Vintage Photo of Mike Cohen and Jeff Janulis Performing as The Abbeys from Mike Cohen’s Facebook page.
One sure thing about Mike Cohen’s set at tomorrow night’s International Pop Overthrow - Chicago finale at Montrose Saloon is that he won’t have trouble finding the venue. Cohen has literally performed there 100 times as a solo act and as part of various bands. He’s also a Chicago - IPO veteran at its various locations dating back to the days when he led The Abbeys with vocalist-guitarist Jeff Janulis. As to what he’s got planned for tomorrow, here’s a recent Facebook post. “I have played the IPO some 26 times in those long years. Pretty cool. I’ll be joined on bass by Rich Williamson and Joe Rossi will be on the kit. I’m playing a set of my songs. (I don’t get to do that very often.)” He’s done several Songs From The American Songbook gigs in recent years. 45 Souls consistently deliver melodic songs with harmony vocals, whether it’s on an energetic pop tune such as “It’s All Right,” a ballad such as “Lemoncholy Melondrop,” or a country and western number such as “This Is Life At Speed.” They’ve released six EPs over the years, all of which can be enjoyed on their website. The Spindles have spent several years on the Chicago club scene perfecting their British Invasion flavored power pop. Their recently released Wavelength album logically follows the same formula as their successful 2018 effort Past And Present; offering another entertaining mix of originals and well-chosen covers. Vocalist-guitarist Jeff Janulis was a band mate with the above-mentioned Mike Cohen in the power pop band The Abbeys.
Singer-songwriter Finn Swingley has performed as a solo act and in numerous bands over the years. He released the full-length album Pet Hates last year and The Wild Hunt in 2020. His offbeat observations are engaging, whether he’s dealing with a troubled relationship on “Ex-Lovers” or spinning a sailor’s journey on “The Captain.” Several musicians performed with him on those two albums, so it will be interesting to see if he has a full band tomorrow night. Detroit-based Big Stir Records artists The Incurables released their Inside Out And Backwards album of non-stop energetic and often humorous garage rock in 2024. The highlights included “Soda Pop,” a bass-driven tribute to the fizzy beverage, and the hard-edged rejection voiced in “Go Away.” As the title of their 2021 album National Absurdatory suggests, The Embryos view life through satiric glasses. That album had plenty of highlights, and so does their 2024 effort Selling What You Want To Buy. There’s the humorous country weeper “Desiree,” the 1960s flavored silly dance number “Do The Donkey,” and the blistering but catchy satire “He’s A Hypocrite.” Who’s This Mary? has the honor of bringing this year’s IPO - Chicago to a close with their midnight performance. The Chicago scene veterans bill themselves as “celebrated globe-trotting power pop sons,” and place a particular emphasis on Britpop.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment