Sunday Papers

Hello, Cruel World. Not sure how I missed this until now, when tickets went on sale last October, but the Cruel World festival will take place in Pasadena, CA on May 17. Headline acts include New Order; The Buzzcocks; Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds; The Go-Go’s; Devo; OMD; Garbage; Alison Moyet, Blancmange; Stereo MC’s; Midge Ure; and Madness. According to a 10/24/24 Facebook post from Aimee Mann, members of ’til tuesday will perform together for the first time in 35 years at the Cruel World festival.

Here in the Chicago, the arrival of the schedule for the upcoming Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is a sign of spring. Much like seeing a robin on your backyard bird feeder. This year, the outdoor concerts will run from early June through the end of August, covering just about any genre imaginable. Performers will include Heart; Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe; The Mohan Sisters; The Allman Betts Band and The Record Company; Counting Crows; Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’; The Black Crowes; James Taylor and His All-Star Band; David Foster and Chris Botti, featuring Katharine McPhee; Diana Krall; Lindsey Stirling with Chicago Philharmonic; The Roots; Al Green; “Weird Al” Yankovic; Nas with Chicago Philharmonic; Chicago; Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, and Arturo Sandoval; Gershwin’s Concerto in F; Sutton Foster and Kellie O’Hara; Juanes; Beck; Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms; Lang Lang’s The Disney Book; Mogan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience; Train; Earth, Wind and Fire; Laurie Berkner; Cynthia Erivo; Lenny Kravitz; Maren Morris; John Legend; UB40; Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Sing Along; and Ray Montagne.

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.

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan sure is an eclectic guy. The last time I mentioned him here was when he and his wife Chloe Mendel were planning a Bozo-themed festival at their Madame Zuzu’s restaurant in Highland Park, IL. This past Wednesday, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Kyle MacMillan revealed Corgan is working with Lyric Opera Of Chicago boss John Mangum to create a piece “based on arranged and orchestrated music” from the Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness album. The Lyric Opera’s upcoming season will include performances of Night Of Mellon Collie And Infinite Sadness November 21 – 30.

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.

Quoth the raven, “serve me more.” An Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy four-part cocktail experience is coming to 201 Schaumburg Ct. in Schaumburg, IL on March 27 and 28. The official website promises, “four of his most famous stories will be retold and reimagined by our Poe historians.” The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy will be visiting several other locations through April 19.

The 10cc’s Graham Gouldman and Heart Full Of Songs tour is currently visiting venues in the UK, featuring the well-known songwriter/musician and a “semi-acoustic four-piece band performing songs from his back catalogue.” That includes hits by 10cc, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, and The Yardbirds. I’d love to see him come to Chicago with that tour.

Having aced their performance at an Indie Music Night at the Des Plaines Theatre last December, local power pop band The Spindles are primed to do likewise at the Indie Rock Night coming up on March 18 at the The Arcada in St. Charles, IL. No doubt, The Spindles will perform some songs from their brand new Wavelength album.

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.

Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison with Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz takes place this Monday at SPACE in Evanston.

Indie label Kool Kat Musik has set a March 18 release date for Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton. All net profits from the 23-track CD will go directly to the American Red Cross in its efforts to help people in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Acts who contributed songs to Pop Aid 2 include Mothboxer; Ronnie D’Addario featuring The Lemon Twigs; Vegas With Randolph; The Anderson Council; The Weeklings; Thrift Store Halo; The Grip Weeds, The Successful Failures; and Richard Turgeon. Kool Kat’s first POP AID effort came in 2022 with A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine, which has so far generated over $4,000 to help World Central Kitchen in its work.

I recently received the copy of Second Scene Issue 20 I ordered on the Pittsburgh-based alt rock print publication’s Bandcamp page. The indie rock publication sports an eye-catching design and covers acts such as Kaeidoscope; low sunday; Clan Of XYMOX; The Armoires; Vision Video; and Tall Poppy Syndrome.

The Clinard Dance’s Flamenco Quartet Project, which aims to infuse genres such as jazz, blues, and hip-hop with elements of flamenco, will return to SPACE in Evanston on March 24. Grammy Award nominated blues harmonica player Billy Branch will join jazz vocalist Joan Collaso; rapper King Mossa; flamenco percussionist Diego Alvarez; flamenco singer "Cachito" Jose Diaz; tap artist Jumaane Taylor; guitarist Andrea Salcedo; and flamenco dancer Wendy Clinard at the SPACE performance.

The Stop Making Sense: A Film By Jonathan Demme And Talking Heads Live Event Hosted By Jerry Harrison is coming on May 1 to the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. The re-release of Demme’s iconic 1984 concert flick has been restored in 4K, and Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison will provide an introduction, as well comments and a Q&A session afterward. Limited meet and greet tickets are available.

The Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand recently released Human Fear, their first album in a while, and will soon kick off a world tour. The American leg of that tour includes an April 5 concert at The Vic in Chicago.

Indie rock acts Doug Gillard and Bunnygrunt have recorded a seven-inch split single titled “A Tribute To Game Theory.” Gillard picked “Dripping With Looks” and Bunnygrunt chose “Together Now, Very Minor,” and both tracks are available on vinyl or as downloads on the Bert Dax Bandcamp page. It’s nice to see the late Scott Miller and his underrated band Game Theory getting some recognition.

The Michael Steven Cohen 100th Show Celebration will take place at Montrose Saloon on April 6 at 6:00 pm. Cohen will unveil a new group called The Everly Hillbillies, and Montrose Saloon honcho/musician Eric Chial will be his special guest. Note: Cohen means 100 shows at Montrose Saloon. Who knows how many thousands of shows he’s done if we count all the venues he’s performed at over the years in various bands?

Translator founding members Steve Barton, Robert Darlington, Larry Dekker, and David Scheff got together in 2023 and recorded two new songs. They’ll be included as bonus tracks on the Live at the Farm, San Francisco 1986 album. It was recorded at the band’s final live show, and is scheduled for release on May 9. One of those new tracks, “These Days To Come,” can now be heard on YouTube.