Saturday Slumgullion

Maybe it will be a scary movie.

As reported in Variety and on radio station WXRT’s Facebook page, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry of The Who will serve as executive producers of a Keith Moon biopic that’s due to start filming in England this June. Paul Whittington will direct Jeff Pope’s script, but no one has been cast yet for the lead role. The film has the working title of The Real Me. Years ago, there was talk of Mike Myers of Austin Powers and Saturday Night Live fame portraying Moon, but apparently nothing ever came of that idea.

Chicago’s long-time psychedelic masters The Hushdrops will be showcasing songs from their new album The Static as part of a double bill with guitar-driven garage/surf instrumentalists Outronaut at SPACE in Evanston tomorrow night, January 30. The mind-bending music starts at 7:00 pm.

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival wraps up its multi-venue event in Chicago tomorrow, January 30. 

The Beatles’ iconic Rooftop Concert will be shown on IMAX tomorrow, January 30. The hour-long concert will also have a February 11 – 13 theatrical release. The full Get Back documentary series that recently ran on Disney+ will become available on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 8.

The WXRT Listeners Poll Gala will air at 6:00 pm this Monday, January 31, with the station’s air personalities announcing the winners in various categories. The Chicago-based tribute band Tributosaurus will perform popular songs from 2021 throughout the Gala. I’ve been to a few of WXRT’s in-person Listener Poll Galas (last time at City Winery Chicago) and it was always a kick to have a chance to talk to DJs such as Lin Brehmer, Marty Lennartz, and Frank E. Lee in person. Hopefully, next year’s Gala will be a live event again.

Here I Don’t Go Again. For the second time in the past few years, The Hollies have cancelled a series of gigs in the United States due to COVID-19 complications. This time around, it involves scheduled dates in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago (I HAD A VIP TICKET!) and Los Angeles during the first week of April. While it’s tempting to say what’s the use and just give up, the announcement on the band’s official Facebook page strikes an optimistic note with the line, “Please look for new dates in the near future.” And as before, this tough decision is based on the safety of the band members, stage crew, and the fans.

Strangely enough, while The Hollies’ carousel is temporarily out of service, their British Invasion mates The Zombies will kick off a Life Is A Merry-Go-Round Tour in the States with an Orlando, FL gig on April 1. They’ll be in Chicago on July 1. I’m not saying anyone’s right or wrong, but I would like to suggest The Hollies schedule a Chicago date on July 25 so I can celebrate my birthday in style.

Sonicbond Publishing, a U.K. company that specializes in books about music artists as well as various genres, will release on track . . . The Hollies  - every album, every song in America on February 25. Written by Andrew Darlington, the 160-plus paperback book covers the British Invasion band’s entire recording career. The price is $21.95. 

A new exhibition titled Subscribe: Artists And Alternative Magazines, 1970 – 1995 just opened at the Art Institute Of Chicago and will run through May 2.  A profile in the Chicago Tribune describes it as a collection of rare, alternative publications, including Out/Look, i-D, The Face, and Thing. 

 

Sonic Youth vocalist-guitarist Kim Gordon’s upcoming No Home Tour has seven American stops (including Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.) throughout the month of March before she hops over the Atlantic for 10 concerts across Europe in May. The tour is named after Gordon’s 2019 album No Home, which featured the songs “Sketch Artist” and “Murdered Out.”

Fans of vintage films and the piano music that often accompanied them will want check out pianist Dave Drazin’s upcoming silent film series at the Chicago Park District’s Indian Boundary Cultural Center. His first gig there is on March 4, when he’ll provide accompaniment for the 1923 Buster Keaton comedy Our Hospitality. Drazin has also created soundtracks for silent film DVDs available from Grapevine Video. Full disclosure: Drazin was a member of Famous In The Future, the local sketches/songs comedy group I belonged to for several years.  

With a logo that prominently features the best-known tongue in rock and roll, it was only natural The Rolling Stones would be honoured by the Royal Mail with an exclusive line of postage stamps. There are several options available, from a £7.00 sheet to a £99.99 Silver Stamp Ingot. Fans can also order a £5.85 set of postcards or a £0.30 envelope with the band’s logo.

Local singer-songwriter Peter Joly was all set to showcase the well-crafted folk songs from his latest album Easy Has Never Been The Way at FitzGerald’s on January 22, but that show had to be postponed. The good news is he has a new date at the Berwyn venue next Friday, February 4, and he’ll be performing in the main room rather than The Sidebar. Admission is free.

Next Sunday, February 6 will be Soul Rebels 2022 (Bob Marley Day) at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Billy Tuggle will be the host for the all-ages show, which will feature live performances by Adam Gottlieb and One Love; Ugochi; and Tukkiman with Vision In The Rhythm. Admission is $10; the music starts at 8:00 pm.

The Smithereens, with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw, will be performing at the Northern Lights Theater at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee, WI on March 3. Tickets went on sale today.

Saturday Slumgullion

Photo from the Official Ronnie Wood Facebook page.

With a logo that prominently features the best-known tongue in rock and roll, it was only natural The Rolling Stones would be honoured by the Royal Mail with an exclusive line of postage stamps. There are several options that feature the band available, from a £7.00 sheet to a £99.99 Silver Stamp Ingot. Fans can also order a £5.85 set of postcards or a £0.30 envelope with the band’s logo.

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The XRT Listeners Poll 2021 Gala is going virtual again this year. It will air at 6:00 pm on January 31, with the station’s air personalities announcing the winners in various music and entertainment categories. The Chicago-based tribute band Tributosaurus will be performing 2021 songs throughout the Gala. I’ve been to a few of WXRT’s in-person Listener Poll Galas (last time at City Winery Chicago) and it was a treat to have a chance to talk to DJs such as Lin Brehmer, Marty Lennartz, and Frank E. Lee in person. Hopefully, next year’s Gala will be a live event again.

A new exhibition titled Subscribe: Artists And Alternative Magazines, 1970 – 1995 just opened at the Art Institute Of Chicago and will run through May 2. A profile in the Chicago Tribune describes it as a collection of rare, alternative publications, including Out/Look, i-D, The Face, and Thing.

 

Joni Mitchell will be honored as Person Of The Year at the Recording Academy MusiCares benefit gala being held next Saturday, January 29. The event will feature performances by Graham Nash, Black Pumas, Brandi Carlile, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, John Batiste, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers; Mickey Guyton, and Pentatonic. MusiCares supports the health and well being of the music community.

The eclectic and frequently funny copy band EXPO ’76 will make a triumphant return to the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights next Saturday, January 29. It’s great to see Hey Nonny continue its string of ambitious bookings. On February 25, Sunshine Boys, which like EXPO ’76, features vocalist-guitarist Dag Juhlin, will perform songs from their two stellar albums.

A rebellious lawn gnome will be part of the fun when a brand new Wallace and Gromit full-length movie hits the screens in 2024. Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham are the creative and comic force behind the flick, which once again finds Gromit trying to rescue the well-meaning but hapless Wallace. Sounds cracking good.

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival has opened and will stage 100 shows at various venues around Chicago through January 30. 

The full Get Back documentary series that recently ran on Disney+ will become available on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 8. And in other final days of The Beatles news, the iconic Rooftop Concert will shown on IMAX on January 30. The hour-long concert will also have a February 11 – 13 theatrical release.

The Neverly Brothers are usually easier to find in south suburban venues, but the always-fun and informative trio will be performing their repertoire of 1950s and 1960s hits coming up on March 18 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.

Reason number 7,267 I wish I could hop on a jet to England whenever I want to: There is a Paul McCartney - The Lyrics exhibition going on now at The British Museum in London.

February 6 will be Soul Rebels 2022 (Bob Marley Day) at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Billy Tuggle will be the host for the all-ages show, which will feature live performances by Adam Gottlieb and One Love; Ugochi; and Tukkiman with Vision In The Rhythm. Admission is $10; the music starts at 8:00 pm.

There will be a double bill of long-time psychedelic masters The Hushdrops and guitar-driven garage/surf instrumentalists Outronaut at SPACE in Evanston on January 30. The mind-bending music starts at 7:00 pm.

British Invasion fans will find something good at the Des Plaines Theatre this spring when Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone perform there on May 14. 

Slumgullion

One of the albums certain to mentioned in Andrew Darlington’s new book.

Looks like that section of my library devoted to books by and about The Hollies is going to get another addition. Sonicbond Publishing, a U.K. company that specializes in books about music artists as well as various genres, has just released on track . . . The Hollies  - every album, every song. It will be available in America on February 25. Written by Andrew Darlington, the 160-plus page paperback book covers the British Invasion band’s entire recording career. The price in U.S. dollars is $21.95.

 

I purchased Decades - The Bee Gees in the 1960s from Sonicbond Publishing late last year and have been thoroughly enjoying it. They also have books about Curved Air, Joni Mitchell, Tangerine Dream, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Crosby, Still and Nash, The Clash, Tom Petty, and one titled 1967 - A Year In Psychedelic Rock.

Actually, my library consists of various shelves around a tiny media room, but it does include Graham Nash’s A Life In Focus photo book, drummer Bobby Elliott’s It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story autobiography, and Malcom Searles’ The Hollies - Riding The Carousel. 

The tribute band Marrakesh Express will play the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tomorrow night, January 15, at The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights, and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar And Grill, a tribute to Billie Holiday, opens there on January 27.

The local rock magazine Illinois Entertainer is sponsoring The CD AND RECORD SHOW at Embassy Suites (1939 Meacham Road) in Schaumburg tomorrow, January 15. Admission is $3.

Plans are already in the works for a David Bowie World Fan Convention to be staged at numerous venues around Liverpool in 2023. The event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bowie’s groundbreaking album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. A number of musicians who worked with Bowie are expected to be involved.

The traditional Irish music band Dervish will perform at the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago’s north side on February 27. Tickets are now on sale.

Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals will be performing at SPACE in Evanston on January 21.

 

Tickets went on sale today for a 50th Anniversary Tribute to The Rolling Stones’ iconic album Exile On Main Street by Phil Angotti And The Naughty Neighbors at SPACE in Evanston on May 11.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Peter Joly will showcase songs from his recently released second album Easy Has Never Been The Way at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on Saturday, January 22. 

Big Hair Big Trouble!, the twanging duo of Chicago music scene veterans Ary Paloma and Ellis Clark, just posted its sixth in a series of singles on YouTube. It’s a cover of “Telegram,”  which was originally recorded by the late Kevin Junior with his exquisite pop band Chamber Strings. Paloma and Clark once again harmonize wonderfully on this touching tribute to their friend.

My copy of Kev F Sutherland’s 45 1960s Pop Star Colouring Book arrived today, and while I won’t be going at with crayons or coloured pencils, it’s still a lot of fun. I particularly like Sutherland’s renditions of The Kinks, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Dionne Warwick, The Hollies, The Doors, Shirley Bassey, The Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones. Each portrait is accompanied with a short profile written by Sutherland and edited by Only Pop Fans. It’s available on Amazon for $8.99. Henderson has also created colouring books with pop stars of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. 

Congratulations to pitcher Jon Lester on his retirement from major league baseball. Lester was a major factor in the Chicago Cubs being able to win their first World Series championship in over 100 years. This was after he performed a similar bit of magic for the Boston Red Sox. I’m not a baseball expert, but a few columnists I read feel he’s destined for the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Even those who weren't around in 1963 when “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes first raced up the singles charts have come to recognize it as one of rock and roll’s all-time classics. Phil Spector’s wall of sound production has a lot to do with the song’s endurance but it’s safe to say Ronnie Spector’s gorgeous and emotionally potent vocals played a bigger role. Ronnie Spector’s talent was immediately recognized by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, other major stars who were thrilled to meet her. Rock In Paradise, Ronnie.

Joni Mitchell will be honored as Person Of The Year at the Recording Academy MusiCares benefit gala being held on January 29. The event will feature performances by Graham Nash, Black Pumas, Brandi Carlile, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, John Batiste, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers; Mickey Guyton, and Pentatonic. MusiCares supports the health and well being of the music community.

The full Get Back documentary series that recently ran on Disney+ will become available on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 8. And in other final days of The Beatles news, the iconic Rooftop Concert will shown on IMAX on January 30. The hour-long concert will also have a February 11 – 13 theatrical release.

The Sound He Appears To Make

Judging from the singles that have already been made available, Elvis Costello’s new (and 32nd) album The Boy Named If will be another splendid effort from the multi-faceted entertainer. “Magnificent Hurt” has the raw energy of his earliest work, while mean sentiments of “Farewell, OK” are ironically set to an arrangement reminiscent of The Swinging Blue Jeans’ “Hippy Hippy Shake.” The album, which comes out tomorrow, will be available on CD, vinyl, cassette, and as a special hardcover storybook version. Costello will share stories and play a few The Boy Named If songs live from the basement of the Defend Vinyl record store in Liverpool at 1800 (6:00 pm) GMT  tomorrow.

I only recently discovered that Goldmine Magazine has an online store that sells t-shirts, books, mini guitars, and action figures. The publication has long been known as a vast marketplace for recorded music in various forms, and you’ll definitely find CDs and vinyl on its website. One of the latest additions is a 51st Anniversary 45 rpm single of “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix on the Legacy/Experience Hendrix/Sundazed label. The purple vinyl seven-inch record comes in a full-color picture sleeve, making it a definite collector’s item.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Peter Joly will showcase songs from his recently released second album Easy Has Never Been The Way at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on Saturday, January 22. Joly’s 2016 self-titled debut met with favorable reviews and this follow-up is likely to do the same. The acoustic-based ballads “Little Stars” and “Umbrellas And Overcoats” have an amiable John Prine feel, and he creates well-crafted duets with vocalist Rachel Drew on several songs. The clever observations on “It Will Never Get Better” are backed by an energetic Americana arrangement. 

Incoming

The global celebrations inspired by David Bowie’s 75th birthday last Saturday suggested the late musician will retain his popularity and mystique for some time to come. Plans are already in the works for an even a bigger bash in 2023. According to an Audacy news story recently posted on the 93XRT Facebook page, there will be a David Bowie World Fan Convention staged at numerous venues around Liverpool in 2023. The event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bowie’s groundbreaking album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.

The January issue of the Illinois Entertainer is out, with six staff writers revealing their top 10 albums for Best Of 2021 honors. Here are a few samples: Curt Baran has Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice at 3 and Over The Overlords by Naked Raygun at 9; Jeff Elbel has The Webstirs by The Webstirs at 3 and At The Bottom Of Canyon in The Branches Of A Tree by Steve Dawson at 4; and Riley Vernon has 30 by Adele at 1 and Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast at 5. Check out the issue online or at a music store for the full listings.  

The traditional Irish music band Dervish will perform at the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago’s north side on February 27. Tickets are now on sale.

Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals will be performing at SPACE in Evanston on January 21.

Tickets go on sale this Friday for a 50th Anniversary Tribute to The Rolling Stones’ iconic album Exile On Main Street performed by Phil Angotti And The Naughty Neighbors (one of whom is Casey McDonough, judging from the photo) at SPACE in Evanston on May 11.

Big Hair Big Trouble!, the twanging duo of Chicago music scene veterans Ary Paloma and Ellis Clark, has just posted its sixth in a series of singles on YouTube. It’s a cover of “Telegram,” which was originally recorded by the late Kevin Junior with his exquisite pop band Chamber Strings. Paloma and Clark once again harmonize wonderfully on this touching tribute to their friend.

Slumgullion

Welcome to 2022. I didn’t plan on waiting this long to do my first post of the year/month, and there weren’t any major issues causing this to happen. I’ve had bits of copy sitting around since late December that didn’t jell into something more substantial.

That said, there are other things on my plate. In addition to a full-time, work-from-home job, I’m still waiting to hear back from the two literary agents I sent chapters to from my YA romance/paranormal/rock and roll novel. This was after having Zoom meetings with them during the virtual Writing Day Workshop Conference in mid-November. In the meantime, I’ve been going through the entire manuscript, hoping to bring it as close to perfection as possible.

I’ve also been overwhelmed—in a good way—with ideas for a sequel and have created an outline so I won’t forget any major plot points or snippets of dialogue. It’s a little darker this time around, but I’m striving to flow in the elements of humor and positive vibes I think are abundant in the first book.

David Bowie and Elvis Presley, both rock and roll pioneers in their own ways, have a birthday tomorrow. The WXRT radio station in Chicago used to have an annual celebration featuring their music throughout January 8, but I haven’t heard about that happening this year.

Chicago area Bowie fans are no doubt disappointed that The Sons Of The Silent Age tribute band’s Birthday Bash scheduled at Metro has been postponed due to the current surge of the Omicron variant. The good news is the event has already rescheduled for May 28.  

Bowie fans around the globe can hold their own celebrations tomorrow by checking out The Bowie 24-Hour Takeover on Apple Music Hits. Also, the Bowie 75 social media site has created an Official Playlist that offers “75 top tracks.” Let the dancing begin.

 

Cheap Trick will be performing at half time in Baltimore this Sunday when the Ravens host the Pittsburg Steelers.

Joni Mitchell will be honored as Person Of The Year at the Recording Academy MusiCares benefit gala being held on January 29. The event will feature performances by Graham Nash, Black Pumas, Brandi Carlile, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, John Batiste, Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers; Mickey Guyton, and Pentatonic. MusiCares supports the health and well being of the music community.

The Smithereens, with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw, will be performing at the Northern Lights Theater at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee, WI on March 3. Tickets are now on sale.

Beatles fans have a couple of Get Back related events to look forward to this winter. As noted in social media posts by The Fest For Beatles Fans, the full Get Back documentary series will become available on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 8, and the iconic Rooftop Concert will shown on IMAX on January 30. The hour-long concert will also have a February 11 – 13 theatrical release.

The Hot Stove Cool Music Boston charity event scheduled for February 4 has been postponed until a yet-to-be-chosen date in spring, according to an email from its sponsor The Foundation To Be Named Later. The reason, of course, is “due to the uncertainty of the months ahead” AKA the Omicron variant. So far, the Chicago version is still set for July 1 and 2, most likely at a couple of venues within a fastball’s throw of Wrigley Field. Here’s hoping both versions of this truly fun and beneficial baseball/music mashup can be staged in person in 2022.

The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights will present a Van Morrison Party with The Soul Commitments on January 14. Marrakesh Express will play the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on January 15 at The Metropolis, and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar And Grill, a tribute to Billie Holiday, opens on January 27 and will run through March 12.

The Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago will present Too Hot To Handel - The Jazz-Gospel Messiah on January 15 and 16. It’s an original concept by Marin Alsop, arranged by Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson.

This year’s My Sweet George George Harrison Birthday Tribute will be held on February 25 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. Once again organized and hosted by Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma, the multi-act event will feature them, as well as other local performers. These guys always do an amazing job of honoring the quiet Beatle.

Buddy Guy has kicked off his 16 live performances scheduled for this month at his Legends Blues Club. I had the pleasure of seeing Guy perform as a surprise guest at the Chicago Hot Stove Cool Music event at Metro a few years back.

Tickets are on sale for the Chicago alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess performance at SPACE in Evanston on January 19.

The always cool though occasionally hard-edged Chrissie Hynde took a mostly optimistic view of current events on a recent Facebook post. While acknowledging, “There seems to be an increase of criticism regarding the flaws of us humans,” she added, “but overlooking the possibilities and heights we can reach would be missing the point of life.” In addition to praising the Get Back Beatles documentary as “a reminder of the value of human excellence,” Hynde noted she was looking forward to the new album coming out coming out by Urge Overkill. “One of the great bands of the ‘90s.”

Oui, the first album from the Chicago-based Urge Overkill in 12 years, is due out on CD, LP, and digital on February 12. It features the single “How Sweet The Light.”

The 32nd Annual Onion City Experimental Film + Video Festival in Chicago will be accepting submissions through January 13.

It’s nice when something you buy online turns out to be even better than you thought it was. Such is the case with the 2022 Heather’s L’il Country Calendar created by Chicago-based comic artist Heather McAdams. When I saw an Instagram post from Squeezebox Books And Music stating they had a few copies left for sale, I emailed the Evanston, IL store to ask if I could order one. We conducted business via PayPal and a few days later, my calendar arrived in the mail.

Despite the calendar’s name, it honors several music genres. I already knew that, but the pleasant surprise was that instead just one illustration per month, there’s one for nearly every day of the year. McAdams’ fun caricatures include world famous and local musicians, celebrities, relatives, personal friends, and her cats. I’m not sure if McAdams still has copies available, but anyone interested can contact her at HEATHERMCADAMS85@GMAIL.COM