Slumgullion

The big news on the Chicago concert front this week was that U2 will be bringing its The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 to Soldier Field on June 3. Tickets go on sale this coming Tuesday.

Tickets are already on sale for the Adrian Belew Power Trio on April 1 at the Old Town School of Folk Music; Cheap Trick and Foreigner on August 9 at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island; Ides Of March on March 1 at City Winery; Nouvelle Vague, the coed French outfit that transforms punk classics into enticing lounge music, on March 27 at Metro; and John Sebastian on April 9 at SPACE in Evanston.

Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’ Gloria, which was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, opens tomorrow at the Goodman Theatre here in Chicago. The Evan Cabnet-directed play concerns “twentysomething editorial assistants” working at one of New York’s most prestigious arts magazines. Take out twentysomething, New York, and prestigious, and that could have been about my life at various times.

Sons Of The Silent Age, the impressive, Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band, will be performing his Low album and other songs this Sunday night, January 15, at Metro. The event is part of the 2017 Tomorrow Never Knows festival.

Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir Of ‘60s and Beyond takes place this Sunday at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on Chicago’s north side.

There’s an all-ages, four-band showcase taking place tomorrow, January 14 from 3:00 to 8 p.m. at 2200 N. California. The Hustle, a quartet that includes vocalist-bassist Ted Ansani from Material Issue and Material Reissue, is hosting the event. The other acts performing are The Ex Okays, The Safes (whose CDs have been favorably reviewed her on BHT), and The Differents. Admission is $8.

For a while, it looked scheduling problems would keep the Chicago Cubs from visiting the White House while fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama is still in Office. All that appears to have been straightened out, so Cubs manager Joe Madden will bring his World Series champions to meet the president this Monday. Congratulations to the Cubs on so charismatically brushing aside a century of baseball frustration, and congratulations to Mr. Obama for eight years of effective, compassionate, and classy leadership.

WXRT air personalities Lin Brehmer and Marty Lennartz will team up for a live broadcast  from The Chicago Cubs Convention tomorrow afternoon from noon to 4:00 p.m. Brehmer and Lennartz, who are longtime Cubs fans, will welcome Joe Maddon, National League MVP Kris Bryant, Ryne Sandburg, and Justin Grimm, along with broadcaster Len Kasper and Cubs executive Crane Kenney.

Also on WXRT, overnight DJ Emma Mac kicks off her new show Deep Digs At Dawn show from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m.

Looking ahead: Tomorrow The Moon opens for the Boston-based InAeona trio on February 24 at Live Wire. Psychedelic Saturday takes place the next day at Live Wire, with hosts The Red Plastic Buddha, along with Diagonal, Lord Stanley, and Duende. The George Harrison Birthday Tribute Concert, hosted by Ellis Clark and The Big Parade featuring Ary Paloma Jeebie takes place at Martyrs’ on February 25. Special guests include Mars Williams from The Psychedelic Furs, Carla Prather of Poi Dog Pondering, Phil Angotti, The Handcuffs, Aethereal, Social Act, The Polkaholics and Gunnar Cleermann.

Walk like a comedian. Singer-guitarist Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles will be going for laughs this Sunday when she joins Tamara Yajia and Petra Hayden as part of the 16th Annual SF Sketch Fest in San Francisco.

Happy Birthday to Gary Klebe of Shoes. I interviewed the iconic power pop band on two occasions for the Illinois Entertainer, and Klebe, along with Jeff and John Murphy, was friendly and very informative.

The Experience Hendrix all-star tribute to the legendary guitarist comes to the Chicago Theatre on March 25. Performers include Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dweezil Zappa, and others.

George Takei, still one of the most popular actors from the original Star Trek, will be at the Chicago Theatre on February 4. Look for Takei to reminisce about his role as Mr. Sulu, and offer some insightful social commentary. The flick Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan will be screened as part of the show.

I still plan to do my annual Big Ideas post, in which I solicit contributions and come up with my own suggestions for what creative types hope to or should accomplish in the coming year. Anyone who’d like to participate can send me a short message with your plan via brokenheartedly@gmail.com. Since I’m so late in starting this, I’ll be accepting contributions through the end of January.