Incoming

Squeeze and The Psychedelic Furs will tour the U.S.A. together this fall, starting with a concert on September 19 in Durham, NC. They’ll be at The Salt Shed in Chicago on September 23, and other stops include Nashville, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

Brad Elvis and Rob Elvis, two-thirds of legendary 1980s/‘90s outfit The Elvis Brothers, will be joining in on some songs when The Spindles perform at a power pop triple bill at The Cubby Bear this Saturday that also features Go Time! and Vinto Van Go.

Indie label Big Stir Records has added some impressive acts to its roster with the recent signings of Graham Parker, The Cyrkle, and The Spongetones.

Vocalist-percussionist Frank Orrall from the adventurous Poi Dog Pondering ensemble will take a different approach for his solo gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. That performance will find him spinning tales and utilizing video and audio backing tracks. He’ll be joined by fellow Poi Dog Pondering members Paul Von Mertens and Joe Sonnefeldt, as well as singer/musician/dancer Sophia De Leon Sanchez.

Great Moments In Vinyl, a group of Chicago area musicians who frequently stage tribute shows, will perform Tina Turner songs at The Venue in Aurora this Friday night.

 

I was happy to see an email today from the Official Graham Nash Store stating that my signed copy his new CD Now is already on its way to me. The actual release date is this Friday.

Nash recently performed five sold out shows at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago, which will be holding its Blue Jean Gala on June 2. St. Paul And The Broken Bones will perform, with an After Party with Funkadesi. Nash signed a guitar that will be among the items auctioned to raise funds as part of the event. Participants can also bid on a trip to Ireland, a private concert by Chicago alt rock/Americana band Dolly Varden, and other options.

The Webstirs and Magnaphonic, a pair of Chicago bands long known for creating catchy pop songs, will be performing at The Hideout this Saturday. The Hideout is located at 1354 W. Wabansia on Chicago’s north side.

Congratulations to Jeff Tweedy of Wilco on selling out both his Friday and Saturday night shows at The Vic this weekend.

Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin will celebrate Pete Townshend’s birthday this Friday night by performing his solo material and iconic songs with The Who at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Decoy Prayer Meeting, the Chicago-based band that specializes in rockabilly and vintage Country and Western music, has an afternoon gig this Sunday from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at the FitzGerald’s venue in Berwyn.

Phil Angotti and Friends continue their string of Beatles-themed brunches at City Winery Chicago with a Macca And Wings tribute. Only this time, it’s on a Saturday: May 20 at noon.

Chicago Zine Fest 2023 will be held this Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm at Plumbers Union Hall. Admission is free, and the event will feature over 100 independent zine creators from around the country. This is the same building where the CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights is held, at 1340 W. Washington Blvd., just west of downtown Chicago.

Paul Rock’s Wild Honey Foundation will join forces with writer/producer Lenny Kaye and Rhino Records this Friday to present Nuggets - A 50th Anniversary All-Star Celebration Of The Nuggets Compilation. The Benefit Concert For The Autism Healthcare Collaborative will be held at Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Kaye, the force behind the iconic Nuggets compilation, Rob Laufer, and Andrew Sandoval will lead the Wild Honey Orchestra.

As with past Wild Honey events, well-known musicians will help out; including the members of the 1960s garage rock bands The Count Five, Chocolate Watchband, The Seeds, Love, and The Electric Prunes. Other participants include Susanna Hoffs, Elliot Easton, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Kathy Valentine, Darian Sahanaja, Carla Olson, Debbie Shair, Evie Sands, Daryl Hooper, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, and Peter Case. If you’re going to be in California, tickets range from $40 to $75. According to a Facebook post from Paul Rock, the event will be recorded and later made available on blu-ray, etc.

If you’re a New Yorker who can’t make it to the event listed above, Lenny Kaye has a smaller Nuggets 50th Anniversary celebration coming your way on July 28 and 29 at City Winery New York. Patti Smith, Ivan Julian, Jesse Malin, Peter Buck, James Mastro, Marshall Crenshaw,  Juliana Hatfield, and Bob Mould are the performers so far, and the house band will feature Lenny Kaye—who’s also hosting the event—-Tony Shanahan, Jack Petruzzelli, Glen Burtnik, and Dennis Diken. More acts are likely to be added.