Slumgullion

Photo from the Jeff Tweedy Facebook page.

The state of Wisconsin has been plastering ads around the Chicago area trying to lure millennials up north. I can’t say the idea has any appeal for me. Here’s some entertainment news about Chicago and beyond.

Tickets went on sale today for The Breeders at The Vic on May 8; Jeff Tweedy at The Vic on April 27 and 28; and Suzanne Vega at City Winery Chicago on May 5 and May 6.

Lifeline Theatre’s 21st Annual Filet Of Solo kicks off tonight and will run on weekends at Lifeline Theatre and Heartland Studio Theatre through January 28. The festival will feature solo performances by Lily Be; Ada Cheng; Shelby Marie Edwards; Julie Gannet; Carly Jo Geer; R.C. Riley; and Jameson Wentworth. There will also be tales spun by Around The World: Immigrant Stories; GayCo; GeNarrations; the kates; The Lifeline Storytelling Project; Sappho’s Salon; Serving The Sentence; Stir Friday Night; The Stoop; Sweat Girls; Tellin’ Tales Theatre, featuring Tekkie Lomnicki; and You’re Being Ridiculous. Tickets are $10 for each performance; festival passes are available for $50. See the Lifeline website for the full schedule.

The January issue of New City includes a cover story on The 50 People Who Really Perform For Chicago on the local theatre scene.

Big Brother’s Vinyl will be playing songs from the 1960s and 1970 at the Arlington Ale House (third floor) in Arlington Heights tomorrow night. The opening act Lizzy Petitt and the Bandwagon will perform a mix of 1960s and contemporary rock. The music starts at 7:30 p.m.

Band Called Catch celebrates its 10th anniversary with a show tomorrow night at Martyrs’. Past members are scheduled to join in the fun. The show will be preceded by sets from Laura Glyda, Buffalo Rose, and Todd Kessler.

A recent Facebook post from International Pop Overthrow Founder/CFO David Bash presented his annual best releases list, a super size document that comprises over 300 titles scattered across 13 categories. All of which makes my 2017 Favorites list, which I’m hoping to post by month’s end, look like a chicken nugget by comparison. Actually, Bash’s Albums List, like his IPO website, is a great way to discover new artists. His top album of the year? Shag by the Los Angeles-based power pop band Sitcom Neighbor.

Longtime Chicago rock critic Peter Margasak listed his Favorite Albums of 2017 in this week’s issue of The Reader. His number one pick was Peasant by English singer-songwriter Richard Dawson.

The Celebrating David Bowie tribute concert arrives in America on February 10, following a series of European dates throughout January. It’s coming to The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Friday, February 23. Adrian Belew. Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Bernard Fowler, Angelo Moore , Gerry Leonard, Joe Sumner, Carmine Rojas will be performing, along with other guest musicians.

Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies will perform as a duo at City Winery Chicago on January 31. It part of the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour.

My nephew Joe Flamm continues his run on the Bravo channel’s Top Chef; having made it through the sixth episode last night.

The Moody Blues’ induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later this year won’t feel the same now that flute player/vocalist Ray Thomas has passed away. He played a major role in the band’s melodic and imaginative progressive rock and will be missed.

The Chicago Inc. column in today’s Chicago Tribune mentioned that MTV is considering Chicago as the location of a Jersey Shore spinoff called Family Vacation featuring the original cast. Now there’s a group of people who would be better off choosing Wisconsin.