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.

Jason Narducy has a book release event for his Mostly The Van memoir coming up this Sunday night at Evanston Space. WXRT radio personality Marty Lennartz will interview the musician/author, and the evening will wrap up with a Narducy solo performance. The doors open at 6:30.

Depending on when you read this (and if tickets are still available) you could catch the Tributosaurus Becomes Supertramp show at 7:00 pm tonight at Martyrs’ on Chicago’s north side. Tributosaurus Becomes Supertramp will also take place at Martyrs’ at 8:00 pm tomorrow night.

Also going on tonight (at 7:30) is Joel Paterson’s Hi-Fi Christmas, featuring the critically acclaimed, Chicago-based guitarist, at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL.

My Biggest Thrills, a Chicago-based band that pays tribute to English rockers The Mighty Lemon Drops, will perform at 8:00 tonight at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Violent Themmes and Matt Augustine will also be on the bill. Sunday night brings another Brit band tribute to Martyrs’ when 40,000 Headmen perform hits and deep cuts by Traffic.

In another example of Chicago area musicians paying homage to adventurous British acts, Reggies Chicago will host Indiscipline: A Tribute To The Music Of King Crimson on Saturday. 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.

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.”

Over The Rhine will begin their 2025 Christmas Tour with a show this Friday at the Kent Stage in Kent, OH. On Saturday, they’ll perform at the Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center in Columbus, OH; and Sunday brings them to Chicago, IL for a show at The Old Town School Of Folk Music. Additional concerts will take place at venues in Ann Arbor, MI; Lexington, KY;  Louisville, KY; and Nashville, TN. The critically acclaimed Americana band—led by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler—will wind up the tour December 19 – 21 at Memorial Hall in its hometown of Cincinnati, OH.

The Black Ensemble Theatre, which has presented several well-crafted and critically acclaimed musicals over the years, is currently staging A Black Ensemble Holiday Spectacular. It opens this Saturday and will run through December 14, offering a blend of traditional, gospel, and modern music.

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, a former member of the power pop bands The Abbeys and Pop Dollys, has embarked on a successful career playing selections from The Great American Songbook at dinner clubs. His 6:00 to 10:00 pm. performance tomorrow night at the Chicago Prime Italian restaurant in Schaumburg, IL will be his last one at that venue for 2025. He’ll perform at the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights next Friday.

Kartemquin Films will present the Diverse Voices In Docs Culminating Event And Showcase at 6:00 pm tomorrow at Collaboration Theater on Chicago’s north side.

Chris Ligon and Heather McAdams will stage their annual Country Calendar Show this Saturday at FitzGerald’s In Berwyn, IL. Several performers from the Chicago music scene will be involved, with each act covering a well-known country or rock star. Audience members should also check the merch table for the 2026 edition of Heather’s Lil' Country Calendar; a new Chris Ligon CD; and other unique treasures.