Slumgullion

Award-winning director Mary Wharton’s new film Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free - The Making Of Wildflowers will have its global premiere on October 20. That’s also Petty’s birthday, so the event is being promoted as a celebration of the late rock rock star’s legacy. Some of the theaters participating in Illinois include AMC River East 21 in Chicago; AMC Streets Of Woodfield in Schaumburg, and Regal Lincolnshire and IMAX in Lincolnshire. Tickets and information are available at the film’s website 

Phil Angotti And Friends will celebrate John Lennon’s birthday a bit early on October 8 by performing 81 of his songs at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. In addition to paying tribute to The Beatles at gigs around Chicago, Angotti has become a regular performer on the Apple Jam Stage at Fest For Beatles Fans when it comes to town.

It’s nice to see The Joe Show, a tribute to the late Joe Camarillo taking place this Sunday, September 26 at The Hideout Inn, has sold out. Participating acts will include Hushdrops, Waco Brothers, Phil Angotti, and Nora O’Connor. These were just a few of the musicians who performed with Camarillo on Chicago’s club scene, where his talent and friendly demeanor made him a popular guest on stage.

YippieFest takes place this Sunday, September 26; streaming with no admission price at YippieFest.com. It runs from 7:00 to 10:00 pm with a mix of skits, one-act plays, music, and standup comedy. The participants are Famous In The Future, Mike Felton; whitewolfsonicprincess; Collage Productions and Mobile Rave Films; The Rut; Crash Of Rhinos; Dark Room Men; Northside/Southside Players; Killer Robots; Rob Sternberg and Randall Parker; Telepaths; Debbie Sue Goodman; and Amy Crider. The full schedule is available online.

The Berwyn Blues Festival is taking place this weekend at the FitzGerald’s venue. The scheduled  acts include Shemekia Copeland; Cedric Burnside; and Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears; Thornetta Davis; Jackie Venson; Zach Person Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials; and Joanna Connor Band.

Theatre Nebula’s production of Something Rotten! - A Very New Musical opened tonight at Cutting Hall in Palatine. I still have fond memories of Theatre Nebula performing Spamalot at this same venue a few years back. Tonight also served as the re-opening night for Cutting Hall, which had been shuttered during the pandemic. Welcome back, thespians.

 

The Pretenders will release 3-CD deluxe editions of their first two albums on November 5, along with limited-edition red and clear vinyl versions. The Second Disc website, always an essential source in these matters, has the full track listing for both Pretenders and Pretenders II. The new versions are available for pre-order on from Pretenders HQ. 

The dBs have an album of vintage material coming out on October 15, and it’s going to be available in various enticing package deals. Fans can choose to purchase I Thought You Wanted To Know: 1978 – 1981 as a double gatefold LP or a CD separately, together, or together with a t-shirt. Prices range from $14.99 for the CD to $70 for the t-shirt, CD and LP. The 23-tracks include demos and live recordings from the band’s earliest days.

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

Congratulations to Carla Hayden, a member of Black Forest Theater Company and the whitewolfsonicprince alt-rock band, on her successful art show at the Brothers K Coffeehouse in Evanston. She’s already sold some of her paintings, and they’ll be on display through September 30. Brothers K is located at 500 Main Street.

 

The Sound He Appears To Make

A special edition of U2’s “Gloria” will be part of Black Friday Record Store Day.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately listening to A Carnival Of Sorts, the 38-track R.E.M. tribute album from the U.K. alt rock website God Is In The TV. The musicians GIITTV compiled for this album come from around the world, with very few of them being familiar names. But so many of their interpretations, whether faithful or adventurous, are fun and inspiring. I’m hoping to do a full review sometime soon.

Likewise for the new Strange Tide release from ANC4. ANC4 being the band’s name, and not a website like God Is In The TV. This is the album to play when acquaintances ridicule your love of power pop. Once they hear the rapidly ascending, “Eight Miles High”-inspired guitar playing on “Go Easy,” their smirks will change to wide-eyed admiration as they admit, “Okay, now I get it.” There are plenty of other energetic gems among the 16 tracks here, including my theme song, “The Man Who Is Afraid Of Everything.”

The recently released Blue Weekend from Wolf Alice also has me hooked. Which is no surprise, considering how much I enjoyed their first two albums. Led by vocalist-guitarist Ellie Rowsell, the U.K. band crafts gorgeous ballads such as “Lipstick On The Glass” and “No Hard Feelings” and then breaks loose on the hard-edged “Smile” and “Play The Greatest Hits.” I’m going to see Wolf Alice at The Vic in Chicago on November 8, if the world is relatively normal at that point.

The Pretenders will release 3-CD deluxe editions of their first two albums on November 5, along with limited-edition red and clear vinyl versions. The Second Disc website, always an essential source in these matters, has the full track listing for both Pretenders and Pretenders II. The new versions are available for pre-order on from Pretenders HQ.

As I suspected, there will be a 2021 Black Friday Record Store Day, to go along with the two RSD Drops that took place over summer. As with last year, the Record Store Day people delayed announcing their post-Thanksgiving event, but it’s been a vinyl tradition for some time now. The list of Black Friday limited-edition releases is available now on the official RSD site, and as usual, it offers records in multiple genres. I’ve already added The Three Kisses Of Love LP by the Bee Gees and the 40th Anniversary 12-inch single of “Gloria” by U2 to my wish list.

The dBs have an album of vintage material coming out on October 15, and it’s going to be available in various enticing package deals. Fans can choose to purchase I Thought You Wanted To Know: 1978 – 1981 as a double gatefold LP or a CD separately, together, or together with a t-shirt. Prices range from $14.99 for the CD to $70 for the t-shirt, CD and LP. The 23-tracks include demos and live recordings from the band’s earliest days.

The U.K. indie label Mega Dodo will be releasing a 10th Anniversary edition of Mordecai Smyth’s debut album Sticky Tape And Rust that will feature 32 bonus tracks. I’d like to think one of them will be called, “Terry Flamm Made Me An Honorary Citizen Of Palatine,” but I doubt that will happen. Here’s a sample of what I wrote about the CD when it first came out in 2011: “The first act signed to the fledgling indie label Mega Dodo, Mordecai Smyth draws upon the satirical side of the original British Invasion, with an added dose of vintage movies and TV shows. The lyrics often deal with murder, mayhem, and the supernatural, but in such an absurd way, listeners are more likely to be amused than frightened.” Cheers to Mr. Smyth and Mega Dodo.

Incoming

The Smithereens, Grace Potter, Ida Mae, and Fastball are among the bands scheduled to appear at the Gears And Guitars Music Festival taking place this Friday through Sunday at Bailey Park in Winston-Salem, NC.

Truth is, this joint rocks. Liars Club, located at 1665 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side, has a number of noteworthy bands scheduled for this weekend. Indie rockers Social Act, along with We Killed The Lion and Dead Villains, will perform on Friday, September 24, and the guitar-fueled instrumental act Outronaut, along with The Francos, will be there on Saturday, September 25.

WXRT 93.1 FM will air I’m Listening - Talk has the power to save lives from 6:00 to 8:00 PM tomorrow, September 23.  Hosted by Carson Daly and psychologist/author  Dr. Alfiee M. Ireland-Noble, the program will feature well-known entertainers, including Tom Morello, Lizzo, Shakira, Billie Eilish, Darius Rucker, and Brad Schulz, formerly with Cage The Elephant discussing mental health and offering advice. And a tip of the hat to WXRT’s air personalities, for promoting I’m Listening with such compassion. The special can also be accessed through the Audacy app.

Shemekia Copeland, Cedric Burnside, and Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears will headline the Berwyn Blues Festival when it takes place this weekend, September 24 – 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. 

Cutting Hall will stage a grand reopening event this Saturday, September 25. That’s also opening night for Theatre Nebula’s production of Something Rotten! - A Very New Musical at the Palatine venue. Tickets are available from the Cutting Hall box office online

Playing real weird for free. YippieFest is going virtual again this year; streaming with no admission price at YippieFest.com on Sunday, September 26. It’s a shorter affair this time out, running from 7:00 to 10:00 pm with a mix of skits, one-act plays, music, and standup comedy. The participants are Famous In The Future, Mike Felton; whitewolfsonicprincess; Collage Productions and Mobile Rave Films; The Rut; Crash Of Rhinos; Dark Room Men; Northside/Southside Players; Killer Robots; Rob Sternberg and Randall Parker; Telepaths; Debbie Sue Goodman; and Amy Crider. The full schedule is available online.

Yippie Fest came about a few years back when 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 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.

Richard X Heyman - Copious Notes

On his latest album Copious Notes, Richard X Heyman delves into the divisive issues gripping the world these days. His observations on the first three tracks are particularly on point and well-crafted, and he sets them to the sort of power pop arrangements that have made him a favorite in the genre. “Nearly There” and “Choices We Make” are optimistic and melodic, and Heyman impatiently awaits a brighter day on “Tell Me When.” “If now ain’t the time to rearrange the world that we stand upon/Then please tell me when,” he demands. This third track also sports the album’s most appealing arrangement.

Heyman also explores personal relationships on Copious Notes. The energetic “Return To You” portrays a guy who loves his significant other but will never be able to resist the temptation of cheating. The delicate ballad “Cedarbrook Park” has echoes of “Penny Lane” in its nostalgic look at small town fun and and a first romance. There are a few weaker moments, such as “Oval” and “Ransom,” but overall, Copious Notes is another successful outing for Heyman.

Saturday Slumgullion

Sunshine Boys will be at the Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts today.

Welcome to everyone who’s in town for the Pitchfork Festival, which runs through tomorrow at Union Park. I usually don’t provide a breakdown on the schedule since that’s handled much more proficiently in Chicago’s daily and free papers. Some of the better-known performers include Ty Segall and Freedom Band;  Kim Gordon; WaxaHatchee; Angel Olsen; St. Vincent; Erykah Badu; Cat Power; and The Weather Station.

A trip downtown yesterday found me searching for my favorite free papers, and I was surprised to find the Illinois Entertainer back in the Reckless Records on Madison. I haven’t seen a printed version of this publication in almost two years. I also got copies of New City and The Reader. Be sure to support the local press.

I spent last night preparing my YA novel pitch for the two literary agents I would be speaking with this morning. The Zoom/Skype meetings were part of the virtual Chesapeake Writing Day Workshop taking place this weekend. Since you don’t have to be there in person, you can choose a city that’s far away from your own. In addition to the option of pitching to literary agents (for an additional fee), there are several seminars to choose from. I’m also taking part in a North Carolina event on November 13, and there’s an October 8 – 9 San Francisco option. I highly recommend the Writing Day Workshops for authors looking to get published. Both agents I spoke with today were friendly and helpful, so we’ll see what happens.

Congratulations to Althea Legaspi on being named a full-time senior writer for Rolling Stone, following six years of contributing to the iconic magazine. Legaspi was one of the editors I had the honor of working for during my 50-year tenure (okay, not that long) as a freelance writer for the Illinois Entertainer.

Go Time and The Spindles, Chicago-based bands that have garnered positive album and live performance reviews here are BHT, are sharing a bill tonight at the Chicago Loop Sports Bar And Grill at 7 W. Streamwood in Streamwood, IL. Doors open at 8:00 pm.

According to a post by Francis Ross on the Liverpool 60s Beat Facebook page, the Pier Head Ferry Terminal in Liverpool is going to be renamed The Liverpool Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal. Ross posted a link to the Echo (a Liverpool publication) website with the details on how the Gerry And The Pacemakers lead vocalist will be honored for the band’s 1964 hit “Ferry Cross The Mersey.” Marsden passed away in January of this year.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch Sunshine Boys, EXPO ’76 and  Hoyle Brothers at the Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts today. The festival, which features over 250 juried artists and several music acts, continues tomorrow with live music from Naomi Ashley, Amanda Coppotelli, Steve Hashimoto Duo, Decoy Prayer Meeting and others. See the website for this event for the full schedule.

The 36th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest takes place today and tomorrow from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, on Dearborn between Polk Street and Ida B. Wells Drive. The festival features well-known authors, and vendors selling new and antique books, as well as independent writers and small publishers promoting their work.

Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma will be staging their My Sweet George tribute to George Harrison on Saturday, September 18 at Post 42 in Evanston. If you’ve been to Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago, there’s a good chance you enjoyed this act performing on the Apple Jam Stage. They’ve also staged multi-act tributes to Harrison at the Martyrs’ venue on Lincoln Avenue, with some of Chicago’s best music acts. 

  

Legendary Chicago disk jockey Dick Biondi will celebrate his 89th birthday at The Arcada in St. Charles next Sunday, September 19. Biondi is fondly remembered for his night-time shift on WLS in the 1960s, and since the station could be heard across several states, he carried a lot of influence. Thus, his decision to play by The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” in 1963 was one of the first shots fired in the British Invasion. Biondi will be joined by The Ides Of March, The Buckinghams, New Colony Six, Jimy Sohns from The Shadows Of Knight, and Felix Cavaliere from The Rascals, as well as a few tribute acts at his birthday bash. The show starts at 2:00 pm. 

                                                                                                           

Carla Hayden, from the Black Forest Theater Company and the whitewolfsonicprince alt-rock band, currently has an art show at the Brothers K Coffeehouse in Evanston. All her paintings on display through September 30 will be available for sale. Brothers K is located at 500 Main Street.

Cutting Hall will stage a grand reopening event on September 25. That’s also opening night for Theatre Nebula’s production of Something Rotten! - A Very New Musical at the Palatine venue. Tickets are available from the Cutting Hall box office online.

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. 

Incoming

Generally speaking, if I’m scrolling through emails and come across a full-color photo of Pete Townshend strumming his guitar while suspended in mid-air, I’m going to stop and see what it’s about. Such was the marketing genius of Hey Nonny in announcing that it’s hosting a gallery of photographer Jim Summaria’s work. Summaria will be at the Arlington Heights restaurant/live music venue tomorrow (September 10) from 4:00 to 6:00 pm to kick things off. 

He’ll have prints for sale, and considering he’s snapped shots of The Who, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, BB King, Judy Collins, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and other major acts, the selection is bound to be tempting. His 2019 book Classic Rock: Photographs From Yesterday And Today, created with writer Mark Plotnick, is available on Amazon. As Hey Nonny points out in the email, Summaria started his career in Chicago with the rock promotion company Flip Side Productions.

Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma will be staging their My Sweet George tribute to George Harrison on Saturday, September 18 at Post 42 in Evanston. If you’ve been to Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago, there’s a good chance you enjoyed this act performing on the Apple Jam Stage. They’ve also staged multi-act tributes to Harrison at the Martyrs’ venue on Lincoln Avenue, with some of Chicago’s best musicians. 

  

Legendary Chicago disk jockey Dick Biondi will celebrate his 89th birthday at The Arcada in St. Charles on Sunday, September 19. Biondi is fondly remembered for his night-time shift on WLS in the 1960s, and since the station could be heard across several states, he carried a lot of influence. Thus, his decision to play by The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” in 1963 was one of the first shots fired in the British Invasion.

Biondi will be joined by The Ides Of March, The Buckinghams, New Colony Six, Jimy Sohns from The Shadows Of Knight, and Felix Cavaliere from The Rascals, as well as a few tribute acts at his birthday bash. The show starts at 2:00 pm.

By the way, The Arcada is celebrating its own milestone—it opened on September sixth 96 years ago.

Sunday Papers

Should I ask for this for Christmas? I don’t think I could wait that long.

When I noticed the September issue of MOJO at Barnes and Noble had a feature story on The Hollies, I had to buy it even though I subscribe to the U.K. magazine and will probably receive a copy in the mail within a week. Still, I couldn’t take any chances since writer John Aizlewood’s career-spanning article with interviews is embellished with some terrific photos. Although there was nothing concrete, I was particularly drawn to some quotes from Graham Nash and Tony Hicks regarding the possibility of a classic Hollies reunion of Nash, Hicks, Bobby Elliott, and Allan Clarke.

Graham Nash has a new photography book titled A Life In Focus coming out November 16. It will include his photos of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Bob Dylan, along with copy written by Nash about several of the photos. I don’t see this book on his official website yet, but it’s available to pre-order on Amazon.

The four members of ABBA, one of the acts inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame the same year as The Hollies, have definitely reunited. Voyage, their first album in 40 years, is due out November 5. According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, some virtual concerts will begin in London on May 27, 2022.

I’ve never seen ABBA perform live, but I thoroughly enjoyed a tribute show by the Chicago band The Webstirs with guest vocalist Holly Senchak Dausch from Metropolly several years ago. Holly’s ability to cover both Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s vocals was even more impressive considering she and Metropolly did a bang-up job as Hole the previous year. The Webstirs and Metropolly are both still going strong.

Sonic Youth founder and solo artist Kim Gordon will be performing next Friday, September 10, at Thalia Hall. In related news, Gordon has joined forces with award-winning journalist Sinéad Gleeson on a new book titled This Woman’s Work: Essays On Music that’s due out in April, 2022.

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.

Happy Birthday to Tammi Sonnen, an avid supporter of Chicago’s vibrant music scene, and someone I’ve enjoyed speaking with a few times at International Pop Overthrow showcases. Have a fun time celebrating.

The multi-talented Carla Hayden, whose resume includes co-founding the Black Forest Theater Company and the whitewolfsonicprince alt-rock band with James Moeller, currently has an art show at the Brothers K Coffeehouse in Evanston. All her paintings on display through September 30 will be available for sale. Brothers K is located at 500 Main Street.

The Elgin Fringe Fest kicked off this past Thursday, and will run through September 12 in the city’s downtown area. This year’s event will be held in person and virtually.

I’ve just renewed my subscription to The Chicago Reader, choosing the $50 ‘Be A Revolutionary’ option, which will bring a print version of the twice-monthly publication to my door, and as a pdf to my email address. I’m happy to support a publication I’ve been reading for decades. 

The Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts will return to Broadway, between Belmont and Hawthorne, next weekend. In addition to 250 juried artists, some of Chicago’s best music acts will be performing. Singer-songwriter Rachel Drew has a 2:00 pm set on Saturday; Sunshine Boys perform at 5:00 pm, immediately followed by the copy band EXPO ’76 at 6:30. Those of us who keep track of Dag Juhlin’s multitude of bands will see him performing back-to-back starting with Sunshine Boys. Eric Chial, who’s also been known to play in a few bands in addition to running Montrose Saloon, will be performing at the Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts when Decoy Prayer Meeting takes the stage at 4:30 pm on Sunday. See the website for this event for the full music schedule.

The 36th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest takes place next Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, on Dearborn between Polk Street and Ida B. Wells Drive. The festival features well-known authors—National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates is this year’s headliner—and vendors selling new and antique books, as well as independent writers and small publishers promoting their work.

The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights will return to indoor performances when it kicks off its 2021-2022 season on September 16 with Shout! The Mod Musical. The show runs through October 30.

My wife Pam and I dropped by the Long Grove Shopping District yesterday morning just its annual Irish Days festival was getting underway. We were there to watch The Academy of Irish Music perform on the outdoor stage, and as always, they put on an inspiring show. It’s not possible to watch these talented young musicians without thinking of the late Noel Rice, who served as The Academy’s driving force for so many years. Irish Days continues at Long Grove through Labor Day, with live music, dancing, food, and drink.

A tribute to the late Joe Camarillo will take place September 26 at The Hideout Inn on Chicago’s north side. Participating acts include Hushdrops, Waco Brothers, Nora O’Connor. Camarillo played drums for several local acts, and was well-liked and highly regarded by those he worked with. The event starts at 6:00 pm.

Cutting Hall will stage a grand reopening event on September 25. That’s also opening night for Theatre Nebula’s production of Something Rotten! - A Very New Musical at the Palatine venue. Tickets are available from the Cutting Hall box office online.

In other good news for my humble village, the restaurant and live music venue Madcats is coming to the former Mac’s On Slade location, and Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters plan to open a location in the Palatine train station.Welcome to them both.

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

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.