Incoming

Luckily, I picked Saturday to drop by the Printer’s Row Lit Fest this past weekend. There was a torrential downpour on Sunday, which seemed to help the Chicago Bears, but wouldn’t have been good for an outdoor festival featuring publications. I could have bought any number of the vintage or new books being offered by vendors, but being on a budget and having a fascination for small-scale zines, I bought a copy of Space Is Sexy, which is part of the Rabbit Hole Of Research series. The idea is to make science fun, and this particular example, written by Jotham Austin II, PhD and illustrated by Georgia Lynn Geis, accomplished that well. I picked up promo materials for W. Brand Publishing; Love Smiles, which encourages authors and illustrators to share their work with pediatric cancer patients; Chicago Writers Association; Shy City House Publishing; and had a friendly talk with local author Joseph Anthony Rulli. I ran into a former member of the writers group I belong to and we spent some time catching up on what we’ve been doing. Hopefully, we’ll each have best-selling books in the near future.

It’s no surprise The Wild Honey Foundation, a California-based 501(c)(3)non-profit known for bringing musicians together for fundraising events, has put together a stellar lineup for its latest concert. The house band for A 50th Anniversary All-Star Celebration Of Big Star’s #1 Record! includes Big Star musician Jody Stephens; Mike Mills from R.E.M.; Chris Stamey from The dB’s; and Pat Sansone from Wilco. The Lemon Twigs, Jon Auer from The Posies and Susanna Hoffs from The Bangles are listed as special guests. The event will benefit The Autism Healthcare Collaborative, and takes place at Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA on November 5.

Riot Fest takes place this weekend in Douglas Park, and as usual with major festivals, I leave the recommendations to the experts. The always reliable columnist Britt Julius offers several top picks in the Arts And Living section of today’s Chicago Tribune. 

And in Riot Fest related news, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a gig at Metro on Monday, September 19. It’s another way to help celebrate Metro’s 40th Anniversary.

There’s a nice surprise in the Fall 2022/Winter 2023 issue of Michigan Avenue. The magazine is devoted to Chicago area fashion and high society, but there’s a 12-page tribute to Metro’s legacy featuring copy by J.P. Anderson and photographs by Gene Ambo. It includes portraits of Brian Setzer; Dave Grohl; Shirley Manson; Iggy Pop; Jane’s Addiction; Living Colour; Nick Cave; Nirvana; Joey Ramone; Billy Corgan; and Jimmy Chamberlin. Michigan Avenue is kind of hard to find, but there are some newspaper boxes around the downtown area that have free copies. I picked one up in the south Loop, just off Dearborn on my way from the Printer’s Row Lit Fest.

Author/musician Ken Sharp recently released a double single on his Bandcamp page, featuring covers of two camp and catchy Rick Springfield songs. Springfield himself added background vocals to Sharp’s efforts,and Fernando Perdomo played drums. “Comic Book Heroes” and  “I’m Your Superman” are available for the single price of $1.

The Beverly Art Walk takes place next Saturday, September 17, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm in Chicago’s south side Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods. The event will feature over 100 artists; the Uprising Craft market with over 30 artisans; live music, and a food court. Best wishes to my niece Allison Flamm, who’ll be showcasing some of her work at the Heritage Art Gallery.

The Destinos International Latino Theatre Festival returns for its fifth year on September 14 and will run through October 16 at several venues around Chicago.

Buffalo Creek Brewing, located in the Long Grove Shopping district, will offer an evening of Americana songs with its Pint Of Music - The Rusken Bros. this Saturday night, September 17, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. 

 

The acclaimed musical Cabaret will open at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights this Thursday, September 15. The production, which kicks off the venue’s 2022/2023 season, will run through October 23.

The Randolph Street Market, billed as “Chicago’s World-Famous Art, Antiques and Vintage Event,” takes place the weekend of September 24/25. Numerous independent vendors offering vintage and rare items will gather at 1341 W. Randolph from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on both days. There will also be food vendors and live music. General admission tickets—which cover Saturday and Sunday, are $10.