Weekend Reminders

Graphic from The Fest For Beatles Fans 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.

The Fest For Beatles Fans 2025 NY Metro Fest will take place at The Hyatt Regency Jersey City tomorrow through Sunday. Special guests include Jim McCarty from The Yardbirds; Simon Kirke from Bad Company and Free; Gary Burr from Ringo And The Roundheads; The Weeklings; Liverpool; and Colin Hanton from The Quarrymen. The Apple Jam Stage will feature Always Bethany; Caruso; Phil Angotti; Ginger Winn; The Taxmen; Cellophane Flowers; The Backbeat; Norwegian Wood; and other acts. Well-known authors of Beatles-related books will also be on hand, and there will be a Beatles marketplace.

Several new dates for Graham Nash’s More Evenings Of Songs And Stories 2025 Tour will be available for pre-sale tomorrow. Most of those concerts will take place throughout July, along with four in August. Fans will need to use the code GNTOUR2025 to access those tickets.

As noted in a recent Jam Mail, tickets go on sale tomorrow for the following Chicago area shows: The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds on August 16; Michael Franti and Spearhead with Allen Stone at Inside The Salt Shed on July 23; and Steve Earle 50 Years Of Songs And Stories at Vic Theatre on June 20.

The Busk-Aid-L.A. - A Sweet Relief Wildfires Benefit, with support from The Wild Honey Foundation, will take place this Sunday in Echo Park in Los Angeles. Located at 1800 Block - W Sunset Boulevard, the charity event aims to help victims of the fires that have ravaged much of California. Carla Olson and Todd Wolfe; Fernando Perdomo; Ronee Blakely; Ruby Friedman Orchestra will be among the many acts performing. The music starts at 2:30 pm.

The Handcuffs will have vinyl LP copies of their impressive fourth album Burn The Rails (complete with a bonus 7" single) when they perform at Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL this Saturday night. The Chicago indie rock band’s first show of 2025 will be part of a double bill with the local rockabilly quartet Dirty Fishnet Stockings. The Handcuffs’ set starts at 8:00 pm, and will include a few new songs they’ll be recording soon for their fifth album.

Singer-guitarist Gary Louris, who’s known for his work with The Jayhawks, as well as solo efforts such as the recently released Dark Country, has a gig tomorrow night at The Old Town School Of Folk Music. Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen from the Chicago Americana/indie rock band Dolly Varden will also be on the bill.

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

Go Time! and The Spindles, longtime Chicago power pop bands that have each recently given fans reason to celebrate with new albums, will be part of a four-act showcase at Montrose Saloon this Saturday. The hard-edged songs on X (as in the Roman numeral) find Go Time! once again adroitly bridging the gap between hard rock and power pop; while Wavelength showcases The Spindles’ expertise at energetic pop on originals and a few covers. They’ll be joined at Montrose Saloon by veteran folk/country/rock singer-songwriter Kent Rose, and The 321’s, a young trio that’s rapidly developing a solid reputation on the local club scene.

Pure Soul Presents has another Classic Albums Brunch coming up this Sunday at City Winery Chicago with A Tribute To Peter Gabriel’s SO. The show starts at noon.

Chicago’s IO Theater is well known for helping improv performers hone their skills via classes and live shows, but it will offer something a bit different this Sunday afternoon. The IO Record Fair, presented in collaboration with the upcoming (April 26) Thawed Out Music and Arts Festival, will feature records, music books and magazines, t-shirts, CDs, cassettes, and memorabilia from 11:00 am through 5:00 pm. There will also be pizza, beverages, and DJs. Admission to The IO Record Fair, located at 1501 N. Kingsbury Street, is free, although donations are appreciated.