Slumgullion

Welcome to the first weekend of the reopening in Chicago and throughout Illinois. Wherever your interest lies, there’s bound to be something you’ve been wanting to do for over a year that you can do now. Venues, stores, and restaurants can continue to require mask wearing and social distancing if they choose, so be sure to follow their rules and respect their employees. It looks like Metra trains will still be asking passengers to mask up as well.

Happy Birthday to vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell of The Handcuffs. The Chicago-based band recently released two singles—“Love Me While You Can” and “She Ain’t No Fluffer” from their upcoming fourth album, and each has been receiving significant airplay on indie rock radio stations.

The Old Town Air Fair, one of Chicago’s most popular art events, takes place tomorrow and Sunday in the Lincoln Park area, with with several juried artists displaying their work.

 

The first of two RSD Drops being held this year by Record Store Day takes place tomorrow (Saturday, June 12), with lots of limited-edition vinyl available in every imaginable genre. I’m hoping to pick up the Buzzcocks A Different Compilation double LP; the Keith Richards “Wicked As It Seems” seven-inch single; the Supergrass Going Out LP; and The Zombies Oddities and Extras LP. The list on the official RSD site combines tomorrow’s releases with the ones for the second RSD Drop on July 17, so make sure you’re looking at the June 12 releases when putting together your wish list. Otherwise, you might show up a month early for the record you want. Check with your favorite record store to see if they’re participating.

Local alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess, led by vocalist Carla Hayden and guitarist-vocalist James Moeller will once again be doing a Record Store Day show outside Vintage Vinyl in Evanston starting at 10:45 am.

Gerald McLendon, “The Soul Keeper,” will be performing at Club Arcada in St. Charles tomorrow (Saturday) night. I’ve seen McClendon at the annual George Harrison tributes at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue, and he always brings down the house with his rendition of “My Sweet Lord.”

Chicago-based power pop band The Spindles and their special guest Rob Elvis from The Elvis Brothers will perform next Tuesday, June 15 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The show starts at 7:00 pm. The Spindles appeared several times at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago, and their 2018 album Past And Present mixes catchy originals with few deftly rendered covers of “Bus Stop” The Hollies and “Santa Fe” by The Elvis Brothers.

Chicago-based musician John San Juan from the psychedelic/pop band Hushdrops has a gig coming up at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights next Wednesday, June 16. The 2020 Indian Summer EP by Hushdrops featured catchy and atmospheric pop songs like “Wake Up Love” and “Tomorrow Takes The Sun.” San Juan is also known on the Chicago club scene for his frequent appearances with other musicians as part of tribute shows.

Metro, the storied music venue located just down the street from Wrigley Field, has been finding really cool ways to recoup some of the revenue it lost due to the pandemic. The latest is a collection of limited edition postcards featuring photos of acts that have performed there. The set costs $40 and is available on the club’s website. By the way, Metro is looking to hire a Social Media Manager/Marketing Assistant, as well as a Talent Buyer Assistant/Social Media Manager and a Production Manager for its sidebar venue.

The Philadelphia-based ska/punk band Catbite’s up coming U.S. tour starts on July10 and includes a stop in Chicago on October 2. They’re be sharing the bill with Mustard Plug on that date. Catbite’s self-titled debut album features energetic tracks like “Midnight Eyes” and “Scratch Me Up.”

No way! Way! Hard rock fans in California will have a chance to check out RagDolls, which is billed as The Ultimate All Female Aerosmith Tribute, at music venues this summer. They are not the first all female group to honor Steven Tyler and company, though. According to a comment on the RagDolls Instagram page, there is a band named AeroChix that’s been rocking out in Aerosmith’s home state of Massachusetts.

Cracking good news. If you’re visiting Preston, the English hometown of Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park and fancy a place to eat your Wensleydale cheese, they now have a bronze bench featuring those characters. According to the official Wallace and Gromit Instagram page, the bench is located outside the Preston Market.

Incoming

Collect the entire set of George and gnomes figurines.

The Nielsen Trust—featuring Rick Nielsen and Daxx Nielsen from Cheap Trick, Miles Nielsen from Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts, and singer-songwriter Kelly Steward,—will be performing at Nellie’s in Palatine tomorrow (Friday) night. The Philadelphia-based band Nick Perri And The Underground Thieves are also on the bill.

Starting tomorrow, June 11, Chicago and most of Illinois will move to Phase 5 in terms of COVID-19 regulations. With everything reopening, it’s likely this weekend will be the unofficial kickoff for a summer of fun. Venues, stores, and restaurants can continue to require mask wearing and social distancing if they choose, so be sure to follow their rules and respect their employees.

All Together (not) Now. That doesn’t mean all our favorite events will immediately return. I was disappointed to see an announcement yesterday from the Lapidos family stating they won’t stage an in-person Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago until 2022. But I fully understand their decision. “So much of the magic of The Fest,” the email states, “is in the personal interactions with Special Guests, in jamming late into the night, singing with each other in a circle, dancing to live music, with people flying from all over the country and the world to be together.” The 2022 Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago is happening August 12 – 14; reservations can be made starting July 12, 2021.

If you had money set aside for a trip to the 2021 Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago 2021, you could put it toward purchasing the Uber Box Set of All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary coming out via the Official George Harrison website on August 6. It has a hefty price tag of $999.98, but comes in a wooden crate, and includes three books, eight LPs, 5 CDs, a limited edition illustration by Klaus Voorman, and 1/6 replicas of Harrison and the gnomes as they appear on the All Things Must Pass cover.

Of course the All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary will be available in less expensive variations, starting with a two-CD set for $23.77 on Amazon. Each variation features a new mix by engineer/musician Paul Hicks, who works closely with Dhani Harrison and is the son of Tony Hicks from The Hollies. I’d love to see Paul Hicks as a Special Guest at Fest For Beatles Fans.

Each Monday in June, The Beatles Channel on Sirius Radio will present the A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues: Exploring The Beatles And Black Music program. GRAMMY Award winning vocalist-bassist Me’Shell Ndegeocello will serve as the host.

Cheap Trick - In Another World

First, a quick reminder that The Nielsen Trust—featuring Rick Nielsen and Daxx Nielsen from Cheap Trick, Miles Nielsen from Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts, and singer-songwriter Kelly Steward,—will be performing at Nellie’s in Palatine this Friday night.

It’s been four years since Cheap Trick released their last album We’re All Alright! and they’re in good shape on this newest one as well. In Another World is a massive-sounding effort, whether on the flat out rock songs or the power ballads. Rick Nielsen’s guitar playing breaks loose throughout the 13 tracks, and Robin Zander once again delivers his trademark combination of emotion and firepower on vocals. Most of the tracks were jointly composed by Nielsen, Zander, bassist Tom Petersson, co-producer (with the band) Julian Raymond, and drummer Daxx Nielsen. There’s also a blistering cover of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth.”

 

“Another World,” a hopeful reflection on overcoming the current struggles haunting society, first appears as a power ballad enlivened with Nielsen’s rampaging guitar playing. Still, the rollicking “Another World (Reprise)” is the better version because it has the energy to make its message more triumphant. Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes helped write the hard-hitting and bitter “Here’s Looking At You.” It’s part of a broken relationship theme that also surfaces on the deceptively playful “Quit Waking Me Up,” the melancholy “Final Days,” and the bluesy “So It Goes.” 

The slow and atmospheric “I’ll See You Again” is heartbreaking but offers comfort on the difficult subject of saying farewell to a loved one on their deathbed. “Passing Through” covers departure of a different nature; a relationship ending, “Because I can see it now/Your heart’s just passing through.” In Another World succeeds with a variety of approaches, but the most enjoyed tracks will probably be the irresistible rockers like “Boys and Girls and Rock N Roll,” “Light Up The Fire,” and the previously released “The Summer Looks Good On You.”

Slumgullion

Now that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has decided Chicago will join the rest of Illinois in reopening on June 11 (the city’s planned date was three weeks later), it’s likely next Friday will be the unofficial kickoff for a summer of fun. Venues, stores, and restaurants can continue to require mask wearing and social distancing if they choose, so be sure to follow their rules and respect their employees. And leave big tips.

The second weekend of June has traditionally been particularly active for events and entertainment in Chicago. The Chicago Blues Festival, Printer’s Row Lit Fest, and Wells Street Art Fair came right around now, but those have been pushed back to later months this year. The Old Town Air Fair, one of Chicago’s most popular art events, is back in its usual early June time slot. It takes place next Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13.

Graham Nash has a very very very fine new book titled Our House and you can buy a signed copy from Barnes and Noble for $19.95. Regular copies are also available on Amazon, although I don’t know why there’s a note saying it’s appropriate for Ages 4 – 8. This appears to be the same book I purchased at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago prior to a Nash concert there in 2019. My copy is autographed, but unfortunately, I didn’t meet him in person. Our House is a thin hardcover book with the song’s lyrics brought to life via Hugh Syme’s colorful illustrations. There are also some photos, as well as snippets of copy written by and about Nash.

The Nielsen Trust (featuring legendary Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen) will perform at the Palatine music venue Nellie’s next Friday, June 11. The Philadelphia-based band Nick Perri And The Underground Thieves are also on the bill.

Blue Weekend, the third album by Wolf Alice, was released today, and tickets are now on sale for the London-based alt rock band’s U.S. tour. It kicks off in Seattle on October 25, and includes a stop at The Vic in Chicago on November 8. Other cities on the tour include Los Angeles. Denver, Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Wolf Alice is fronted by Ellie Roswell, who’s equally adept at singing like an angel or howling like a banshee. The Blue Weekend CD and autographed poster I ordered should be coming in the mail any day now.

Vinyl fanatics will have to wait at least another year before the annual Record Store Day gets back to normal. As in 2020, there will be smaller RSD Drops taking place this year instead of one big event. The first Drop comes next Saturday and second arrives July 17. The official RSD site has a combined list of the limited-edition releases for both drops, so make sure you’re looking at the June 12 releases when putting together your wish list. Otherwise, you might show up a month early for the record you want. The list spans every imaginable genre, including jazz, blues, hard rock, prog rock, techno, punk, country, and hip hop; and includes artists from several decades. Check with your favorite record store to see if they’re participating.

Chicago-based power pop band The Spindles and their special guest Rob Elvis from The Elvis Brothers will perform June 15 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The show starts at 7:00 pm. The Spindles appeared several times at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago, and their 2018 album Past And Present mixes catchy originals with few deftly rendered covers of “Bus Stop” by The Hollies and “Santa Fe” by The Elvis Brothers.

Tickets are now on sale for The Pink Floyd Exhibition - Their Mortal Remains being held at the Vogue Multicultural Museum in Los Angeles, CA from August 3 to November 23. The official website describes the exhibit as an “audiovisual journey through the extraordinary universe of one of most iconic and influential rock bands.” The Pink Floyd Exhibition has already made a few stops in Europe, so it would be nice if it did some traveling in the States.

I just finished reading Maureen Johnson’s new book Hello, Cruel Heart, and was surprised that although it has the current Cruella De Vil on the cover, it’s not the same story as the recently released Disney flick. The novel takes place a decade earlier, and aside from Cruella and her fellow thieves Horace and Jasper, the characters are different. It’s a sort of origin story of the origin story, set in swinging 1960s London. And it’s a lot of fun. I still have to see the movie.

Tickets are now on sale for The Art Of Banksy, coming to Chicago on July 1.The exhibition is described by its production company Starvox Exhibits as the world’s largest collection of privately owned work by the mysterious English street artist.

Illinois residents who are justifiably proud of the many great bands that have come from our state are bound to enjoy Road To Rock Radio, which can be streamed through Live 365.