Slumgullion

The Who’s Tommy, a dramatic presentation of the one of the first, and possibly the best rock operas, will begin its run at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago on June 13 and run through July 23. This is the genuine article; with book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, and directed by Des McAnuff. 

The Pretenders, Hot Chip, and Suede are the headline acts for Kite: A New Festival Of Ideas And  Music, which will take place at Kirlington Park, Oxforshire in the U.K. next weekend, June 9 – 11. Other scheduled acts include Candi Staton, Django Django, and Susanna Hoffs. Maybe The Pretenders will showcase some songs from their Relentless album, due out in September.

Three well-established Chicago-based power pop bands, The Spindles, Go Time! and Vinto Van Go will share a triple bill tomorrow night (June 3) at the QBar in Darien, IL. Go Time! will likely be performing songs from their recently released album Anything Could Happen.

Tickets have sold out for the David Bowie World Fan Convention taking place in New York City on June 17 and 18. The event features noted Bowie collaborators Carlos Alomar, Tony Visconti, Mike Garson, George Murray and Carmine Rojas. 

The 2023 Chicago Blues Festival, billed as the largest blues celebration on the planet, opens next Thursday, June 8 and will run through June 11. Major acts scheduled to appear include Bobby Rush, Los Lobos, Mud Morgenfield, Lil Ed And The Blues Imperials, and Blind Boys Of Alabama. The events will take place in Millennium Park.

Tickets are now on sale for Nick Lowe’s November 20 concert at the Old Town School Of Folk Music, and his November 21 show with Rami Gabriel at SPACE in Evanston. 

Global Citizen, a nonprofit organization devoted to fighting climate change, will present a free concert titled Power Our Planet: Live In Paris on June 22. Staged in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower, the event will feature performances by Lenny Kravitz, Finneas, Ben Harper, Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, Mosimann, and H.E.R.

Material Reissue, which features Material Reissue original band members Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani, with Phil Angotti now on lead vocals and guitar, have a show coming up on June 10 at Schubas on Chicago’s north side. It’ll be a rare opportunity to hear original lead vocalist-guitarist Jim Ellison’s power pop masterpieces in a live setting. Frisbie, a critically acclaimed band closing in on 25 years of creating catchy rock tunes, will be sharing the bill that night.

Also on June 10, Amazing Heeby Jeebies will perform as part of a three-act showcase at Montrose Saloon. The Metalliques and Feral Faucet will also be on the bill.

The new Henry Diltz Music Is Love photography exhibition recently opened at the Elverhoj Museum Of Solvang in California. Diltz is one of rock and roll’s premier photographers; well known for his work with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Doors, The Eagles, The Hollies, and other bands. According to the online Lompoc Record, the exhibition will cover his entire career, with a special section devoted to the late David Crosby.

Local alt rock/avant-garde band whitewolfsonicprincess will bring its self-proclaimed 21st Century Druid music to SPACE in Evanston on June 14. The Mixture is also on the bill that night.

The 57th Street Art Fair, one of Chicago’s longest-running and respected art fairs, takes place tomorrow and Saturday. Next weekend, June 10 and 11, will bring another prestigious local art event, the Old Town Art Fair. The Wells Street Art Fair, which adds live music to the mix, also takes place next weekend. 

From The Mississippi Delta, the Pulitzer-nominated play based on the autobiography of Dr. Endesha Isa Mae Holland, and directed by Ilesa Duncan, continues its run at the Lifeline Theatre on Chicago’s far north side through June 18.

1964 - Eyes Of The Storm, a book of photographs taken by Paul McCartney in the midst of Beatlemania, comes out on June 13. There are bound to be some amazing shots from his point of view. The collection will also be featured as an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London from June 28 through October 1.

Personality - The Lloyd Price Musical, which celebrates the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame songwriter (“Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “Aint It A Shame”), opened at the Studebaker Theater today.

Rust For Glory, a Neil Young tribute band that’s based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Young’s Harvest album on June 3 at The Broadway in Barking. They’ll be part of the venue’s Neil Young Day festivities, along with the Harvest Time documentary and a presentation by author Daryl Easlea. Admission for all three Neil Young Day events is £36.50.

A Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up restaurant/store will open on June 7 at a top secret location in Chicago, and tickets ($35 for kids, $50 for adults) are now available via bucketlisters.com. The cafe will promote the Barbie film starring Margot Robbie, which is coming out July 21. 

The Cure’s 2023 tour will bring them to the United Center in Chicago on June 10. Other dates include New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Tellin’ Tales Theatre’s latest presentation is titled Divercity: Refocusing Disability, and will offer performances by artists, writers, and advocates with disabilities. Directed by founding member Tekki Lomnicki, Divercity: Refocusing Disability will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center on the weekend of June 9 – 11. 

Congratulations to The Neverly Brothers on 20 years of creating an entertaining hybrid of live music and spoken bits of rock and roll history. They have three gigs coming up in June: Washington Park in Ottawa on June 17; Memorial Park in Wheaton on June 23; and the Orland Hills Community Center on June 24. They’ll also be part of the Hometown Fest Fourth Of July Celebration in my humble village of Palatine.

Carlos, a new documentary about the life and multiple achievements of legendary guitarist Carlos Santana, will receive its world premiere on June 17 at the Tribeca Festival in New York City. The actual release date for Carlos will be revealed at some point in the future.

Things That Fly, the Chicago-based indie rock band led by Heidi Serwer and Karen Salmon, each an accomplished singer-songwriter, has a record-release show for its self-titled EP at Martyrs’ on June 24. The event will benefit the charity organization Common Pantry.