Really cool art by The Sonnets from their Facebook page.
International Pop Overthrow - Chicago will have its first 2025 showcase this Friday night at Montrose Saloon (see yesterday's post), and will follow that Bash (pun intended) with two separate lineups on Saturday. IPO Founder/CFO David Bash has shows scheduled at Montrose Saloon through May 3. Most of the acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors.
This Saturday afternoon’s showcase starts with a 2:00 pm set by LaRue DeVille. The band includes four members of The Red Wigglers, who ended their 25-year run a few years back. It will interesting to see if they carry on the original band’s emphasis on adventurous and often funny rock and roll with coed vocals and horn accompaniment. Montrose Saloon regulars Brother Derek are back at IPO - Chicago for the third time. Their latest album Parade Rest features them taking a satirical point of view while exploring various genres. San Marcos, CA singer-guitarist Scott Samuels must have enjoyed performing at the 2024 IPO - Chicago so much he’s back again this year. The former Chicagoan reunited with some local musicians at his previous IPO appearance, and seeing as he’s billed as Scott Samuels And Friends this time out, he’ll likely take the same approach this Saturday. His recent recording Sunshine And Starlight offers a selection of melodic pop songs.
The Einstein’s Sister band has previously performed at IPO Chicago and IPO - Los Angeles. They released their Exit Strategies EP in November, 2023, and this year, they’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of their Humble Creatures album. Barry And The Fountains, featuring The Voice contestant vocalist-guitarist Barry Fontenot, will perform their new single “The Flow” and other soulful tunes. It looks like this might be their IPO- Chicago debut. The Jeremy Band, led by Kalamazoo, MI vocalist-guitarist Jeremy Morris, traditionally closes out a Saturday afternoon showcase with high-powered, melodic rock, and that’s exactly what will take place this Saturday. His latest album, Opener Of Eyes, once again finds Morris collaborating with Ken Stringfellow of The Posies.
The Saturday evening showcase kicks off with former Grand Prairie, TX native/current Chicago resident Monte Carload. He offers catchy, guitar-driven songs with frequently off-kilter lyrics on his November, 2024 album Hit The Max. David Bash likes to throw the occasional curveball into the IPO - Chicago mix, which is certainly the case with The Emily Chloe Quinn Ensemble. On songs such as “My Own Mountain” and “Belonging,” vocalist-keyboards player Quinn delivers ethereal vocals while she and her fellow musicians embellish well-crafted arrangements with elements of classical music. The Band Calderisi offered 11 tracks of catchy power pop music on its most recent album Years Gone By. Highlights from that effort include “Nothing Left To Save” and “Pent Up Frustrations.” They’ll likely perform tracks from Years Gone By, as well as some new music this Saturday.
Things That Fly is a Chicago-based indie rock band led by Heidi Serwer and Karen Salmon. They served up clever and catchy tunes such as “Lucky Ones” and “Crunch Went The Snow” on their 2023 self-titled EP. Chicago band Night Baby will offer a mix of original songs and covers, with the promise to perform “old songs that sound new again and new songs that you think you’ve heard.” The Sonnets are veterans of the local club scene and specialize in an intriguing mix of glam, mod, power pop, garage, surf, and blues.
Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you even see the band perform.
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