Weekend Reminders

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund is being held tonight at Metro on north Clark Street. Various musicians will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be join in the tribute. On the following night at 9:00 pm, the WXRT Live From The XRT Concert Archives series will broadcast the first Celebration For Lin Brehmer that took place at Metro in 2023. Whether you met him in person or only knew him from his years on the air, Lin will always be our Best Friend In The Whole World.

Wolf Alice will release its latest album, The Clearing, tomorrow. The UK band has been offering  impressive previews by posting videos of the singles “The Sofa,” “Wild Horses,” and “Bloom, Baby, Bloom”via social media.

The Chicago House Music Conference and Festival returned to Chicago today and will run through Sunday, with events scheduled at Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and the Riverwalk. As noted on the Chicago Latino Network Facebook page, the festival will include DJs, live music, dance lessons, and panel discussions. Admission is free.

Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, and Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s will be among the special guests at the Musack Rock n’ Roll Carnival taking place this Saturday in Los Angeles. The exact address will only be revealed to those who purchase tickets. As stated on its official website, “Musack’s mission is to give kids and teens a voice through music by providing guitars, drums, and support for music teachers  wherever the need arises.”

CHIRP Radio 107 FM will present the Chicago Independents’ Day - A Celebration Of Chicago’s Independent Culture event at the Athenaeum Center this weekend. Attendees will find an Independent Label And Vinyl Market, a Craft And Vintage Market, Panel Discussions, Comedy, Film, and Food. The Athenaeum Center is located at 2936 N. Southport Avenue; the event opens at noon Saturday and Sunday, with admission starting a $10.38.

United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see the band’s lead vocalist Peter Howarth in concert this Saturday 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.

Chicago power pop band The Spindles will perform songs from their two albums, along with other tunes, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Shannon’s Deli in Lombard tomorrow night. The headliners, Saddleman, will play original country music from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

The Smithereens, with John Cowsill as guest lead vocalist, will continue their mini tour of the U.S. with a show at the Music Box venue in Cleveland tomorrow night.

Vinyl And Vittles, which describes itself as “A Record Fair And Food Market Collective,” will continue its series with an event this Sunday at the Charis Listening Bar. It takes place from 1:00 to 6:00 pm; Charis Listening Bar is located at 3317 S. Morgan Street in Chicago.

Acclaimed country singer-songwriter and actor Lyle Lovett, whose 2022 album 12th Of June, was his first in 10 years, has a concert coming up at The Old Town School Of Folk Music this Saturday.

The Empty Corner, at 214 E. Grove Street in Arlington Heights, IL, will host an AHML Vinyl Listening: The Amazing 80s event from 7:00 to 8:30 pm tomorrow night. Guests are encouraged to bring a record with an 1980s song to share, but need to register in advance at the venue’s website.

Congratulations to Maple Mars on its 25th Anniversary. The Los Angeles band, a favorite on the power pop/psychedelic scene, will celebrate with a 7:00 pm show this Saturday at SIR Studios in Hollywood. Maple Mars will release two new songs, “Couldn’t Have Been A Better Time” and “Tidal Wave” on Big Stir Records tomorrow.

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will be rocking tomorrow night with sets by Pierce Crask; Big Hair Big Trouble; Falling Martins; Jimmy Tin; and Amazing Heeby Jeebies. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Dan Navarro will perform tonight, Friday, and Saturday at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL. The singer-songwriter, whose music has been covered by several big names, will be joined by Jesse Lynn Madera for the Friday and Saturday gigs.

Sydny August will perform at at Space in Evanston tomorrow night as part of the venue’s Singer-Songwriter Shows series in August.

The Chicago-based act Phil Angotti and Friends have staged a few Beatles tributes over the years, and they’ll be at it again this Saturday with their Ob-La-Di Beatles Night at the Venue in Aurora. The show goes on at 8:00 pm.

This year’s Bucktown Arts Fest will take place at Holstein Park (2200 N. Oakley Avenue in Chicago) this Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, and as it has done for decades, the Fest will feature artists, photographers, and live music. The enchanting alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess, whom I’ve mentioned here several times, will perform from 4:00 to 5:00 pm on August 23. Other live acts include Jared Rabin Band; The Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Jazz Combo; Hope Arthur: Ragtime Piano; Daisychain; and Caught Steelin.

Free spirits can bask in some genuine counter-culture vibes via the Tributosaurus Becomes Woodstock concert coming to FitzGerald’s Outdoors in Berwyn this Saturday. Utilizing a rotating roster of local musicians, Tributosaurus has been one of the Chicago area’s best known tribute acts for several years.