Slumgullion

Earth/Percent, which describes itself as “a charity providing a simple way for the music industry to support the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency,” has launched a major fundraiser. The Earth/Percent X Earth Day Compilation Album features new/exclusive/unreleased material from 60 artists from around the endangered globe, and is available as a digital album for £25. A vinyl version is coming out tomorrow. The artists involved include Nick Carlise; Michael Stipe featuring Gaelyn Lea; Julia Holter; Cvurches And Robert Smith; Nile Rodgers And Chic; Manzanera Mackay; Brian Eno; Lime Garden; Coldplay X Her; and Lanterns On The Lake. Most of the tracks are techno-oriented, with occasional acoustic songs, and some live performances. I only know this because I did my part and bought the digital album.

The nine-day International Pop Overthrow - Chicago festival starts tonight at Montrose Saloon and Record Store Day arrives Saturday. See my previous four posts for more information on these delightful annual events.

This just in. Actually, you won’t see this in my IPO previews because I just saw it posted now on Facebook. Brad Elvis from The Handcuffs and The Romantics will be the guest drummer when Phil Angotti performs tonight. Tom Ryan and Todd Rusin will also be assisting Angotti.

WXRT has a Vintage XRT Studio Vinyl promotion coming up for Record Store Day that will delight fans of classic albums as well as help a worthy charity. The rock station will place limited amounts vinyl records that have been played on the air and have DJ notes on them in selected Chicago area stores. People can search for them in the bins tomorrow and if they find one, buy it for a $20 donation to The Foundation To Be Named Later. Check the official WXRT website for details.

You really got me on the bus. As part their 60th Anniversary celebration, The Kinks are offering 

The Journey bus tour, which takes passengers “back to the Davies’ home turf; the parks they played on, the houses they lived in, the school they attended and the pub where they played their first ever gig.” The 90-minute tour ends with a visit to the location of the band’s Muswell Hillbillies photo session. This is reason number 4,653 why I want to visit England again.

Singer-guitarist Evan Dando from The Lemonheads will perform at City Winery this coming Monday, April 24.   

Susanna Hoffs’ The Deep End is now available on CD and on streaming sites. The album finds her covering “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, “Black Coffee In Bed” by Squeeze, and other hit songs.

Cash For Kids - Chicago’s Only Johnny Cash Festival will take place on 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.

Legendary composer-musician Taj Majal will release a new album titled Savoy next Friday, April 28.

The punk band X, with all four original members still on board, has a show coming up on July 6 at Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago. Tickets went on sale today.

Defiance Part 1, a brand new album by Ian Hunter, came out today. In addition to being a founding member of glam rock pioneers Mott The Hoople, Hunter has been a successful solo artist. Special guest musicians on Defiance Part 1 include Ringo Starr, Mike Campbell, Dennis Dibrizzi, Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins.

The music venue Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights will present The Cellar - Cultural Zenith Of Arlington Heights next Tuesday, April 25. The Cellar, a teen club back in the 1960s, booked the best local rock bands, as well as The Who, The Yardbirds, Cream, The Byrds, MC5, Buffalo Springfield, and other world-famous acts. Tickets range from $40 to $15. 

Chicago’s only druid alt rock band, whitewolfsonicprincess has a gig coming up on May 6 at Montrose Saloon.

Natalie Merchant will be showcasing songs from her album Keep Your Courage when she performs at The Chicago Theatre on May 19.

Congratulations to my nephew Joe Flamm on the second anniversary of his Fulton Market area restaurant Rose Mary.

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

Jagged Little Pill – The Musical, which is based on the Alanis Morissette album, opened to positive reviews last week at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in downtown Chicago. 

Three separate dance troupes—two local, one from New York–will join forces in the Rhythms Of Resistance: Dorrance Dance, The Trinity Irish Dancers, and M.A.D.D. Rhythms show is coming to the Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago on April 22. Posts on social media regarding this event promise a “never before seen evening of percussive dance.”

The 95th Academy Award Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once will be shown on August 29 as part of the Millennium Park Summer Film Series. The concert film Summer Of Soul (. . . Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised will be shown on August 1.

With the Barbie film coming out July 21, it’s not surprising to discover a Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up restaurant/store will be opening on June 7 at a top secret location in Chicago. Tickets are $35 for kids, and $50 for adults, and as recently reported in the Chicago Sun-Times, they will be available starting April 19 at bucketlisters.com. 

A new exhibit titled Dark Testament: A Century Of Black Writers On Justice is now open at the American Writers Museum in downtown Chicago. In addition to highlighting the work of Black American writers, the exhibit will feature original artwork by Chicago artists.

Last Night And The Night Before, written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays and directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, opened yesterday at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and will run through May 14.

Tickets are now on sale soon for the Chicago Critic Film Festival https://musicboxtheatre.com/series-and-festivals/the-chicago-critics-film-festival being held May 5 – 11 at the Music Box Theatre on the city’s north side. 

Tekki Lomnicki, a performer/writer/producer who’s well known on the Chicago entertainment scene through her Tellin’ Tales Theatre productions, is offering a free Master Class for people with a disability who’d like to create a one-person performance piece. The workshop will take place on Zoom from April 18 through May 30, and there will be a live show at the Greenhouse Theater Center in early June. Anyone interested can contact Lomnicki (a former co-worker of mine) at tekki@TellinTales.org.

The Long Grove Craft Beer fest will be held from noon to 4:00 pm next Saturday, directly in front of the Buffalo Creek Brewing venue.

The Chicago Toy Show’s 50th Anniversary season takes place this Sunday, April 23 at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, IL. It’s a fun place to browse a wide range of toys from antique to brand new, and come across the occasional rock and roll collectible.