Slumgullion

Riot Fest will celebrate 15 years of bringing counter-culture and alt rock music to Chicago on the weekend of September 13 – 15. The recently announced schedule includes The Raconteurs; Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets; The Selector; The Flaming Lips; Patti Smith and her band; Violent Femmes; The B-52’s; Bob Mould; Guided By Voices; and The Beaches. Tickets went on sale earlier today.

The Graham Crackers Comics location at 3162 N. Broadway is presenting CHIDRINK AND CADRAWGO tomorrow night from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. It’s being billed as Chicago’s Highest Rated Drink and Draw, and supplies will be provided.

Tickets went on sale today for Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen at Old Town Scholl of Folk Music on October 13; Ladytron at Metro on December 11; Ingrid Michaelson at The Vic on October 19; Archie Powell and The Exports, with Mutts, Lung, and Vamos at Cobra Lounge on June 29; Willie Nile at SPACE on October 18; and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, Shaggy, and Steel Pulse at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater on September 18.

CAKE - The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo comes to the Center on Halsted for a celebration and marketplace of independent comics tomorrow and Sunday.

According to the June issue of the Illinois Entertainer, new albums we’ll see this month include Neil Young’s TUSCALOOSA, Perry Farrell’s Kind Heaven, and Santana’s Africa Speak on June 7; Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ Black Star on June 14; and The Raconteurs’ Help Us Stranger on June 21.

Barak Goodman’s new documentary Woodstock - Three Days That Defined A Generation is having its Chicago premiere tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center and run through June 6.

Van Go Red Wigglers, MOULTON, and M. Winfield McEwen from Black Cat Heart Attack are slated to perform at the Porchfest Lakeview Chicago festival being held next Sunday, June 2 at 1309 W. Wolfram Street in Chicago. All ages are invited, and it’s suggested that you bring a cooler and lawn chairs. The event last from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Al Stewart returns to City Winery Chicago next Monday, with The Empty Pockets as his opening act. 

Black Ensemble Theatre continues its popular series of shows honoring legendary African American performers with its production of Style And Grace: In Tribute To Lena Horne and Nancy Wilson. It runs through June 30.

Ghostlight Ensemble will perform The Selfish Giant at Otherworld Theatre June 8 through June 30 on Saturdays and Sundays. Maria Burnham’s play is based on the Oscar Wilde short story of that same name, and is meant to warn audiences of all ages of the pitfalls of selfishness.

Music On Stage wraps up its production of The Producers – A Mel Brooks Musical at Cutting Hall in Palatine this weekend.

Four Chords and a Gun, actor John Ross Bowie’s drama about The Ramones recording their End Of The Century album under the guidance (influence?) of Phil Spector, continues its run at The Broadway Playhouse in Chicago.

The Joliet Library’s 10th Annual Star Wars Day takes place tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festivities will include a parade, games, costumes, live music, and food vendors.

Everything But Breakfast For Four Hundred Thousand People

The new documentary Woodstock – Three Days That Defined A Generation has its Chicago premiere tomorrow night at the Gene Siskel Film Center on State Street. Director Barak Goodman’s film features footage that’s never been seen before, and serves as a fitting way to start a summer that’s bringing a number of ways to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the iconic rock festival. There will be tribute concerts in addition to screenings of Goodman’s film, and a multi-CD box set for people who want to get their hippie on in the privacy of their living rooms.

As reported on The Second Disc website, Rhino plans to release Woodstock - Back To The Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive. It’s a 38-CD box set that captures the Woodstock experience from start to finish, including 267 previously unreleased songs and several announcements. It comes with a hardbound book by Michael Lang, a replica of the original program, Henry Diltz photo prints, and a life-size hologram of Wavy Gravy serving breakfast. Just kidding about that last part.

At the Metropolis Performing Centre in Arlington Heights, Soundtracks Of A Generation will present its 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Woodstcok Era on July 12. The live performances of songs by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and other acts will be augmented by a “documentary style narrative that recalls and explains the time frame.”

For a Woodstock-related experience, check out the Louder Than Words – Rock Power Politics exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. It’s just down the street from the Gene Siskel Center, and runs through the end of August. Echo In The Canyon, Andrew Slater’s new documentary about L.A.’s Laurel Canyon scene in the 1960s, comes to the Music Box Theatre on Chicago’s north side on June 21. Jakob Dylan, who appears in the film, will be on hand for opening night.

From L.A. To Chicago With Speed

The original lineup of X, one of first, most influential, and enduring bands from the original L.A. punk scene, comes to the House Of Blues in Chicago tomorrow night. I still have fond memories of blasting Wild Gift on my record player back in 1981, and recording high speed, off-kilter gems like “The Once Over Twice” and “In This House That I Call Home” for my mixed cassettes. According to writer Jeff Elbel’s interview with vocalist-bassist John Doe in last Friday’s Chicago Sun-Times, Doe and vocalist Exene Cervenka have been writing new material, with five songs already recorded. The bands Damned and Detroit Cobras are also on the bill at House Of Blues tomorrow night; the doors open at 8:00 p.m.

The Go-Go’s emerged from that same frantic Los Angeles scene, although the effervescent songs on their Beauty and The Beat debut would bring them much more mainstream success than X. I first encountered them via the Stiff Records 45 single “We Got The Beat” I bought at Wax Trax!and soon after saw them on the rock stage at ChicagoFest on Navy Pier. The Go-Go’s aren’t coming to town that I know of, but Head Over Heels, the musical inspired by their music, opens at Theater Wit in a Kokandy Productions staging on August 1. It previously enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in New York. Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont.

Incoming

Photo from The Bishop’s Dare Devil Stunt Club Facebook page.

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club’s show this Friday night at the GMan Tavern on Clark Street is a celebration for the band’s latest album as well as the launch of the indie label releasing it. End Over End is due out soon on Big Blast Records, the revived indie label run by WNUR radio’s Power Pop Shoppe host Kirk Fox and local musician Mark Watson. In a review of The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club’s 2017 album Don’t Buy This Record, I described it as “a ten-song effort that mostly follows in the tradition of fellow Midwestern acts like Wilco and The Webstirs, but also explores 1980s style synth rock.” The Mark Watson Band’s Beautiful EP has also come out on Big Blast, and they’ll be at GMan this Friday as well. The power pop quartet Gal Gun is also on the bill. GMan Tavern is located at 3740 N. Clark, the music starts at 7:30 p.m.

The triple bill of Go Time, The Spindles, and 45 Souls coming up this Thursday at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue has a special bonus. Drummer Brad Elvis, currently with The Handcuffs and The Romantics, is going to join The Spindles for a few songs by his former (and still beloved) band The Elvis Brothers. The Spindles covered the Elvis Brothers song “Santa Fe” on their most recent album Past and Present. Showtime is 8:00 p.m.

On the following night at Martyrs’, EXPO ’76 will mark a career milestone with its 10 Years Of Musical Triumph event. They’ll be joined by their frequent cohorts The Total Pro Horns, along with special guest vocalists Kelly Hogan and Robert Cornelius.

Slumgullion

Summerfest, Milwaukee’s annual outdoor music bash, has announced its 2019 schedule, which once again showcases several genres of music. Willie Nelson; Death Cab For Cutie; Brandi Carlile; Chvrches; Courtney Barnett; Rodrigo Y Gabriela; Catfish And The Bottlemen; Liz Phair; The Roots; Steve Earle And The Dukes; Robert Randolph and The Family Band; X; Guided By Voices; 10,000 Maniacs; The Spinners; and Willy Porter are among the scheduled acts. SummerFest runs from June 26 to June 30, takes a breather, and then continues July 2 to July 7.

There are four major art fairs coming up in Chicago in the next two weeks. The 57th Street Art Fair and the Gold Coast Art Fair take place next Saturday and Sunday, and The Old Town Art Fair and the Wells Street Art Festival will be held on Saturday, June 8 and 9. Other art fairs on the horizon include Millennium Art Festival on June 28 through June 30 and Artfest Michigan Avenue on July 19 and 20.

Filmmaker Balin Schneider is working on a documentary titled Material Issue And The Power Pop Renaissance. The band’s drummer Mike Zelenko recently posted about the project on Facebook and suggested people contact Schneider with any MI anecdotes or info they might have.

The Belmont/Sheffield Festival runs tomorrow and Sunday, with the highlight being a 4:15 p.m. show by The Handcuffs. On Monday, you can catch The Handcuffs at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side.

Van Go, Red Wigglers, MOULTON, and M. Winfield McEwen from Black Cat Heart Attack are slated to perform at the Porchfest Lakeview Chicago festival being held next Sunday, June 2 at 1309 W. Wolfram Street in Chicago. All ages are invited, and it’s suggested that you bring a cooler and lawn chairs. The event last from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Comic Con Revolution will be held next Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont. The event promises comics, creators, toys, panels, a cosplay contest and special guests.

There’s a triple bill of Go Time, The Spindles, and 45 Souls coming up on May 30 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. Showtime is 8:00 p.m.

Music On Stage’s production of The Producers – A Mel Brooks Musical opened tonight at Cutting Hall in Palatine and will this weekend and next.

The Chicago Underground Film Festival will run from June 5 to June 9, primarily at the Logan Theatre. It’s billed as the longest running underground film festival in the world.

Louder Than Words: Rock Politics Power opened today and will run through the end of August at the Museum Of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The multimedia exhibit employs videos, photos, newspapers, and other memorabilia to explore how rock music has influenced and has been influenced by society from its earliest days. General admission is $18.

This year’s Nowhere Else Festival kicked off today in Martinsville, Ohio and runs through Sunday. Founded by Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist of the Cincinnati-based Over The Rhine band, it’s being billed as, “A Weekend Overflowing With Music, Art, Earth and Sky.” In addition to Over The Rhine, the other acts scheduled include Band Of Sweethearts; James McMurtry; Birds Of Chicago; John Paul White; Leigh Nash; Joan Shelley; and Carrie Newcomer.

EXPO ’76 will mark a career milestone with its 10 Years Of Musical Triumph event next Friday night at Martyrs’. They’ll be joined by their frequent cohorts The Total Pro Horns, along with special guest vocalists Kelly Hogan and Robert Cornelius. Tradition dictates that a 10th anniversary be celebrated with tin or aluminum, and at least one website notes the daffodil is the official flower of the 10th wedding anniversary. Plan your gifts for EXPO ’76 accordingly.

The fun and cleverly named power pop band The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club has a record release show coming up next Friday, May 31 at the GMan Tavern. Gal Gun and the Mark Watson Band will also be on the bill that night.

Barak Goodman’s new documentary Woodstock - Three Days That Defined A Generation will have its Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center next Friday, May 31, and run through June 6.

Four Chords and a Gun, actor John Ross Bowie’s drama about The Ramones recording their End Of The Century album under the guidance (influence?) of Phil Spector, continues its run at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place in Chicago through June 2.

CAKE - The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo comes to the Center on Halsted for a two-day celebration and marketplace of independent comics next Saturday, June 1 and 2. Special guests include Ezra Claytan Daniels, Nicholas Gurewitch, and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Admission is free.

The Joliet Library’s 10th Annual Star Wars Day takes place next Saturday, June 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festivities will include a parade, games, costumes, live music, and food vendors.

Signs Of Summer

Memorial Day weekend is often seen as the unofficial start of summer, and this year, Chicagoans have a street festival with one of the city’s best bands to help us celebrate. The Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, with the highlight being a 4:15 p.m. show by The Handcuffs on Saturday. Led by vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis (who’s also a member of The Romantics) the band has recorded three impressive albums filled with catchy indie rock songs. They’re currently wrapping up a new album, so there’s a good chance we’ll be hearing some new songs at the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival. Two days later, you can catch The Handcuffs at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side.

This year’s lineup for Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago (August 10 – 12) has been announced, and while it’s disappointing The Zombies aren’t among the guests—they were at the NY Fest edition—there’s still plenty to like. Alan White, who was a member of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Yes, will be making his Fest - Chicago debut. White was also among the noted musicians who joined John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the 1969 Toronto Rock And Roll Festival, and helped out on George Harrison’s All Thing Must Pass album.

Jeremy Clyde has performed at The Fest with Chad and Jeremy partner Chad Stuart, as well as Peter Asher. This year, he’s going solo, backed a guitarist, cellist, and violinist. Other celebrity guests include former Wings members Steve Holley, Laurence Juber, and Denny Laine, and former Apple Records manager Ken Mansfield. The Beatles tribute band Liverpool will be back again, along with The Weeklings, who mix obscure Beatles songs with catchy, British Invasion-flavored originals.

You Can Read It In The Sunday Papers

Pretend it's the graphic for the Hollywood Casino show in Tinley Park.

The Who’s Moving On tour comes to the Chicago area tomorrow night for a concert at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. According to an article by Jeff Elbel in last Friday’s Chicago Sun-Times, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry will likely perform bits from Tommy and Quadrophenia, along with a selection of deep album tracks. A new album—The Who’s Tommy Orchestral—is due out next month, and these guys have also been working on songs for the first new Who album in over 10 years.

I mentioned last Friday that critically acclaimed singer-guitarist Courtney Barnett will be one of the headliners at this year’s Taste Of Chicago, which runs July 10 – 14. There will also be a full schedule of local acts rocking on the Goose Island Stage, according to Chicago Tribune writer Jessi Roti. Another highlight for those who don’t bother with the food at Taste but enjoy the entertainment will be the debut of a Theatre Garden garden featuring shows by Second City and other Chicago-based theatre groups.

Yesterday’s edition of the ChicagoSun-Times included a 63-page special magazine titled Walk This Way - Straight ahead: Your guide to the perfect Chicago summer. It lists several art shows and concerts coming up in the next few (hopefully warmer) months.

Knock, knock, knocking down shots of Heaven’s Door. There’s a full-page ad in this month’s edition of Michigan Avenue for Bob Dylan’s new line of whiskeys, Heaven’s Door. It sounds like a National Lampoon bit, but this posh magazine isn’t known for satire. “We wanted to create a collection of whiskeys, that in their own way, tell a story,” Dylan is quoted in the ad copy. The tag is, HANDCRAFTED, AWARD-WINNING. UNCOMPROMISING. Not sure if that refers to the alcohol or Bob.

Slumgullion

Four Chords and a Gun, actor John Ross Bowie’s drama about The Ramones recording their End Of The Century album under the guidance (influence?) of Phil Spector, opens tomorrow night at The Broadway Playhouse in Chicago. The official website stresses this is not a musical, which makes me think it might be like Aftermath, Ronan Marra’s terrific Rolling Stones play that was performed by Signal Ensemble back in 2010. Four Chords and a Gun, the website explains, is “A Play Followed By A Concert.” It runs through June 2.

Speaking of The Rolling Stones, they’ll kick off their rescheduled No Filter Tour with gigs at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 21 and June 25. A recent clip of Mick Jagger practicing his dance moves proves he’s still more agile than a lot of people on this planet.

The 7th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, which bills itself as “The only film festival created and curated by a film critics association,” opened today and runs through May 23 at the Music Box Theatre.

Tickets went on sale today for Waterboys at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on September 29. They’ll be doing two shows that day, one at 5:00 p.m. and one at 8:00 p.m.

Courtney Barnett will be among the headline acts at this year’s Taste of Chicago. She’s scheduled for July 10, with Sunflower Bean as the opening act. India.Arie and Meshell Ndegeocello share a double bill at The Taste on July 14.

The 10th Annual Chicago Zine Fest - A Self-Publishing Celebration has been staging events the past few days, and will wrap up with its Exhibition Day tomorrow at Plumbers Union Hall just west of downtown Chicago. More than 250 self publishers will be on hand.

Former Houndmouth vocalist Katie Toupin has a gig coming up at Schubas this Sunday to showcase her new solo effort, Magnetic Moves. The album is due out June 14.

L7 will most likely be playing songs from their recently released album Scatter The Rats when they rock the Metro this coming Tuesday. The four-woman band was originally part of the grunge scene and reformed in 2017.

Vintage Garage Chicago will hold a flea market this Sunday featuring clothing, jewelry, and assorted other items. Admission is $6.

Robbie Fulks will be performing Doc Watson songs at 2:00 p.m. at the Evanston History Center this Sunday as part of the Out Of Space series created by the suburb’s well-known music venue SPACE.

International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool continues its run at the Cavern Pub and Cavern Club through this Tuesday, May 21.

If you enjoy The Handcuffs’s show at the Belmont/Sheffield Street Fest next Saturday, May 25, you can catch them again two days later at Montrose Saloon. They’ll be sharing a double bill with The Convincers. It’s a record release party for The Convincers.

Chicago’s Irish Music Community suffered a major loss this week with the passing of Noah Rice, a long-time teacher at the Irish Academy Of Music and founding member of the Baal Tinne band. Rice was a familiar face at the annual Irish Fest at the Academy, as well as the Celtic Fest that used to held in Grant Park. His students and family will no doubt carry on his love of Irish music and culture.

Saturday Slumgullion

Photo from the Johnny Marr Facebook page.

Hi Hello, Johnny. Welcome back to Chicago. Johnny Marr’s USA Comet Tour 2019 arrives in Chicago this Monday, May 13 for a show at The Vic Theater. Call The Comet, his third straight solo masterpiece, came out in 2018.

Slumgullion didn’t appear in its usual Friday night spot due to my wife Pam and I attending the ArtReach Educational Theatre and Spotlite Theatrix production of Mamma Mia at Cutting Hall in Palatine. I’m not an avid ABBA fan, but I believe that this type of production—where kids are introduced to the performing arts with mentoring from adults—should be encouraged. All of the adult cast members sang well; most of the kids put their hearts into it; and the finale had a big, good-time feel.

Tickets are now on sale for Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Gal Gun, and the Mark Watson Band at GMan Tavern on May 31; Hot Stove Cool Music With Peter Gammons and More at Metro on June 7; Megan McDonough at SPACE on July 6; the Neo Reunion at Metro on July 20; New Duncan Imperials at FitzGerald’s on July 27; and Nots and Olivia Neutron-John at Subterranean on June 4.

International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool, which is the second hottest topic in the UK right now—next to the new royal baby—kicks off this Tuesday, May 14 and will run through May 21 at the Cavern Pub and Cavern Club. The event brings in acts from around the globe, including Yanks like The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Cub and The Jeremy Band. The IPO website has the full schedule.

This week’s edition of Redeye includes the Chicago free paper’s annual festival guide. Compiled by Aine Dougherty, it provides an amazingly diverse schedule of outdoor events coming up from May through September. I always keep this list as a resource to make sure I don’t miss any of my favorite events.

Former Houndmouth vocalist Katie Toupin has a gig coming up at Schubas next Sunday May 19. Toupin has been employing an effective social media blitz to promote her first solo effort, Magnetic Moves, which is due out June 14.

The Handcuffs plan to return to Chicago’s outdoor festival scene with a “big, long, rocking set” at the Belmont/Sheffield Street Fest on Saturday, May 25. I’m guessing a few new tunes may turn up at that gig since the band has been working on its next album for a while now.

Girls Rock! Chicago is having a fundraiser next Sunday, May 19 at Sleeping Village on Belmont Avenue.

There’s a triple bill of Go Time, The Spindles, and 45 Souls coming up on May 30 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. The first two acts have garnered praise here on Broken Hearted Toy for their recordings and live shows; 45 Souls is a roots rock, American duo that I’ve haven’t seen yet. Their latest CD, Free, came out early last month. Showtime is 8:00 p.m.

CAKE - The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo comes to the Center on Halsted for a two-day celebration and marketplace of independent comics on June 1 and 2. Special guests include Ezra Claytan Daniels, Nicholas Gurewitch, and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Admission is free.

L7 recently released its latest album, Scatter The Rats, and will most likely be playing songs from it when they rock the Metro on May 21. The four-woman band was originally part of the grunge scene and reformed in 2017.

Vintage Garage Chicago has a flea market featuring clothing, jewelry, and assorted other items coming on May 19 in Evanston. Admission is $6.

Robbie Fulks will be performing Doc Watson songs at 2:00 p.m. at the Evanston History Center next Sunday, May 19. The show is part of the Out Of Space series created by the suburb’s well-known music venue SPACE.

The Young Authors organization is offering a Write To The City Summer Camp for educators and aspiring poets and activists (ages 12 – 25) at the University of Illinois on July 8 through July12.

Rolling Stone recently reported that Liz Phair’s memoir Horror Stories will be published by Random House in October.

The 7th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, which bills itself as “The only film festival created and curated by a film critics association,” starts next Friday, May 17 and runs through May 23 at the Music Box Theatre.

whitewolfsonicprincess - The Alternate Boot Vols. 1 and 2

Those of us who first encountered Carla Hayden and James Moeller performing with their Black Forest theatre group probably have an advantage navigating the mystical lyrics of its musical offshoot whitewolfsonicprincess. The band has definitely established its own identity, but it still retains theatrical elements. On The Alternate Boot Vols. 1 and 2, whitewolfsonicprincess once again weaves energetic guitars and percussion through otherwise slow-moving arrangements.

Like U2 on its recent releases, whitewolfsonicprincess seems obsessed with the darkness and bad will that engulfs the modern world but feels there’s a light that can save us. “So Clear” invokes visions of a holy trinity as Hayden sings, “In forgiveness they cut through despair./Their lips painting words on the air.” Hayden takes an ethereal approach to her vocals, while Moeller’s singing is more conversational. They frequently join together on the chorus.

Moeller’s sense of loss regarding global unrest is unmistakable on the gritty “Sadness In The World,” but he defiantly proclaims, “Let’s paint it in the colors of love.” Hayden’s voice underscores the magic of “Dance A Wave” as she declares, “The ocean was my love./The darkness knew my name.” “I Close My Eyes” has a bluesy feel that also echoes the Jimi Hendrix rendition of Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” and “Brown Eyes” offers an enticing mix of adventurous and intricate instrumentation.

Incoming

Marquee Moon will shine in Lincoln Park. Television, one of the first and most influential acts to don the punk label, have two shows coming up this Friday at the Old Town School of Folk Music. The first is at 7:00 p.m., the second at 10:00 p.m. The New York City band, led by vocalist-guitarist Tom Verlaine, released its critically acclaimed debut Marquee Moon in 1977. Chicago-based singer-songwriter Half Gringa is the opening act. She’ll be performing songs from her debut album Gruñona.

Johnny Marr’s USA Comet Tour 2019 arrives in Chicago for a show at The Vic Theater next Monday, May 13. Marr first attracted world-wide attention for his distinctive guitar playing for The Smiths in Manchester, UK back in the early 1980s. He went on to perform with Modest Mouse, The Pretenders, and The Cribs. He’s excelled as a solo artist too, releasing his third impressive effort, Call The Comet in 2018.

There will be five components to the 10th Annual Chicago Zine Fest - A Self-Publishing Celebration, starting with a Zine Archives Visit and Zines + Social Justice Panel at DePaul University next Thursday, May 16. On May 17, there will be a CZF Exhibitor Reading at Quimby’s Bookstore, plus Zine Jeopardy at Cards Against Humanity Theater. Exhibition Day on Saturday will feature more than 250 self-publishers to Plumbers Union Hall. See the Chicago Zine Fest website for all the details.

Slumgullion

Barak Goodman’s new documentary Woodstock - Three Days That Defined A Generation will have its Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center on May 31, and run through June 6.

Tickets went on sale today for Berlin at City Winery Chicago on September 10; EXPO ’76 with Kelly Hogan and Robert Cornelius, and Katie Belle and the Belle Rangers at Martyrs’ on May 31; Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington at Huntington Bank Pavilion on August 10; Over The Rhine at SPACE on August 16; Son Volt at SPACE on July 13; and Sunday Papers, a Joe Jackson Tribute, at SPACE on June 23.

Martyrs’ is inviting family and friends of David Daniel Horn, a staff member who recently passed away, to attend a gathering in his honor at the music venue this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. There will be a cash bar and food to purchase. Martyrs’ encourages contributions to cover the cost of Horn’s funeral.

New albums released today include Scatter The Rats by L7; These Times by The Dream Syndicate; and Father Of The Bride by Vampire Weekend. Next Friday will bring We Get By from Mavis Staples; and on May 24, we’ll see My Songs by Sting and California Sun by Morrisey.

JBTV will present the band Actors this Saturday night at Chop Shop on North Avenue in Chicago. Bootblacks, The Bellwether Syndicate, and DJ Greg Corner from the band Kill Hannah will also be on hand.

A new production of the ABBA jukebox musical Mamma Mia by Art Reach Educational Theatre and Spotlite Theatrix kicks off tonight at Cutting Hall in Palatine and will run this weekend and next Friday and Saturday.

From Netflix to The Old Vic. London Theatre Direct website writer Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels reports that Claire Foy and Matt Smith from the acclaimed series The Crown will be joining forces again for a production of the Duncan Macmillan play Lungs at the Old Vic Theatre in the UK. Daniels describes Lungs as a “darkly hilarious drama.” Of course, many of us know Smith, who referred to me as ‘mate’ while autographing his photo at the Ace Comic Con in Chicago, from his portrayal of The Doctor on Doctor Who.

Tickets are now on sale for the Chicago edition of Hot Stove Cool Music (there’s one in Boston as well) taking place on June 7 at Metro. The annual baseball/rock and roll mashup helps Chicago Cubs President of Operations Theo Epstein, his brother Paul, and award-winning sportswriter Peter Gammons raise funds for the Foundation To Be Named Later. See yesterday’s post for more details.

Power pop musician Lannie Flowers continues his string of monthly free downloads on the SpyderPop website with the catchy “What Did I Know.” Flowers plans to release a free song each month up to the release of his next album Home comes out, and none of those songs will be on the album.

Reggies Music Joint on State Street is offering A Day Of Psychedelia on Sunday, June 16 featuring two bands for a $5 cover. Ovadya, whose music has been described as “Pink Floyd Meets the MidEast,” will be performing songs from its Black Fire album, and whitewolfsonicprincess will be spotlighting music from its new album The Alternate Boot Vols 1 and 2, along with earlier releases. The show starts at 4:00 p.m.

Thrift Store Halo have a CD release bash for their latest effort Consolation Prize Fighter coming up at the Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant in Downers Grover on June 6. The Chicago-based power pop trio did extremely well on the indie rock charts with their 2017 full-length album Pop Rocket and has already seen its first single from Consolation, “Once,” grab the number one spot on Monie’s New Music Radio in England.

Chicago’s critically acclaimed alt rock veterans Smoking Popes have gigs coming up next Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, at the Bottom Lounge. They’ll be performing with Flatfoot 56, The Sidekicks, and Sincere Engineer on Friday, and with Direct Hit!, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, and War On Women on Saturday. Bottom Lounge is located west of downtown at 1375 W. Lake.

Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin has an upcoming exhibit titled Sub Veintiuno (Sub 21). It’s a juried showcase of Latino artists under the age of 21 and runs from May 10 through May 26.

The Arts and Entertainment section of this past Thursday’s Chicago Tribune featured author David Kirby’s review of the new David Browne book Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock’s Greatest Super Group. The piece, picked up from The Washington Post, makes Browne’s deep dive into the band’s history sound well worth buying. Reading the story again of how Stephen Stills and David Crosby saw Graham Nash performing with The Hollies at The Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles in 1968 and were so impressed they wanted to “steal him” for their new band makes me wonder if any footage exists of that show. It would not only show The Hollies at the height of Nash’s tenure with them but also capture the conception of one of the most important groups in rock history.

Rocking Out Near The Ball Park

Tickets are now on sale for the Chicago edition of Hot Stove Cool Music being presented by Google, True Value, KPMG, and Chicago Trading Company on June 7 at Metro. The annual baseball/rock and roll mashup helps Chicago Cubs President of Operations Theo Epstein, his brother Paul, and award-winning sportswriter Peter Gammons raise funds for the Foundation To Be Named Later. The Foundation is dedicated to “improving lives through education, leadership and the healthy development of youth and families.”

Theo Epstein and Chicago Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper will be rocking with the Chicago All-Stars, while Peter Gammons, Bernie Williams, Jake Peavy and Will Dailey perform as the Boston All-Stars.
The evening will also feature WXRT morning personality and long-time Cubs fan Lin Brehmer and former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster as emcees, and the Chicago Children’s Choir. And it should be a blast to see Band Of Their Own, which includes members of The Bangles, Belly, Letters To Cleo, The Flat Five, and Blake Babies, jamming on a number of hit songs. Metro is located just down the street from Wrigley Field.

Incoming

Tickets go on sale this Friday for the Neo Reunion: 4 Decades event taking place at Metro on Saturday, July 20. Metro announced it will host the event via a Facebook post yesterday afternoon, stating, “Having been a staple in the Chicago nightlife community for so long we can’t wait to see so many familiar faces under one roof again.” The DJs for that evening will be Jeff Moyer, Scary Lady Sarah, Bill Savely, Carrie Monster, Glenn Russell, and Suzanne Shelton.

As noted on the Facebook graphic, the Neo Reunion ticket sales will help “fund Darkest Before Dawn, a nonprofit organization providing mental and emotional health support resources for our industry workers.” Neo was one of the first venues in Chicago to spin punk/new wave records and retained its reputation as a trendy spot for several years. Metro, located just down the street from Wrigley Field, continues to be an essential destination for cutting edge music.

Dot Dash, the Washington, D.C. band that’s notched glowing Broken Hearted Toy reviews for each of its releases for a number of years now, will kick off an extensive tour later this month. They’ll be sharing a bill with iconic Irish rockers The Undertones in New York and Boston, and a have gig with False Tracks in Philadelphia. They’ll be with The Minus 5 in Washington, D.C. in July, and with The Vibrators in Washington, D.C. in September. More dates will be added in the near future. I’d love to see them come to Chicago, particularly on a double bill with The Undertones.

Velvet Crush will perform for the first time in 20 years on July 5 at the POP venue in Providence, Rhode Island. I’ve followed Velvet Crush founding member Ric Menck’s career from his The Happy Forest album with The Reverbs in 1984 through his current gig as the drummer for Matthew Sweet’s band.

The 17th annual CHIRP Record Fair and Other Delights takes place this Saturday at the Local 130 Plumbers Union Hall at 1340 W. Washington. An amazing selection of records, CDs, DVDs, posters, books, and other rock and roll related merchandise will on sale from vendors; and the entertainment includes live music and DJs. Admission from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $8, and early admission from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. costs $25.

Fans of The Smithereens and its beloved, late singer-guitarist Pat DiNizio are in for a treat this Friday night at Montrose Saloon. The Dry Look, Phil Angotti with The Idea, and Love Punch will be paying tribute to the band at the north side club. Proceeds will go to the Pat DiNizio Scholarship Fund. The music starts at 9:00 p.m.