturday at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel in Rosemont, IL. Over 30 dealers will be offering Barbie, Ken, and other dolls, along with assorted fashion accessories.