Saturday Slumgullion

(There was no Friday Slumgullion this week. I simply ran out of time and energy to post all this last night.)

Sons Of The Silent Age, Chicago’s impressive David Bowie tribute band, has a Celebrating 50 Years Of David Bowie’s Young Americans And More show coming to Metro on January 11. Critically acclaimed actor Michael Shannon, who frequently shares a bill with Sons Of The Silent Age, will perform that night as John Lennon. Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

The Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective tour starts tonight in Phoenix, and will wrap up on April 27 with a concert in San Francisco. The band, best known for its “Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)” single, has two shows at the Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on January 12. The 4:00 pm performance will have Anne Harris as the opening act, while the 7:00 pm show will only feature Cracker. The tour takes it name from the band’s recently released album, which is available in 2-CD or 3-LP sets (as well as digitally), and features re-recordings, demos, and live renditions.

Another VU, the Chicago-based Velvet Underground tribute band, will have everyone shakin' to that fine, fine music on New Year's Eve at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side.

Guster’s We Also Have Eras Tour 2025 will start on January 24 in Philadelphia, and will include a stop at Riviera Theatre in Chicago on January 31. Along with performing hits such as “Satellite” and “Amsterdam,” the alternative rock band will present “a deep chronological journey through our music with skits, costume changes, and plenty of piss-poor acting.”

Amazing Heeby Jeebies, a Chicago-based garage rock and rockabilly outfit that conjures tales of werewolves, mummies, and other frightful creatures, will join Kozmic Kicks and DJ Killer Diller at Livewire Lounge on Milwaukee Avenue for what’s sure to be a wild new year’s eve bash. The partying starts at 8:00 pm.

Solo artist and New Pornographers band member Neko Case will kick off her 2025 book tour for The Harder I Fight The More I Love You memoir with a January 18 appearance in London with fellow author/musician Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s. Case’s stops in North America through early February include February 4 in Chicago with South African journalist Lior Phillips.

Chicago guitarist Ellis Clark recently had the honor of being one of the band members when Billy J. Kramer of original British Invasion and Beatles pal fame performed at the Moon Theatre in St. Charles. Kramer must have taken a liking to Chicago area musicians; he’s previously performed here with Phil Angotti.

Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve have a 15-date In Concert Tour USA 2025 kicking off on February 19 in Easton, PA. The tour wraps up in Chicago on March 11, 12, and 14. Those three shows at the Park West will features Costello and Nieve joined by a full band.

Vocalist-musician Cathy Richardson, who’s found success with her own material as well as in tributes to other artists, has a show titled Goddesses Of Rock coming up on January 17 at City Winery Chicago.

Cary’s Lounge on Chicago’s north side will offer a double bill of whitewolfsonicprincess and The Flying Chaucers on January 4. Indie-rockers whitewolfsonicprincess, whose recent album Love Without Fear was previously praised on BHT for its mysticism and engaging arrangements, has been picking up positive reviews from other online sites as well.

Jack White will start his massive 2025 Canada/USA/Japan No Name Tour on February 6 in Toronto, and he’ll have dates at The Salt Shed in Chicago on April 10 and 11.

Lee Ketch from the Chicago-based indie rock band Mooner has a solo gig coming up at Constellation on January 9, as the opening act for singer-songwriter Daniel Knox. Constellation is located at 3111 N. Western, the former home of the Viaduct Theater. Ketch recently released new material on his Bandcamp page. Proceeds from these songs will be donated to Nourishing Hope Food Pantry, Chicago, IL.

Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart of “Year Of The Cat” fame and Zombies vocalist/founding member Colin Blunstone will perform shows together in Arizona and California in February and March. Stewart will be joined The Empty Pockets, a band he’s performed with here in Chicago. The first concert will be in Phoenix on February 21. Blunstone will embark on a short European solo tour starting with Berlin on April 15th.

Congratulations to veteran Chicago band Go Time! on its new partnership with the esteemed indie label Kool Kat Musik. Led by vocalist-guitarist Scott Niekelski, Go Time! has released a series of hard-edged, emotionally rich power pop albums on the (their own?) Sound Gypsy Recordings label.

Because the night will belong to Patti. Several highly regarded musicians, including Michael Stipe, Matt Berninger, Courtney Barnett, Sharon Van Etten, Alison Mosshart, Kronos Quartet, Ben Harper, Karen O, and Kim Gordon will take part in the People Have The Power - A Celebration Of  Patti Smith being held on March 26 at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage At Carnegie Hall. As noted on the official R.E.M. Facebook page, the event is part of the 20th annual Music Of benefit series, and all of net profits will go to fund music education for underserved youth.

Fans who can’t make the trip to New York can get their Patti Smith fix with the recently released book Patti Smith: Before Easter After. Originally released as a limited edition that sold for $1,000, this collection of “hundreds of rarely seen images” taken by critically acclaimed photographer Lynn Goldsmith is now available to the general public for the list price of $65.00.

The Fest For Beatles Fans 2025 NY Metro Fest will take place at The Hyatt Regency Jersey City on March 28 – 30, and special guests will include Jim McCarty from The Yardbirds and Colin Hanton from The Quarrymen. Performers on the Apple Jam Stage will include Phil Angotti from Chicago. Congratulations to Phil on his first time being invited out to the Big Apple Fest.

Fans of the only band that matters will likely enjoy Manchester-based journalist Iain Key’s upcoming book All The Young Punks - A People’s History Of The Clash. Due out April 11, 2025 from Spenwood Books, it offers the point of view from numerous fans and photos of rare memorabilia. The UK publisher also has books on Thin Lizzy, Slade, Pink Floyd, The Who, and other bands.

Andrew Robert Palmer, who has released solo albums as ARP! and with his sister Becca Palmer as the Chicago alt rock duo Mother Z’s, has a new solo EP titled Letters to the Moon coming out on January 13. The four-track effort (two power pop/two acoustic) will be available on his Bandcamp page. In the meantime, you can check out the previous releases he’s posted there.

We lost Martin Phillipps, the guiding force of New Zealand’s evocative indie rock band The Chills this past July, but an album of previously unreleased material is coming out on February 25. Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs will no doubt add to Phillipps’ legacy, and it’s currently available to pre-order as a download or gold vinyl double LP via The Chills Bandcamp page.