Weekend Reminders

Photo from the official Debbi Peterson Facebook page.

Today’s post is focused on events taking place this weekend that I’ve mentioned previously on Broken Hearted Toy. This gives readers an extra day’s additional notice, and since the events won’t be repeated in tomorrow’s Slumgullion, helps streamline my Friday post. Slumgullion won’t be entirely new. I’ll keep mentioning upcoming events up to and including the Thursday prior to the weekend they take place.

But first, Happy Birthday to Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson. I did a phone interview with her regarding the Everything album back in 1988 for the Illinois Entertainer, and she was very informative and fun. “Some Dreams Come True,” a song she co-wrote with Walker B. Ingleheart for that album, remains one of my favorite Bangles songs. Peterson and and The Minus 5 have a cover of The Continental Drifters song “Who We Are, Where We Live” on the upcoming We are All Drifters: A Tribute To The Continental Drifters album that’s due out in late September. “Who We Are, Where We Live,” a powerful reflection on the loss of a loved one, is now available as a digital single on Bandcamp.

The Northman Riverwalk has another full weekend of live music coming up to go along with its impressive, outdoor view of downtown Chicago. Actually, depending on when you see this, you could catch the duo of singer-songwriter Al Rose and guitarist Steve Doyle from 5:00 to 7:00 pm tonight. The 321s, a new wave/post punk/Brit pop trio that’s been building a solid reputation in local venues, will perform tomorrow from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Saturday’s 6:00 pm show will feature Kerosene Stars performing original, guitar-driven power pop tunes carefully selected from albums they’ve released over the past 10 years. On Sunday, singer-songwriter Jon Goldfine, who’s well known as the bassist for the bluegrass band Henhouse Prowlers, will perform from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The Northman Riverwalk is located on the Chicago River at 233 N. Riverwalk.

 

The Old Town School Of Folk Music will host a Fretboard Summit tomorrow through Sunday.

Described as a 3-Day Guitar Extravaganza, the event will feature Blake Mills, Joe Henry, Colin Hay, and Valerie June.

The 41st Annual Port Clinton Art Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday in downtown Highland Park.

Guitarist Joel Paterson and pre-bebop jazz guitarist Jonathan Stout will join forces this Sunday at the Old Town School Of Folk Music. Paterson is equally at home performing jazz, Beatles songs, and depending on the season, holiday classics.

Funkadesi and Arrested Development will be the headline acts when this year’s Skokie’s Backlot Bash returns to downtown Skokie, IL tomorrow. Saturday’s live entertainment will include Woolworthy and Tonic; and Thrift Store Halo and Tributosaurus Becomes The Kinks Part 2 will perform on Sunday. As always with the Backlot Bash, admission is free.

YippieFest returns for its sixth year of freewheeling, in-person entertainment this weekend (August 23 – 25) at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The long-running sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future is once again serving as host, and will perform a revue titled The Chicago Seven (Sketches) at 7:30 on Saturday. Other performers include the 420 Shakespeare comedy/improv group; standup comic Mabel Fleming; Beast Women Performance Revue; Rotate Theatre Company; an Ernie Kovacs tribute by Michael Bratta; piano player/comedian David Drazin; Masters Of Sketch skit/improv group; Bonnie Bagdon’s Mary Todd Lincoln monologue; The Mike Felton Band; Wet Pizza improv comedy group; and the live music duo Dark Room Men. The full schedule of 30-plus participants can be found on the event’s official website. All proceeds will go to charity. YippieFest is modeled after the late Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s long-running Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. Chopin Theatre is located at 1543 W. Division. Full disclosure: I was a member of Famous In The Future for many years.