Slumgullion

Graphic from the official Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page.

The 49th Annual Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago takes place next weekend at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert will once again serve as MC; and this year’s special guests include drummer Simon Kirke from Bad Company and Free; Jim McCarty from The Yardbirds and Renaissance; and British Invasion hit maker Billy J. Kramer. 1960s model/author Jenny Boyd and author Yvonne Innes, whose Dip My Brain In Joy: A Life With Neil Innes celebrates her marriage to the late writer-musician-actor, will also be on hand. There will be performances by Liverpool; The Weeklings; The Taxmen; Phil Angotti And Friends, and other bands.

Pravda Records artist singer-songwriter Nathan Graham is known for mixing classic blues with Americana music, and he’ll likely showcase songs from his Saint Of Second Chances album when he performs at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights this coming Tuesday. The music starts at 7:30 pm.

The Carla Olson and Tall Poppy Syndrome single “Is It True,” which was released in digital format in 2024, is now available as a Deluxe CD + download on Bandcamp. The song offers a 1960s arrangement with a harder edge, and features Olson, Clem Burke, Vince Melouney and Jonathan Lea.

Another VU, the Chicago-based band that performs 1969-era Velvet Underground songs, has gigs lined up at Montrose Saloon on August 29 and September 20; and on November 23 at Simon’s Tavern.

Billy Idol’s latest album Dream Into It gives him new songs to perform on his current series of concerts, along with “White Wedding,” Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and other hits. It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! with Special Guest Joan Jett, has been visiting major cities, and will  drop by The Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL on August 14.

As noted by Mary Houlihan in her column yesterday in the Chicago Sun-Times, Death Cab For Cutie will perform at the Chicago Theatre next Tuesday and Wednesday. The band is currently on a limited tour to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of it debut album Plans.

This year’s Bucktown Arts Fest will take place at Holstein Park (2200 N. Oakley Avenue in Chicago) on the weekend of August 23 and 24. Admission is free, and as it has done for decades, the Fest will feature artists, photographers, and live music. The enchanting alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess, whom I’ve mentioned here several times, will perform from 4:00 to 5:00 pm on August 23. Other live acts include Jared Rabin Band; The Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Jazz Combo; Hope Arthur: Ragtime Piano; Daisychain; and Caught Steelin.

The Wild Honey Foundation will screen a special sneak preview of director Justin Fielding’s long-awaited Power Pop Movie on August 17 at the Wild Honey Backyard Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Musicians featured in the documentary include Marshall Crenshaw, Jody Stephens, Vicki Peterson and the late John Wicks. The Derrick Anderson Combo will perform a set at 7:00 pm before the film is screened.

Dave Suh and The Dirty Wings, the Americana/grunge trio, have a release party for their 10-track album Set To Begin coming up on August 15 at Montrose Saloon. Cisco Pike, Bad Candy and recording artists The Bon Mots will also perform at the venue that night.

Guitarist-vocalist Dave Davies has a signing event for the recently released album The Kinks - The Journey Vol. 3 coming up at the Barnes & Noble store at 555 Fifth Avenue in New York at noon on August 7th. 

The Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts returns for its 20th year on September 13 and 14, taking place on Broadway, between Belmont and Hawthorne. Over 120 artists will display their work, and performances on the two stages will include Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; Gerald Dowd; Gerald McClendon; The Band Calderisi; and Kent Rose And The Remedies. 

United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see three of the band’s most recent members in concert next month. Peter Howarth, who’s done a splendid job as The Hollies’ lead vocalist since 2004, has a show on August 23 at The Exchange venue in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. In addition to Hollies songs, the show will include selections from Only The Lonely - The Roy Orbison Story, a recent stage production in which Howarth played the starring role. 

A week later, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, the surviving members of MUD, will reunite to perform songs by that band at The Exchange. They’ll be joined by Pete Phipps, Keith Read, and Ian Parker. Stiles and Parker are both Hollies veterans. And for something completely different, Monty Python founding member John Cleese will appear at The Exchange on August 8.  

High Moon Records, which is known for its adventurous series of reissues, has released Sly And The Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967. Available in CD or LP format, it includes a deluxe booklet, interviews with Stone and original band members, rare photos, and memorabilia. 

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6. 

Indie Rock Night returns to The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on August 5, and will include singer-songwriter AJ Rosales performing songs from his new album Phasedrift. Rosales specializes in well crafted, melodic acoustic songs. 

Random House will publish a book of personal photographs George Harrison took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.” 

Long-time Chicago comedy group Famous In The Future will have an all-new revue ready to perform when it hosts YippieFest at Chopin Theatre on the weekend of August 15 – 17. The freewheeling festival of the performing arts is inspired by the Abby Fest that was staged for many years by the Mary-Arrchie Theatre company. FIF’s revue is titled Snowflakes In Hell. The full schedule is available on the official YippieFest website. 

Trolley will release A Carnival Of Black And White, its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the Milwaukee-based power pop band released the catchy title track, and more recently gave us “As Long As I Can Find You.” The latter mixes a hint of Elvis Costello with mid-1960s British rock.

Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund will take place at Metro on August 21.The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King” Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

Weekend Reminders

Photo from Buddy Guy’s official Facebook page.

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.

I was just about to post this edition of Weekend Reminders when I heard WXRT radio personality Andy Chanley mention that the Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy has a new album coming out tomorrow. The 18-track Ain’t Done With The Blues will be available in CD, vinyl, and digital formats on Amazon and other sites. Best wishes to Buddy Guy, who turned 89 yesterday, on continued success.

Depending on when you read this, you might be able to catch The Return Of The Cover Roulette event at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park. The featured performers are Ryan Joseph Anderson, Phil Angotti, Naomi Ashley, Casey McDonough, Rachel Swain, and Linda Weseman, with special guest MC Donnie Biggins. The music starts at 8:00 pm.

Tomorrow night, you can catch Phil Angotti, Casey McDonough, Tom Ryan, and Blair Holmes at the Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks, MI. They’ll be performing love songs by The Beatles.

Lollapalooza returned to Grant Park today and will run through this Sunday with headliners that include Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; Korn; and Sabrina Carpenter. Other notable acts would be Cage The Elephant; Ratboys; Foster The People, and Chicago Youth Symphony.

Multiple award-winning actor Morgan Freeman will appear onstage and via film as his traveling show Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience visits the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL tomorrow night. He’ll be joined by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as he explores the history of blues in America.

On Saturday night, the San Francisco alternative rock band Train, whose hits include “Meet Virginia” and “Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)” will perform at Ravinia, along with special guest singer-songwriter Edwin McCain.

In addition to being the first day of August, tomorrow marks the return of Bandcamp Friday. That’s when Bandcamp waives its revenue and, as stated in a recent email, “More of what you spend goes straight to the artists and labels you care about.”

Over The Rhine, the critically acclaimed Americana band led by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, will perform this Sunday in their home state of Ohio at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus.

The Color Purple - The Musical will wrap up its successful, critically acclaimed run at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago this Sunday.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Los Angeles—the city of its birth—for the 26th year tomorrow. The festival will feature over 60 acts and run through August 10 at the Redwood Bar; with one showcase being held at the Escondido venue on August 8. IPO founder David Bash has posted descriptions for all the acts on the festival’s official website.

Steven Delisi, a founding member of the Chicago-based power pop band and International Pop Overthrow - Chicago veterans The Thin Cherries, has a new single coming out tomorrow. The catchy indie rocker “When You Say” will be available on his Bandcamp page, and finds Delisi once again getting solid support from local musicians John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, and Mike Hagler.

McLuhan, the adventurous seven-piece Chicago band inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan, will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys this Sunday at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm. You can now purchase CD copies of McLuhan’s ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly via the Think Like A Key Music site.

Congratulations to vocalist Gerald McClendon, who’s receiving the Bobby Blue Bland Award this very night as the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Incoming

Graphic from Lollapalooza Official Facebook page.

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park this Thursday and will run through Sunday with headliners that include Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; Korn; and Sabrina Carpenter. Other notable acts would be Cage The Elephant; Ratboys; Foster The People, and Chicago Youth Symphony. Yesterday’s edition of the Chicago Tribune offers several Lollapalooza recommendations from staff writer Britt Julious in the paper’s A+E section.

Over The Rhine, the critically acclaimed Americana band led by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, will perform this Sunday in their home state of Ohio at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Los Angeles—the city of its birth—for the 26th time this Friday. The festival will feature over 60 acts and run through August 10 at the Redwood Bar; with one showcase being held at the Escondido venue on August 8. IPO founder David Bash has posted descriptions for all the acts on the festival’s official website.

Something tells me he’s still into something good. Fans of the 1960s British Invasion can relive the fun of those days by venturing out to suburban Des Plaines, IL this Sunday afternoon for the 3:00 pm Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone show.

City Winery Chicago has a Prince tribute coming on August 17 with The Purple Madness. Vocalist-guitarist Bobby Miller leads The Prince Tribute Band, which also features dancers. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Emmylou Harris will share a double bill with Graham Nash at the Tanglewood venue in Lenox, MA tomorrow night, as well as at the Wolf Trap National Park For The Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on Thursday.

The Color Purple - The Musical will wrap up its successful, critically acclaimed run at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago this Sunday. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Steven Delisi, a founding member of the Chicago-based power pop band The Thin Cherries, has a new single coming this Friday. The catchy indie rocker “When You Say” will be available on his Bandcamp page, and finds Delisi once again getting solid support from local musicians John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, and Mike Hagler.

McLuhan, the adventurous seven-piece Chicago band inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan, will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys this Sunday at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm. You can now purchase CD copies of McLuhan’s ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly via the Think Like A Key Music site.

Congratulations to vocalist Gerald McClendon, who’ll receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event this Thursday in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Birthday Cake

It’s my party and I’ll post if I want to. I’d like to thank everyone who sent happy birthday wishes to me on Facebook today. As noted by WXRT DJ Marty Lennartz on the air this morning and by writer/retired PR director Cary Baker on Facebook, today is also the birthday of the late, legendary Chicago folk singer Steve Goodman. Rock In Paradise, Steve. And best wishes to Mick Jagger, who’ll celebrate his birthday tomorrow. With all this merriment going on, today’s post will be shorter than usual, but hopefully I’ll have more to offer over the weekend.

Here’s an event I wasn’t aware of while putting together yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post. Local musicians Scott Tipping,  Packy Lundholm, and John San Juan will perform the entire Jimi Hendrix Experience album Axis Bold As Love live from 7:00 to 9:00 pm this Sunday at The Venue in Aurora. The all-ages show is part of the Album Covers Presents series.

The Wild Honey Foundation will screen a special sneak preview of director Justin Fielding’s long-awaited Power Pop Movie on August 17 at the Wild Honey Backyard Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Musicians featured in the documentary include Marshall Crenshaw, Jody Stephens, Vicki Peterson and John Wicks. The Derrick Anderson Combo will perform a set at 7:00 pm before the film is screened. 

Guitarist-vocalist Dave Davies has a signing event for the recently released album The Kinks - The Journey Vol. 3 coming up at the Barnes & Noble store at 555 Fifth Avenue in New York at noon on August 7th. I bought the double CD version as a birthday present to myself.

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park July 31 and will run through August 3 with headliners that include Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; Korn; and Sabrina Carpenter. Other notable acts would be Cage The Elephant; Ratboys; Foster The People, and Chicago Youth Symphony. Check the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times in the days preceding Lollapalooza; they usually provide recommendations on the must-see performers.

United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see three of the band’s most recent members in concert next month. Peter Howarth, who’s done a splendid job as The Hollies’ lead vocalist since 2004, has a show on August 23 at The Exchange venue in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. In addition to Hollies songs, the show will include selections from Only The Lonely - The Roy Orbison Story, a recent stage production in which Howarth played the starring role.

A week later, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, the surviving members of MUD, will reunite to perform songs by that band at The Exchange. They’ll be joined by Pete Phipps, Keith Read, and Ian Parker. Stiles and Parker are both Hollies veterans. And for something completely different, Monty Python founding member John Cleese will appear at The Exchange on August 8. 

Several well-known acts will perform at the Evanston Folk Festival when it’s held September 6 and 7 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 include three aftershows 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 September 7.

High Moon Records, which is known for its adventurous series of reissues, has released Sly And The Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967. Available in CD or LP format, it includes a deluxe booklet, interviews with Stone and original band members, rare photos, and memorabilia.

The Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts returns for its 20th year on September 13 and 14, taking place on Broadway, between Belmont and Hawthorne. Over 120 artists will display their work, and performances on the two stages will include Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; Gerald Dowd; Gerald McClendon; The Band Calderisi; and Kent Rose And The Remedies.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s due out September 26.

The Color Purple - The Musical will wrap up its successful, critically acclaimed run at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago on August 3. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Emmylou Harris will share a double bill with Graham Nash at the Tanglewood venue in Lenox, MA on July 29, as well as at the Wolf Trap National Park For The Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on July 31.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Los Angeles—the city of its birth—for the 26th time on August 1. The festival will feature over 60 acts and run through August 10 at the Redwood Bar; with one showcase being held at the Escondido venue on August 8.

Congratulations to vocalist Gerald McClendon, who’ll receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

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.

Depending on when you read this, you might be able to catch the DJ Phil Angotti Spins Mick Jagger’s 82nd Birthday event at Delilah’s on Chicago’s north side tonight. (Jagger’s birthday is actually on Saturday.) Angotti’s appearance at a venue usually involves him performing, but he has been known to showcase his record collection from time to time. The music starts at 8:00 pm, and there will be a 6:00 pm Old Pulteney Free Scotch Tasting.

Unfortunately, the Kevin Lee And The Kings performance scheduled for tonight at The Dock at Montrose Beach has been cancelled due to bad weather.

Chicago’s long-time indie rockers The Bad Examples will perform at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL at 8:30 tomorrow night. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, lead vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert creates songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze. He has also been posting funny and fascinating tales on Facebook, based on his many years of touring with his band.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released tomorrow. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Chicago’s critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm tomorrow at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights, IL is having a Beach Party tomorrow night featuring Dave Rudolph. The singer-songwriter has released several albums, and is well known for his ability spin engaging tales through music. The fun starts at 7:30 pm, and admission is free.

The 13th Annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held this Saturday at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. The Pino Farina Band will headline, and likely perform their new single “dominoes.” Other acts scheduled include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, with Edward Hasse on bass, will perform Vintage Love Songs - A Re-imagining Of The Great American Songbook And More tomorrow night at Foxy’s Hideaway in East Dundee. The music starts at 7:30; Foxy’s Hideaway is located at 319 Meier St, East Dundee on the Square.

As of tomorrow, the Think Like A Key Music site will have CD copies of McLuhan’s Anomaly album for sale. The adventurous seven-piece Chicago band—inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan—has been selling vinyl copies of that recently re-released, ground-breaking debut at its gigs.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI tomorrow; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. On Saturday, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo, and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest this Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

Incoming

Photo of Peter Howarth from The Exchange Sturminster Newton Facebook page.

United Kingdom fans of The Hollies will be able to see three of the band’s most recent members in concert next month. Peter Howarth, who’s done a splendid job as The Hollies’ lead vocalist since 2004, has a show on August 23 at The Exchange venue in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. In addition to Hollies songs, the show will include selections from Only The Lonely - The Roy Orbison Story, a recent stage production in which Howarth played the starring role.

A week later, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, the surviving members of MUD, will reunite to perform songs by that band at The Exchange. They’ll be joined by Pete Phipps, Keith Read, and Ian Parker. Stiles and Parker are both Hollies veterans. And for something completely different, Monty Python founding member John Cleese will appear at The Exchange on August 8.

Meanwhile, former Hollies member Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has a concert tonight in Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and shows later this week in North Truro, MA; Groton, MA; and Arundel, ME. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule. 

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm this Friday at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The Pino Farina Band will perform this Wednesday night at The Arboretum Of South Barrington, as part of the Wickstrom Auto Group Concerts at The Arb series. The music starts at 6:30 pm. 

Kevin Lee And The Kings, long-time masters of melodic, hard-edged rock, will perform at The Dock at Montrose Beach this Thursday from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Singer-guitarist Scott Niekelski, who has a solo career in addition to fronting the popular Go Time! band, will serve as opening act.

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, a former member of the power pop bands The Abbeys and Pop Dollys, has embarked on a successful career performing selections from The Great American Songbook at dinner clubs. Foxy’s Hideaway in East Dundee, which Cohen describes as “a Martini Bar/Craft Cocktails place,” sounds like a good match. He’ll perform with Edward Hasse on bass from 7:30 to 10:30 pm this Friday. Foxy’s Hideaway is located at 319 Meier St, East Dundee on the Square.

The 2025 Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL is well underway and will run through the end of August. This coming week brings concerts by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Brit Taylor on the Carousel Stage tomorrow; alt rock nonconformist Beck backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday; and Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors on Saturday.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo,  and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest this Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held this Saturday at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL this Friday. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, lead vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert composes songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released this Friday. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

As of this Friday, the Think Like A Key Music site will have CD copies of McLuhan’s Anomaly album for sale. The adventurous seven-piece Chicago band—inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan—has been selling vinyl copies of that recently re-released, ground-breaking debut at its gigs. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

The REEL Underground will screen Come Feel Me Tremble: The Paul Westerberg Documentary at Montrose Saloon at 6:00 pm this Wednesday. There will also be a live set of Westerberg covers by Trash Kickers and music spun by DJ Louie B.

Chicago-based band whitewolfsonicprincess, whose enchanting approach to alt rock on their albums earned them a song on a recent compilation released by the U.K.-based Fruits De Mer Records, will share a bill with The Honey Whites this Wednesday at SPACE in Evanston. The latter will be performing a tribute to the Boston-based alt rock band Morphine.

The official post office will release a 20-stamp collection featuring the work of artist Chris Ware, who’s known for his New Yorker cover illustrations and comic characters, this Wednesday. The price is $15.60 per sheet.

Saturday Slumgullion

Photo from Ronnie Wood Facebook page.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s due out September 26.

Several well-known acts will perform at the Evanston Folk Festival when it’s held September 6 and 7 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 include three aftershows 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 September 7.

As The Zombies traveled across the U.S. for screenings of Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary, the Pioneer Club in Albans, UK unveiled a mural created by the artists at antsgraff depicting the British Invasion band on one of its outdoor walls. Check out the July 5 post on The Zombies official Facebook page for a peek.

New York City alt rock/punk/Americana band St. Divine will be in Chicago on August 9 to join Pravda Records indie rockers The Handcuffs at The Hideout on the city’s north side. Local storyteller Steve Silver will be the opening act. 

High Moon Records, which is known for its adventurous series of reissues, released Sly And The Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967 yesterday. Available in CD or LP format, it includes a deluxe booklet, interviews with Stone and original band members, rare photos, and memorabilia.

The Lakeview East Festival Of The Arts returns for its 20th year on September 13 and 14, taking place on Broadway, between Belmont and Hawthorne. Over 120 artists will display their work, and performances on the two stages will include Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen; Gerald Dowd; Gerald McClendon; The Band Calderisi; and Kent Rose And The Remedies.

Philatelists with a passion for indie comic artists will likely flip over the official post office release of a 20-stamp collection featuring the work of Chris Ware. As noted in a recent Chicago Sun-Times article by Courtney Kueppers, the $15.60 sheet “tells both an individual and collective story that progresses, top to bottom, through the four seasons of the year.” Ware is known for his Jimmy Corrigan and Rusty Brown characters, as well as for his New Yorker covers.

The 2025 Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL is well underway and will run through the end of August. This coming week brings concerts by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Brit Taylor on the Carousel Stage on Tuesday; alt rock nonconformist Beck backed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday; and Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors on Saturday.

Random House will publish a book of personal photographs George Harrison took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.”

Speaking of books, The 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street in the south end of downtown Chicago. The event will feature over 200 presenters, 70 programs, and 150 booksellers and exhibitors. Admission is free.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Los Angeles—the city of its birth—for the 26th time on August 1. The festival will feature over 60 acts and run through August 10 at the Redwood Bar; with one showcase being held at the Escondido venue on August 8.

Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park on the long weekend of July 31 through August 3 with headliners that include Tyler, The Creator; Olivia Rodrigo; Korn; and Sabrina Carpenter. Other notable acts would be Cage The Elephant; Ratboys; Foster The People, and Chicago Youth Symphony. Check the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times in the days preceding Lollapalooza; they usually provide recommendations on the must-see performers.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Emmylou Harris will share a double bill with Graham Nash at the Tanglewood venue in Lenox, MA on July 29, as well as at the Wolf Trap National Park For The Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on July 31.

Steven Delisi, a founding member of the Chicago-based power pop band/International Pop Overthrow veterans The Thin Cherries, has a new single coming out August 1. The catchy indie rocker “When You Say” will be available on his Bandcamp page, and finds Delisi once again getting solid support from local musicians John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, and Mike Hagler.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest on July 26 and 27. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on July 25. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, the band’s vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert creates songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Tickets are now on sale for The Who - The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour concerts on September 7 and 9 at the United Center In Chicago. Other stops include Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

The Color Purple - The Musical is currently playing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo, and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Chicago-based band whitewolfsonicprincess, whose enchanting approach to alt rock earned them a song on a recent compilation released by the U.K.-based Fruits De Mer Records, will share a bill with The Honey Whites on July 23 at SPACE in Evanston. The latter will be performing a tribute to the Boston-based alt rock band Morphine.

The seven-piece Chicago band McLuhan has been selling vinyl copies of its ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly at gigs, and as of July 25, McLuhan will have CD copies of that album for sale via Think Like A Key Music. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

We must be in heaven, man. Chicagoans can bask in some genuine counter-culture vibes this summer via the Tributosaurus Becomes Woodstock concert at FitzGerald’s Outdoors on August 23 in Berwyn. Also, YippieFest, a freewheeling celebration of the performing arts, takes place August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. Hosted by longtime sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future, YippieFest is inspired by the Abby Fest that was staged for many years by Mary-Arrchie Theatre, which in turn, was inspired by Woodstock.

Congratulations to vocalist Gerald McClendon, who’ll receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The REEL Underground will screen Come Feel Me Tremble: The Paul Westerberg Documentary at Montrose Saloon at 6:00 pm on July 23. There will also be a live set of Westerberg covers by Trash Kickers and music spun by DJ Louie B.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Weekend Reminders

Robert Plant photo from Old Town School Of Folk Music email

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.

General public tickets go on sale tomorrow for the North American dates on Robert Plant’s Saving Grace Featuring Vocalist Suzi Dian tour. That includes Chicago concerts at The Vic Theatre on November 12  and The Old Town School Of Folk Music on November 13. Other stops include Washington, DC; New York; Boston; Toronto; Vancouver; Seattle; and Los Angeles. The album Saving Grace is due out on September 26.

Depending on when Chicagoans read this, they could still catch local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins, along with Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, and Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos tonight at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 7:00 pm. And this Saturday at Montrose Saloon, Tiny Airfares; Superfrye And The Valiant ‘72s; Go Time!; and Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club will all perform.

Depending on when Brooklyn, NY residents read this, they could still catch Grace Catherine Campbell and Sarah High performing a free show tonight at Dear Friend Books. Campbell’s cover version of “In My Room” by The Beach Boys has been picking up a lot of airplay. The music starts at 8:00 pm.

The WXRT Live From The XRT Concert Archives series continues tomorrow night at 9:00 pm with an August 26, 1990 performance by Santana recorded at The World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, IL. The concert can be heard on  93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.

Imperial Oak Brewing in Brookfield, IL will host the Beats And Brews 2K25 festival today through Sunday. There will be live performances by Jared Rabin and DILFS tomorrow; The Nobodies, Aimont Moon, and Outronaut on Saturday; and Phil Angotti And Friends on Sunday. 

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Jeff Tweedy with Macie Stewart concert at The Salt Shed on November 1. The concert is part of the Twilight Overide world tour that kicks off in Three Oaks, MI on October 8 and ends on February, 2026 in London. Depending on the location, Tweedy will be joined in the U.S. by Macie Stewart, Sima Cunningham, or Liam Kazar. His solo album Twilight Overide is due out September 26.

Congratulations to Martyrs’ on 30 years of bringing live music to Chicago’s Lincoln Park area. The venue will celebrate this Saturday afternoon with three acts, starting at 3:00 pm.

Silversun Pickups, the Los Angeles indie band whose catchy and energetic single “Panic Switch” rocked radio and music video stations back in 2009, will perform in Fargo, ND tomorrow night; St. Paul, MN Saturday night, and at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago this Sunday. Their tour runs through September 7, and will likely feature songs from their 2022 album Physical Thrills.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band tomorrow night. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album tomorrow night at Gallery Cabaret. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off this Saturday in Denver. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle, and the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 16. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires tomorrow. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Casey McDonough and Phil Angotti, who’ve performed together in various lineups, in addition to their own successful careers, will perform a free show at Cary’s Lounge on Chicago’s north side tomorrow night. The music starts at 8:30 pm. Veteran country and western act Kent Rose And The Remedies will perform at that same venue this Sunday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.  Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon.

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, will run through Saturday at The Lowry in Salford. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will share the bill with Medicine Ball and Brother Wolf at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton) night this Friday night. The music starts at 10:00 pm.

Incoming

Photo from the official George Harrison Facebook page.

The Eye Of The Beatle. As noted on the official George Harrison website, Random House will publish a book of personal photographs he took of his fellow Beatles in the years 1963 –1969. It’s titled The Third Eye and will arrive a little over a year from now. Over 250 color and black and white photographs are being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, who will also contribute an essay to her late husband’s book. The website describes the photos as “of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison.”

Speaking of books, the 40th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest will take place on the weekend of September 6 and 7 on South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street in the south end of downtown Chicago. The event will feature over 200 presenters, 70 programs, and 150 booksellers and exhibitors. Admission is free.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; 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.

Vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert of Chicago-based indie rockers The Bad Examples recently posted on Facebook that he has over 50 gigs scheduled for this summer. That might include Ralph’s World events (his kids-rock side project), but at any rate, The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on July 25. As previously mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, Covert creates songs with The Bad Examples that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows this week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Windy City Market will present the 6 Corners Vintage And Artisan Fest on July 26 and 27. Admission is free and over 100 vendors will be on hand, along with live entertainment. The event takes place 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at 4800 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s north side.

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, will run tomorrow through Saturday at The Lowry in Salford in England. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak. 

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company this Thursday night at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm. Two nights, later, four bands will share the bill at Montrose Saloon; Tiny Airfares, Superfrye And The Valiant ‘72s, Go Time!, and Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires this Friday. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret this Friday night. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

Veteran country and western act Kent Rose And The Remedies will perform at Cary’s Lounge 2251 W. Devon this Sunday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.

The Chicago-based power trio Triple will share the bill with Medicine Ball and Brother Wolf at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton) night this Friday night. The music starts at 10:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off this Saturday in Denver. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle, and the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 16. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Saturday Slumgullion

Tickets are now on sale for The Who - The Song Is Over - The North American Farewell Tour concerts on September 7 and 9 at the United Center In Chicago. Other stops include Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

The Wheaton Park District’s Concerts At Memorial Park series will present a double bill of the Sons Of The Silent Age David Bowie tribute band and the Big Suit Talking Heads tribute band on July 18. The music starts at 8:00 pm; Memorial Park is located at 225 Karlskoga St. in Wheaton, IL.

The 60 Years Of Ronnie Wood Fearless Anthology will include his solo work as well as the time he’s spent performing with Rolling Stones, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group, The Birds, The Creation, Rod Stewart, and Ronnie Lane. Available as two LPs or two CDs, it’s scheduled to drop on September 26.

Local power pop masters Dolph Chaney and The Phins will have company on the final night of their 2025 Thursday residency at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Fresno, CA psych/pop quintet Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, along with Chicago-based satiric rockers The Embryos, will also perform that night. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; 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.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He has two shows next week in Homer, NY; followed by ones in Plymouth, MA and Cranston, RI. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Push Puppets recently posted an imaginative video (production by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales) for “Launching A Satellite” on its official Facebook page.  The song is from the Chicago area band’s fourth album Tethered Together album, which once again offers melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

Chicago singer-songwriter AJ Rosales will likely tap into material from his very recently released Phasedrift album at Gallery Cabaret on July 18. The evening will also feature Rosales honoring his late mother by playing some of her favorite songs. The show starts at 9:00 pm.

The 99 Years Of Rock ’N Roll X And Los Lobos Tour kicks off on July 19 in Denver, and will include a show on October 16 at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Other stops include Salt Lake City, Toronto, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle. Each of these Los Angeles groundbreaking bands will feature all original members.

Best wishes to Vinto Van Go for success on its upcoming road trip. The Chicago-based band will bring its mix of psychedelia and garage rock to Buttonwoods Brewery in Providence, RI on July 25; sharing the bill with The Bickersins and Sourpunch. A day later, Vinto Van Go arrives at the Parkside Lounge in New York to join a multi-act show with Density Black Cat, Psych-O-Positive, GoJuMo,  and Steve Krebs & The Maynard G’s.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

As mentioned here in previous posts, McLuhan has been selling vinyl copies of its ground-breaking and recently re-released album Anomaly at gigs. As of July 25, the adventurous seven-piece Chicago band inspired by philosopher Marshall McLuhan will have CD copies of that album for sale via Think Like A Key Music. McLuhan will share an afternoon double bill with Esmeralda’s Boys on August 3 at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 2:00 pm.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

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.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Tuesday for Paul McCartney’s Got Back North American Tour 2025, which kicks off in Palm Desert, CA on September 29. Other stops include Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Tulsa; New Orleans; Atlanta; Nashville; 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.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

After taking a short break, Graham Nash is back on the road for the summer dates of his U.S. More Evenings And Stories 2025 Tour. He’s performing in Hampton Bays, NY tonight, Port Chester, NY tomorrow, and Woodstock, NY on Sunday. See his official Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

Singer-guitarist Mike Cohen has become a familiar face at the Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, and he’ll be back tomorrow night performing favorites from the Great American Songbook. This time out he’ll be joined by bassist Ed Hasse and drummer Doug Marocco. All that swinging music will start at 7:00 pm.

The Journey – Part 3, coming out tomorrow, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

The Southport Art Fest returns this Saturday and Sunday on Chicago’s north side. In addition to 100 artists displaying their work, there will be live music on both days, including Special Guest Dolph Chaney And The Phins at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out tomorrow. She’s backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The Chicago Artisan Market will take place indoors this Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at 401 Morgan Street in the Fulton Market neighborhood. The event promises Food, Fashion, Home and Art.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Incoming

Depending on when you see this, you could still catch two of Chicago’s better known entertainment journalists having an interesting discussion at The Book Cellar store on Lincoln Avenue tonight. Specifically, it will be Mark Caro interviewing Cary Baker about his (Baker’s) new book Down On The Corner - Adventures In Busking And Street Music. In addition to being a journalist, Baker managed PR at IRS Records for several years. The conversation starts at 6:30 pm; The Book Cellar is located at 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue.

On the subject of journalism, this past Sunday’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, with help from WBEZChicago, included a special Sounds Of Summer bonus section. Its profiles of upcoming concerts are enhanced with terrific photos. Editors Cassie Walker Burke and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis worked with contributors Morgan Ciocca; Selena Fragassi; Mark Guarino; Nudia Hernandez; Courtney Kueppers; and Elizabeth Landt to pull this helpful guide together. 

The Journey – Part 3, due out this Friday, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Also, a tip of the bowler to the official website for The Kinks regarding how quickly they sent an item I ordered from their online store. It arrived in a manner of days. Okay don’t laugh, but it’s a Dandy Tea Towel.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival this weekend. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The band’s final show this Sunday in London has sold out.

The Color Purple - The Musical recently opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and has drawn positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. The production is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show this Saturday night at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Chicago’s multi-faceted and quite often humorous covers band EXPO ’76 has a gig this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston. Robert Cornelius and Susan Voelz will be joining in the fun as special guests.

Gina Birch from the adventurous Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out this Friday. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

The 13th annual Homegrown Arts And Music Festival will be held on July 26 at the Basecamp venue in Four Lakes Lisle, IL. Pino Farina Band will headline; other acts include The Citrosonics; Choose Your Character; and Modern Daybreak.

Celebrating With Ringo Certainly Does Come Easy

Photo from the official Ringo Starr Facebook page.

Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr, one of the coolest people on this planet, as well as a stellar musician. His message of Peace And Love—proclaimed by his fans around the globe at noon their time—is genuine and desperately needed. Ringo’s official Facebook page is one big virtual party today, with several photos and videos submitted by fans and organizations. When he jokingly insists he’s actually 24 years old inside, it’s easy to believe him.

I saw Ringo perform with Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey; Colin Hay from Men At Work; Graham Gouldman from 10CC; and Steve Lukather from Toto at the Chicago Theatre in 2018. Here’s an edited final paragraph of the review I posted a few days later: 

The set list stretched back to the early Beatles days for “I Wanna Be Your Man” and up to Starr’s contribution to the White Album, “Don’t Pass Me By.” The audience sang along with the iconic “Yellow Submarine,” and the concert also included his solo hits “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” and “You’re Sixteen.” The finale was “A Little Help From My Friends,” which featured his musicians and just about everyone in the Chicago Theatre joining Starr on the vocals.

Outdoor Barbecue

Mods and Rockers on their toes. Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia - A Mod Ballet, based on Rachel Fuller’s rearranged and orchestrated version of The Who’s 1973 double LP, is being staged at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London through July 13. It will then run July 15 – 19 at The Lowry in Salford. Paul Roberts is the choreographer and Rob Ashford is the director for this production.

Chicago area band Push Puppets discuss their new Tethered Together album with journalist Ashley Perez -Hollingsworth in the cover story for the July edition of the Illinois Entertainer. As on their previous releases, Push Puppets offer melodic, well-crafted indie rock on this fourth album, which is available in digital and CD formats on Bandcamp.

I recently discovered the Irish Rock ’N’ Roll Experience in Dublin has an online store that carries t-shirts, postcards, hats, magnets, posters, and other memorabilia related to acts such as U2, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Horslips, The Pogues, and the museum itself. I ordered €35.00 EUR worth of merch, so I’ll have to see how that translates into American dollars.

The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Of Commerce and The Old Town School Of Folk Music will present their annual Square Roots festival on the weekend of July 11 – 13. The performers include Calexico; Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; Mekons; Alejandro Escovedo; The Lone Bellow; Heartless Bastards; Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys; Ike Reilly Assassination; and Natalie Bergman. The festival will be held on Lincoln Avenue between Montrose and Wilson.

Congratulations to Jeff Lynne on his amazing run with ELO. The final show of The Over And Out Tour takes place in London on July 13, and like earlier shows in Birmingham and Manchester, it’s sold out.

Chicago’s long-time, critically acclaimed alt-rock band Eleventh Dream Day has a rare public performance coming up at 7:00 pm on July 25 at Horner Park. The show will take place at 2741 W. Montrose Avenue on the city’s north side.

The London-based indie rock band Wolf Alice will release “The Sofa,” the second single from The Clearing on July 11. The release date for the album itself has been moved forward to August 22, and the band’s North American tour will kick off on September 10 in Atlanta. Wolf Alice will return to The Vic in Chicago on September 26; other stops include Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Boston; Montreal; Toronto; Dallas; Denver; and Los Angeles.

Tickets are now on sale for Chicago radio station WXRT’s Hometown Celebration: A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro on August 21.The Linburgers, featuring Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel and Curt Morrison, along with Heather Lynne Horton, Scott Lucas, Michael McDermott, and Eddie “King" Roeser, will perform, and the station’s on-air personalities will also be on hand. Brehmer will always be remembered by his many fans as our “Best Friend In The Whole World.” Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will kick off his massive Who Is The Sky? Tour with a show in Providence, RI on September 14. The North American dates include October 28, 29, and 31 at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, as well as stops in Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; New York; Toronto; Denver; Dallas; and Miami Beach. After a few months off, Byrne will launch a series of European concerts on February 12, 2026. His new album Who Is The Sky? will be available in various formats on September 6.

Tickets are now on sale for Roger McGuinn’s September 10 concert at The North Shore Center in Skokie, IL.

The Journey – Part 3, due out on July 11, will wrap up The Kinks’ 60th Anniversary Anthology series with a selection of songs from their 1977 – 1984 recordings. Available as two LPs, two CDs or as a download, it will include hits such as “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” “Come Dancing,” “Better Things,” “A Rock And Roll Fantasy,” “Low Budget,” “Destroyer,” and “Sleepwalker.” The Journey – Part 3 will also feature live recordings of “Till The End Of The Day,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Apeman,” and other Kinks favorites.

Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley will release its first new album in five years on October 3. In the meantime, the catchy single “A Carnival Of Black And White” is available via Bandcamp.

The indie label Kool Kat Musik will release Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires on July 18. The double-CD will feature 30 previously unreleased songs; participating acts include Go Time!, Scott McCarl, Herb Eimerman, Coke Belda, and Richard Turgeon. 100% of net profits from Pop Aid 3 will go directly to the American Red Cross. Kool Kat Musik previously released Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton and Pop Aid: A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine.

Enter Xeno, the latest release from the adventurous prog rock band Custard Flux, is now available in vinyl, with a bonus seven-inch single, 16-page booklet, and sticker. Custard Flux is led by The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey.

A new five-track, ten-inch vinyl E.P. of R.E.M.’s iconic first single “Radio Free Europe,” will be released on September 12 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the actual United States Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news and information to various countries. The E.P. can already be downloaded on Bandcamp; and it can pre-ordered alone or in various bundles from the band’s official website.

Material Issue, the Chicago power pop trio that scored MTV hits such as “Valerie Loves Me” and “Diane” back in the early 1990s, and later returned with new vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, have a show coming up at the north-side venue Schubas on September 17.

American garage rock masters The Chesterfield Kings have released a seven-inch green vinyl single of “Your Strange Love,” a song they co-wrote with Steven Van Zandt for their 2024 album We’re Still The Same. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles song “It’s Only Love.”

Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado collection of reinterpretations of other artists’ material will be released on July 25. Robert Plant and Noel Gallagher are among the musicians who helped on the album.

Alaskan singer-songwriter Mark Ward has released an album of cover versions titled Translator that pays homage to the acts he listened to on a transistor radio as a boy. The revved-up takes on Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and R. Dean Taylor’s “Indiana Wants Me” are particularly entertaining. Translator is available for download and CD on Ward’s Bandcamp page.

Fans of the sophisticated techno pop trio Ivy have a surprise coming on September 5. That’s when Traces Of You, a 10-track album of previously unreleased songs recorded by Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, will be released. Sadly, we lost Schlesinger due to COVID-19 in 2020.

The Dallas-based band Shortwaves released Mental Health In The Information Age, a proper, 12-track album on June 1 after posting a series of demos over the past year on their Bandcamp page. Vocalist-guitarist Joey Shortwave, AKA Joseph Holbrook, previously led The Lash Outs, and he brings a similar blend of satiric lyrics and punk/pop energy to these new songs.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Gina Birch from the Brit band The Raincoats has an album titled Trouble coming out on July 11. She’ll be backed by musicians Marie Merlet and Jenny Green. It’s the second solo effort from Birch, who’ll head out on tour with The Miki Berenyi Trio (led by the former Lush founder) this fall. They’ll be in Chicago on October 17 at Lincoln Hall.

YippieFest will return for its ninth year on the weekend of August 15 – 17 at Chopin Theatre on Chicago’s north side. The freewheeling entertainment event—once again hosted by the sketch/musical comedy group Famous In The Future—is inspired by the annual Abby Fest that was staged by Mary-Arrchie Theatre for several years. For the third year, YippieFest will donate all proceeds to local charities. This year’s recipients will be Howard Brown Health, Deborah’s Place, and Northwestern Settlement Food Pantry.

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.

As noted in a Facebook post by Illinois Entertainer founder and Chicago area rock music expert Ken Voss, Cheap Trick will perform a free concert in Elk Grove, IL tomorrow at 8:00 pm. It’s part of the village’s Mid-Summer Classics Concerts Series.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch Americana rockers Ouray performing at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tonight. The show starts at 7:30.

One Of These Nights, a tribute band devoted to The Eagles, will perform at the Mount Prospect 4th of July Festival tonight at 9:15 pm.

Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band BoDeans will perform at the recently opened Atwood Music Hall in Madison, WI tonight, and has an 8:00 pm show tomorrow at the Frontier Days Festival in Arlington Heights, IL. Over the years, the BoDeans have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

Saturday in the park, I think it was the 5th of July. Chicago, with special guest the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band Stevie McVie, will perform at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL this Saturday night.

This anniversary goes to forty one. The 41st Anniversary 4K Re-Release of This Is Spinal Tap hitting theaters this Saturday will include a preview of the sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

The 42nd American Music Festival kicked off today and will run through this Sunday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The impressive lineup includes Lee Fields; JD McPherson; Samantha Fish; The Wallflowers; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; The Watson Twins; The Western Elstons; Joel Paterson; and Sunshine Boys.

There will be a Celebration of the Life of Michael Teach event on July 6 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Teach was well known and admired on the local music scene as the founder of Chicago Acoustic Underground and CAUDOG RECORDS. He passed away last November after an extended battle with cancer.