Incoming

People in 28 countries can send birthday wishes to a beloved musician, as well as much-needed good will across the universe when Ringo Starr holds his annual Peace and Love event at noon this Sunday, July 7 in Los Angeles. People located elsewhere are being encouraged to participate “at Noon your local time.” Back in L.A., Ringo will be celebrating with his wife Barbara, Joe Walsh, Fred Armisen, Ed Begley Jr, Gregg Bissonette, Ben Harper, Stephen Stills, Don Was, and several other special guests. All the details can be found on Ringo’s website.

Famous In The Future, a local comedy group that knows a thing or two about peace and love, will present its annual three-day celebration of counter-culture entertainment, YippieFest, on the weekend of August 23 – 25 at Chopin Theatre. This will be the sixth in-person staging of the event, which features FIF along with a variety of acts presenting short plays, improv, monologues, sketch comedy, stand-up, music, performance art, and dance. YippieFest is modeled after the late Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s long-running Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. The lineup will be revealed at some point on the official YippieFest website. Chopin Theatre is located at 1543 W. Division on the city’s north side. Full disclosure: I was a member of Famous In The Future for several years.

SPACE in Evanston will offer a series of Singer-Songwriter events throughout July that includes Over The Rhine on July 11; Gerald Dowd and Richard Knight, Jr. on July 15; and Phil Angotti and Tommi Zender performing the music of Simon and Garfunkel on July 28.

That book’s keeping her busy. Stephanie Kuehnert, the author who garnered national attention with her well-crafted and emotionally charged novels Ballads Of Suburbia and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, has three events coming up in the Chicago area to promote her new memoir Pieces Of A Girl. She’ll join a Punk Rock Book Party at the Independence Branch of the Chicago Public Library on July 9, along with Bianca Xunise, who’ll be promoting her book Punk Rock Karaoke. On July 10, Kuehnert will have a discussion and signing at The Pile Book Store in Berwyn. A day later, Kuehnert will discuss Pieces Of A Girl with Heather Lynn at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Park.

Nick Nite! will be celebrated exactly a week from today at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Local musicians Tony Nuncio, Eric Chial, Dave Sebastian, and Mike Cohen will be leading the way in this well-deserved tribute to British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe that’s likely to include witty gems such as “Cruel To Be Kind,” “So It Goes,” “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?” and “I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock ’n' Roll).”

Several local venues and communities have live entertainment scheduled over the 4th of July weekend, but not many can compete with FitzGerald’s American Music Festival in Berwyn. The event, which runs July 3 – 6, will include Nikki Lane and Sierra Hull; The Jayhawks; Old 97’s; Robert Randolph Band; Marcia Ball; Joe Pug; Rhett Miller; Ike Reilly Assassination; Tributaurus; Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel; C.J. Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Joel Paterson; The Waco Brothers; and Michael McDermott.