Sunday Papers

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s recent announcement of its nominees for induction in 2021 seems to have arrived at least a few months late. Of course, my favorite memory of the whole process came in 2010 when The Hollies got the nod, and the voting was a done deal by December, 2009. At any rate, here are the RRHOF choices for this year: Chaka Khan; Carole King; Dionne Warwick; Iron Maiden; Jay-Z; Mary J. Blige; The Go-Go’s; LL Cool J.; Fela Kuti; Tina Turner; Todd Rundgren; Foo Fighters; New York Dolls; Kate Bush; Devo; and Rage Against The Machine. They’re all qualified for the honor, and as usual, the nominees cover a variety of genres. I always go with a personal favorite, so my top choice is The Go-Go’s. They’re weren’t the first all-woman band to write and perform their own material, but they were one of the first to have a top-selling album doing it. My other selections (fans can choose five nominees) would be Carole King; Tina Turner; Todd Rundgren; and Kate Bush. The voting is being held through April 30.

The February issue of the Illinois Entertainer, with Tom Lanham’s cover story on the U.K. band Pale Waves, is available to view on the long-time music publication’s website. Lanham also interviewed Steve Wynn from The Dream Syndicate; the U.K. band Hen Ogledd; and musician/actor/radio host Little Steven Van Zandt for this issue. (I was a staff writer for the Illinois Entertainer for several years.)

Assembly, a new compilation of Joe Strummer’s solo work, will be released March 26 on the newly relaunched Dark Horse Records. The album features covers of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and three efforts from his days with The Clash, along with some previously unreleased material. The 16 tracks were remastered by renowned musician/studio engineer Paul Hicks, whose Dad is guitarist Tony Hicks from The Hollies.

The Empty Bottle music venue is sponsoring Waltzer TV: Season II Episode II at 8:00 p.m., February 25 on the Noon Chorus Facebook page. The virtual event will feature Chicago-based indie rock musician Waltzer, AKA Sophie Sputnik, performing songs and comedy sketches, and hosting an off-kilter variety show. An Instagram post by The Empty Bottle stated, “Don’t miss this love letter to you, music, to the city, and our world, airing on Noon Chorus.” Also, be sure to check out The Empty Bottle’s website for ways to help them stay in business during the pandemic.

Speaking of sketch comedy, I took part in a Zoom meeting for current and former members of the Famous In The Future comedy group this past Friday night. I left FIF in 2008, and the group continued to do shows with talented casts through 2019. It’s still alive and well but under lockdown due to COVID-19. Friday night’s meeting was sort of a class reunion, bringing together the 2002 cast. We shared a lot of memories; many based on our shows at the annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festivals held at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. Artistic director Rich Cotovsky, channeling the spirit of Abbie, was always amazing. The earlier years of Abbie Fest drew acts that would later become famous, such as Upright Citizens Brigade and actor Michael Shannon.

Cheap Trick’s upcoming new album Another World is going to coming out in a picture disc version, exclusively at Target stores. It’s available for pre-order now. The album officially comes out April 9. The hard-edged and catchy first single, “Light Up The Fire,” is already available on various streaming sites.

The Peter Frampton Band has an instrumental album titled Frampton Forgets The Words coming out April 23 that will includes covers of songs by George Harrison, Radiohead, and David Bowie. According an Instagram post, Frampton plays his 1954 Les Paul Phenix guitar throughout the album. 

Lucy Van Pelt once questioned Schroeder’s admiration for Beethoven by pointing out the composer had never been on a bubblegum card. Surely Beethoven has more credibility now that he’s the subject of a graphic novel/vinyl LP combo from Z2 Comics and the Deutsche Grammophon record label. The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology is available for $24.99 via the z2comics.com Instagram page.

I had to laugh at a post on the officialthewho Instagram site Friday stating HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR - THE YEAR OF THE OX, along with a photo of John Entwistle. The band’s bassist was affectionately nicknamed The Ox for his powerful playing style.

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 are $15 and can be purchased from Event Brite.

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.