Holiday Dinner

Happy holidays to everyone around the globe who reads this blog. And best wishes for a successful, healthy, stress-free and creative 2023.

So, it wasn’t the Grinch who stole last Friday’s Slumgullion. That morning found me in the emergency room of the NorthShore Glenbrook Hospital. (You can skip down a few paragraphs for the actual entertainment news.) I had already made a December 27 appointment with a doctor who specializes in hernia repair, but a related complication called a small bowel obstruction triggered convulsive vomiting and could have caused internal organ damage if not treated in time. I was released Monday afternoon, but I’ll probably still need the hernia surgery in the near future.

On Tuesday, I started a three-day freelance proofreading assignment. Plus, I’ve been fielding calls from concerned family members and watching Christmas specials. Meanwhile, the Broken Hearted Toy workshop remained idle. Before I get on with this week’s items, I want to extend my extreme gratitude to the ER crew and every member of every shift of the Glenbrook 4 South Team for the amazing and compassionate care I received. And a big thank you to the doctor I spoke with at the Immediate Care Center in Mount Prospect who strongly suggested I go to an ER instead of waiting for my December 27 doctor appointment.

The reason I bring all this up is to get a lot of attention and pity. Just kidding. I initially thought my condition was food poisoning and I spent a day waiting it out. Any longer, and I could have been in serious trouble. Bottom line: If something feels wrong, don’t hesitate to have it checked out by medical professionals.

Long-time WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer has created a Rock And Roll Holiday Songs playlist on Audacy that can be accessed through a link on the Chicago station’s Facebook page. As you’d expect from Brehmer, the songs range from traditional to off kilter, and they all make for enjoyable listening. Definitely recommended, especially for anyone who’s tired of hearing the same 15 holiday songs on some of Chicago’s other major stations.

Australian power pop musician Joe Algeri can always be trusted to drop a new Christmas song down our chimney, and this year, he’s created an entire album. Just Not Quite . . . A Christmas Album (Vol. 2) features Algeri wrapping thought-provoking but not particularly joyful messages within chiming guitar arrangements that evoke The Byrds. He’s joined once again by family members Erika and Lydia Algeri, as well as his tried-and true international buddies Herb Eimerman, Stefan Johansson; Lars Brusell; Andy J. Prinkkila; and Paul Colombini. Highlights include “Won’t Be Leaving Home For Christmas,” “Holiday On Mars,” and “I Don’t Want Your Presents.” The album is available on Bandcamp with a 'name your price' option.

Veteran music industry vocalists Lia Caton and Candy Fernaux harmonize beautifully on an acoustic cover of the country holiday standard “Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem” that can be viewed on YouTube.  

In other holiday music news, Ronnie Wood and Andrea Corr lend their appealing vocals to an easy-going and bluesy take on “Blue Christmas” that was recently posted on various streaming sites.

Vocalist-guitarist Steve Barton has released a two-sided Happy Holidays single with help from fellow Translator member Dave Scheff. They’re backed by an all-star lineup of Peter Buck from R.E.M., Scott McCaughey from Young Fresh Fellows, and Debbi Peterson from The Bangles on “Just Like Christmas” and “Happy New Year.”

If you live in the Chicago area and haven’t made New Year’s Eve plans yet, here are a few good ideas. Rockabilly/garage rockers Amazing Heeby Jebbies will be at Montrose Saloon; Local H will be performing at The Bottom Lounge with big bird as their opening act; and EXPO ’76 will be at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Tickets are now on sale for The Chicago Independent Venue League’s CIVL Fest coming to various locations around the city February 8 – 26. The event will help fund Venue Staff and Artist Mental Health Programs; Venue Safety Initiatives; and Equal Access And Equity Campaigns. The full schedule is yet to be worked out, but so far, the venues involved are Beat Kitchen, Berlin, Harold Washington Cultural Center, Metro, Patio Theatre, Reggies, Rosa’s Lounge, and Sleeping Village.

The Pretenders have a series of gigs coming up next February in Manchester, Newcastle, London, Brighton, and Bristol that will align with Independent Venue Week in the U.K.

The third installment of It’s Karma It’s Cool’s quest to offer six digital singles in three months was just released, and despite being named “Winter Coats,” it’s not a holiday tune. The English band describes its catchy, original tunes as power pop with bite, and this new one definitely fits that description. Peter Holsapple from The dB’s once again joins It’s Karma It’s Cool on keyboards.

He’s coming to Chicago and staying a few nights. Graham Nash has added a fifth show to his run at The Old Town School Of Folk Music next April. 

Siouxsie Sioux has her first gig in 10 years coming up next July at The Latitude Festival.

“Just got a place in New York.” Bono from U2 will be making himself at home in the Big Apple next April when he returns to The Beacon Theatre for eight performances promoting his memoir SURRENDER: 40 Songs, One Story. The first show is on April 16. If Bono came back to Chicago with a similar flight of shows, I might be able to snag a ticket. His one-and-only Chicago Theatre appearance a while back sold out almost immediately. Meanwhile, I’ll keep reading Surrender. I’m up to Chapter 10, which opens with Bono throwing Larry Mullen’s drum kit into the audience at a 1980s show in New Haven, CT. 

Congratulations to Famous In The Future on selling out all three dates of its first Christmas-themed show A Judy Christmas last weekend at The Den Theatre. Full disclosure: I was a member of Famous In The Future for several years.

If These Walls Could Sing, Mary McCartney’s new documentary about the amazing history of Abbey Road Studios in London began streaming on Disney + last Friday.  

The country/punk band The Waco Brothers will be performing songs from their latest album when they return to Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights next Tuesday, December 27. 

The official Facebook page for the U.K. 1990s band Lush recently offered a post from vocalist-guitarist Miki Berenyi stating, “Been rehearsing with the lads and got a tidy set of songs for upcoming book/music events!” Berenyi has been promoting her new memoir Fingers Crossed -How Music Saved Me From Success in venues and book stores around the U.K. It would nice if she came across the pond for some gigs in the States.

Jumpin’ Jack cash, it’s a gas, gas, gas. The Rolling Stones have become the fifth British rock and roll act to be honored in The Royal Mint's Music Legends £5 coin series. The previous honorees were Elton John, Queen, David Bowie, and The Who. Prices range from £14.50 for the uncirculated coin to £5,215.00 gold proof coin.

The immersive exhibit Bob Marley: One Love Experience, having already made stops in London and Toronto, will come to the Ovation Hollywood venue in Los Angeles on January 27. Its features include photography, music, concert videos, and a One Love Forest.

Musician Jason Narducy, musician/actor Michael Shannon, and their friends will perform songs by The Modern Lovers at SPACE on January 19.

The Don’t Lie To Me! - Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of Big Star’s #1 Record Tour is underway with dates in Memphis, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Carrboro, NC. The performers are Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Mike Mills from R.E.M., Jon Auer from The Posies, Chris Stamey from The dB’s, and Pat Sansone from Wilco. The band will play the entire #1 Record album, plus songs from Big Star’s other two albums.

As of last Friday, Canadian moviegoers have been able to watch Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World—a new documentary directed by Ron Chapman—in several theaters around the country. The film explores the story behind a 1969 concert at the Varsity Stadium in Toronto that featured John Lennon With The Plastic Ono Band (Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and Alan White); Chuck Berry; Little Richard; Jerry Lee Lewis; Bo Diddley; Gene Vincent; The Doors; and Alice Cooper. At the time, the concert was called The Toronto Rock And Roll Revival. Hopefully, it will distributed in the U.S.A. at some point.

Fans of mystery author Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series will be glad to learn that Stevie Bell, the young and brilliant sleuth of those books, will return in a new novel titled Nine Liars. This time out, she’ll be investigating a murder in England. It’s due out on December 27.

The Hey Nonny Women’s Jazz Festival is coming up on the weekend of January 6 – 8.