Slumgullion

Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band will return to Wrigley Field for concerts next Wednesday, August 9 and Friday, August 10. Springsteen is the subject of  writer/musician Warren Zanes’ recent book Deliver Me From Nowhere - The Making Of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Zanes also wrote a fascinating cover story on Springsteen for the August issue of MOJO, which also features an article about Tina Turner and an extended review of P.J. Harvey’s new album I Inside The Old Year Dying. All of this reminds me I have to renew my subscription to MOJO. I love that magazine.

Neil Young’s Chrome Dreams album, often described as his legendary lost album, will be released next Friday, August 11. Other albums due out this month (as noted in the August Illinois Entertainer) include End Of World by Public Image Ltd.; The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons by The Hives; and Realms by Cindy Wilson from The B-52’s. Also in the current issue of I.E., publisher John Vernon gives Sleepwalker by Veruca Salt Member Louise Post an 8 out of 10 rating, critic Jeff Elbel was equally impressed with the 50th Anniversary Edition of Steely Dan’s Countdown To Ecstasy album.

City Winery Chicago now has tickets on sale for Justin Hayward’s October 23 and 24 shows and Southside Johnny And Asbury Jukes’ shows on December 11 and 12.

Lollapalooza opened yesterday and runs through Sunday in Grant Park. Tonight’s performers include Kendrick Lamar; Thirty Seconds To Mars; and The 1975. The Revivalists perform tomorrow, and Sunday’s lineup includes Red Hot Chili Peppers; Alvvays; Dehd; Mt. Joy; and Lana Del Rey. 

The Beatles tribute band Kaleidoscope Eyes will close out this year’s Palatine’s Sounds Of Summer series with an outdoor concert at the Fred P. Hall Amphitheater at 7:30 pm. These guys don’t go in for costumes or accents, and have performed at Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago. 

 

Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago, with its mix of live music, celebrity guests, art, photography, contests, and merchandise, will return to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont next weekend, August 11 – 13. WXRT radio personality Terri Hemmert will once again serve as Master Of Ceremonies, and some of Chicago’s best local acts will be performing on The Apple Jam Stage and Main Stage.

As recently reported on the Theatre Mania website, performances of a new production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodeson, will start on Halloween night at the St. James Theatre in New York.

The Chicago-based indie label Pravda Records will showcase three of its acts tonight at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn. The lineup features The Handcuffs, whose Burn The Rails was one of 2022’s best albums; Ivan Julian from Richard Hell And The Voidoids, along with Nicolas Tremulis; and Brian Krumm and His Barfly Friends.

Congratulations to International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash on nearly a quarter century of showcasing power pop and indie rock. IPO - Los Angeles 2023 marks a return to the city of the festival’s birth with a nine-day run at the Redwood Bar in Los Angeles. Each night will offer at least five (more often six) acts. Some of the familiar names performing include The Jeremy Band; Rick Hromadka; Sparkle*Jests UK; and Plasticsoul. International Pop Overthrow has grown over the years to include stops in Chicago, Liverpool, Boston, San Diego, and other cities.

The Famous In The Future comedy group’s annual three-day celebration of counter-culture entertainment, YippieFest, kicks off today at PrideArtsChicago on Chicago’s north side. In addition to Famous In The Future, the performers will include Chicks With Picks; Rush Pearson; Dark Room Men; Industry Darlings; Collage Productions/Jeff Helgeson; David Drazin; Black Forest; Masters Of Sketch; Angie McMahon; Amber Nettles; Our Lake On The Ocean; Continuous Dream Theater; Noel and Mick D; Roberta Miles; John Francis Klingle; RPG-13; and El Bear.

As a former member of Famous In The Future, I’m going to aim for their sketch and song revue on Saturday evening of YippieFest. The timing works well since it’s right around the same time my fellow former Famous In The Future member David Drazin will be doing a standup comedy show, and Black Forest, whose founding members Carla Hayden and James Moeller are now better known for leading the alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess, will be performing a short theatrical piece. I first met Carla and James back when Famous In The Future and Black Forest both performed as part of the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. I’ve always admired the way they can simultaneously delight and mystify.

Ralph Covert will perform with a string quartet this Sunday night at at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. The show, which will include songs from Covert’s long career, starts at 7:00 pm. Next Wednesday, indie rockers The Figgs will be at Hey Nonny.

Pictures Of You: A Compilation Of Covers Of Songs By The Cure, another ambitious multi-act tribute album from the UK record label and culture webzine God Is In The TV, is now available to download on Bandcamp. I’ve been skimming through the 45 songs I downloaded and I can already tell there’s some real gems here.

The Dandy Warhols, who gave us the fabulous “Bohemian Like You” and several other catchy indie rock songs, have a gig coming next Wednesday at Metro in Chicago on August 9.

Chicago-based power pop band (and IPO - Chicago veterans) Thrift Store Halo have just announced they’ll have a new six-song EP titled Back To Good coming out in November. There will be a record release show on December 7 at Ballydoyle in Downers Grove.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will be among the performers when the 22nd Annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest is held on the weekend of August 18 through August 20. Triple performs at 5:00 pm on Saturday. The event is free and will feature over 100 artists.

The Tom Petty: Among The Wildflowers exhibit continues its six-month run at the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, FL. It offers a 700 square foot collection of artifacts, including some from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and other exclusive memorabilia.

FAN EXPO CHICAGO will be held at the Donald Stephens Center in Rosemont, IL on August 10 through 13. Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Susan Sarandon, Giancarlo Esposito, Henry Winkler, Barry Bostwick, and Katee Sackhoff are among the many celebrity guests.

The State Of Sound exhibit, a pop-up version of the award-winning exhibition that was held at the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, continues its run at Navy Pier through Aug. 27. The exhibit celebrates Illinois-based stars such as Muddy Waters; Material Issue; Earth, Wind & Fire; Chicago; Chance the Rapper; Wilco; Shoes; and Cheap Trick.

Printer’s Row is best known for its annual Lit Fest in September, but this south end area of downtown Chicago has also been staging its impressive Art Fest for five years. It returns on the weekend of August 12 and 13, with 90 juried artists and artisans showcasing their work.