Sunday Papers

The Fest For Beatles Fans will present Life Of George - A Beatles Birthday Celebration on Zoom from 4:00 to 10:00 pm CST on February 25. The event will include a full-length concert by the top notch Beatles tribute band Liverpool along with their special guests. Other highlights will include Billy J. Kramer, Joey Molland, Peter Asher, Laurence Juber, Tom Scott, and other musicians sharing their memories of working with Harrison. There will also be an online exhibition of George Harrison art hosted by Deco. Fans are invited to submit photos of their art for consideration. Tickets for Life Of George - A Beatles Birthday Celebration are $15 and can be purchased from Event Brite. 

In other Fest For Beatles Fans related news, its official website will offer Ringo Starr’s new Zoom In EP in CD, cassette, and vinyl formats. The release features the song “Here’s To The Nights,” which was written by Diane Warren and features Paul McCartney; Joe Walsh; Corinne Bailey Rae; Eric Burton from Black Pumas; Sheryl Crow; FINNEAS, Dave Grohl; Ben Harper; Lenny Kravitz; Jenny Lewis; Steve Lukather, Chris Stapleton; and Yola. Zoom In comes out on March 19.

WXRT radio personality Marty Lennartz has interviewed his share of rock stars, but recently remarked on his afternoon shift that his biggest thrill came recently when he conducted a phone interview with Ringo Starr. Part of their conversation aired on XRT’s Sunday morning program Breakfast With The Beatles today. Starr described his home recording studio, which enabled him to work on the new EP, as a lifesaver. He also reflected on The Beatles’ first American tour, which took place right around this time in 1964. I’ve talked to Marty Lennartz at a few WXRT events, and he’s a perfect example of the station’s mission to hire DJs who come across as friendly and professional.

New York-based singer-guitarist Kel Sabatino, who covered Beatles tunes for a virtual performance on The Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page, has just released an original song. “Gone” features picturesque lyrics set to a melodic acoustic guitar arrangement that evokes 1960s folk, along with a bit of Norah Jones. It’s available on various streaming services.

I believe Sabatino once shared a virtual Fest For Beatles Fans double bill with Phil Angotti, a popular performer on the Chicago club scene. Angotti is one of the six artists on the new Big Blast Records compilation The Big Singles Vol. 1. His song “The Lamp” is a clever and catchy bit of genuine psychedelia that fits in perfectly on a playlist I created featuring a mix of vintage and new garage rock/psychedelic nuggets.

Congratulations to Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders on having a guitar named after her by Fender. The company made the announcement on its Instagram page last Tuesday, proclaiming “The Chrissie Hynde Fender Telecaster pays tribute to her beloved ’65 Tele, featuring a stunning Road Worn Ice Blue Metallic finish.” 

As noted by a number of people across social media, this past Friday marked the 30th anniversary of Material Issue’s game-changing debut album International Pop Overthrow. Its release, along with efforts by Liz Phair and Urge Overkill, cast a spotlight on Chicago’s vital music scene. I’m looking forward to seeing Balin Schneider’s Out Of Time - The Material Issue Story documentary when it comes out later this year.

The Handcuffs have released a video for their new song “Love Me While You Can” that’s available for viewing on YouTube. The guitar-driven first single from the upcoming Burn The Rails album finds lead vocalist Chloe F. Orwell once again channeling classic glam rock. The clip seamlessly offers footage from previous Handcuffs gigs (they’ve been performing the song for a while now) and as always, Brad Elvis is amazing on drums.

Big Hair Big Trouble, the Chicago duo of Ary Paloma from The Amazing Heeby Jeebies and Ellis Clark from The Social Act and Epicycle, has just released its fourth single. “Come On Down Girl” is a cover of a song by The Silk and has a more psychedelic feel than BHBT’s earlier  efforts. It also features guest musicians Brad Elvis from The Handcuffs and Soul Keeper saxophonist Vince Salerno. 

Covered Bridge Creamery in Long Grove is looking for musicians to perform on the patio just outside its front door. Musicians interested can contact Eric Wallor at eric@CoveredBridgeCreamery.com. Long Grove, which is already known for its Irish Music and Strawberry Festivals, has been luring people back with live music on various outdoor stages. The area was once known for its antique, and later, craft stores, but now seems to be leaning more toward restaurants and cafes. 

I recently received the copy Hindsight 2020 yearbook I ordered rom Metro. It’s a bit smaller than I expected, but still a very cool collection of black and white photos of the legendary Clark Street music venue and its staff. the proceeds for Hindsight help Metro “keep the lights on until we can safely reopen.”