Incoming

First, an official welcome to Graham Nash, who’s coming to Chicago for a series of four sold-out concerts at the Old Town School Of Folk Music. Starting tonight. I’ve seen Nash perform several times in several formats—solo, with David Crosby, with CSNY, with the reunited Hollies in 1983—but I’ve never met him in person. I did a telephone interview with him for the Illinois Entertainer back when his Reflections box set came out. He was very friendly and informative.

Along with his best-known material, Nash will likely perform songs from his upcoming album Now. I’m thinking that with a May 19 release date, it won’t be on the merch table yet. I’d love to buy a “Buddy’s Back” t-shirt to celebrate the song Nash recently wrote and sang with fellow former Hollie Allan Clarke, but I don’t think such a garment exists.

You have to love the headline Chicago music venue Metro used for an email today announcing a July 16 appearance by Cheap Trick: They just seem a little weird. The concert is being billed as Metro’s 40th Anniversary Finale, with pre-sale tickets going on sale tomorrow at 11:00 am.

 

Author Jen B. Larson will read from her new book Hit Girls: Women Of Punk In The USA at the GMan Tavern tomorrow, April 27. Jill Hopkins, Media and Civic Events Producer at Metro, will host at Question and Answer session with Larson afterward.

Over The Rhine, the Cincinnati-based, critically acclaimed alt rock/Americana band founded by Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, will be at SPACE in Evanston this Friday, April 28. They also have gigs in, Kalamazoo, MI tomorrow, Stoughton, WI on Saturday, and Minneapolis, MN on Sunday. 

Speaking of widely acclaimed alt rock/Americana bands, Chicago’s own Dolly Varden will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its For A While album at SPACE in Evanston on July 15. Pre-sale tickets are available now. “This was an attempt to make more of a rock record,” vocalist-guitarist Steve Dawson explained during an interview I did with him for the Illinois Entertainer when For A While came out. “That was the plan. I don’t know if we carried it out because I think the songs I like best on For A While are the ones that aren’t big rock songs.” Dawson and his wife, vocalist-artist Diane Christiansen, are co-founders of Dolly Varden.

Forty local retailers will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day by holding a Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm this Saturday. Afterwords Bookstore, 57th Street Books, The Bookstore Of Glen Ellyn, Bucket O’ Blood Books And Records, Newberry Bookshop, Quimby’s Bookstore, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, and Women And Children First are among the participants.

Cash For Kids - Chicago’s Only Johnny Cash Festival will take place Saturday, May 6 at the Irish American Heritage Center on the northwest side. The charitable event will feature performances by Iron Horse, Hayden Thompson, The Hoyle Brothers, Eddie Clendening, The Blue Ribbon Boys, Hodie Snitch, The Amazing Heeby Jeebies, The Ramblin’ Redeemed, Stephen Davern, John Kimler, Geneieve Hayward, and Wild Earp and The OK Chorale. Admission is $20 presale, $25 at the door. The music starts at 3:00 pm. Proceeds benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

Author Michael Witwer, whose books on Dungeons And Dragons have become best sellers, will be at Chicago Comics, at 3244 N. Clark Street this Sunday to discuss his latest work, Dungeons And Dragons” The Legend Drizzt Visual Dictionary. I didn’t see a start time on the store’s Facebook post.

Leroy Bocchieri, a local musician currently performs under the name Joywire, enlisted members  of the power pop band Shoes to add some backing vocals to his new single "Last First Kiss.” The acoustic ballad about the pitfalls of romance, will be available on all streaming platforms this Friday.