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.

Correction: International Pop Overthrow - New York will run November 6 – 9 at The Parkside Lounge, not this weekend, as erroneously stated in this past Monday’s Incoming post here on BHT. I apologize for the error. I must have been a bit tipsy from celebrating IPO founder David Bash’s birthday.

Traces Of You, the 10-track album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, is coming out tomorrow. The sophisticated techno pop trio has been releasing singles and videos from Traces Of You for a few months. Back in 1994 when I reviewed Ivy’s realistic album for the Illinois Entertainer, I described their music as being like a bicycle ride through Paris. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Depending on when you read this, you could catch Pravda Records artists The Imperial Sound, with special guests the Total Pro Horns and singer-songwriter Rachel Drew, performing their original soulful rock at The Hideout in Chicago tonight. The music starts at 8:00 pm.

There’s a low-ticket warning for tonight’s NRBQ show at Lincoln Hall on the north side, but they have two more shows scheduled this weekend in the Chicago area. The critically acclaimed band will perform at SPACE in Evanston tomorrow night, and at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on Saturday.

Chicago’s always clever and impressive EXPO ’76 have a just-added show tonight at The Hideout on Chicago’s north side. Two nights from now, the band has a gig at Fuller’s Pub on the north side. EXPO ’76’s debut album Hot In The Dark with The Total Pro Horns comes out via Pravda Records on October 24.

The Rogers Park Business Association on Chicago’s north side is presenting a First Friday Music City event tomorrow from 6:00 to 8:00 pm that will include a performance by the Chicago-based band Baby No Name and some musician friends at the Loyola Red Line Station Plaza. Other venues involved along Sheridan Road between Devon and Pratt include Cafe Nova, Great Wall, and Giordano’s.

The 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place this weekend on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street. The outdoor event always exudes a friendly, creative vibe and will feature over 150 exhibitors, as well as authors and presenters. Admission is free.

Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill will likely showcase songs from their recently released album Long After The Fire when they perform with special guest Michael Moulder at the Brown County Playhouse in Nashville, IN tomorrow night.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Chaka Khan will headline the 20th Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival, which takes place from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm this Saturday in the Auburn Gresham area on Chicago’s far south side. Other acts at the festival include Isaiah Collier, DJ Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, Damon Williams and Walt Whitman.

Tomorrow is Bandcamp Friday, when Bandcamp waives its revenue on the first Friday of the month. Or, as stated in an official email, “More of what you spend goes straight to the artists and labels you care about.”

Local bands Bratz and New Dogs Old Tricks will perform live this Sunday at 2:00 pm at The Music Room music lessons and instructions school in Palatine, IL. Each group will showcase four songs they've been working on for the past ten weeks.

Tickets are now on sale for two upcoming shows at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on Chicago’s north side. Bob Mould from the punk/alt rock bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar will appear in conversation with Sound Opinions co-host and former Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot, and perform a solo electric set on October 5. The other show is on October 25 and will feature The dB’s founding member/solo artist/producer Chris Stamey.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s new album Who Is The Sky? is coming out tomorrow. He’ll kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14.

Blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland will perform at The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago tomorrow night at 8:00 pm.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL will host a Beatles Brunch w/ String Session at noon this Sunday. Phil Angotti and Friends, whom I’ve often lauded on this blog for their musical expertise, will be performing, along with Emily Nash and Chris Ferrer on violin and cello.

Several well-known acts will perform at the Evanston Folk Festival this Saturday and Sunday at Dawes Park in Evanston, IL. Iron And Wine; Tune-Yards; Margo Price; Loudon Wainwright III; Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; The Milk Carton Kids; and Ezra Furman are among the scheduled acts. The festival will also include three evening shows in nearby locations: Ani DiFranco with special guest Hurray for the Riff Raff at Cahn Auditorium on September 5; Songs Of Bob Dylan featuring Nora O’Connor, Nathan Graham, Steve Dawson, Gerald Dowd, and others at SPACE on September 6; and Roseanne Cash at Cahn Auditorium on Sunday.