Saturday Slumgullion

So where was I? It’s hard to believe this is my first post of September 2020, but the triple whammy of being away for a week’s vacation, trying to catch up with work, and getting my novel ready to send to the three literary agents to who agreed to take a look at it, has kept me away from BHT. 

The Fairport Convention Era, the next installment of Richard Thompson’s Live From London - A Lifestream Concert Series, takes place on September 27. The final edition of Thompson’s three-part series comes on October 11 and will be a Total Request Live event. Tickets can be purchased on the website for The Old Town School of Folk Music, which is a co-presenter, along with SPACE in Evanston.

Jon Langford, the Welsh-born/current Chicago resident who’s garnered acclaim for his artwork and music career (The Mekons, The Three Johns, Waco Brothers, etc.) will be coming to Arlington Heights on October 11 for the Jon Langford, (Solo) Art Song performance at Hey Nonny. Tickets are going fast. October 2 marks the return of The Bad Examples to Hey Nonny.

One of the many well-deserved tributes to the late Chadwick Boseman came from Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones, and was of particular interest to those of us who follow local theatre productions. Jones described how he met Boseman back in 2004 when the Congo Square Theatre Company staged Boseman’s play Deep Azure. The actor flew to Chicago to see a performance and loved Congo Square’s production. Jones noted that many people might not know the Black Panther star was also a playwright, but added, “I imagine all kinds of theater programmers now are reading Deep Azure and readying new productions, or miniseries or movies.”

The Ronnie Wood documentary Somebody Up There Likes Me will be on screens starting September 18 at virtual cinemas in America, and will available on DVD October 9. Directed by Mike Figgis, the film covers Wood’s successful career as a musician and artist, with clips that include Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Imelda May, and Rod Stewart.

Tickets are now on sale for 1960s soft rock bands The Association and Classic IV at The Arcada Theatre on November 29; Chicago Philharmonic Chamber String Quartet at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts on September 13; Chicago Symphony Orchestra Orchestra with Martin Helmchen at Orchestra Hall Symphony Center on January 7, 8, 9, and 12; Jetbeats at Reggies’ Rooftop Deck on October 3; Jon Langford and John Szymanski at City Winery on September 24; Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials at City Winery on October 2; Cathy Richardson and Anne Harris at City Winery on September 25 and 26; and Tributosaurus Becomes Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at North Shore Center For Performing Arts on October 1.

The above listings are taken from the Early Warnings page in the latest edition of the Chicago Reader. The long-running Chicago monthly now comes out every other week, and is available for subscription.

The September issue of the Illinois Entertainer, with the New York-based garage rock band The Bobby Lees on the front cover, is now up on the monthly publication’s website. There’s also an interview of Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillian, and album reviews of The Jayhawks’ XOXO and The Flaming Lips’ American Head. That same issue of IE has Jeff Elbel’s review of a recently released seven-inch single by The Smithereens that features updated takes on two songs from the band’s 2008 tribute album B-Sides Of The Beatles. As Elbel notes, the “Love Me Do” bw “P.S. I Love You” single comes in a classy vintage picture sleeve and is available on The Smithereens’ official website.

As mentioned by restaurant critic Phil Vettel for the online Chicago Tribune and by Miriam Di Nunzio is this past Wednesday’s Chicago Sun-Times, my nephew and Top Chef winner Joe Flamm has decided on a name for the new Italian/Croatian restaurant he’ll be opening in Chicago’s Fulton Market area next year. It will be called Rose Mary, which relates to the spice rosemary, as well as the names of both his grandmothers. (One of whom was my mother, Mary Rose Flamm.) Joe recently promoted a new Miller High Life t-shirt on his Instagram page. Each shirt sold contributes to Miller’s Virtual Tip Jar, which supports the service industry. I just got mine in the mail yesterday.

Keep a CIVL tongue in your head. Goose Island Beer Company’s limited edition of CIVL Pale Ale is now available and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Chicago Independent Venue League. The brew is available at the Goose Island’s Fulton Street Brewery at 1800 W. Fulton Street. According the CIVL Facebook page, its goal is to “advocate on behalf of Chicago’s independent performance venues.” Goose Island is also now selling cans of its Women Of The House pale ale, which celebrates women brewers as well as the 100 Anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.