Incoming

Congratulations to U2 on being chosen by the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts as one of the five honorees for its annual ceremony on December 4 in Washington, D.C. Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney, and composer Tania Leon are the Center’s other selections.

In other U2 news, the band will be the first act to perform at the 17,500-capacity MSG Sphere venue when it opens in Las Vegas at some point in 2023. It’s been noted online that the MSG Sphere will have the largest LED screen in the world. Some rock fans in Chicago still remember when U2 performed at the Park West in Chicago back in 1981. Wish I would have been there.

Smashing Pumpkins vocalist/founding member Billy Corgan will host the livestream benefit concert Together And Together Again on YouTube this Wednesday, July 27. The event will raise money for Highland Park Community Foundation’s July 4th Shooting Response Fund. Performers will include Corgan and his Smashing Pumpkins mate Jimmy Chamberlin, as well as a number of special guests. Viewers will be able to buy posters, artwork and t-shirts, which are also available online. 

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park in Chicago this Thursday, July 28 and will run through Sunday. As usual, I’ll leave the recommendations to writers with a more extensive knowledge of the numerous performers. If you still have the Sunday papers laying around your house, check out the two-page guide by Britt Julius in the A+E section of the Chicago Tribune and Selena Fragassi’s Top 10 Lolla picks in the Chicago Sun-Times.

There will be a benefit for veteran Chicago jazz performer Judy Roberts, who’s been battling a rare blood cancer, at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights on July 26. Roberts and her husband, saxophonist Greg Fishman, are expected to be there, and they will be joined by musician friends Petra Van Nuis, Andy Brown, Russ Phillips, Jeannie Lamber and Nick Schneider.

 

Former Chicago Cubs announcer Len Kasper is bringing his Sonic45 band to Hey Nonny this Thursday, July 28. In addition to featuring Kasper on guitar, Sonic45 boasts an impressive lineup of Dag Juhlin (Poi Dog Pondering, The Slugs); Gerald Dowd (Robbie Fulks); Liam Davis (Frisbie, Justin Roberts); and Matt Spiegel (Brother Brother, Tributosaurus). Jennifer Hall, who recently released her latest single “Belonging Forever,” will be a special guest that evening. Doors open at 6:30 pm; the music starts at 7:30 pm.

Stompin’ Grounds, the Lake Zurich cafe my wife Pam and I have added to roster of places to enjoy hot beverages, is having its first Open Mic Night this Thursday, July 28. It’s a first come first served sign up event, and there will be an acoustic guitar available to use. Anyone one interested in performing should contact adonato19@gmail.com. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the show kicks off at 7:00 pm. There will be a $5 cover that night.

I took a short Metra ride from Palatine to the annual Downtown Mount Prospect Block Party this past Saturday afternoon to catch a live performance by Big Brother’s Vinyl. The band covers classic rock music, but avoids the over-played stuff in favor of hits you don’t usually hear on the outdoor festival circuit. Prior to BBV, the coed teenage band Collision played for the first time in front of such a large crowd and did a fine job of covering tunes that spanned a number of decades. They also impressed with an original.

They say it’s my birthday. I’m gonna have a good time reading all the best wishes from friends on Facebook. Such a fun way to be reminded of all the terrific people I’ve encountered over the years. Thanks so much.