Slumgullion

Considering the success of their Play R.E.M.’s Murmur tour earlier this year, it’s no surprise Michael Shannon And Jason Narducy And Friends are planning to hit the road in tribute to another R.E.M. album. Tickets are already on sale for their Celebrate The 40th Anniversary of R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction tour kicking off in Pioneertown, CA on Valentine’s Day 2025. Other cities on the tour include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Boston, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Chicago. There will be two shows (2/27, 2/28) in Athens, GA, which is where members of R.E.M. dropped by during the Murmur tour. The Chicago date is March 14 at Metro. Dave Hill will be a special guest on the tour.

Roses For The Roches: A Tribute to Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy Roche, featuring critically acclaimed vocalists Nora O’Connor, Sima Cunningham, and Kelly Hogan will take place November 26 at Old Town School Of Folk Music on Chicago’s north side. Alex Grelle, a multi-faceted entertainer, will serve as the evening’s host.

Although we haven’t heard any new material from The Bangles since they joined forces with fellow Paisley Underground pioneers Rain Parade, The Three O’Clock, and The Dream Syndicate on the 3 x 4 album in 2019, Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson have kept busy with other projects. The latest example comes from Hoffs, who will soon release a collection of songs she recorded in her garage back in 1999. Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s were there to help out, along with musicians Bill Bottrell, Brian MacLeod, and Dan Schwartz. The Lost Record will have 10 tracks, and is due out on October 18.

Here’s a Saturday night event I wasn’t aware of when I compiled yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post. Montrose Saloon has a four-act showcase starting at 7:30 pm. The lineup, listed in order of performing, comprises Modern Day Saints, Thrift Store Halo, The Bon Mots, and Brian Krumm And His Barfly Friends. All well-known acts on the Chicago club scene.

If you’re ever having a conversation with Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan and he calls you a Bozo, don’t be offended. According to Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Stefano Esposito’s article in yesterday’s issue, Corgan loved watching the Bozo’s Circus TV show as a child. He and his wife Chloe Mendel are planning a Bozo-themed festival on the weekend of October 18 – 20 at their Madame Zuzu’s restaurant in Highland Park, IL. Tickets are $8.50 for kids, and $14 for grownups.

Maybe Smashing Pumpkins fans should search for hidden Bozo messages on the band’s new album Aghori Mhori Mei. Staff writer Andy Deer gave it an 8 out of 10 rating in the September issue of the Illinois Entertainer.

Tall Poppy Syndrome has followed its March 2024 cover of The Kinks’ “This Time Tomorrow” with a version of the 1964 Brenda Lee hit “Is It True.” (Apparently, nobody liked question marks back then.) Guest vocalist Carla Olson of The Textones and solo career fame guarantees a faithful take, and Tall Poppy Syndrome regulars Paul Kopf, Vince Melouney, Jonathan Lea, Alec Palao, and Clem Burke provide a hard-edged backdrop. Surprisingly, the instrumentation on Brenda Lee’s original also had some bite to it.

 

This year’s Phil Angotti and Friends John Lennon Birthday Bash will take place next Saturday, October 5 at Martyrs’. Martyrs’ is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue. As in recent years, the event will be divided into an afternoon show and an evening show.

As noted in the Celebrities (from news services) column in today’s Chicago Tribune, The Cure have a new album, titled Songs For A Lost World, coming out November 1.

Reeling 2024 - The 42nd Chicago LGBTO + International Film Festival, a production of Chicago Filmmakers, this week and will run through October 6 at various venues around the city.

The forever-suave Roxy Music frontman and solo performer Bryan Ferry will release the 81-track Retrospective - Bryan Ferry 1973 – 2023 on October 25. Available on colored vinyl or as a 5-CD deluxe box set, it will include new and unreleased recordings, along with extensive liner notes and rare photography. It’s currently available for pre-order from his official website.

Congratulations to the always inventive PJ Harvey on selling out her September 30 concert at The Salt Shed here in Chicago. It’s her first American tour in quite a while.

Twisted Dream Machine - The Paisley Underground - California’s Psychedelic Renaissance: 1982-1986 is now available to preorder as a double-LP or CD Digipak from the Futurismo site. It’s the next volume in Futurismo's Altered Vision compilation series, and features tracks by The Three O’Clock, The Rain Parade, True West, The Bangles, Thin White Rope, Game Theory, The Dream Syndicate, The Long Ryders, Green On Red, 28th Day, The Pandoras, and Wednesday Week.

The Zombies’ 2024 Begin Here Festival, which takes place November 8 – 10 in St. Albans in the UK, will include a Tribute To Rod Argent on November 9. The longtime keyboards player/songwriter gave up live performances after recently experiencing a stroke, but will continue to record with the band. The tribute will include special guests Russ Ballard, Tanita Tikaram, Danny Mattin, Millies Riquelme, Hugh Grundy and Chris White.

 

As recently noted by Albert Williams on the Chicago, Theatre Capital of America: Past. Present. Future. Facebook page, Matt Fotis has just released his new book Fifty Key Improv Performers: Actors, Troupes, and Schools from Theatre, Film, and TV. Several key comedic/theatrical figures are covered, including Viola Spolin, Del Close, Charna Halpern Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mick Napier.

  

The Matthew Sweet Acoustic Trio tour begins October 1 in Des Moines, Iowa and will travel extensively around America and wrap up on November 16, with a show in Seattle. Sweet will be joined by Paul Chastain and Adrian Carter, who along with playing instruments, will join him for lots of three-part harmonies. For some of the dates, including October 6 in Chicago show, the trio will be opening for Hanson.

A new album titled Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Live At Fillmore East, 1969, which is being described as “a newly discovered multi-track recording,” will be released in CD and double LP formats on Oct. 25. It’s currently available to pre-order from Rhino Records. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Live At Fillmore East, 1969 will also be available in digital format.

Chicago: Home Of House, an exhibit honoring the city’s pivotal role in widespread success of house music over the past 40 years, runs through the end of October,at Navy Pier. 

Issue 19 of the very cool Pittsburgh-based alternative rock publication Second Scene can be purchased for $7 (plus shipping) on its Bandcamp page. This issue features stories on The Telescopes, Vince Melouney, Amy Rigby, and several other musicians.

Music industry veteran Dean Brownrout will have a book release party for his No Big Deal memoir at the Marble + Rye  bar/lounge in New York on September 30.

Thank You For The Days - Fans of The Kinks Share 60 Years Of Stories, a new book edited by Chris Kocher, will be available from Sonicbond Publishing in England on November 29, and in America on January 31. The collection includes a preface by band members Ray and Dave Davies and Mick Avory.

Monty Python members Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam have now raised £79,554 of the £120,000 they need in their GoFundMe campaign to finance an effort to erect a statue honoring late Python member Terry Jones on the promenade in his home town of Colwyn Bay in Wales. Those interested in helping “A Python On The Prom” campaign reach its goal can donate at the official GoFundMe page.