Due to this Thursday being Christmas, Broken Hearted Toy will present a combination of two weekly posts that usually appear on Monday and Thursday respectively.
Congratulations to Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, on his latest album Enter Xenon coming in at number 8 on the UK rock magazine MOJO’s Top 10 Prog albums of 2025. I received my copy of MOJO in the mail today and the Prog list is on page 59. Curvey is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums and graphics. There’s a Custard Flux gig this Sunday at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side, and Chloe F. Orwell from The Handcuffs will play saxophone as a special guest.
Some of my happiest moments these days are spent reading the coverage of classic and current bands in MOJO magazine, which is why I signed up for a subscription. It’s rare to find it in American stores.
The Waco Brothers Annual Hideout Yuletide Rumble will be held this Friday and Saturday at The Hideout (1354 W Wabansia Avenue) on Chicago’s north side. These guys are well known as a genuine party band, having performed at a number of WXRT events. Tennis Court Oath will be the special guest on Friday; Gracie Lou Heuer and Los Gallos Band will be the special guests on Saturday.
Richard Milne, the former WXRT radio DJ who provided air time for countless Chicago area music acts when he hosted the weekly Local Anesthetic show, will make a special guest appearance on CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM on Christmas Eve (tomorrow) from 9:00 am to noon.
This Saturday night’s Expo ’76 appearance at Fuller’s Pub will not only be the band’s last gig in Chicago for 2025, it will be the last one until next April. Band member Dag Juhlin will be part of the Michael Shannon - Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant USA Tour during the earlier months of 2026. (They have two sold-out shows in Chicago on March 12 and 13.)
The Walkin’ on Sunshine band, featuring Steve Dawson, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith, John Abbey and special guest Diane Christiansen, has a gig coming up at Simon’s in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood this Sunday. Admission is free, but tips are always welcome. A recent post from Dawson states the two sets will feature “a lot of my songs and a bunch of surprise covers.” The music starts at 8:30 pm.
It’s not too late to download your present from Aussie musician Joe Algeri. He’s been offering people around the globe a free new song each December for 25 years, and the 2025 effort, “Summer Forever,” can be found on his Egomaniac Music Bandcamp page. Algeri’s 2025 gift is a melodic power pop tune, and once again, he’s joined by an international crew of musicians: American bassist-backup vocalist Herb Eimerman; drummer Stefan Johansson and organ player Lars Brussel from Sweden; and lead guitarist Andy J. Prinkkila from Finland.
The BoDeans performed four times at City Winery Chicago over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they have a show this Saturday at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL. The Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band has given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”
The Continental Posters (1982 – 83) - Selections from Dean Brownrout exhibition at The Fitz Books store in Buffalo, NY, has been extended through the end of December. The posters on display are 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.
And finally, a Weekend Reminder to share with any children you know: Make sure you get up at 5:00 am this Thursday morning, awaken the rest of your family and insist it isn’t too early to open your presents. Best holiday wishes to all who read this blog. Have fun, share plenty of good will, and be careful.
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