Slumgullion

When Skokie’s Backlot Bash takes place next weekend (August 27 – 29), it will feature a Saturday lineup that includes three of the Chicago area’s best rock bands. Material Issue (AKA Material Reissue in its current version) goes on at 4:30 pm, followed by The Handcuffs at 5:45 pm, and Smoking Popes at 7:00 pm. Topping off the evening will be The Verve Pipe, who aren’t from Chicago, but are Midwest natives. Friday night’s headline act will be funk chart toppers Ohio Players, and Tributosaurus will close out the festival on Sunday with a tribute to The Allman Brothers Band.

In other MI news, director Balin Schneider’s documentary Out Of Time - The Material Issue Story will be screened on December 2 at Lincoln Hall on Chicago’s north side. It’s due for wider release in 2022.

A Carnival Of Sorts, the 38-track R.E.M. tribute album compiled by U.K. alt rock website God Is In The TV is now available to purchase on Bandcamp. The numerous musicians GIITTV compiled for this album come from around the world, so there’s a nice variety of approaches. I forgot to mention two important things when I wrote about this project last week: You get all these songs for only £6 and all the profits go to the Help Musicians organization. 

The Glenwood Arts Festival will be marking its 20th Anniversary when it takes place this weekend, August 20 through 22. The performing acts include Amazing Heeby Jeebies, musician/artist/Chicago music archivist Plastic Crimewave; Joanna Connor; White Mystery; Son Maracas; The Polkaholics; Funkadesi; Clickbait; and Monarchy Over Monday. In addition to the live music, The Glenwood Arts Festival will feature over 150 artists and open studios, as well as food and craft beer vendors.

Over 200 juried artists will be displaying their work when the Gold Coast Art Fair takes place 10:00 am – 6:00 pm tomorrow and Sunday at Butler Field in Grant Park. Food and beverage vendors will also be on hand. The Gold Coast Art Fair is one of Chicago’s longest running art events, and always worth checking out.

Chicago’s annual Air And Water Show has taken another major hit this year, with everything cancelled except for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The team’s new Super Hornet jets will be zipping around the lakefront between Oak Street and Fullerton from noon to to 1:00 pm. 

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen has what he’s calling a Big Old Birthday Weekend planned, with a pair of gigs tomorrow in Woodstock—noon at Porkies Pig Roast and 7:00 pm at Holzlager Brewing Company—and a 3:00 pm gig on Sunday at Montrose Saloon in Chicago. Cohen perfected a power pop approach with The Abbeys and The Pop Dollies, and he currently performs vintage love songs as a solo act. Happy Birthday, Michael.

Cohen’s mate in The Abbeys, singer-guitarist Jeff Janulis, is becoming a familiar face at Montrose Saloon as well. He’ll be performing with The Spindles there next Friday night, August 27. The band’s most recent album Past And Present is an impressive collection of original material and cover of songs by The Hollies and The Elvis Brothers. 

Singer-guitarist Katie Toupin, a former member of Houndmouth (“Sedona”), has a gig at Schubas next Thursday. She’ll likely be showcasing the catchy “Astronaut” and other songs from her recent Little Heart album.

Earlier this week, I caught a thoroughly enjoyable show by Steve Dawson at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights. Joined by his wife (and Dolly Varden co-founder) Diane Christiansen, Alton Smith, and John Abbey, Dawson performed songs from his recent At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree solo effort. As it’s been mentioned numerous times elsewhere, when Dawson and Christiansen harmonize together, they’re amazing.

And it was cool buying a Pravda Records t-shirt at the merchandise table from Kenn Goodman, the guy who founded the indie rock label.

There are still some tickets available for the Elvis Costello and The Imposters Hello Again! Show at Chicago Theater on November 3.

Television historian Jim Engel will host a Remembering Garfield Goose fundraising event at the Kenosha Public Museum in Kenosha, WI on September 17. Doors open at 5:30 pm and there will be 90 minutes of food and games before the presentation starts. Proceeds will help Kenosha Community Media.

Sonic Youth founder and solo artist Kim Gordon will be performing at Thalia Hall on September 10.

Shemekia Copeland, Cedric Burnside, and Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears will headline the Berwyn Blues Festival when it takes place September 21 – 26 at the FitzGerald’s venue. Other acts scheduled include Thornetta Davis, Jackie Venson, Zach Person, Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials, and Joanna Connor Band.

The Chicago Comics: 1960s To Now exhibit continues its run through October 3 at the Museum Of Contemporary Art. It features work by Lynda Barry, Nicole Hollander, Heather McAdams, Chris Ware, Chester Gould, and several other influential artists.

Band Aid Liverpool will present Live Aid Liverpool 21 on November 30 and December 1 at the Grand Hall in Liverpool. A special tribute to the late Gerry Marsden from Gerry And The Pacemakers will be part of the show. The event will aid Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Shelter. Live entertainment will be provided by “over 80 acts from across Merseyside.”

The Hideout venue on Chicago’s north side has a new onsite talk show series titled The Secret History Of Chicago Music With Host Plastic Crimewave. The concept will be familiar to anyone who gets The Chicago Reader. Plastic Crimewave, AKA Steve Krakow, has been creating a comic by that name in the free newspaper for years. Like the strip, The Hideout series aims to shine a spotlight on the city’s history of talented but often forgotten performers.

Goose Island Brewery is sponsoring free concerts on the patio outside Time Out Market in Chicago’s trendy Fulton Market this summer. EXPO ’76, the local covers band whose repertoire and humor are immeasurable, performed there last week, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to promote it here. The reggae band Akasha will be performing there next Thursday, August 26.

Daryl Cloran’s swinging London interpretation of As You Like It will run from October 6 through November at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. The production will feature several Beatles songs.

The Standing In The Doorway - Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan album is now available in digital, CD and vinyl formats. Hynde will be performing songs from the album and “other favourites” at Queens Hall Edinburgh August 22 – 25.

Don’t pack away your tie-dyed t-shirts at the end of August. You’ll need them for the annual Yippie Fest taking place September 24 – 26. Nobody will see you wearing it because the festival is going virtual again this year. You can even fill your living room with mud and slide around in it if you’re feeling particularly freaky.

Yippie Fest was born after the annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival—well, died—after its sponsor Mary-Arrchie Theatre closed down. Frank Carr, a founding member of the Famous In The Future Comedy Group, decided to carry on the tradition. It was a logical move since Famous In The Future was the only act other than Mary-Arrchie Theatre itself, to have appeared at every single Abbie Fest. I was a member of Famous In The Future for 20 of those annual performances, and kept attending the festival even after I wasn’t performing anymore.