Slumgullion

The Don’t Lie To Me! - Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of Big Star’s #1 Record tour kicked off in Athens, GA this past Wednesday and will move on to dates in Memphis, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Carrboro. 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.

It’s not too soon for Chicago area rock fans to make their New Year’s Eve plans. Local H will be performing at The Bottom Lounge just west of downtown, with big bird as their opening act. EXPO ’76 is likely to be even more fun than usual as they ring in 2023 with an off-kilter selection of cover tunes at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Beginning December 16, Canadian moviegoers will be 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.

Blind Boys Of Alabama have a Christmas show coming up next Wednesday at City Winery Chicago, and a few days later on December 11, singer-guitarist Phil Angotti will return to the venue for another Beatles Brunch. This one will focus on The Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack.

 

Power pop legends The Spongetones have a gig coming up next spring in their hometown of Charlotte, NC. They’ll be performing at Smokey Joe’s on March 25. I was just listening to “Now You’re Gone” from their 1984 EP Torn Apart the other night on one of my mixed cassettes.

Chicago Acoustic Underground (CAU) will present a Christmas edition of its Singing For Your Supper series on December 15 at Foundation Tavern. Presented by Michael Teach and Donna Adler, the event will offer performances by Mark Dvorak, Donna Adler, Chris Churchill, James Van Camp, Patty Peace, and Victor Canelas. Patrons can expect some traditional holiday music, along with several original songs. Foundation Tavern is located at 5007 W. Irving Park Road. 

The band members of U2 will be in Washington, D.C. tomorrow night to be honored at the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts. The other honorees for this year’s ceremony are Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney, and composer Tania Leon.

There will be two days of ranking full stop when The English Beat perform shows tomorrow and Sunday at City Winery Chicago. 

The critically acclaimed alt rock/Americana band Dolly Varden will perform a week from tonight at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, with Emily Haden Lee as its opening act. Tickets are now on sale for the Hey Nonny Women’s Jazz Festival coming up on the weekend of January 6 – 8.

Ringo Starr has created a colorful video for “Everyone And Everything” an uplifting new song written by Linda Perry. The clip’s imaginative mix of live action and animation touches on historic moments in Starr’s career. “Everyone And Everything” is on his latest release EP3, which is available on 10-inch vinyl, CD, cassette, and various streaming services.

The 21st annual One Of A Kind Holiday Show opened yesterday at Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago and will run through Sunday. The event features 500 artists, craft makers and designers. Tickets are $15 and are valid for entry all four days; kids under 12 get in free. Hours are 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Thursday through Saturday; 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday.

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.”

An Acoustic Christmas, a special event performed by the critically acclaimed folk/alt rock band Over The Rhine will take place this Sunday at The Old Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago.

The CSNY - Love The One You’re With hardbound book coming next year from the U.K.-based Genesis Publications will be available in two versions. The Deluxe Copy has a £495 pre-order price tag, while The Collector Copy goes for £295 pounds. CSNY - Love The One You’re With features the amazing photography of Henry Diltz, along with copy from 20 contributors.

The Schubas music venue is having a Winter Market, featuring local artisans and merch sellers, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm this Sunday. Admission is free, Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport Avenue on Chicago’s north side.

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.

Chicago-based rockers Kevin Lee And The Kings will hold their Annual Christmas Bash on December 10 at the Chicago Loop Sports Bar And Grill in Streamwood. 

Wicked Opossum Records, a Mishawaka, Indiana independent label, will release Starstruck: A Tribute To The Kinks on December 9 on its Bandcamp page. I can’t say I’m familiar with any of the artists involved, but those who pre-order the album now get a free download of The Fatal Flaw performing “Victoria,” and it’s a worthy effort. 

Big Brother’s Vinyl, a local covers band that specializes in classic rock tunes you don’t usually hear on the club scene, will return to Madcats in Palatine on December 9.

The Famous In The Future sketch comedy group will present the holiday-themed show A Judy Christmas, on the weekend of December 15 –17 at The Den Theatre. Located at 1331 N. Milwaukee, the venue offers shopping, cocktails, food, and music as part of The Den Theatre Marketplace every Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.