Slumgullion

Several musicians are taking part in the Jeff Beck Celebration that starts at 8:00 pm tomorrow (Saturday) night at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Folly Wildlife Rescue. Other upcoming tributes at Martyrs’ include Tributosaurus Becomes Stevie Wonder on February 9 and 10, and the My Sweet George multi-act George Harrison Birthday bash on February 25.

Providing further evidence that Rolling Stones fans will never run out of cool merchandise to buy, Mick Jagger and the Lee Oskar company have combined to create a limited-edition harmonica sporting the iconic vocalist’s name. It’s available from the Why Music website for £49.99.

Poi Dog Pondering will be showcasing a new album during its sold-out shows at Thalia Hall tonight and tomorrow night. Keep On Loving Each Other is now available to download on Bandcamp, and as with the previous nine releases from Frank Orrall and his multiple band members, it’s an impressive effort. Described as a song cycle, it’s filled with positive vibes on songs like the title track and “Do It Your Own Way.” 

The immersive exhibit Bob Marley: One Love Experience opened today at the Ovation Hollywood venue in Los Angeles. Its features include photography, music, concert videos, and a One Love Forest. It would be great to see that exhibit come to Chicago.

If you have a copy of today’s Chicago Tribune, check out Pete Crozier’s tribute to Lin Brehmer in the Voice Of People letters section. As many Brehmer fans know, Crozier was the multi-faceted producer of the beloved DJ’s’s radio show on WXRT for a number of years. His tribute concludes with this wise observation: “Lin Brehmer. My friend. And Yours. He was the kind of man you like to believe exists and rarely meet.”

Bass player Darryl Jones’ amazing career before joining The Rolling Stones is the subject of a new documentary titled Darryl Jones: In The Blood. It’s available on DVD from Amazon and on Apple TV.

The Michael Cohen Trio will be performing from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm for customers enjoying the Jazz Brunch at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights this Sunday, January 29. Cohen has extensive experience with power pop and rockabilly bands, but for this type of gig, he taps into his expertise in playing vintage love songs.

Tall Poppy Syndrome has started work on four tracks; each of which is destined to be a single release. Expect the first single to arrive this spring. The band is relatively new. and includes Vince Melouney from The Bee Gees, Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen, and Clem Burke from Blondie.

Raise your hand if you love puppets. You’ve got just a few more days to explore the 5th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival at assorted venues throughout the Chicago area. It wraps up this Sunday.

The 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon is due out on March 24, and along with a CD and gatefold vinyl, will include a 76-page book, two seven-inch singles, posters, and other memorabilia. Fans can check out the full description on Pink Floyd’s official Facebook page.

The Blues Week Festival kicks off at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, January 31 and runs through February 5. Performers include Joanna Connor and Altered Five Blues Band; Chicago Blues Supersession; and Mud Morganfield.

The city of Bristol in the U.K. will open its annual Slapstick Festival on Valentine’s Day with a screening of  the Marilyn Monroe film Some Like It Hot. The Festival is devoted to building modern audiences for silent comedy from 1895 – 1930, but showcase more recent comedies as well. Monty Python member Michael Palin is a guest curator this year, and he’ll on hand for two Monty Python film screenings. There will also be screenings of Spinal Tap, A Hard Day’s Night, and The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, along with several vintage comedies.

Rhythm and blues legend Mavis Staples will be performing on February 4 at the Symphony Center in Chicago, with singer-songwriter Celisse as her opening act. The Symphony Center is located at 220 S. Michigan Avenue. 

The Bluedot Festival, billed as an “Intergalactic festival of music, science, art, technology and the exploration of space” is set to take place July 20 – 23 at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, U.K. Pavement and Grace Jones are among the headline acts, and the featured events include 60 Years Of Doctor Who: A Celebration and An Afternoon Of White Rabbit Books Featuring Miki Berenyi In Conversation. Berenyi, the vocalist-guitarist for Lush, recently released a memoir titled Fingers Crossed - How Music Saved Me From Success. 

As reported by Leor Galil in the current edition of the Chicago Reader, musician/author Jen B. Larson has a new book out titled Hit Girls - Women Of Punk In The USA 1975 –1983. Larson is a member of the band Swimsuit Addition, and well acquainted with the obstacles women musicians face. The Chicago Reader offers two excerpts from Hit Girls; one on Kate Fagan from Heavy Manners, and the other on the hard-edged rock band Bitch. I have fond memories of seeing both of those groups on the Chicago music scene, which makes this book seem even more essential for my collection. Hit Girls - Women Of Punk In The USA 1975 –1983 is available from Rough Trade, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other websites.

Ian Hunter, a founding member of glam rock pioneers Mott The Hooper, as well as a successful solo artist, has a new album titled Defiance Part 1 coming out on April 21. “Bed Of Roses,” the first single, is said to be a fantasy about “the greatest concert Hunter’s ever witnessed” and features guest musicians Mike Campbell from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers and Ringo Starr. Other well-known musicians, including the late Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins, were involved with recording the album.

SPACE in Evanston has announced a new batch of  shows coming in February, including The Rachel Drew Band and Tennis Court Oath on February 1; Phil Angotti And Friends Present The Beatles Love Songs on February 14; Push Puppets on February 17; Ivan Julian backed by Nick Tremulis and his band on February 22; and Mud Morganfield on February 26.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for The Official Freddie Mercury 77th Birthday Party taking place at Casino Barriere, Montreux on September 2nd. I’m guessing that’s in France. The band Live Killers will perform songs by Queen. The event will celebrate the golden anniversary of the band’s debut album and benefit The Mercury Phoenix Trust - Fighting AIDS Worldwide.

Bad Examples members Ralph Covert and Steve Gerlach, along with Michael Hartigan will be backed by a string quartet at The Venue in Aurora on February 25 at 8:00 pm.

Wilco promises “Three Nights, No Repeats!” for a trio of concerts at The Riviera Theatre, that kicks on March 23. From there, the band’s Spring Tour will move on to three gigs in Port Chester, NY; and three gigs (all sold out) in Reykjavik, Iceland. Other stops on the tour include North Charleston, SC; Orlando, FL; Asheville, NC; and The Moseley Folk Festival in Birmingham, UK.

Chicago-based band Van Go, whose hard-hitting songs often pack a satirical wallop thanks to songwriter-vocalist Davey Sippel, will return to the local club scene on February 24 at Montrose Saloon. I could be wrong, but this might be the first Van Go gig since original bassist-vocalist Lou Galassini passed away. A post on the band’s Facebook page reveals the band debated changing its name but eventually decided to keep it. “So, you get the 4 Van Go guys sticking together, and carrying the spirit of Lou G with us wherever we go.” I think Lou, one of the friendliest musicians I ever met, would agree.

Starting this past January 19, Bryan Ferry’s official Facebook page has started a series of digital releases of singles from his 1999 album As Time Goes By on various streaming sites. The title track, along with the previously unavailable B-Side “If I Didn’t Care,” is the first offering. 

The Zombies’ new album Different Game is due out March 31, and is now available for pre-order on various streaming sites. The first single, “Dropped, Reeling And Stupid” features Rod Argent’s jazzy keyboards while Colin Blunstone’s soulful voice is as impressive as ever.

Chicago-based power pop band Thrift Store Halo, who I think opened for The Zombies some years back, will be part of a triple bill with indie rockers Turning Birds and psych rockers The Means (of production) on February 11 at Gallery Cabaret. Showtime is 9:00 pm; Gallery Cabaret is located at 2020 N. Oakley in Chicago.