Slumgullion

For events taking place this weekend, check out my previous post titled Weekend Reminders.

Robert Plant, whose Saving Grace album with vocalist Suzi Dian is now available, has two concerts with her coming up in Chicago. They’ll be at The Vic Theatre on November 12, and at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on November 13.

Norm!!! As noted on Chicago radio station WXRT’s Facebook page and the WGNTV website, several people recently gathered at 92nd Street at the corner of Bell Avenue to witness the street being designated as Honorary George Wendt Way. The late actor, who portrayed Norm on the hit TV show Cheers and was a member of the acclaimed Second City comedy group, grew up in the Beverly neighborhood.

David Byrne; Richard Carpenter; Taylor Swift; Boz Scaggs; Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s; LL Cool J; and Sarah McLachlan are among the nominees for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 2026 Induction & Awards Gala.

Boz Scaggs fans in Chicago can congratulate him on his Songwriters Hall Of Fame nomination when he performs at the Auditorium on November 5. Tickets are still available.

As recently noted by Tammy Easter, Admin for the official Let’s Active Facebook page, tickets for the November 29 Easter And Gang Play Let’s Active concert led by founding member Mitch Easter at The Ramkat in Winston - Salem quickly sold out. The venue was able to move the event to a larger room downstairs so more tickets could be made available. It’s not clear if tickets are still available now, but it might be worth looking into for Let’s Active’s fans hoping there’s still a chance to catch this show. The band’s entire catalog was newly remastered and will be released on streaming sites in late November.

Tickets are now on sale for the Desert Rock - A Tribute To The Laurel Canyon Music Scene event coming February 6 to The Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake, IL. The two-hour multimedia show will celebrate the music of Linda Ronstadt; CSNY; The Byrds; Buffalo Springfield; Loggins And Messina; Poco; JD Souther; Warren Zevon; Lowell George; Tom Waits; Gram Parsons; and others.

In a move I’m willing to bet nobody saw coming, Australian garage rockers Hoodoo Gurus will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on January 29 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The listing on the Ticketek site promises the band’s material will be “reimagined on an epic scale, with orchestral arrangements bringing fresh energy and grandeur.” Sure sounds like fun.

For rock fans who love to travel. Iggy Pop; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; Hoodoo Gurus; and ZED will share a tour in Auckland, New Zealand next year on January 23, 26, and 31. Six months later, Hoodoo Gurus will be one of the headline acts down under at the Birdsville Big Red Bash. It’s being promoted as The Most Remote Music Festival In The World.

Colin Hay, frontman for the Aussie band Men At Work, has a show coming up on November 1 at the Cahn Auditorium in Evanston, IL. Hay, also known as being a regular member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band, has solo gigs coming up in Columbus, OH; Munhall, PA; and Medford, MA.

The 28th Annual Jeff Buckley Tribute will be held on November 16 and 17 at Uncommon Ground Lakeview venue on Chicago’s north side.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has issued a low ticket warning for the Chris And Heather’s Country Calendar Show involving several performers from the Chicago music scene on December 6. Even if you can’t make the show, I highly recommend finding a way to buy the Heather’s calendar because it’s always a masterpiece.

Cheap Trick has released a single from their upcoming album All Washed Up, which is due out November 14. “The Riff That Won’t Quit” adds some genuine funk to the band’s guitar-driven approach, and follows on the heels of the mid-tempo “Twelve Gates,” which can be viewed in an animated version on YouTube.

The John And Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory and Special Guests Live At The One To One Concert boxset is available to pre-order at the online Official John Lennon Store. Recorded live at Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 30, 1972, the concert is available in 9 CD + 3 Blu-Ray Boxset; 4 LP; 2 CD; 2 LP, and 1 CD formats.

Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025 continues its run with a concert tomorrow night in San Antonio, TX. Upcoming shows include New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; Columbus, Pittsburgh; Buffalo; and Montreal. The long and winding road ends with concerts at the United Center on November 24 and 25, which means Chicago area fans will have something fun to talk about with their families at Thanksgiving dinner.

Los Lobos fans in the Chicago area will also be grateful since the Los Angeles band has concerts scheduled for November 24 and 25 at SPACE in Evanston. Tickets are also available for Chicago folk legend Bonnie Koloc’s November 30 show at SPACE in Evanston.

Illinois rock and roll fans of a certain age might be interested to know the various artists album A Blast From The Cellar! Lost Gems From The ‘60s Chicago Rock Explosion has been reviewed in Issue No. 168 of the English rock mag Shindig! It’s given a mid-range rating of three stars (five stars is considered brilliant) but writer Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills does describe the Arlington Heights venue The Cellar as legendary, and praises “You Don’t Know Better” by The Blackstones as “a delightful slice of Beatles-esque pop.” (This is the issue of Shindig! with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on the cover.)

The Webstirs, a Chicago-based band that’s been a reliable source for well-crafted and witty indie rock, will release its next album, High Up In The Trees, on November 14. They’ll perform a free show in the Sidebar at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL that night, with special guests Sunshine Boys.

A Carnival Of Grey And White, the latest and long-awaited album from the Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley is now available on Bandcamp. In addition to the catchy title track and Elvis Costello style “As Long As I Can Find You,” which were previously released as teasers, other energetic gems include “Leaving You Behind,” “Stepping Up,” and “Radio Silence.”

Tickets will go on sale soon for the Gram Fest - Cosmic American Music Festival taking place on November 22 at the Joshua Tree Cultural Center - Blak Box Theater in Joshua Tree, CA. Performers include Sin City All Stars with special guests Jonny Kaplan And Friends, plus numerous other acts.

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan’s new album titled Better Broken is now available; with the title track being the first single. Her 2025 North American tour will include a stop at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on November 22.

Revolution(s), Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s play about a soldier who returns from Afghanistan only to find his south side Chicago neighborhood also in turmoil, has opened at The Goodman Theatre. Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine fame created the music and lyrics; and Steve H. Broadnax III is the director. Revolution(s) runs through November 9.

The Saint Rocke venue in Hermosa Beach, CA has a fun double bill of Flamin Groovies and The Pandoras coming up on November 19.

Ring in the new with Old 97s at SPACE in Evanston. Tickets are now on sale for the Dallas, TX band’s December 29, 30, and 31 shows at the Illinois venue. Old 97s will likely perform selections from their 2024 album American Primitive, as well as favorites such as “Champagne, Illinois” and “Big Brown Eyes.”

Henry Diltz has joined forces with Cindystock for a series of rock musician photo books that benefit the Yates Fund For Cancer Hope. The choices include Dan Fogelburg; Stephen Stills; David Crosby; Micky Dolenz; David Cassidy; Joni Mitchell; America; Graham Nash; and Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young. Each book contains 40 photos and sells for $24. I just received my copy of the Nash book and it’s really cool.

Aliza Hava’s new album Into The Light is now available exclusively on Bandcamp. The Ashland, Oregon folk rock singer-guitarist creates emotionally charged songs such as “Let It Roar” and “Fix My Fate” that convey how to navigate this troubled world.