Photo from Ralph Covert Facebook page.
International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2025 will wrap things up at Montrose Saloon this weekend with a seven-band showcase on Friday night, and a doubleheader (six sets in the afternoon, seven sets in the evening) on Saturday.
Singer-guitarist Billy Nixon will get things rocking and rolling on Friday at 7:30 pm. Nixon’s October 2023 album Late Fees, like his 2021 effort C’mon Let’s Rattle, evokes sock hops and malt shoppes with catchy and fun arrangements. Kerosene Stars have been releasing power pop albums since their 2014 self-titled effort, and put out the fun “Ants In The Bathroom” single last year. Their set at IPO - Chicago this Friday night will bring a catchy new song titled “Kerosine” (yes, the spelling’s different) that was posted on Bandcamp last Friday. Draped Apes, a self-described art-garage rock band, will travel from Nashville, TN to Chicago this Friday night. They have an official video for their adventurous indie rock song “Say Nothing,” and toured the UK last August.
It doesn’t seem that long ago I was enjoying a performance by Aaron Fox And The Reliables at an International Pop Overthrow - Chicago event. But as the band pointed out in a recent Facebook post about this Friday’s gig, that had to be back in 2014 or earlier. The post states they’re “super excited” to be playing their first show together in 11 years. Here’s what I wrote about the band way back when: Aaron Fox & The Reliables treated the audience to a seven-song preview of their follow up to 2010’s Late Too Soon. The catchy “Unpromised Land” and “What We Think” were immediate grabbers that highlighted the band’s knack for guitar-driven arrangements and impressive harmonies. Ralph Covert has created songs with The Bad Examples across many albums that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze, and he offers fun musical lessons for kids via Ralph’s World. He’s performed a number of times over the years at IPO - Chicago. As for this Friday’s show, Covert recently posted on Facebook that he’ll offer “a 1/2 hour set of unreleased tunes backed by a killer band including The Bad Examples’ bassist Josiah Bailey, Miguel H Gonzalez on drums, and the amazing trombone of Henry Alden Carpender.”
The Nobodies’ offbeat and satirical lyrics are set to arrangements that range from the garage rock of “You’re Making Me A Headache” to the country and western twang of “Drunk Text My Ex.” They’ve also been known to cover The Ramones’ “Beat On The Brat” at their shows. The Minneapolis quartet High On Stress has taken an unpredictable path to creating music since its 2005 debut Moonlight Girls, and has released several singles and full-length albums since. Their songs tap into energetic rock (“Work Release,” “Nothing Can Change You”) country twang (“Leaving MPLS”), and ballads (“Life Can Get So Long”) while spinning tales of unhappy and frustrated characters.
Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago 2025 schedule. You’ll also find links for most of the acts who’ll be participating 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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