Saturday Slumgullion

Photo from Ronnie Wood Facebook page.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s due out September 26.

Several well-known acts will perform at the Evanston Folk Festival when it’s held September 6 and 7 at Dawes Park in Evanston, IL. Iron And Wine; Tune-Yards; Margo Price; Loudon Wainwright III; Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; The Milk Carton Kids; and Ezra Furman are among the scheduled acts. The festival will include three aftershows in nearby locations: Ani DiFranco with special guest Hurray for the Riff Raff at Cahn Auditorium on September 5; Songs Of Bob Dylan featuring Nora O’Connor, Nathan Graham, Steve Dawson, Gerald Dowd, and others at SPACE on September 6; and Roseanne Cash at Cahn Auditorium on September 7.

As The Zombies traveled across the U.S. for screenings of Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary, the Pioneer Club in Albans, UK unveiled a mural created by the artists at antsgraff depicting the British Invasion band on one of its outdoor walls. Check out the July 5 post on The Zombies official Facebook page for a peek.

New York City alt rock/punk/Americana band St. Divine will be in Chicago on August 9 to join Pravda Records indie rockers The Handcuffs at The Hideout on the city’s north side. Local storyteller Steve Silver will be the opening act. 

High Moon Records, which is known for its adventurous series of reissues, released Sly And The Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967 yesterday. Available in CD or LP format, it includes a deluxe booklet, interviews with Stone and original band members, rare photos, and memorabilia.

The Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts returns for its 20th year on September 13 and 14, taking place on Broadway, between Belmont and Hawthorne. Over 120 artists will display their work, and performances on the two stages will include Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; Gerald Dowd; Gerald McClendon; The Band Calderisi; and Kent Rose And The Remedies.

Philatelists with a passion for indie comic artists will likely flip over the official post office release of a 20-stamp collection featuring the work of Chris Ware. As noted in a recent Chicago Sun-Times article by Courtney Kueppers, the $15.60 sheet “tells both an individual and collective story that progresses, top to bottom, through the four seasons of the year.” Ware is known for his Jimmy Corrigan and Rusty Brown characters, as well as for his New Yorker covers.

The 2025 Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL is well underway and will run through the end of August. This coming week brings concerts by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Brit Taylor on the Carousel Stage on Tuesday; alt rock nonconformist Beck backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday; and Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors on Saturday.

Random House will publish a book of personal photographs George Harrison took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.”

Speaking of books, The 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street in the south end of downtown Chicago. The event will feature over 200 presenters, 70 programs, and 150 booksellers and exhibitors. Admission is free.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Los Angeles—the city of its birth—for the 26th time on August 1. The festival will feature over 60 acts and run through August 10 at the Redwood Bar; with one showcase being held at the Escondido venue on August 8.

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park on the long weekend of July 31 through August 3 with headliners that include Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; Korn; and Sabrina Carpenter. Other notable acts would be Cage The Elephant; Ratboys; Foster The People, and Chicago Youth Symphony. Check the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times in the days preceding Lollapalooza; they usually provide recommendations on the must-see performers.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Emmylou Harris will share a double bill with Graham Nash at the Tanglewood venue in Lenox, MA on July 29, as well as at the Wolf Trap National Park For The Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on July 31.

Steven Delisi, a founding member of the Chicago-based power pop band/International Pop Overthrow veterans The Thin Cherries, has a new single coming out August 1. The catchy indie rocker “When You Say” will be available on his Bandcamp page, and finds Delisi once again getting solid support from local musicians John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, and Mike Hagler.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest on July 26 and 27. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on July 25. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, the band’s vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert creates songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Tickets are now on sale for The Who - The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour concerts on September 7 and 9 at the United Center In Chicago. Other stops include Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

The Color Purple - The Musical is currently playing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo, and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Chicago-based band whitewolfsonicprincess, whose enchanting approach to alt rock earned them a song on a recent compilation released by the U.K.-based Fruits De Mer Records, will share a bill with The Honey Whites on July 23 at SPACE in Evanston. The latter will be performing a tribute to the Boston-based alt rock band Morphine.

The seven-piece Chicago band McLuhan has been selling vinyl copies of its ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly at gigs, and as of July 25, McLuhan will have CD copies of that album for sale via Think Like A Key Music. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

We must be in heaven, man. Chicagoans can bask in some genuine counter-culture vibes this summer via the Tributosaurus Becomes Woodstock concert at FitzGerald’s Outdoors on August 23 in Berwyn. Also, YippieFest, a freewheeling celebration of the performing arts, takes place August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. Hosted by longtime sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future, YippieFest is inspired by the Abby Fest that was staged for many years by Mary-Arrchie Theatre, which in turn, was inspired by Woodstock.

Congratulations to vocalist Gerald McClendon, who’ll receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The REEL Underground will screen Come Feel Me Tremble: The Paul Westerberg Documentary at Montrose Saloon at 6:00 pm on July 23. There will also be a live set of Westerberg covers by Trash Kickers and music spun by DJ Louie B.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Weekend Reminders

Robert Plant photo from Old Town School Of Folk Music email

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

General public tickets go on sale tomorrow for the North American dates on Robert Plant’s Saving Grace Featuring Vocalist Suzi Dian tour. That includes Chicago concerts at The Vic Theatre on November 12  and The Old Town School Of Folk Music on November 13. Other stops include Washington, DC; New York; Boston; Toronto; Vancouver; Seattle; and Los Angeles. The album Saving Grace is due out on September 26.

Depending on when Chicagoans read this, they could still catch local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins, along with Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, and Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos tonight at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 7:00 pm. And this Saturday at Montrose Saloon, Tiny Airfares; Superfrye And The Valiant ‘72s; Go Time!; and Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club will all perform.

Depending on when Brooklyn, NY residents read this, they could still catch Grace Catherine Campbell and Sarah High performing a free show tonight at Dear Friend Books. Campbell’s cover version of “In My Room” by The Beach Boys has been picking up a lot of airplay. The music starts at 8:00 pm.

The WXRT Live From The XRT Concert Archives series continues tomorrow night at 9:00 pm with an August 26, 1990 performance by Santana recorded at The World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, IL. The concert can be heard on  93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.

Imperial Oak Brewing in Brookfield, IL will host the Beats And Brews 2K25 festival today through Sunday. There will be live performances by Jared Rabin and DILFS tomorrow; The Nobodies, Aimont Moon, and Outronaut on Saturday; and Phil Angotti And Friends on Sunday. 

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Jeff Tweedy with Macie Stewart concert at The Salt Shed on November 1. The concert is part of the Twilight Overide world tour that kicks off in Three Oaks, MI on October 8 and ends on February, 2026 in London. Depending on the location, Tweedy will be joined in the U.S. by Macie Stewart, Sima Cunningham, or Liam Kazar. His solo album Twilight Overide is due out September 26.

Congratulations to Martyrs’ on 30 years of bringing live music to Chicago’s Lincoln Park area. The venue will celebrate this Saturday afternoon with three acts, starting at 3:00 pm.

Silversun Pickups, the Los Angeles indie band whose catchy and energetic single “Panic Switch” rocked radio and music video stations back in 2009, will perform in Fargo, ND tomorrow night; St. Paul, MN Saturday night, and at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago this Sunday. Their tour runs through September 7, and will likely feature songs from their 2022 album Physical Thrills.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band tomorrow night. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album tomorrow night at Gallery Cabaret. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off this Saturday in Denver. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle, and the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 16. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires tomorrow. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Casey McDonough and Phil Angotti, who’ve performed together in various lineups, in addition to their own successful careers, will perform a free show at Cary’s Lounge on Chicago’s north side tomorrow night. The music starts at 8:30 pm. Veteran country and western act Kent Rose And The Remedies will perform at that same venue this Sunday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.  Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon.

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, will run through Saturday at The Lowry in Salford. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will share the bill with Medicine Ball and Brother Wolf at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton) night this Friday night. The music starts at 10:00 pm.

Incoming

Photo from the official George Harrison Facebook page.

The Eye Of The Beatle. As noted on the official George Harrison website, Random House will publish a book of personal photographs he took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.”

Speaking of books, the 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street in the south end of downtown Chicago. The event will feature over 200 presenters, 70 programs, and 150 booksellers and exhibitors. Admission is free.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

Vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert of Chicago-based indie rockers The Bad Examples recently posted on Facebook that he has over 50 gigs scheduled for this summer. That might include Ralph’s World events (his kids-rock side project), but at any rate, The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on July 25. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, Covert creates songs with The Bad Examples that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows this week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest on July 26 and 27. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, will run tomorrow through Saturday at The Lowry in Salford in England. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak. 

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company this Thursday night at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm. Two nights, later, four bands will share the bill at Montrose Saloon; Tiny Airfares, Superfrye And The Valiant ‘72s, Go Time!, and Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires this Friday. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret this Friday night. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

Veteran country and western act Kent Rose And The Remedies will perform at Cary’s Lounge 2251 W. Devon this Sunday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will share the bill with Medicine Ball and Brother Wolf at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton) night this Friday night. The music starts at 10:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off this Saturday in Denver. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle, and the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 16. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Saturday Slumgullion

Tickets are now on sale for The Who - The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour concerts on September 7 and 9 at the United Center In Chicago. Other stops include Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s scheduled to drop on September 26.

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company on the final night of their 2025 Thursday residency at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows next week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Push Puppets recently posted an imaginative video (production by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales) for “Launching A Satellite” on its official Facebook page.  The song is from the Chicago area band’s fourth album Tethered Together album, which once again offers melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret on July 18. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off on July 19 in Denver, and will include a show on October 16 at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo,  and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

As mentioned here in previous posts, McLuhan has been selling vinyl copies of its ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly at gigs. As of July 25, the adventurous seven-piece Chicago band inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan will have CD copies of that album for sale via Think Like A Key Music. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

Weekend Reminders

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He’s performing in Hampton Bays, NY tonight, Port Chester, NY tomorrow, and Woodstock, NY on Sunday. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Singer-guitarist Mike Cohen has become a familiar face at the Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, and he’ll be back tomorrow night performing favorites from the Great American Songbook. This time out he’ll be joined by bassist Ed Hasse and drummer Doug Marocco. All that swinging music will start at 7:00 pm.

The Journey – Part 3, coming out tomorrow, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

The Southport Art Fest returns this Saturday and Sunday on Chicago’s north side. In addition to 100 artists displaying their work, there will be live music on both days, including Special Guest Dolph Chaney And The Phins at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out tomorrow. She’s backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The Chicago Artisan Market will take place indoors this Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at 401 Morgan Street in the Fulton Market neighborhood. The event promises Food, Fashion, Home and Art.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Incoming

Depending on when you see this, you could still catch two of Chicago’s better known entertainment journalists having an interesting discussion at The Book Cellar store on Lincoln Avenue tonight. Specifically, it will be Mark Caro interviewing Cary Baker about his (Baker’s) new book Down On The Corner - Adventures In Busking And Street Music. In addition to being a journalist, Baker managed PR at IRS Records for several years. The conversation starts at 6:30 pm; The Book Cellar is located at 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue.

On the subject of journalism, this past Sunday’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, with help from WBEZChicago, included a special Sounds Of Summer bonus section. Its profiles of upcoming concerts are enhanced with terrific photos. Editors Cassie Walker Burke and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis worked with contributors Morgan Ciocca; Selena Fragassi; Mark Guarino; Nudia Hernandez; Courtney Kueppers; and Elizabeth Landt to pull this helpful guide together. 

The Journey – Part 3, due out this Friday, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Also, a tip of the bowler to the official website for The Kinks regarding how quickly they sent an item I ordered from their online store. It arrived in a manner of days. Okay don’t laugh, but it’s a Dandy Tea Towel.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The band’s final show this Sunday in London has sold out.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday night at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out this Friday. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Celebrating With Ringo Certainly Does Come Easy

Photo from the official Ringo Starr Facebook page.

Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr, one of the coolest people on this planet, as well as a stellar musician. His message of Peace And Love—proclaimed by his fans around the globe at noon their time—is genuine and desperately needed. Ringo’s official Facebook page is one big virtual party today, with several photos and videos submitted by fans and organizations. When he jokingly insists he’s actually 24 years old inside, it’s easy to believe him.

I saw Ringo perform with Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey; Colin Hay from Men At Work; Graham Gouldman from 10CC; and Steve Lukather from Toto at the Chicago Theatre in 2018. Here’s an edited final paragraph of the review I posted a few days later: 

The set list stretched back to the early Beatles days for “I Wanna Be Your Man” and up to Starr’s contribution to the White Album, “Don’t Pass Me By.” The audience sang along with the iconic “Yellow Submarine,” and the concert also included his solo hits “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” and “You’re Sixteen.” The finale was “A Little Help From My Friends,” which featured his musicians and just about everyone in the Chicago Theatre joining Starr on the vocals.

Outdoor Barbecue

Mods and Rockers on their toes. Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, is being staged at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London through July 13. It will then run July 15 – 19 at The Lowry in Salford. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

Chicago area band Push Puppets discuss their new Tethered Together album with journalist Ashley Perez -Hollingsworth in the cover story for the July edition of the Illinois Entertainer. As on their previous releases, Push Puppets offer melodic, well-crafted indie rock on this fourth album, which is available in digital and CD formats on Bandcamp.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival on the weekend of July 11 – 13. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The final show of The Over And Out Tour takes place in London on July 13, and like earlier shows in Birmingham and Manchester, it’s sold out.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The London-based indie rock band Wolf Alice will release “The Sofa,” the second single from The Clearing on July 11. The release date for the album itself has been moved forward to August 22, and the band’s North American tour will kick off on September 10 in Atlanta. Wolf Alice will return to The Vic in Chicago on September 26; other stops include Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Boston; Montreal; Toronto; Dallas; Denver; and Los Angeles.

Tickets are now on sale for Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 21.The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King" Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

The Journey – Part 3, due out on July 11, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

A new five-track, ten-inch vinyl E.P. of R.E.M.’s iconic first single “Radio Free Europe,” will be released on September 12 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the actual United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news and information to various countries. The E.P. can already be downloaded on Bandcamp; and it can pre-ordered alone or in various bundles from the band’s official website.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

American garage rock masters The Chesterfield Kings have released a seven-inch green vinyl single of “Your Strange Love,” a song they co-wrote with Steven Van Zandt for their 2024 album We’re Still The Same. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles song “It’s Only Love.”

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

Fans of the sophisticated techno pop trio Ivy have a surprise coming on September 5. That’s when Traces Of You, a 10-track album of previously unreleased songs recorded by Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, will be released. Sadly, we lost Schlesinger due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The Dallas-based band Shortwaves released Mental Health In The Information Age, a proper, 12-track album on June 1 after posting a series of demos over the past year on their Bandcamp page. Vocalist-guitarist Joey Shortwave, AKA Joseph Holbrook, previously led The Lash Outs, and he brings a similar blend of satiric lyrics and punk/pop energy to these new songs.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Gina Birch from the Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out on July 11. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

Weekend Reminders

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

As noted in a Facebook post by Illinois Entertainer founder and Chicago area rock music expert Ken Voss, Cheap Trick will perform a free concert in Elk Grove, IL tomorrow at 8:00 pm. It’s part of the village’s Mid-Summer Classics Concerts Series.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch Americana rockers Ouray performing at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tonight. The show starts at 7:30.

One Of These Nights, a tribute band devoted to The Eagles, will perform at the Mount Prospect 4th of July Festival tonight at 9:15 pm.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band BoDeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI tonight, and has an 8:00 pm show tomorrow at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

Saturday in the park, I think it was the 5th of July. Chicago, with special guest the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band Stevie McVie, will perform at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL this Saturday night.

This anniversary goes to forty one. The 41st Anniversary 4K Re-Release of This Is Spinal Tap hitting theaters this Saturday will include a preview of the sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

The 42nd American Music Festival kicked off today and will run through this Sunday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The impressive lineup includes Lee Fields; JD McPherson; Samantha Fish; The Wallflowers; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; The Watson Twins; The Western Elstons; Joel Paterson; and Sunshine Boys.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event on July 6 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.

Incoming

The 42nd American Music Festival takes place this Thursday through Sunday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL and as usual, the lineup is impressive. Scheduled performers include Lee Fields; JD McPherson; Samantha Fish; The Wallflowers; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; The Watson Twins; The Western Elstons; Joel Paterson; and Sunshine Boys.

This anniversary goes to forty one. The 41st Anniversary 4K Re-Release of This Is Spinal Tap taking place July 5 – 7 in theaters will include a preview of the sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Eagle spotting in Illinois. One Of These Nights, a tribute band devoted to The Eagles, will perform at The Arboretum of South Barrington mall at 6:30 pm this Wednesday, and at the Mount Prospect 4th of July Festival on Thursday at 9:15 pm.

And don’t forget The Byrds. Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band BoDeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI this Thursday, and a day later at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

Americana rockers Ouray have a show at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights next Thursday.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event this Sunday at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.

Saturday in the park, I think it was the 5th of July. Chicago, with special guest the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band Stevie McVie, will perform at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL this Saturday night.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

Time is running out for performers who long to be part of the freewheeling entertainment event YippieFest, which returns for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. Official host the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future stated in a recent Facebook post that while several acts have applied, they’re still looking for some puppets, burlesque, clowning, and dance applicants. The deadline is in a few days. Full disclosure: I was a member of Famous In The Future for several years.

Slumgullion

Photo from the official Jeff Lynne Facebook page.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The band’s final show in London on July 13 has sold out, but fans have a chance to win a pair of VIP tickets through Lynne’s Official Facebook page. Earlier UK shows in Birmingham and Manchester have also sold out.

Since it’s Chicago-based singer-songwriter Phil Angotti birthday, I suggest everyone celebrate by going to his Bandcamp page and buying his his impressive new solo effort Notebook Head. I’d join you but I already downloaded it. As mentioned in yesterday’s Weekend Reminders column, the Phil Angotti Plays His Own Birthday event planned for tonight at Blue Island Beer Co. has been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon at the same venue.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band Bodeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI on July 3, and a day later at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

The 42nd American Music Festival will take place July 3 – 6 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, and as usual, the lineup is impressive. Scheduled performers include Lee Fields; JD McPherson; Samantha Fish; The Wallflowers; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; The Watson Twins; The Western Elstons; Joel Paterson; and Sunshine Boys.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Tickets are now on sale today for Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 21. The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King" Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Americana rockers Ouray have a show at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights next Thursday.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

The Journey – Part 3, due out on July 11, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. Over 30 acts are expected to perform, and the full schedule will be posted on the YippieFest website closer to the event. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

American garage rock masters The Chesterfield Kings have released a seven-inch green vinyl single of “Your Strange Love,” a song they co-wrote with Steven Van Zandt for their 2024 album We’re Still The Same. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles song “It’s Only Love.”

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival on the weekend of July 11 – 13. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

A new five-track, ten-inch vinyl E.P. of R.E.M.’s iconic first single “Radio Free Europe,” is being released to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the actual United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news and information to various countries. The E.P. already can be downloaded on Bandcamp; and it can pre-ordered alone or in various bundles from the band’s official website.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event on July 6 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.

The London-based indie rock band Wolf Alice will soon release “The Sofa,” the second single from its upcoming album The Clearing. A fall tour of North American will kick off on September 10 in Atlanta,  and Wolf Alice will return to The Vic in Chicago on September 26. Other stops on the tour include Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Boston; Montreal; Toronto; Dallas; Denver; and Los Angeles.

Fans of the sophisticated techno pop trio Ivy have a surprise coming on September 5. That’s when Traces Of You, a 10-track album of previously unreleased songs recorded by Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, will be released. Sadly, we lost Schlesinger due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The Dallas-based band Shortwaves released Mental Health In The Information Age, a proper, 12-track album on June 1 after posting a series of demos over the past year on their Bandcamp page. Vocalist-guitarist Joey Shortwave, AKA Joseph Holbrook, previously led The Lash Outs, and he brings a similar blend of satiric lyrics and punk/pop energy to these new songs.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

As reported on the Brooklyn Vegan website, Gina Birch from the Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out on July 11. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Weekend Reminders

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Aimee Mann’s 22 1/2 Lost In Space Anniversary Tour with guest Jonathan Coulton will drop by the Riviera Theatre in Chicago tomorrow night. There are a limited number of tickets still available. Mann recently released a remastered Lost In Space Anniversary Edition on splatter vinyl with a gatefold jacket printed with glow-in-the-dark ink, new illustrations, and her extensive liner notes.

The Handcuffs’ busy summer continues with a gig tomorrow night on the Patio at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The Chicago-based indie rockers have four well-crafted albums to draw material from, as well as some new songs that will be on their next release. Admission is free; the music starts at 7:00 pm.

This year’s Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL is now open and will run through the end of August. This weekend brings concerts by The Roots with special guest Nai Palm tomorrow; Al Green with special guests The O’Jays featuring Walter Williams on Saturday; and “Weird Al” Yankovic with special guest Puddles Pity Party on Sunday.

The Phil Angotti Plays His Own Birthday event planned for tomorrow night at Blue Island Beer Co. has been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon at the same venue. After an opening set by NRBQ member Casey McDonough, Angotti will perform songs from his impressive new solo effort Notebook Head. His power pop band The Idea will close out the festivities.

The annual Millennium Art Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Michigan Avenue and Lake Street in downtown Chicago.

The 321’s, an alt rock trio that’s quickly built a solid reputation on Chicago’s north side club scene, has a 10:00 pm gig this Saturday at Montrose Saloon. It will be a busy night, with Ricky D And The Barrelhouse Boys; The Karl Kirkpatrick Band; and Unibrow also on the bill.

My nephew Joe Flamm will co-chair this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry, along with fellow successful chef Diana Davila, tomorrow. The event will be held at Rockwell On The River (3057 N. Rockwell) and feature 50 chefs and mixologists. Several well-known Chicago area restaurants will be involved, including Joe’s Rose Mary and il Carciofo; and Diana’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria. General Admission is $150, while an All Access Pass is $200.

42 Balloons, a play that weaves a 1980s-inspired pop music score into the tale of an actual 1982 event when a Los Angeles man attached weather balloons to a chair and sailed upward, will wrap up its run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s this Sunday.

Incoming

Happy Belated Birthday to Colin Blunstone from The Zombies. Several years ago, I did a telephone interview with him for the Illinois Entertainer regarding an upcoming solo concert at City Winery Chicago, and he was amazingly friendly. “I’ve rather enjoyed our chat,” he said as we wrapped up. Audience response throughout that show was enthusiastic even though Blunstone’s solo albums were much more successful in Europe than here in the States. Toward the end, he rewarded our support by launching into “Time Of The Season,” and a few other Zombies hits. These days, The Zombies are busy promoting director Robert Schwartzman’s documentary about them, Hung Up On A Dream.

 Also, a Belated Happy Birthday goes out to drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.

The Handcuffs’ busy summer continues with a gig this Friday on the Patio at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The Chicago-based indie rockers have four well-crafted albums to draw material from, as well as some new songs that will be on their next release. Admission is free; the music starts at 7:00 pm.

Happy Global Beatles Day, the annual celebration where we all reflect on how much these guys changed music, culture, and film; while proclaiming a message of love and peace. Listen to your favorite Beatles album today and shut out the rest of the world for a while.

The Phil Angotti Plays His Own Birthday event planned for this Friday night at Blue Island Beer Co. has been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon at the same venue. After an opening set by Casey McDonough, Angotti will perform songs from his impressive new solo effort Notebook Head. His power pop band The Idea will close out the festivities.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Outronaut will share a triple bill with fellow Chicago area recording artists Man’s Body and Nice Motor tomorrow night at Liar’s Club on the city’s north side. Outronaut, a guitar-powered instrumental band, recently released an extensive and ambitious new tune titled “Demonic Republic.”

I’m proud to share the news that my nephew Joe Flamm will co-chair this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry, along with fellow successful chef Diana Davila, this Friday. The event will be held at Rockwell On The River (3057 N. Rockwell) and feature 50 chefs and mixologists. Several well-known Chicago area restaurants will be involved, including Joe’s Rose Mary and il Carciofo; and Diana’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria. General Admission is $150, while an All Access Pass is $200.

42 Balloons, a play that weaves a 1980s-inspired pop music score into the tale based on an actual 1982 event when a Los Angeles man attached weather balloons to a chair and sailed upward, will wrap up its run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s this Sunday.

We lost another major player in the rock and roll world with the recent passing of Mick Ralphs, a founding member of Bad Company and Mott The Hoople. I bought Bad Company’s classic self-titled debut when it was released in 1974, and saw the band open for Black Oak Arkansas at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Bad Company wasn’t an opening act for long. Rock In Paradise, Ralph.

Slumgullion

First, a few events that should have been in yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post.

The Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame 5th Annual Awards Show And Inductee Reception will take place in Washington, D.C. tomorrow. Claudia Jordan will host, and inductees include Melba Moore; Janis Ian; Regina Belle; Brenda Russell; Vicki Peterson; and Lari White. Peterson’s award should help dispel the ridiculous misconception that The Bangles never wrote their own material.

Brothers Field will hold a Blues Fest in Long Grove, IL tomorrow and Sunday. In addition to live music, there will be  food and drinks.

And now back to our regularly scheduled listings.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band Bodeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI on July 3, and a day later at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

The Handcuffs’ busy summer continues with a gig on June 27 on the Patio at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The Chicago-based indie rockers have four well-crafted albums to draw material from, as well as new songs that will be on their next release.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

As noted by musician Herb Eimerman in a recent Facebook post, indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires in July. Eimerman,who’s performed with Hot Mama Silver and The Britannicas, recorded a song for Pop Aid 3 with his grandson Gavin Eimerman on guitar and Australian musician/producer Joe Algeri on drums. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Tickets went on sale today for Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 21. The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King" Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

The Journey – Part 3, due out on July 11, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Happy Birthday to artist/writer/performer Lake Sirmon, who back around 1988, convinced timid souls Frank Carr, David Drazin, and me that we should form our own comedy group with her when the cable access show we wrote for went belly-up. Lake, David, and I are no longer involved with Famous In The Future, but Frank, along with Desiree Burcum, has kept the group going all these years.

Online applications are now available for those interested in being part of YippieFest 2025 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling, in-person entertainment event will return for its seventh year on the weekend of August 15 – 17. The long-running sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future will once again host YippieFest, which is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years.

American garage rock masters The Chesterfield Kings have released a seven-inch green vinyl single of “Your Strange Love,” a song they co-wrote with Steven Van Zandt for their 2024 album We’re Still The Same. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles song “It’s Only Love.”

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival on the weekend of July 11 – 13. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

A new five-track, ten-inch vinyl E.P. of R.E.M.’s iconic first single “Radio Free Europe,” is being released to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the actual United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news and information to various countries. The E.P. already can be downloaded on Bandcamp; and it can pre-ordered alone or in various bundles from the band’s official website.

I’m proud to share the news that my nephew Joe Flamm will co-chair this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry, along with fellow successful chef Diana Davila, on June 27. The event will be held at Rockwell On The River (3057 N. Rockwell) and feature 50 chefs and mixologists. Several well-known Chicago area restaurants will be involved, including Joe’s Rose Mary and il Carciofo; and Diana’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria. General Admission is $150, while an All Access Pass is $200.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp  page.

Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti recently released his latest album. Notebook Head, a well-crafted collection of 10 acoustic solo performances can now be downloaded on his Bandcamp page, and will be available on CD in a few weeks.  All the tracks sound like winners, but “Wreck Of The Rowboat Named Harold” is particularly impressive in a Bob Dylan vein.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event on July 6 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.

The Dallas-based band Shortwaves released Mental Health In The Information Age,  a proper, 12-track album on June 1 after posting a series of demos over the past year on their Bandcamp page. Vocalist-guitarist Joey Shortwave, AKA Joseph Holbrook, previously led The Lash Outs, and he brings a similar blend of satiric lyrics and punk/pop energy to these new songs.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s pop music fueled show 42 Balloons utilizes a 1980s-inspired score to tell a tale based on an actual 1982 event when a Los Angeles man attached weather balloons to a chair and sailed upward. It runs through June 29.

This year’s Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is now open and will run through the end of August. Concerts coming up this month include Diana Krall; Lindsey Sterling; The Roots; Al Green; and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Weekend Reminders

Photo from Official Ann Wilson Facebook page.

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Depending on when you see this, you could still catch the latest edition of the Dolph Chaney and the Phins residency at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side tonight. The power pop recording artists will be joined by local trio The Dry Look and the quartet Brother Derek. The music starts at 7:30 pm.

Happy Birthday to Heart’s dynamic singer Ann Wilson, who along with her guitar-wielding, fellow songwriter sister Nancy, inspired other women rockers to follow in her path. Several years ago, I interviewed Ann Wilson and guitarist Howard Leese after a Heart concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin. Despite the band’s PR person suspecting the free paper I wrote for was about to go bust, Ann and Howard were incredibly nice. The free paper did implode, but luckily, a professional photographer was able to land my piece in the more respectable paper The Prairie Sun.

Also, a belated Happy Birthday to Paul McCartney, who continues to astound audiences and fans with his talent, stamina, and benevolent nature. When I finally had a chance to see him perform live six years ago, it made for one of my best birthdays ever.

Still on the subject of birthdays, best wishes to NRBQ musician and Chicago music scene all-star Casey McDonough, as well as the multi-talented illustrator-writer Terri Murphy.

The Color Purple - The Musical opens this Saturday at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The production will be directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

When Scottish rockers Simple Minds perform at Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island tomorrow, the audience will likely be treated to hits such as “Don’t You Forget About Me,” “Alive And Kicking,” and “Sanctify Yourself.”

Forever Now - A Post Punk, One Day Festival will take place this Sunday at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes. Participating acts in this celebration of “alternative culture, post-punk music, fashion, and literature” include The The; Johnny Marr; Billy Idol; Kraftwerk; Psychedelic Furs; Berlin; The Motels; and Chameleons.

The always intriguing alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess will be looking to “send some gold vibrations out across the planet” during a Solstice Celebration at Picnic Wine And Provisions on Chicago’s far north side tomorrow. Smokin’ J’s are also on the bill; the music starts at 6:00 pm.

Michael Steven Cohen will perform songs from the Great American Songbook this Saturday night at the Chicago Prime restaurant in Schaumburg.

PureSoul Presents will offer A Tribute To Chicago Soul with performances of songs by Sam Cooke; Chaka Khan; Donny Hathaway; Curtis Mayfield; Staple Singers; Tyrone Davis and other acts this Sunday.

There’s still a chance to check out the Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin Celebrate Pete Townshend’s (Belated) Birthday performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL this Saturday. Some tickets are still available for the show the 9:30 pm show; the 7:00 pm show is sold out.

The Smithereens, with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw, have a summer-opening gig at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ this Saturday. It’s part of the N2S North To Shore Festival.

Corky Siegel has been a long-time favorite on the Chicago folk rock scene, and he’s also adept at blending his harmonica playing within classical music. He has a Chamber Blues event coming up this Sunday at City Winery Chicago.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will release his Phasedrift album tomorrow on Bandcamp. Rosales specializes in melodic acoustic songs with well crafted, introspective lyrics reminiscent of vintage Neil Young.

A Day For Country Music at City News Cafe will feature musician Kent Rose performing from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm this Sunday. City News Cafe is located at 4018 N. Cicero.