Slumgullion

Before getting on with today’s treasure chest of entertainment information, let’s take a moment to extend Happy Birthday wishes to three well-deserving individuals:

First, there’s Chicago musician Dag Juhlin, whose recording career stretches at least as far back as The Slugs’1988 non-stop holiday album on Pravda Records (I still have my copy) and up to his current adventurous solo outings on Bandcamp. He’s a member of Sunshine Boys, EXPO ’76, numerous other bands, and has traveled the world with the Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy and friends play R.E.M. tours.

Second is Illinois bred rock and roll journalist turned IRS Records publicist Cary Baker. He retired after years of providing PR for the I.R.S. roster of stars, and has kept busy in retirement by writing the book Down On The Corner - Adventures In Busking And Street Music.

And third is Toledo, OH bass player Derrick Anderson, who started out with the band The Andersons, before joining several well-known acts on the road. I’ve seen him perform with The Bangles and The Smithereens, and he’s also toured with Dave Davies from The Kinks; Matthew Sweet; and Marshall Crenshaw. He released the impressive solo album A World Of My Own.

Happy Birthday to Dag, Cary, and Derrick. 

The 45th Annual John Lennon Tribute - Benefit For Theatre Within will take place at the Town Hall venue in New York on December 12. Judy Collins will be given this year’s John Lennon Real Love Award and perform a few  Lennon and Beatles songs. The other musicians who’ll participate are Graham Nash; Suzanne Vega; Shawn Colvin; Jimmy Webb; Valerie June, Yola; Livingston Taylor; Willie Nile; Lucy Kaplansky and The Kennedys. Joe Raiola will host the event, with Rich Pagano serving as Musical Director. 

Looks like Graham Nash has no intention of slowing down in 2026. He recently announced the schedule for his Live On Tour 2026, with dates from April 4 though May 2. So far, there are no stops in Chicago.

The Western Elstons, the Chicago band featuring well-known local players Casey McDonough, Scott Ligon, Joel Paterson, and Alex Hall, have a gig coming up at Robert’s Westside venue in downtown Forest Park on November 21.

The Fitz Books store in Buffalo, NY will present an exhibition titled The Continental Posters (1982 – 83) - Selections from Dean Brownrout November 19  – December 12, 2025. The posters on display will be from Brownrout’s private collection and focus on acts such as Billy Idol, The Fleshtones, and The Dream Syndicate that performed at the Buffalo, NY venue The Continental. Brownrout booked bands at the club back then, before moving on New York, where he founded the Big Deal rock record label. He offers a fun and informative look back in his recently released book No Big Deal -  Chasing the indie music dream in the last days of the record business. Fitz Books is located at 1462 Main Street in Buffalo.

How about some psychedelic mind-bending music for the holidays? Custard  Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, has a gig scheduled for December 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Custard Flux is noted for his adventurous albums, with the most recent being Enter Xenon. 

Chicago-based band whitewolfsonicprincess, which describes its approach as 21st century druid music, will share a bill with Dark Room Men at Cary’s Lounge on November 22. 

The fourth and final date of the Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour has been revealed as being at the Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway venue in Wells, NV on May 30. The band previously revealed shows at Park West in Chicago on May 14; Sony Hall in New York City on May 21; and Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on May 27. 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, was released this past September.

Paul McCartney’s new autobiographical book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run is now available. It was edited by well-known biography author Ted Widmer, who also contributed the introduction. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025 continues its run with a concert tonight in Buffalo, NY. Upcoming shows include dates in Montreal, QC on November 17 and 18, and one in Hamilton, ON on November 21. 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.

In the fine tradition of Chicago area musicians paying homage to adventurous British acts, Reggies Chicago will host Indiscipline: A Tribute To The Music Of King Crimson on December 6. The show will cover King Crimson “In All Eras: Lake, Wetton And Belew.” Reggies Chicago is located south of the Loop, at 2105 S. State Street, and this production will be staged in the Comedy Shack.

An Easter And Gang Play Let’s Active concert led by founding member Mitch Easter will take place on November 29 at The Ramkat in Winston - Salem, NC. The band’s entire catalog was newly remastered and will be released on streaming sites in late November.

Wicked Cool Records and Little Steven’s Underground Garage will present The Chesterfield Kings Christmas Show with special guests The Grip Weeds on December 13 at Iron Smoke Distillery in Fairport, NY.

The Band Calderisi has been performing catchy originals with tight harmonies on the Chicago club scene for a while now, so it’s nice to hear they’ve been recording material at the Transient Sound Recording Studio for an upcoming release.

The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will present the double bill of The Lovin’ Spoonful With The Hollies Greatest Hits Starring Terry Sylvester on February 6. Long-time Hollies fans will recognize Sylvester as the musician who replaced Graham Nash in the late 1960s and stayed with them for a few decades.

The John And Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory and Special Guests Live At The One To One Concert box set 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.

Ratboys, the Chicago-based indie rock band whose 2023 album The Window made quite an impression with local fans and the media, have a new album coming out on February 6. Singin’ To An Empty Chair is available for pre-order on the Ratboys Bandcamp page; and the two tracks already available —“Light Night Mountains All That” and “Anywhere”—are both impressive.

Tickets are now on sale for The Smithereens with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill concert at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on March 6. Cowsill and Peterson, who released an album together earlier this year, have become regular guests at live gigs by The Smithereens.

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.”