Slumgullion

Tall Poppy Syndrome, which brings together music veterans Vince Melouney from The Bee Gees; Clem Burke from Blondie; guitarist Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen and singer Paul Kopf and bassist Alec Palao from Strangers In A Strange Land, continues to have a blast covering vintage rock songs. The band’s third single comes out March 22, and it’s a catchy rendition of “This Time Tomorrow” from The Kinks’ 1970 Lola Versus Powerman album. The energetic arrangement finds Melouney, Burke, Lea, and Palao at the top of their game, while Kopf’s vocals are just as impressive. “This Time Tomorrow” will be available in digital format on various sites.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 will be held from April 19 through April 27 and the schedule for is now available on the official IPO website. CFO/Founder David Bash has brought his multi-act showcase to a number of Chicago venues over the years, and Montrose Saloon is a particularly good fit. I believe this will be its third time hosting. Per tradition, each night will bring a set of at least five acts; and there will be afternoon and evening sets on April 20, 21, and 27.

This year’s list of performers includes Phil Angotti, The Spindles, Magnaphonic, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, The Jeremy Band, Things That Fly, The Bon Mots, TAFKAVince Band, Mark Watson, Ralph Covert and Panic At The Costco, The Unswept, Golden Richards, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, Custard Flux, Penthouse Sweets, Michael Steven Cohen, and The Queue. Several other acts on the schedule are returning favorites; I just don’t have enough space to list them all here.

Happy Birthday to Roger Daltry of The Who, one of rock and roll’s all-time best vocalists. To celebrate, let’s all scream like he does on “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Ready? Let’s go. 

The Who’s all-star charity event Teenage Cancer Trust At The Royal Albert Hall in London takes place at the esteemed venue March 18 through March 24. The scheduled performances are The Who With Orchestra And Very Special Guests Squeeze on March 18 and 20; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds With Very Special Guests Blossoms on March 21; Young Fathers Plus Special Guests (TBD) on March 22; The Chemical Brothers Plus DJ Paul Holroyd on March 23; and Ovation, which is described as A Celebration Of 24 Years Of Gigs For Teenage  Cancer Trust with Roger Daltrey, Kelly Jones, Robert Plant With Saving Grace, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, and Paul Weller.

The Who’s Tommy, which amazed so many of us at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and racked up nine Jeff Awards, will open in New York on Broadway March 8.

The Chicago venue Hideout will hold its Annual SXSW Send-Off on March 9 via an all day party. The event will feature performances by Reilly Downes, Waco Brothers, Smushie, Astrachan, Cabeza De Chivo and Samuel Aaron. Doors open at 2:00 pm and the music starts an hour later. 

The Trouser Press 50th Birthday Party coming to the Bowery Electric venue in New York takes place on March 16. Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey from The dB’s will be on hand to perform, along with The Shirt Event featuring Dennis Diken from The Smithereens; the Washington, DC alt rock band Dot Dash; and DJ Steve Reynolds. The event will also celebrate the release of a Trouser Press Books book titled Zip It Up!: The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984.

 

Message In A Bottle, choreographer Kate Prince’s dance production featuring music by Sting, wraps up its short run at the Cadillac Palace Theater in downtown Chicago on Sunday. The production, which has Sting’s full blessing, has been successfully staged in Europe, Australia, and most recently, Hollywood, CA.

Director Sam Mendes has an ambitious plan to create a series of four biopics about The Beatles. One for each member. And have all four ready to screen in 2027. Coyle notes that the recent biopics about Queen, Elton John, and Elvis Presley were box office successes. No word yet on when auditions to portray John, Paul, George, and Ringo will take place.

dASHDOWN, AKA local indie rocker Dave Ashdown, will celebrate the release of his new EP Can’t Get Too High Or Low tomorrow from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at this month’s First Saturday Happy Hour open mic at Montrose Saloon.

A Gibson Garage recently had its grand opening in England. The American-based guitar manufacturer now has a 4,500 square feet store on Eastcastle Street in London. The only other Guitar Garage is located in Nashville, TN.

The Chicago-based, critically acclaimed Trinity Irish Dance Company promises Artistic Director Mark Howard will present two world premieres at its Auditorium performance this Sunday.

Marc Ribler, whose resume includes performing with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, as well as Darlene Love, has released a terrific video for his new song “Dick Cavett.” Written by Ribler and Stevie VanZandt, it’s a catchy tribute to the popular talk show host, particularly his late-night run from 1969 to 1975. The clip features Cavett himself, along with Vincent Pastore and Maureen Van Zandt (Little Stevie’s wife) from The Sopranos, and countless snippets of Cavett interviewing rock and roll stars and other celebrities. “Dick Cavett” can be found on Marc Ribler Story Road’s new album Armageddon, and is available on seven-inch vinyl on the Wicked Cool Website.

 

March 10. That’ll be the day when Phil Angotti And Friends perform a tribute to Buddy Holly at City Winery Chicago. They’ll also tap into the early days of Elvis Presley. The music starts at noon.

Tickets are now on sale today for the U.S. leg of Graham Nash’s More Evenings Of Songs And Stories tour. It kicks off on August 4 at Fort Collins, CO. Other cities include Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Omaha.  Prior to those dates, Nash will be gigging throughout Australia and New Zealand. Check out his official website for the full list and ticket information.

Riot Fest will present English punk pioneers The Damned at Concord Music Hall on June 2.

An army of well-respected musicians calling themselves Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes have recorded a new version of  “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” from the Dire Straits guitarist’s 1983 soundtrack album. The song will be available on March 15 and will benefit The Who’s Teenage Cancer Fund. Pre-order from Mark Knopfler’s official online store. 

Dolph Chaney And The Phins will likely perform the catchy “Californiagain” single from Chaney’s latest album Mug during a free show at 5:30 on March 23 at Cary’s Lounge at 2251 W. Devon in Chicago. Opening act The Dry Look will kick things off at 4:00 pm.

 

Congratulations to Elton John and Bernie Taupin on being awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. They’ll be honored during a tribute concert being held in Washington, D.C. on March 20.

Cosmic Bull, a Chicago band whose members have loads of experience on the local scene, will hold the release party for their debut full-length album Band Substances at the witching hour of 12:00 am on Friday March 8 at Gallery Cabaret. The first single from the album is “Once the Dust Settles.”

There will be an all-star tribute to Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowan of The Pogues at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 20. David Gray, Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Amanda Palmer, and Dropkick Murphys have been confirmed as taking part, and other acts are expected to take part. City Winery is holding a contest for fans to win a trip to New York for this event by donating to PEN America. The organization states its mission “is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.”

The Electromagnates, a new quartet comprising Big Stir indie label veterans Dolph Chaney, Steve Stoeckel of The Spongetones, solo artist Chris Church, and Peter Watts of Spygenius, have released a single titled “Airwave Hello.” The song celebrates indie radio stations and DJs.

Congratulations to the Brookfield Zoo in suburban Illinois on its 90th Anniversary. The celebration will include a 130-foot Ferris Wheel coming on March 15, with other events to be announced later.

The Kooks have announced a 16-city tour that will bring them to America for the first time in quite a while. It 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.

The Soul Brunch Presented By Puresoul series continues at City Winery Chicago on March 17 with Stevie Wonder, Wonders Of Motown.

Louise Post from Veruca Salt will embark on a four-city tour to promote her Sleepwalker solo album starting at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on March 22. Other stops on the tour are the Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 12; Empty Bottle in Chicago on April 23; Red Flag in St. Louis on April 24; and Blue Room Third Man Studios in Nashville on April.