Slumgullion

Photo from official Paul McCartney Facebook page.

You might say Paul McCartney touched bass with some old acquaintances in London on the final date of his current latest tour. As reported by Stereogum and other websites, McCartney strummed his Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, which was returned to him several years after it mysteriously went missing. He also performed with surprise guests Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood, much to the joy of audience members.

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, 2025. Critically acclaimed actor Michael Shannon, who frequently shares a bill with Sons Of The Silent Age, will perform that night as John Lennon. Tickets are now on sale. Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

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.

The first Indie Music event at the Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL got off to an encouraging start this past Tuesday with a solid lineup of four Chicago area acts. The performances took place within the speakeasy ambience of the Bourbon ’N Brass lounge rather than on the main stage, with most of the well-upholstered chairs and sofas filled with patrons. The original music from Americana rock performer Richard Bandini and his band; the guitar-driven Capra Brothers; the power pop band The Spindles; and country rockers Ryan Craig Band was consistently impressive.

Tomorrow night, the Des Plaines Theatre will offer It’s A Motown Christmas on its main stage. The event will include tributes to The Four Tops, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Martha And The Vendellas.

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.

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.

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.

While it might be too late to order memorabilia from The Smoking Popes website and have it in time for holiday gift giving, some of the Chicago-based punk band’s Winter Sale merch is well-suited for the upcoming winter weather. You’ll also find t-shirts and CDs.

The Very Best Of Hi-Fi Christmas Party by various artists is now available on the Futureman Records Bandcamp site. The 25-track effort draws from three Hi-Fi Christmas Party CDs that were released on the indie Vandalay label in 2002, 2006, and 2010. The artists on this new Best release include The Jellybricks; Andrea Perry; Don Dixon; Phil Angotti; Jeremy; The Bradburys; Jigsaw Seen; The Elvis Brothers, Grip Weeds; Husky Team; and The Spongetones. 100% of the proceeds from The Very Best Of Hi-Fi Christmas Party are being donated to the Versiti Blood Research Institute (formerly The Blood Center) in Milwaukee, WI.

How can you shred a broken heart? Not sure how this would pan out, but a Tragedy - All Metal Tribute To The Bee Gees show is coming to The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on April 10.

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.

Push Puppets, a band from my hometown of Palatine, recently finished a new album and will announce a release date soon. Their splendid 2023 album Allegory Grey featured catchy indie rock songs similar to Wilco, with a bit of Paisley Underground on other tracks.

The Toronto-based co-ed quintet Alvvays has released a 10th anniversary edition of its self-titled debut on Cerulean in Cloudy Clear vinyl that includes the previously unreleased track “Underneath Us.” The album also includes a poster print of hand drawn art by Canadian musician/artist Chad VanGaalen.

Congratulations to Chicago musician Lee D’buddah on completing his book Side by Side, Raisa and Lee hit the Road. According to his Facebook page, it’s based on their 1970 cross country trip in a converted 1965 VW bus. Thee book is now available on Amazon.

 

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.

If you’re looking for holiday songs that offer some wisdom for the season, check out Herb Eimerman’s jangly “Don’t Ask For More” and The Twigs’ delicate and beautiful “Flying Kites On Christmas.” 

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.

The Mekons recently released a new song titled “You’re Not Singing Anymore” and they have an extensive tour coming in 2025 that will include performances at the Square Roots Festival in Chicago and at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL.

Lee Ketch from the Chicago-based indie rock band Mooner has just released more solo material on his Bandcamp page. This time out, he covers a pair of songs originally recorded by one of his favorite groups, Office Culture. “A Word” and “Was I Cruel” are engaging, acoustic-based ballads. Proceeds will be donated to Nourishing Hope Food Pantry, Chicago, IL. Ketch has a gig coming up at Constellation on January 9.