Incoming

Depending on when you see this, you could still catch two of Chicago’s better known entertainment journalists having an interesting discussion at The Book Cellar store on Lincoln Avenue tonight. Specifically, it will be Mark Caro interviewing Cary Baker about his (Baker’s) new book Down On The Corner - Adventures In Busking And Street Music. In addition to being a journalist, Baker managed PR at IRS Records for several years. The conversation starts at 6:30 pm; The Book Cellar is located at 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue.

On the subject of journalism, this past Sunday’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, with help from WBEZChicago, included a special Sounds Of Summer bonus section. Its profiles of upcoming concerts are enhanced with terrific photos. Editors Cassie Walker Burke and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis worked with contributors Morgan Ciocca; Selena Fragassi; Mark Guarino; Nudia Hernandez; Courtney Kueppers; and Elizabeth Landt to pull this helpful guide together. 

The Journey – Part 3, due out this Friday, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Also, a tip of the bowler to the official website for The Kinks regarding how quickly they sent an item I ordered from their online store. It arrived in a manner of days. Okay don’t laugh, but it’s a Dandy Tea Towel.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The band’s final show this Sunday in London has sold out.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday night at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out this Friday. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.