International Pop Overthrow - Chicago will wrap up its 2022 run at Montrose Saloon with a pair of showcases tomorrow; one in the afternoon, and then the finale at night. Here’s a look at the Saturday afternoon showcase.
Michael Steven Cohen has explored a variety of musical styles throughout his performing career, and I have the CDs and downloads to prove it. He crafted power pop as a member of The Abbeys, pursued a harder-edged sound with Pop Dollys, and performed 1960s covers with the Everly Hillbillies. Tomorrow’s gig will feature his latest passion; doing nifty covers of 1950s love songs and standards. Abby Lyons shows up frequently on YouTube, performing easygoing songs on ukulele or piano. They often exude an off-kilter charm, whether she’s offering advice on taking care of a cactus or clinging to a relationship her friends tell her is beyond saving. She’s also been known to cover a Disney song or two. The Embryos have released a number of albums since 2017, and their latest—National Absurdity—is a good example of how they set imaginative concepts to melodic mid-tempo arrangements. “Twisted In My Game” particularly stands out for its engaging arrangement and clever lyrics.
Close to 10 years ago, The Shakes Ups hit upon the fun concept of combining power pop with their favorite animated shows. The band’s Facebook page depicts the six members in Saturday morning cartoon form, and an album available on their website titled Meddling Kids pays homage to Scooby-Doo. These guys have also completed a season of their own podcast series, Ignore City, which is available on several platforms. Singer-guitarist Erich Specht from the Palatine, IL (my town) band Push Puppets will be performing as a solo act at Montrose Saloon. It seems logical he’ll be previewing songs from the upcoming Push Puppets album titled Allegory Grey (due out in September) since he’s the group’s chief songwriter. Specht is comfortable putting his complex lyrics to power pop, 1960s pop, or blues rock. Psychedelic guitar slinger Jeremy Morris is from Kalamazoo, MI, and he’s traveled to a lot of IPO showcases well beyond Chicago. The Jeremy Band traditionally closes out a Saturday afternoon showcase when he’s here, and his high-powered, melodic rock will do just that tomorrow. His latest album, Emerald Vision, is available from the Jam Records website.
Most of the 60+ acts that performed at International Pop Overthrow this year were local, although there were some out-of-state visitors. Check the official website for the full schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who participated in Chicago this year. Even if you weren’t able to attend in person, you can still use the site as a great way to discover new music.
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