Incoming

The annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday tribute takes place this Saturday at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. The event’s organizers—Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma—once again recruited some of Chicago’s best musicians to participate, and as a bonus, Billy J. Kramer will be a special guest. One of the first stars of the British Invasion, Kramer was closely aligned with The Beatles, and scored hits with Lennon-McCartney penned hits such as “Bad To Me” and “Do You Want To Know A Secret.”

In addition to Clark; Paloma; and host Ken Mottet, the lineup of local performers includes Pierce Crask; Razor House; Johnny Burnett Band; Phil Angotti; Jay Goeppner; Sandalwood Sitar; Help Desk; Frankie B; Barb & Barrett Tasky; Tom Klein; Heath Chappell; Ryan Tedder; and Andrew Clark. If previous years are any indication, the selection of Harrison material performed will range from hit singles to deep tracks and rarities. My Sweet George is once again raising awareness for MusiCares, helping music industry professionals in need.

Music industry people across the country have been helping victims of the California wildfires; whether it’s the Good Music To Lift Los Angeles download album; the FireAid Benefit concert in Los Angeles; or t-shirts available from the Consequence and Bandcamp websites. Now, comedians are literally getting in the act with Let’s Get L.Aid - A Night Of Music And Comedy For L.A. Wildfire Relief. The event will be held at The United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles on March 16. So far, “Weird Al” Yankovic; Al Jardine; Eric Idle; Margaret Cho; Peter Asher; and Rufus Wainwright are among the performers, with more to be added. The Wild Honey Foundation is helping out, so it’s a safe bet more popular musicians will be signing on.

Chicago vocalist Erica Loftus has performed with The Right Tidys, The Collection, and Red Wigglers, along with joining Van Go in the recording studio. She’ll be onstage with the punk rock cover band Horse And Sparrow at the Atlantic Bar and Grill on February 28. Jan King And Medicine Ball are also on the bill that night. Atlantic Bar and Grill is located at 5062 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Tickets went on sale today for Theo Epstein and Peter Gammons’ Hot Stove Cool Music at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on April 12. The event will feature Cheap Trick; Greg Hawkes and Eddie Japan performing songs by The Cars; and the Hot Stove All-Stars (Peter Gammons, Theo Epstein, Bill Janovitz, Kay Hanley, Will Dailey, and MLB Legends). 100% of the proceeds will go to the Foundation To Be Named Later Gammons College Scholarships fund.

PureSoul Presents, which has been staging tributes to rhythm and blues artists at City Winery Chicago for a while now, will switch to a different genre this Saturday. That’s when its The Queen Is Dead Live - A Tribute To The Smiths will feature performers Bob Nanna, Rodrigo Palma, Billy B., and others.

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

Chicago’s long-running free paper The Reader is sponsoring a The Decline of Western Civilization Parts 1 and 2 screening this Sunday at Thalia Hall. In addition to viewing those punk documentaries by Penelope Spheeris, attendees can watch music videos by local artists and have an opportunity to win admission to a Thalia Hall show of their choice. There will also be a pop-up market and free books by local authors, including journalist Jessica Hopper. Tickets for this 17 and older gathering are $20 and $30.

The power pop band Dolph Chaney And The Phins will likely tap into their well-received latest album Mug when they kick off their Third Thursday Of The Month residency two nights from today at Montrose Saloon. They’ll be joined by Falling Stars, whose recent EP Garden Variety showcases their knack for catchy indie rock songs; and Vee Sonnets, a performer known for his solo efforts as well as being the leader of The Sonnets. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose Avenue on Chicago’s north side.

The latest edition of Second Scene, the Pittsburgh-based alt rock print publication is now available to order via its Bandcamp page. I discovered Second Scene when I noticed some free copies at the Reckless Records store on Milwaukee Avenue here in Chicago. It reminds me of the free press newspapers I’ve picked up in various cities (even some from Europe) over the decades and still have in my collection.