Incoming

Photo of Peter Howarth from The Exchange Sturminster Newton Facebook page.

United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see three of the band’s most recent members in concert next month. Peter Howarth, who’s done a splendid job as The Hollies’ lead vocalist since 2004, has a show on August 23 at The Exchange venue in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. In addition to Hollies songs, the show will include selections from Only The Lonely - The Roy Orbison Story, a recent stage production in which Howarth played the starring role.

A week later, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, the surviving members of MUD, will reunite to perform songs by that band at The Exchange. They’ll be joined by Pete Phipps, Keith Read, and Ian Parker. Stiles and Parker are both Hollies veterans. And for something completely different, Monty Python founding member John Cleese will appear at The Exchange on August 8.

Meanwhile, former Hollies member Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has a concert tonight in Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and shows later this week in North Truro, MA; Groton, MA; and Arundel, ME. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule. 

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm this Friday at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The Pino Farina Band will perform this Wednesday night at The Arboretum Of South Barrington, as part of the Wickstrom Auto Group Concerts at The Arb series. The music starts at 6:30 pm. 

Kevin Lee And The Kings, long-time masters of melodic, hard-edged rock, will perform at The Dock at Montrose Beach this Thursday from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Singer-guitarist Scott Niekelski, who has a solo career in addition to fronting the popular Go Time! band, will serve as opening act.

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, a former member of the power pop bands The Abbeys and Pop Dollys, has embarked on a successful career performing selections from The Great American Songbook at dinner clubs. Foxy’s Hideaway in East Dundee, which Cohen describes as “a Martini Bar/Craft Cocktails place,” sounds like a good match. He’ll perform with Edward Hasse on bass from 7:30 to 10:30 pm this Friday. Foxy’s Hideaway is located at 319 Meier St, East Dundee on the Square.

The 2025 Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL is well underway and will run through the end of August. This coming week brings concerts by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Brit Taylor on the Carousel Stage tomorrow; alt rock nonconformist Beck backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday; and Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors on Saturday.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo,  and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest this Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held this Saturday 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.

The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL this Friday. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, lead vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert composes songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released this Friday. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

As of this Friday, the Think Like A Key Music site will have CD copies of McLuhan’s Anomaly album for sale. The adventurous seven-piece Chicago band—inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan—has been selling vinyl copies of that recently re-released, ground-breaking debut at its gigs. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

The REEL Underground will screen Come Feel Me Tremble: The Paul Westerberg Documentary at Montrose Saloon at 6:00 pm this Wednesday. There will also be a live set of Westerberg covers by Trash Kickers and music spun by DJ Louie B.

Chicago-based band whitewolfsonicprincess, whose enchanting approach to alt rock on their albums earned them a song on a recent compilation released by the U.K.-based Fruits De Mer Records, will share a bill with The Honey Whites this Wednesday at SPACE in Evanston. The latter will be performing a tribute to the Boston-based alt rock band Morphine.

The official post office will release a 20-stamp collection featuring the work of artist Chris Ware, who’s known for his New Yorker cover illustrations and comic characters, this Wednesday. The price is $15.60 per sheet.