Incoming

Happy Belated Birthday to Colin Blunstone from The Zombies. Several years ago, I did a telephone interview with him for the Illinois Entertainer regarding an upcoming solo concert at City Winery Chicago, and he was amazingly friendly. “I’ve rather enjoyed our chat,” he said as we wrapped up. Audience response throughout that show was enthusiastic even though Blunstone’s solo albums were much more successful in Europe than here in the States. Toward the end, he rewarded our support by launching into “Time Of The Season,” and a few other Zombies hits. These days, The Zombies are busy promoting director Robert Schwartzman’s documentary about them, Hung Up On A Dream.

 Also, a Belated Happy Birthday goes out to drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.

The Handcuffs’ busy summer continues with a gig this Friday on the Patio at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The Chicago-based indie rockers have four well-crafted albums to draw material from, as well as some new songs that will be on their next release. Admission is free; the music starts at 7:00 pm.

Happy Global Beatles Day, the annual celebration where we all reflect on how much these guys changed music, culture, and film; while proclaiming a message of love and peace. Listen to your favorite Beatles album today and shut out the rest of the world for a while.

The Phil Angotti Plays His Own Birthday event planned for this Friday night at Blue Island Beer Co. has been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon at the same venue. After an opening set by Casey McDonough, Angotti will perform songs from his impressive new solo effort Notebook Head. His power pop band The Idea will close out the festivities.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Outronaut will share a triple bill with fellow Chicago area recording artists Man’s Body and Nice Motor tomorrow night at Liar’s Club on the city’s north side. Outronaut, a guitar-powered instrumental band, recently released an extensive and ambitious new tune titled “Demonic Republic.”

I’m proud to share the news that my nephew Joe Flamm will co-chair this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry, along with fellow successful chef Diana Davila, this Friday. The event will be held at Rockwell On The River (3057 N. Rockwell) and feature 50 chefs and mixologists. Several well-known Chicago area restaurants will be involved, including Joe’s Rose Mary and il Carciofo; and Diana’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria. General Admission is $150, while an All Access Pass is $200.

42 Balloons, a play that weaves a 1980s-inspired pop music score into the tale based on an actual 1982 event when a Los Angeles man attached weather balloons to a chair and sailed upward, will wrap up its run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s this Sunday.

We lost another major player in the rock and roll world with the recent passing of Mick Ralphs, a founding member of Bad Company and Mott The Hoople. I bought Bad Company’s classic self-titled debut when it was released in 1974, and saw the band open for Black Oak Arkansas at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Bad Company wasn’t an opening act for long. Rock In Paradise, Ralph.