Slumgullion

The Rolling Stones performed a surprise gig in New York City last night to celebrate the impending arrival of Hackney Diamonds, their first new studio album of original songs in 18 years. The band posted a video on social media today of special guest Lady Gaga swapping spirited “Oh yeahs” with Mick Jagger on “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.” Imagine the countless people who would love to have been in that audience. Lady Gaga, along with Stevie Wonder, joined the Stones in the recording studio for the recording of “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.” Hackney Diamonds became available today.

Carla Olson’s latest album Have Harmony, Will Travel 3 also became available today, and it includes a cover of The Rolling Stones’ controversial 1968 hit single “Street Fighting Man.” Special guests on the album include Jonathan Lea, Allan Clarke, and Jake Andrews.

The Three O’Clock dropped a re-release their Paisley Underground masterpiece Sixteen Tambourines album today. It sports a new cover, the tracks have been remastered, and it’s available in vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

Cheap Trick recently announced on social media that they will headline the International Beatles On The Beach festival at the Delray Beach Amphitheater January 24 – 28. Tickets are already on sale.

 

Halloweekend, the annual two-day event featuring local musicians masquerading as rock and roll stars, returns to Montrose Saloon on October 27 and 28. It’s a Chicago tradition, having been staged at several venues on the north side over the years. This year’s 12-act showcase is particularly impressive, so it would be a good idea to check out both nights. See yesterday’s post for more details.

Here’s a toast to Tom Petty on what would have been his 73rd birthday. Thanks for all the great rock and roll.

The Chicago-based seven-piece Talking Heads tribute band Start Making Sense will return to Martyrs' on Lincoln Avenue on November 10 and 11. Good timing, considering the critically acclaimed, updated version of director Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense Talking Heads concert film has been wowing people in movie theaters.

International Pop Overthrow - New York will be held at the Parkside Lounge on the weekend of November 9 – 12, with afternoon and evening showcases on Saturday and Sunday. Around 34 acts will be taking part.

The English Beat will be performing at City Winery Chicago on December 3 and 4.

The Last Waltz, director Martin Scorsese’s 1978 classic film of The Band’s farewell concert and their assorted famous guests, will return to theaters for one night only on November 5, to celebrate its 45th anniversary.

The 19th Annual CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights takes place tomorrow at the Local 130 Plumbers Union Hall (1340 W. Washington) in Chicago. Sponsored by CHIRP Radio (Chicago Independent Radio Project), the event attracts several vendors offering an amazing selection of vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and posters. Entertainment includes live performance by Baby Teeth, Madame Reaper, Jessica Risker, and Glad Rags, as well as DJs RP Boo, Ovef Ow, and Heart of Chicago Soul Club. Admission from 10:00 am onward is $10; early admission from 8:00 to 10:00 am costs $25, with readmission allowed all day.

Graham Nash will wrap up his 2023 U.S. tour with dates in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Delaware. Many of which are sold out. He’ll embark on a series of concerts in Australia and New Zealand starting in March 2024. I recently mentioned that Nash has partnered with British artist Tim Wakefield and his Soundwavesart Foundation to offer limited-edition artwork inspired by Nash’s “Our House” and “Teach Your Children” to benefit Children In Conflict. In a similar vein, noted photographer Henry Diltz has joined forces with the Candystock on a series of rock musician photo books that will benefit cancer awareness and treatment. You can choose from Dan Fogelburg, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, and Micky Dolenz. Each book contains 40 photos and sells for $24.

Happy 5th Anniversary to Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. Its owners started with the ambitious idea of creating a northwest suburban music venue that had an ambience and booking policy similar to the rock clubs on Chicago’s north side. During that time, I’ve seen shows by The Bad Examples, Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, Tommi Zender, Amazing Heeby Jeebies, Spies Who Surf, The 45, Sunshine Boys, EXPO ’76, and Dag Juhlin. The Pino Farina Band has a gig  at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tomorrow.

 

Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein will release a new Sleater-Kinney album titled Little Rope of January 19.

Michael Steven Cohen will return to Montrose Saloon this Sunday for another performance of vintage love songs. He’ll be performing from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

The Knights who say “Ni!” are particularly frightening. Performances of director Josh Rhodeson’s new production of Monty Python’s Spamalot will start on Halloween night at the St. James Theatre in New York. Also, the film Monty Python And The Holy Grail will be back in theaters at some point this fall. 

Phil Angotti and Friends continue their Beatles Brunch series at City Winery Chicago this Sunday at noon with a focus on music from the Beatles films A Hard Day’s Night, Help, Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour, and Let It Be.

Looks like U2 has been playing a winning hand in Las Vegas. Their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere run has just added 11 new dates. Meanwhile, the band’s catchy new single “Atomic City” is available to pre-order in limited-edition photoluminescent transparent seven-inch single and CD formats at the band’s official online shop.

Musician/teacher/author Freda Love Smith will discuss her book I Quit Everything at SPACE in Evanston this Sunday. Her former band mate in The Blake Babies, John Strohm, will perform songs from his new solo effort Something To Look Forward To. The event starts at 7:00 pm.

It’s hard to imagine very many Monkees or R.E.M. fans saw this coming, but Micky Dolenz has recorded an EP honoring the Athens, GA alt rock band. Dolenz Sings R.E.M., featuring his takes on “Shiny Happy People,” “Radio Free Europe,” “Man On The Moon,” and “Leaving New York,” comes out on November 3rd in vinyl and CD formats. It can be pre-ordered on the official Micky Dolenz website, and signed copies are available.

The recently issued An Introduction To . . . The Luck Of Eden Hall on U.K. indie label Fruits de Mer, is also available as a CD or as a download from the official The Luck Of Eden Hall Bandcamp page.

The Stones And Brian Jones, a new documentary from Magnolia Pictures, will be screened in theaters across America as a one-night-only special preview on November 7. It has a general release date of November 17. The 93-minute film comes from the award-winning British director Nick Broomfield, and features interviews with numerous musicians and previously unseen archival footage.

 

Big Stir Records artist Dolph Chaney has a record release party for his one-word-titled latest effort Mug coming up next Friday, October 27 at The Gallery Cabaret on Chicago’s north side. Librarians With Hickeys, Popular Creeps, and Alpine Subs will also be performing that evening.

The Kooks have announced an upcoming 16-city tour that will bring them to America for the first time in quite a while. It kicks off in Atlanta on February 29, and includes a stop at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on March 15. The shows will celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Kooks’ debut release Inside In Inside Out, and the band will perform the entire album. A recently released deluxe, double LP edition also marks the occasion. The Kooks’ latest album,10 Tracks To Echo In The Dark, came out in July 2022.

Montrose Saloon will present a four-act showcase tomorrow consisting of John Boyle; whitewolfsonicprincess; Tom Curless And The 46%, and Brick Briscoe And The Skinny.

Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr, a collection of tracks from the former Smiths guitarist is coming out on November 3.

Big Brother’s Vinyl is performing at Countryside Saloon tonight, and at Mystic Rose in Chicago on Saturday, October 28.

Michael McDermott and The Duke Street Kings will perform their Halloweensteen show with special guest Devin Scott Hodge at Park West on October 27.

Clara Kumagai, a writer of Irish and Japanese descent, will read from her fantasy Young Adult novel Catfish Rolling and discuss the cultural influences she drew from, at the American Writers Museum from 4:00 to 5:30 pm on October 28. The museum is located at 180 N. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.

Lovely to see you again, my friend. Vocalist-guitarist Justin Hayward has sold out his October 23 concert at City Winery Chicago, and there’s a local ticket alert for the one he’s doing there on the following day. It’s a safe bet that some Moody Blues fans bought tickets to both gigs.

Online tickets are now on sale for the Wilco concert at Metro on October 30. The band’s latest album, Cousins, came out at the end of September.

The new date for Matt Tiegler’s record release show at SPACE in Evanston is January 4, 2024. It had been scheduled for last Sunday but was postponed due to illness. The Chicago-based musician’s new album Hands Free Down Hill was produced by singer-songwriter Tommi Zender, and features catchy indie rock tunes like “I Didn’t Get You” and the title track. It’s available via his Bandcamp page. 

The Destinos: 6th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival will run through November 12 across the city at venues such as The Goodman Theatre; Puerto Rico Theatre Lab; The Den Theater; Repertorio Latino Theater; Subtext Studio Theatre Company; The Living Word Project; Teatro Tariakuri; Cabaret Parodia; and Colectivo El Pozo.