Gnocchi

I wasn’t able to prepare last Friday’s serving of Slumgullion because I attended a soft opening for family and friends at the Rose Mary restaurant in Chicago’s Fulton Market area. As I’ve mentioned here before, my nephew Joe—former executive chef at the critically acclaimed Spiaggia restaurant and Season 15 Top Chef champion—now has his own restaurant. It officially opens tomorrow, and as I’ve given full disclosure, let me say I was thoroughly impressed with the place. I’m curious to see how professional food critics will weigh in, since my impression is that Joe Flamm has created a high-class venue that’s also accessible to families and diners who aren’t necessarily big-spending gourmets. The Italian-Croatian food was adventurous as well as delicious, and the professional, friendly staff kept things humming.

The Who will present a free livestream of a documentary about the creation its 1967 The Who Sell Out album on nugs.net on April 22. A post on the band’s official Instagram site promises rare archival footage well as new interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry. The Who have a Super Deluxe Edition of The Who Sell Out arriving this Friday that includes 112 tracks on five CDs and two seven-inch singles. An even more ambitious edition features an 80-page hard cover book, rare posters, inserts, and stickers.

While I was downtown last Friday, I picked up a few of the free publications I’ve been missing out on while working from home. I subscribe to the Chicago Reader, but it was good to find the April issue of Newcity, with its 2021 Breakout Artists cover story. Chicago Social has a feature story called Tidal Shift this month that spotlights “The next wave of innovators . . . bringing a flood of fresh energy to Chicago.”

The Chicago Tribune recently picked up an article George Varga wrote for the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Mick Fleetwood And Friends Celebrate The Music Of Peter Green And The Early Years Of Fleetwood Mac double album and concert film. In addition to Mick Fleetwood, performers included David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher, Bill Wyman, Pete Townshend, Steven Tyler, Zak Starkey, Billy F. Gibbons, Kirk Hammett, John Mayall, Christine McVie, and Neil Finn. The album is due out later this month; the video is available on demand.

The April edition of the Illinois Entertainer is available online, with one of our state’s most endearing bands on the cover. In addition to Tom Lanham’s piece on Cheap Trick, readers will also find his interview with Elle King, who was very productive during the lockdown; along with album reviews of  Evanescene’s The Bitter Truth and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Pendulum 50th Anniversary Mardi Gras LP reissue.

WNUR’s annual fundraiser is underway and will run through April 25. Listeners are being asked to donate so the Chicago-based radio station can continue to broadcast its programs. One of those programs, The Power Pop Shoppe, kicked off the WNUR Phoneathon last Friday by playing new songs from The Handcuffs, Cheap Trick, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, and others. Support your local music acts.

 

I just received my Illinois Rock And Roll Museum On Route 66 membership card in the mail. The museum is located at 9 West Cass Avenue in Joliet, Illinois, and offers exhibits that celebrate the history, genres and cultures that have shaped the work of local musicians who went on to become world famous. Those looking to lend their support can sign up at the website.