Slumgullion

Photo from the official Pearl Jam Facebook page.

Today brings the release of Pearl Jam’s 12th album, Dark Matter. Even at first listen, it’s an impressive effort that offers hard-hitting, emotionally charged tracks such as “Scared Of Fear,”  “React, Respond,” and “Running.”

Congratulations to Squeeze on selling out the majority of their 50th Anniversary shows in the U.K. Well done, lads.

“Time To Let Some Light In,” the first single from singer-songwriter Steve Dawson’s upcoming album Ghosts, is now available to download on Bandcamp. Dawson has described this well-crafted Americana song as having gone through various changes on its way to a more positive message. Ghosts is due out June 7.

“February Sky,” a brand new song from Ringo Starr’s Crooked Boy EP, is now available to  download from various streaming sites. The physical EP, on black and white marble vinyl, will be available exclusively as part of tomorrow’s Record Store Day releases.

The entire list of this year’s limited-edition vinyl offerings is available on the official Record Store Day website. It’s highly recommended that you have your wishlist made out before you approach the counter at your favorite record store. Don’t stand there and dither. Once again, the selection has something to entice fans of just about every genre and era. Here’s a sampling of recording artists involved: Cannonball Adderley; Chet Baker; The Beatles; David Bowie; Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas; Alex Chilton; Nat King Cole; The Cure;  De La Soul; The English Beat; George Harrison; Howlin’ Wolf; Ian Hunter; Chris Isaak; Elton John; John Lennon, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Marty Stuart; Willie Nelson; Delores O’Riordan; OMD; Paramore; Charlie Parker; Parliament; Pearl Jam; Public Enemy; Queen; Queen Latifah; Ramones; The Replacements; The Roches; The Rolling Stones; Sonny Rollins; Linda Ronstadt; Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson; Siouxsie And The Banshees; Sleater-Kinney; Sonic Youth; Sparks; Donna Summer; Sun Ra; Supergrass; Talking Heads; T. Rex; U2, The Who; Wilco; The Yardbirds; Yes and Frank Zappa. There are tons more I didn’t mention, as well as a number of interesting various artists compilations.

Long-time Chicago-based rock musician Michael Steven Cohen has been specializing in classic tunes from The Great American Songbook lately, and he’ll perform Friday Night Love Songs tonight at Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights. The romance begins at 7:00 pm. Cohen will be part of next Saturday’s afternoon IPO - Chicago showcase.

Chicago radio station WXRT will broadcast a Bob Marley And The Wailers performance recorded live at The Quiet Knight venue in Chicago in 1975 as part of its Friday Night Archives series. The broadcast starts at 9:00 pm. WXRT is available via the Audacy app.

The first six-act showcase of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 starts tonight at 7:30 pm at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. Alpine Subs; We The Cats; Phil Angotti; The Spindles; The 321’s, and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club will perform. Starting this past Monday, I’ve been posting showcase previews for each event. As of today, I’m up to and including Tuesday, April 23. Keep an eye out for more.

The Zombies have released a collection of five one-take demos titled less is more on Spotify and Apple Music.

 

Tellin’ Tales Theatre in Chicago will present Diversity: Real Life Stories, its latest production of solo performances by artists, writers, and advocates with disabilities on the weekend of April 26, 27, 28, at Greenhouse Theater Center.

Usually when my wife Pam and I visit Long Grove, IL, it’s for the cafes and restaurants, but we also check out the stores. There used to be a lot more retail options there, so we’re always happy to hear things are picking up. Three movies have been filmed there in the past few years, with the latest still in progress. Also, according an article by Chloe Hilles in today’s Chicago Tribune, Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove has been drawing lots of customers with its Taylor Swift-inspired blonde ale 13th Poet. They posted an update on Facebook just a few hours ago regarding their selling out the first batch: “Given the response and demand, we decided this morning to scale up our small batch operations to be able to have a SECOND RELEASE of The 13th Poet on tap May 10 for 2024 BCB Maifest. This release will be draft-only. No growler fills.”

Journalist-musician Hugh Hart has passed along the sad news that vocalist Jo Dare has died. She was probably best known for sharing lead vocals with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury on the 1985 single “Hold On.” Judging from a post on the Freddie Mercury and Queen Facebook page, Mercury was quite impressed with her powerful voice. Before moving to Germany, where she met Mercury, the Texas native spent time in Chicago as a member of Hart’s The ODD alternative rock band. Back then, she was known as Jo Jackson. Rock In Paradise, Jo.

Writing Day Workshops will offer an in-person conference on June 22 in downtown Chicago. I’ve attended this event a number of times, and have really appreciated the seminars, as well as having the opportunity to schedule a 10-minute pitch to literary agents. There will be Workshops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, and other cities, as well as a few online versions.

As someone who’d love to get my rock and roll/paranormal romance novel published some day and then see it adapted to film, I was fascinated with Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper’s review of the new movie The Greatest Hits. It’s the story of a young woman who gets transported back in time whenever she hears a rock song that brings back memories of her recently deceased boyfriend. Roeper says it features a variety of recordings by current artists, including Roxy Music and Nelly Furtado. He gave it three stars.

The Bad Examples, the Chicago band that specializes in clever and melodic songs reminiscent of Squeeze and XTC, has a show tomorrow night at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights.

The Webstirs, another Chicago band that’s quite often catchy and humorous, will share a bill with at Milhous and Spoonbenders at Beat Kitchen next Wednesday, April 24. 

Northeastern Illinois University radio station WZRD Chicago 88.3 will celebrate 50 years of offering freeform radio with a free of charge party at Martyrs on May 4. There will be live music by Cosmic Bull, Silver Abuse, Sons of Ra, and Charlie Otto. Martyrs’ is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The Neverly Brothers 20th Anniversary Tour will bring them to the Beverly Arts Center on May 4. It’s located at 2407 W. 111th Street - Chicago, IL. The trio provides a history of rock music dating back to the 1950s by performing artists such as Buddy Holly, The Beatles, and The Kinks.

It’s safe to assume tickets are going fast for the Paul Weller + Special Guests event taking place on September 15 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. It’s his first US and Canada tour in seven years. Other cities in September will include Brooklyn, Boston, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver. After visiting North America, Weller heads back across the pond for a UK Autumn Tour. It would be great if he also played some material from his days with The Style Council and The Jam. His new guitar-driven single “Soul Wandering” is now available on streaming sites, and a full-length album titled 66 is due out May 24.

Chicago fans of offbeat theatre will likely enjoy Theatre Wit’s current production of Nick Robideau’s play Inanimate, which runs through May 4. The play concerns a young woman who’s fallen in love with a neon sign. Theatre Wit, which is located at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue on the north side, describes the Jeremy Wechsler-directed Inanimate as “the best (and only!) objectum-sexual dramedy of the year.” J.G. Smith stars in the lead role.

This year’s Skokie Backlot Bash will be held on the weekend of August 23-25 in Skokie, IL. The lineup will be Arrested Development, Big Wade And Black Swan Theory, Tonic, Woolworthy, Tributosaurus Become The Kinks Part 2, and Thrift Store Halo.

Chicago-based power pop veterans Thrift Store Halo’s now has a cover band side project named Uncle Boogie. Fans can check it out when Uncle Boogie performs at the alliteratively named Lizard’s Liquid Lounge tomorrow night. I’ve never heard of this venue before, but from the photos on its website, it looks pretty cool. It’s located at 3058 W. Irving Park Road.

The Sound And Vision exhibit, which features artwork by well-know artist-musicians, is now open and will run through April 21 at Mad.Kat Gallery in Rancho Mirage, CA. Participants include Joan Baez, Jon Langford, Penelope Houston, Juliana Hatfield, and Steve Wynn.

The 40th Annual Latino Film Festival will wrap up its run this Monday, April 22.

The very first Off North Shore Skokie Music Festival will be held on the Skokie Sports Park on June 21 and 22. Scheduled performers include Mike Campbell and Dirty Knobs; Larkin Poe; The Bones Of J.R. Jones; and The Empty Pockets on day one; and Grace Potter; Donavon Frankenreiter; Jaime Wyatt; and JC Brooks Band on the second night.

Louise Post from Veruca Salt has kicked off a four-city tour to promote her Sleepwalker solo album. She’ll be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on Tuesday, April 23.

The Reader Best Of Chicago celebration will take place next Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Lincoln Park Zoo. There will be live entertainment and performances by some of the award winners, as well as food and beverage vendors and other activities.

Bernie Williams is best known as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, but he’s also familiar to Chicago sports fans and music lovers for his guitar playing at a few Hot Stove Cool Music charity events staged by The Foundation To Be Named Later at Metro. So it was nice to discover Williams will be performing with the New York Philharmonic’s spring gala at the Lincoln Center on next Wednesday, April 24. Knock it out of the park, Bernie. 

 

007 Science: Inventing The World Of James Bond, a new exhibit that views the popular spy movies from an intellectual but still fun perspective, opened recently at Chicago’s Museum Of Science And Industry, and will run through October 27.

Happy Birthday to my younger brother Bill, who was probably the first person to share my joy of buying records. We even had out own make-believe radio station. Well, I did. He was normal.