Bonus Slumgullion

Yesterday’s serving of Slumgullion was a bit smaller than usual due to my wife Pam and I heading off to The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL to see The Smithereens with John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson at last night.

The Smithereens have been recording catchy rock and roll for decades, and they were at the top of game last night. With John Cowsill as an impressive guest vocalist, the band roared through “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Top Of The Pops,” “Only A Memory,” “House We Used To Live In,” and several other gems.

Cowsill and his wife Vicki Peterson—the evening’s opening act—showcased songs from their debut album Long After The Fire, along with a few Bangles songs and The Cowsills’ version of “Hair.” After The Smithereens brought down the house with an extended take on “Blood And Roses,” Peterson was invited back to join Cowsill and The Smithereens for an unpredictable and fun set of encores.

Happy Birthday to Jeff Janulis, vocalist, guitarist, and chief songwriter for the Chicago based power pop band The Spindles. Jeff is an avid fan of The Hollies, as evidenced by the faithful cover versions of “Look Through Any Window” and “Bus Stop” on his band’s Past And Present and Wavelength albums respectively. Wavelength was included on a number of websites’ best albums of 2025 lists, by the way. Happy Birthday, Jeff. Have a great time celebrating.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys have a gig coming up on March 20 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Rojas, a singer-guitarist and songwriter, is a long-time member of Los Lobos.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

“It’s Been Too Long,” the first single from Ringo Starr’s next album, is now available to stream on various sites. The album is titled Long Long Road and will feature collaborations with T Bone Burnett; Sheryl Crow; Billy Strings; Molly Tuttle; Sarah Jarosz; and St. Vincent. It’s due out April 24.

A Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The memorabilia on display will be centered on McCartney’s days of recording and performing with his wife Linda and Denny Laine, along with his first solo album. In the meantime, fans can stream the Paul McCartney and Wings - Man On The Run documentary on Amazon Prime.

Outronaut, the instrumental band known for its high-energy performances on the Chicago club scene, released a seven-minute, more introspective song titled “The Magnificent Defeat” on Bandcamp today. This is Bandcamp Friday, where the money goes directly to the artists and labels, so Outronaut has decided to donate 100% of the revenues to The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

The Psychedelic Furs with special guests We Are Scientists tour begins on May 12 in Minneapolis and ends on June 14 in Rocklin, CA. There’s a stop at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL on May 15.

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. After a short time off, Cohen is back to performing regular gigs and will be at the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on March 13.

Paul Weller’s upcoming release Weller At The BBC Vol. 2 is now available to pre-order in 3-LP or 3-CD formats from his official website. The album is due out on April 24.

As noted in the March edition of the Illinois Entertainer, today’s new releases include Make-up Is A Lie by Morrissey and Trixies by Squeeze. Later this month, we’ll see PLAY ME by Kim Gordon and A Pound Of Feathers by The Black Crowes on March 13; Paradises by Ladytron on March 20; and Creature Of Habit by Courtney Barnett and The Former Site Of by The New Pornographers on March 27. That same issue features Media columnist Rick Kaempfer’s tributes to Chicago radio personalities he rightfully believes deserve to be honored by The National Radio Hall Of Fame. His suggestions include Lin Brehmer; Ron Britain; Roy Leonard; Mitch Michaels; Bob Sirott; and Bobby Skafish.

The Homegrown Arts And Music Festival is looking for bands and acoustic artists to perform at its 14th annual event on July 25 in Lisle, IL.

The Zombies plan to release their first album Begin Here as a remastered in the original 1965 mono mix version on April 17. Available in LP, CD, and digital formats, it will combine all the tracks from the English and American original versions and be released on their own Beechwood Park Records label. The first single “The Way I Feel Inside” is already out, and the album can be pre-ordered in various adventurous options.

International Pop Overthrow has been bringing indie rock/power pop festivals to cities around the world for quite a few years, and will begin its 2026 season with a nine-day visit to Chicago from April 17 to 25. Founder/CEO David Bash recently posted the full schedule on Facebook, and it includes several long-time favorites. IPO will also make stops in Liverpool, Stockholm, Glasgow, Los Angeles, and New York this year.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include The Flat Five on April 29; the Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Tickets are now on sale for the Santana And The Doobie Brothers Oneness 2026 Tour, which will run from mid-June through the end of August. Fans in the Chicago area will get the first look at this USA tour, since it kicks off on June 13 in Tinley Park, IL. Other stops include Cincinnati, St. Louis, Toronto, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Dallas. Santana’s 2025 album Sentient features his collaborations with Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. 

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the Chicago scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

XTC: I Am The Audience, a new book from author David Marx about the critically acclaimed English band led by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, is now available to pre-order on the Sorrento Books UK website. It features multiple interviews with fans and famous musicians, as well as rare photographs.

In related news, this year’s Record Store Day event on April 18 will include the XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981 double album. The songs performed at Emerald City include “Life Begins At The Hop,” “Respectable Street,” “Making Plans For Nigel,” and “Generals and Majors.”

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd Annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield.

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as a recent performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs will have their first gig of 2026 on March 14 at Liar’s Club (1655 W. Fullerton ) on Chicago’s north side. They’ll be part of a triple bill with The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids. The Handcuffs have been busy working on their next album.

The schedule for this year’s SummerFest in Milwaukee, WI has been announced, with concerts taking place on June 16 – 20; June 25 – 27; and July 2 – 4. Performers include Echo And The Bunnymen; Alejandro Escovedo; Modern English; The Dream Syndicate; The Roots; Kim Gordon; Little Feat; Old 97s; Sons Of The Silent Age; Muse; Spoon; Gin Blossoms; BoDeans; The Jayhawks; Soul Asylum; and Spin Doctors.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Sons Of The Silent Age - The Cracked Actor Cabaret on April 23 at City Winery Chicago straight west of the downtown area. These guys have been impressing audiences around town with their David Bowie tribute for years; this particular event will feature them performing stripped down arrangements of his songs.

Happy Birthday to Joe Shanahan, whose several years of running the Metro venue in Wrigleyville has made him one of the Chicago music scene’s best known players. He’s particularly respected for his support of upcoming alternative rock acts. All that, and he’s a pretty good DJ as well.

The Smithereens will perform at The Des Plaines Theatre in downtown Des Plaines, IL at 8:00 pm tomorrow night, with John Cowsill as the guest lead vocalist. If you take the Metra train there, a walk across the street will bring you to the venue’s front door. The Smithereens have long been an impressive live act, with catchy rock gems such as “Blood And Roses,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Only A Memory,” and “A Girl Like You.” Cowsill has been singing with The Smithereens on a semi-regular basis, and this time he’ll be joined by his wife, Bangles vocalist-guitarist Vicki Peterson. The duo released their debut effort Long After The Fire last September.

Bandcamp Friday returns tomorrow, which means the downloading site waives its share of sales on music purchases for 24 hours. As noted in a recent Bandcamp email, it “sends even more money directly to the artists and labels you support.”

Tickets are now on sale for Bob Dylan’s Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which will begin its journey on March 21 at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Other dates include the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, IL on March 28 and the Genesee Theatre in Waukeegan, IL on March 30.

Longtime Chicago rockers Kevin Lee and The Kings will share a double bill with Billy and The Vintage Saints on March 21 at The Chicago Loop Sports Bar in Streamwood, IL.

As noted by Chicago Sun-Times journalist Mary Houlihan in her weekly column The Mix (always a good source for entertainment listings), Black Ensemble Theater on the city’s north side will present The Jackie Wilson Story this Saturday through April 26. Black Ensemble Theater is now celebrating its 50th season.

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm this Friday at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe this Saturday, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Incoming

Happy Birthday to John Cowsill, who’ll be in the Chicago area this Friday night as the guest lead vocalist for The Smithereens when they perform at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. He started his music career as a child in The Cowsills, and has performed and recorded with numerous acts ever since. Singing with The Smithereens has become a semi-regular gig for Cowsill, and this time, he’ll be joined by his wife, Bangles vocalist-guitarist Vicki Peterson. The duo released their debut effort Long After The Fire last September, and it would be nice to hear some songs from it this Friday at the Des Plaines Theatre.

The Smithereens are an impressive live act, with several albums to choose from and catchy rock gems such as “Blood And Roses,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” “Only A Memory,” and “A Girl Like You.” In addition to their gig in Des Plaines this Friday, The Smithereens have upcoming shows with John Cowsill in Tucson, AZ; Scottsdale, AZ; Boca Raton, FL; Largo, FL; and Atlantic City, NJ.

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm this Friday at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe this Saturday, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

The Zombies plan to release their first album Begin Here as a remastered in the original 1965 mono mix version on April 17. Available in LP, CD, and digital formats, it will combine all the tracks from the English and American original versions and be released on their own Beechwood Park Records label. The first single “The Way I Feel Inside” is already out, and the album can be pre-ordered in various adventurous options.

International Pop Overthrow has been bringing indie rock/power pop festivals to cities around the world for quite a few years, and will begin its 2026 season with a nine-day visit to Chicago from April 17 to 25. Founder/CEO David Bash recently posted the full schedule on Facebook, and it includes several long-time favorites. IPO will also make stops in Liverpool, Stockholm, Glasgow, Los Angeles, and New York this year.

A Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The memorabilia on display will be centered on McCartney’s days of recording and performing with his wife Linda and Denny Laine, along with his first solo album. In the meantime, fans can stream the Paul McCartney and Wings - Man On The Run documentary on Amazon Prime.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include The Flat Five on April 29; the Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Tickets are now on sale for the Santana And The Doobie Brothers Oneness 2026 Tour, which will run from mid-June through the end of August. Fans in the Chicago area will get the first look at this USA tour, since it kicks off on June 13 in Tinley Park, IL. Other stops include Cincinnati, St. Louis, Toronto, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Dallas. Santana’s 2025 album Sentient features his collaborations with Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the Chicago scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

Paul Weller’s upcoming release Weller At The BBC Vol. 2 is now available to pre-order in 3-LP or 3-CD formats from his official website. The album is due out on April 24.

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

Mordecai Smyth’s March 1 gig at the Crumbs Coffee Shop in Woodley, Reading in the UK will no doubt showcase catchy, offbeat songs such as “Breaking The Backs” and “One And The Same” from his new Gather The Scattered Mind album on the Mega Dodo label. Musician/producer/DJ Robert Sowden will be the supporting act.

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd Annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield.

XTC: I Am The Audience, a new book from author David Marx about the critically acclaimed English band led by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, is now available to pre-order on the Sorrento Books UK website. It features multiple interviews with fans and famous musicians, as well as rare photographs.

In related news, this year’s Record Store Day event on April 18 will include the XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981 double album. The songs performed at Emerald City include “Life Begins At The Hop,” “Respectable Street,” “Making Plans For Nigel,” and “Generals and Majors.”

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as a recent performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys have a gig coming up on March 20 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Rojas, a singer-guitarist and songwriter, is a long-time member of Los Lobos.

The schedule for this year’s SummerFest in Milwaukee, WI has been announced, with concerts taking place on June 16 – 20; June 25 – 27; and July 2 – 4. Performers include Echo And The Bunnymen; Alejandro Escovedo; Modern English; The Dream Syndicate; The Roots; Kim Gordon; Little Feat; Old 97s; Sons Of The Silent Age; Muse; Spoon; Gin Blossoms; BoDeans; The Jayhawks; Soul Asylum; and Spin Doctors.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs will have their first gig of 2026 on March 14 at Liar’s Club (1655 W. Fullerton ) on Chicago’s north side. They’ll be part of a triple bill with The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids. The Handcuffs have been busy working on their next album.

The Hollywood Bowl in Southern California has announced its 2026 concert schedule, which kicks off on May 2 with Lewis Capaldi and Joy Crookes and wraps up on October 31 with My Chemical Romance and Thrice. Other acts coming to The Hollywood Bowl this year include Los Angeles Philharmonic; Foo Fighters; Al Green; The Beach Boys; Buddy Guy; Burning Spear; Cheap Trick; De La Soul; The English Beat; Gin Blossoms; Gladys Knight; Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass; Herbie Hancock; Patti Labelle; The Roots; Squeeze; St. Vincent; Ziggy Marley; and ZZ Top.

Tickets are now on sale for the John Doe And Exene Cervenka See How We Are: An Acoustic Show at Old Town Of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park area on June 13. The founding members of X will perform songs by the L.A. punk band as a duo.

An official screening of director Jonas Åkerlund’s documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead will take place on March 12 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. WDRV The DRIVE on-air personality Janda Lane will host the event.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe on March 7, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

The Psychedelic Furs with special guests We Are Scientists tour begins on May 12 in Minneapolis and ends on June 14 in Rocklin, CA. There’s a stop at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL on May 15.

Phil Angotti And Friends will present a Beatles Brunch In The Club at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL this Sunday at noon. These guys have been doing the Beatles Brunch thing for a while now and are rather fab at it.

Depending on when you read this, you could catch the Grammy Award winning gospel group Blind Boys Of Alabama at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL at 7:00 pm tonight. Blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland, who’s earned several Grammy nominations, will perform at that same venue tomorrow night. And this Sunday night at Evanston SPACE, PureSoul Presents will bring Highway Dreams - 50 Years Of Tom Petty.

An Evening With Cat Power - The Greatest 20th Anniversary Tour kicks off today in Minneapolis, MN, and will arrive in Chicago tomorrow for a performance at The Riviera Theatre. The tour celebrates Cat Power’s critically acclaimed album The Greatest, which found the Atlanta singer-songwriter experimenting with a new, soulful approach. Other stops on this tour (she has another one planned for the summer) include Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn, Boston, and Philadelphia.

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held this Sunday at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ.

Liar’s Club will present an adventurous matinee double bill this Sunday featuring psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and the high energy instrumental band Outronaut. Both acts have several years of experience on the Chicago music scene. The rocking starts at 3:00 pm; Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on’s north side.

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL promises tickets will go on sale “soon” for Mud Morganfield on April 28, and Love with Johnny Echols on July 15. That could mean tomorrow, but I can’t say for sure.

Incoming

FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL has revealed the acts who’ll perform at its 43rd annual American Music Festival taking place July 2 – 5. The extensive list includes The Heavy Heavy, Spin Doctors; Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; CJ Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band; Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals; Michael McDermott; and Mud Morganfield. FitzGerald’s is having an In-Person Pre-Sale Party this Sunday for those who want to nab their American Music Festival tickets early. The Pre-Sale Party will have free live music by Los Gallos, but those planning to attend are encouraged to RSVP on the venue’s official website.

The Wailers will celebrate the anniversary of the Rastaman Vibration album they released with Bob Marley 50 years ago, in a 7:00 pm concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on April 24. The recently added 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

Prog rock band McLuhan and folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys must be kindred souls by now, considering they have another double bill coming up. They’ll be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on March 12, with Esmerelda’s Boys kicking things off at 8:00 pm and McLuhan performing at 9:00 pm. Both acts have been performing on the local scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

Singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and his band will showcase a video for the song “Eye For An Eye” from his Once Around Again album on April 2 at the G-Man Tavern. It will be part of a video release party/show with two sets of live music. G-Man Tavern is located at 3740 N Clark Street. Angotti is well known in Chicago for his tribute shows to acts such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and Bee Gees, but as his performance at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights last week demonstrated, he’s quite impressive with his own material as well.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at FitzGerald’s Saturday Night Side Bar in Berwyn, IL on May 2. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

Upcoming shows at Evanston SPACE include Blind Boys Of Alabama this Thursday and Shemekia Copeland on Friday. Looking at Evanston SPACE further down the road you’ll find The Flat Five there on April 29; Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey on May 4; and Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy on May 15 and 16.

Liar’s Club will present an adventurous matinee double bill this Sunday featuring psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and the high energy instrumental band Outronaut. Both acts have several years of experience on the Chicago music scene. The rocking starts at 3:00 pm; Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on’s north side.

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held this Sunday at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ. The event’s Facebook page promises to feature vendors from all over the tri-state area.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

XTC: I Am The Audience, a new book from author David Marx about the critically acclaimed English band led by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, is now available to pre-order on the Sorrento Books UK website. It features multiple interviews with fans and famous musicians, as well as rare photographs.

In related news, this year’s Record Store Day event on April 18 will include the XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981 double album. The songs performed at Emerald City include “Life Begins At The Hop,” “Respectable Street,” “Making Plans For Nigel,” and “Generals and Majors.” Other Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl offerings available this year include artists Chet Baker; David Bowie; Ray Charles; Ziggy Marley; George Harrison; Miles Davis; The Doors; Peter Gabriel; and Grateful Dead.

Cesar Rojas And The Chi-Town Playboys have a gig coming up on March 20 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Rojas, a singer-guitarist and songwriter, is a long-time member of Los Lobos.

As noted in the CELEBRITIES column in today’s Chicago Tribune, a Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The memorabilia on display will be centered on McCartney’s days of recording and performing with his wife Linda and Denny Laine, along with his first solo album.

Blues performer Mud Morganfield will honor his father’s legacy with a Mud Morganfield: Celebrates the Birthday of Muddy Waters event at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL on April 4.

The schedule for this year’s SummerFest in Milwaukee, WI has been announced, with concerts taking place on June 16 – 20; June 25 – 27; and July 2 – 4. Performers include Echo And The Bunnymen; Alejandro Escovedo; Modern English; The Dream Syndicate; The Roots; Kim Gordon; Little Feat; Old 97s; Sons Of The Silent Age; Muse; Spoon; Gin Blossoms; BoDeans; The Jayhawks; Soul Asylum; and Spin Doctors.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs will have their first gig of 2026 on March 14 at Liar’s Club (1655 W. Fullerton ) on Chicago’s north side. They’ll be part of a triple bill with The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids. The Handcuffs have been busy working on their next album.

The Hollywood Bowl in Southern California has announced its 2026 concert schedule, which kicks off on May 2 with Lewis Capaldi and Joy Crookes and wraps up on October 31 with My Chemical Romance and Thrice. Other acts coming to The Hollywood Bowl this year include Los Angeles Philharmonic; Foo Fighters; Al Green; The Beach Boys; Buddy Guy; Burning Spear; Cheap Trick; De La Soul; The English Beat; Gin Blossoms; Gladys Knight; Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass; Herbie Hancock; Patti Labelle; The Roots; Squeeze; St. Vincent; Ziggy Marley; and ZZ Top.

Tickets are now on sale for the John Doe And Exene Cervenka See How We Are: An Acoustic Show at Old Town Of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park area on June 13. The founding members of X will perform songs by the L.A. punk band as a duo.

An official screening of director Jonas Åkerlund’s documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead will take place on March 12 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. WDRV The DRIVE on-air personality Janda Lane will host the event.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Rachel Drew’s A Tribute To Amy Winehouse will take place on April 28 at SPACE in Evanston. Drew will focus on Winehouse’s Back To Black album, and she’ll be supported by musicians John Szymanski; Michael Krayniak; Jason Batch; Kenn Goodman; and the Total Pro Horns.

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on March 6 at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Chicago-based country and western performer Kent Rose has an 11:00 am – 1:00 pm performance coming up at the City News Cafe on March 7, with percussionist David Sims as his special guest.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago doesn’t start until April 17, but we already know that The Spindles will perform in the 9:00 pm slot on April 24; and Trolley will have the 4:00 pm slot on April 19. Both acts posted their time slot information on their Facebook pages. And both have impressed with recently released albums.

Issue #22 of Second Scene is now available on the indie rock newspaper’s Bandcamp page. Editor-in-chief Tim Thomas is also planning a special issue for this summer that will feature art, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by musicians who have appeared in previous issues.” Second Scene consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he tosses in some art and literature.

Decoy Prayer Meeting; Everly Hillbillies; Ian McKinley Band; Between Howls; and Rhythm And Twang will join together in a country and western/rockabilly flavored event on March 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 6:30 pm.

The All The Feelings Tour with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX, and will make a stop at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on July 24. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, and Washington, D.C. 

On March 19, PureSoul Presents, which has staged several tributes to famous music acts, will bring A Brief History Of R.E.M. to City Winery Chicago.

The Smithereens, who have a show with coming up Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL., have just announced new shows in Boca Raton, FL on March 19; Atlantic City, NJ on May 5; Alexandria, VA on June 6; and San Juan, Cap, CA on June 13.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

The 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration will take place from 7:00 to 11:55 pm this Saturday at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Performers include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar; Phil Angotti; New Heartaches; Black Friars Social Club; Torpedo Los; Pierce Crask; Frankie B; and The Amazing Johnsons. Organizers Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma always make sure My Sweet George is a joyous celebration of Harrison’s music, and this year, it will raise awareness for MusicCares.

Depending on when you read this, you could catch singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and his longtime mates Casey McDonough, Tom Ryan and Blair Holmes performing at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL. Angotti is well known on Chicago’s north side for his tributes to famous bands as well as for shows featuring original material. Tonight’s show, which starts at 7:30, looks like it will lean toward his own stuff, along with “a couple of top secret covers.”

Jim Peterik And Friends will perform tomorrow and Saturday night at Hey Nonny. Peterik, the very first musician I interviewed in my entire life (back when I wrote for the University Of Illinois - Chicago weekly newspaper) is well known for leading The Ides Of March and Survivor, as well as for his work with other famous bands. He’ll be joined by singer-songwriter Megon McDonough.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at United Center in Chicago on April 29; Patti Smith with Tony Shanahan and Jackson Smith at the Old Town School Of Folk Music on March 10; and Jane Siberry at the Old Town School Of Folk Music on April 3.

As of tomorrow, the first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 will be available to order from Beatland Books.

It’s almost as soon as now. PureSoul Presents will bring The Smiths cover band The Bomb That Will Bring Us Together to GMan Tavern on Chicago’s north side tomorrow night.

Nora O’Connor and Casey McDonough, two fifths of Chicago’s acclaimed band The Flat Five, have a 4:00 to 7:00 pm performance this Sunday at Cary’s Lounge. O’Connor and McDonough are known for several other music projects as well. Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon on the city’s far north side.

Chicago punk legends The Effigies have an all-ages show tomorrow night with Poison Hand and The Mighty Deerlick at the X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, WI.

There will be a Pop Show Opening Reception at the Martin Lawrence Galleries in Woodfield Mall this Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The event will feature pieces that “reimagine legendary figures from film, music, and culture.”

Incoming

Tickets are now on sale for the official screening of director Jonas Åkerlund’s documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead on March 12 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. As noted by The Vic Theatre on its official Facebook page, the film covers Idol’s “journey from underground star to pop icon.” WDRV The DRIVE on-air personality Janda Lane will host the event.

It’s gratifying to see popular performers on Chicago’s club scene make the trek out to Arlington Heights for a gig at Hey Nonny. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, who’s well known on the city’s north side for his tributes to famous bands as well as for shows featuring his own material, will be at the venue this Thursday night.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 will be available to order from Beatland Book this Friday.

The 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration will take place this Saturday at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Performers include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar; Phil Angotti; New Heartaches; Black Friars Social Club; Torpedo Los; Pierce Crask; Frankie B; and The Amazing Johnsons. Organizers Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma always make sure My Sweet George is a joyous celebration of Harrison’s music, and this year, it will raise awareness for MusicCares.

Songwriter Circle returns to FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL on February 24 with host Terry White and guests Ike Reilly and son Shane. The 7:00 pm show is free but reservations are recommended. 

An Evening With The Western Elstons will be held on March 13 at SPACE in Evanston. The band members, all well known on the Chicago music scene, perform American roots music and rockabilly.

Chicago punk legends The Effigies have an all-ages show with with Poison Hand and The Mighty Deerlick coming up at the X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, WI this Friday night.

Tickets recently went on sale for the John Doe And Exene Cervenka See How We Are: An Acoustic Show at Old Town Of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Park area on June 13. The founding members of X will perform songs by the L.A. punk band as a duo.

There will be a Pop Show Opening Reception at the Martin Lawrence Galleries in Woodfield Mall this Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The event will feature pieces that “reimagine legendary figures from film, music, and culture.”

Nora O’Connor and Casey McDonough, two fifths of Chicago’s acclaimed Flat Five band, have a 4:00 to 7:00 pm performance coming up this Sunday at Cary's Lounge. O’Connor and McDonough are known for their several other music projects as well. Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon on the city’s far north side.

Slumgullion

Photo of Peter Tork from the Official Peter Tork Facebook page.

First, a salute to Peter Tork, who was born on this day in 1942, and left us in 2019. Far more than a funny character on The Monkees TV show, Tork was well known in the New York and Los Angeles music scenes even before he started acting, and went on to decades-long successful career. Happy Birthday, Peter. Keep Rocking In Paradise. 

Tickets are now on sale for Chicago-based singer-songwriter Rachel Drew’s A Tribute To Amy Winehouse taking place on April 28 at SPACE in Evanston. Drew will focus on Winehouse’s Back To Black album, and she’ll be supported by musicians John Szymanski; Michael Krayniak; Jason Batch; Kenn Goodman; and the Total Pro Horns. 

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ on March 1. The event’s Facebook page promises to feature vendors from all over the tri-state area. 

Nora O’Connor and Casey McDonough, two fifths of Chicago’s acclaimed band The Flat Five, have a 4:00 to 7:00 pm performance coming up on February 22 at Cary’s Lounge. Of course, O’Connor and McDonough are known for several other music projects as well. Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon on the city’s far north side.  

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on March 6 at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Decoy Prayer Meeting; Everly Hillbillies; Ian McKinley Band; Between Howls; and Rhythm And Twang will join together in a country and western/rockabilly flavored event on March 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 6:30 pm.

Tickets are now on sale for the All The Feelings Tour with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. The tour kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX, and will include a stop at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on July 24. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, and Washington, D.C. 

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago doesn’t start until April 17, but we already know that The Spindles will perform in the 9:00 pm slot on April 24; and Trolley will have the 4:00 pm slot on April 19. Both acts posted their time slot information on their Facebook pages. And both have impressed with recently released albums.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin. 

The list of limited-edition vinyl offerings that will be available on April 18 for this year’s Record Store Day is now available on the official website. As always, there’s something for fans of just about every genre and era. If I had to pick a handful from the numerous worthy releases, they would be The Cars - Heartbeat City Live; The dB’s - Cycles Per Second: US Tour 2024; and XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981.

San Francisco-based author Richie Unterberger’s latest book, Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground, is due out via Omnibus Press on May 14 in the UK and in mid-June in America.

Three new dates have been added to the United States leg of the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour. The first new gig is at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, which sounds like a great name for a band but is actually a venue in Maquoketa IA. Next up is The Riviera Theatre on September 25 in Chicago; and finally, The Majestic in Detroit, MI on September 25. As with their other recent tours, Shannon and Narducy will be joined by Dag Juhlin, John Stirratt, Vijay Tellis Nayak and Jon Wurster.

It’s gratifying to see popular performers on Chicago’s club scene make the trek out to Arlington Heights for a gig at Hey Nonny. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, who’s well known on the city’s north side for his tributes to famous bands as well as for shows featuring his own material, will be at the venue on February 19. I believe it’s his second show there.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Fans who enjoyed the catchy rock Yipes! created on its 1979 and 1980 albums have reason to cheer now that the Milwaukee-based group has released the Irish Exit EP on its Bandcamp page. A brief note on the Yipes! Bandcamp page states the songs were “recorded during and after the last tours, always intended for the next album, but shit happens.” Regardless of the circumstances, the six songs on Irish Exit are energetic and fun.

Autographed copies of Joe Jackson’s new album Hope And Fury (due out April 10) are available for pre-order from TalkShopLive website. The offer is only available in the USA. Jackson’s extensive 2026 North America Tour kicks off on May 11 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and will include dates at Park West in Chicago on May 19 and 20. The European leg of his tour will start on September 24 in Cork, Ireland.

Pravda Records recording act The Handcuffs have their first gig of 2026 coming up on March 14 as part of a triple bill at Liar’s Club at on Chicago’s north side. The band will have guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak—who made quite an impression on their Burn The Rails album—back on board after a two-year absence. The other bands performing with The Handcuffs on March 14 will be The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids.

Ann Wilson from Heart recently posted on Facebook that Heart will have “new music, new shows, and new stories” to share with their fans in 2026. Sounds promising. Heart is the cover story for the winter issue of Goldmine magazine.

Liar’s Club will present a matinee double bill of psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and high energy instrumental band Outronaut on March 1. Music starts at 3:00 pm. Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side.

The 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration will take place on February 21 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Performers include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar, Phil Angotti, New Heartaches, Black Friars Social Club, Torpedo Los, Pierce Crask, Frankie B, and The Amazing Johnsons. Organized by Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma, My Sweet George aims to celebrate Harrison’s music, and raise awareness for MusicCares.

The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

On February 20, PureSoul Presents will bring The Smiths cover band The Bomb That Will Bring Us Together to GMan Tavern. Just about a month later (March 19), PureSoul Presents will bring A Brief History Of R.E.M. to City Winery Chicago.

Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried of the Hoboken, NJ band The Cucumbers have created another video for a song from the band’s new album As You Heard Me. “One Valentine’s Day” has a homespun, pretty arrangement, and clip’s simple graphics suit it well. As You Heard Me and Fried’s novella Hello, George work hand-in-hand, and were simultaneously released today. “One Valentine’s Day” is available to watch on YouTube.

The Smithereens have a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Tickets are now on sale for an April 10 concert by long-time indie rock band Throwing Muses at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. Led by vocalist-guitarist and acclaimed songwriter Kristen Hersh, the band has plenty of material to chose from, but might concentrate on songs from their 2025 album Moonlight Concessions.

Tim Thomas, editor-in-chief of the indie rock newspaper Second Scene, recently posted on Facebook that Issue #22 will likely be released late next week. He’s also “planning another special issue for the spring that will again feature art and, this time, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by those who have been featured in previous issues.” Second Scene, which is available through its Bandcamp page, consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he tosses in some art and literature.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

Over the Rhine, the critically acclaimed Americana band from Cincinnati, OH, is in the midst of its Infamous Love Songs: An Over The Rhine Valentine’s Concert midwestern mini-tour. Led by the happy couple Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, Over the Rhine will perform at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre in Bloomington, IN tomorrow; Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL on Saturday; and at City Winery in St. Louis, MO on Sunday.

Journalist/singer-songwriter Hugh Hart of Huge Hart, Wedge, and The Odd fame, has a Valentine’s Day gift for his fans. The new song “Candy Hearts,” which also features guitarist JD Dragus, sets off-kilter lyrics about being in love while being broke to an Americana arrangement. It can be heard at  https://www.hughhart.com/CandyHearts.mp3

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. He took some time off since his last performance in December, 2025 but will be back at one of his regular haunts, the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on Valentine’s Day (this Saturday). Cohen will be joined by Edward Hasse on bass.

For couples who enjoy a bit of intrigue with their Valentine’s Day celebration, Sideshow Villains’ Deviant Cabaret will present its 7 Deadly Sins Masquerade at the Copernicus Center in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood this Saturday. The troupe will offer musical tales of crime set to an adventurous mix of puppetry, vaudeville, and circus acts. Audience members are encouraged to arrive in costume.

Depending on when you read this, you might be able to catch the Remembering Roxy Music event starting at 7:00 pm at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side tonight. The Montrose Saloon Facebook page mentions “live renditions.”

Cult Canyon, the latest band formed by Chicago-based vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, has a show coming up at the G-Man Tavern in Chicago tomorrow. Chicoine is best known for his work with The M’s, an indie rock band that released a series of albums (2003 – 2008) and built a loyal following via numerous live performances. In more recent years, he led the bands Sabers and Cloudbirds. Cult Canyon’s G-Man Tavern gig will no doubt showcase songs from their Smoke Tricks album, which will be available to download on March 13 via Bandcamp. Rattleback Records on Chicago’s north side will carry a limited-edition vinyl version.

The WXRT Live From The XRT Concert Archives series continues tomorrow night at 9:00 pm with a January 27, 2006 Feist performance at Park West in Chicago. Live From The XRT Concert Archives can be heard on 93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.

Congratulations to 10,000 Maniacs on having sold out all four of their shows scheduled at City Winery Chicago starting tonight and running through through Sunday. The band, which gave us hits such as “Like The Weather,” “Trouble Me,” and “Candy Everybody Wants,” will celebrate their 45th anniversary this year by releasing of box set of material from their Elektra/Rhino Records years, as well as an album of new songs.

New Colony Six, the Chicago-based band that scored hits such as “I Confess” and “Things I’d Like To Say” in the 1960s, has a gig at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tomorrow night.

Incoming

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin.

10,000 Maniacs have sold out all four of their shows scheduled at City Winery Chicago this Thursday through Sunday. The band, which gave us hits such as “Like The Weather,” “Trouble Me,” and “Candy Everybody Wants,” will celebrate their 45th anniversary this year by releasing of box set of material from their Elektra/Rhino Records years, as well as an album of new songs.

Tickets are now on sale for the All The Feelings Tour with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. The tour kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX, and will include a stop at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on July 24. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

The Imperial Sound, the Chicago-based sextet that blends jazz, blues, and rock, with a dash of vintage supper club ambience, has a free show coming up this Wednesday at Simon’s Tavern on Chicago’s north side. 5210 N. Clark. The music starts at 8:30 pm.

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ on March 1. The event’s Facebook page promises to feature vendors from all over the tri-state area.

Decoy Prayer Meeting; Everly Hillbillies; Ian McKinley Band; Between Howls; and Rhythm And Twang will join together in a country and western/rockabilly flavored event on March 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 6:30 pm.

Blues Week at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL wrapped up last Saturday, but there are two blues events well worth checking out this week at the venue. John Primer has a show there tomorrow night; and Wednesday brings a performance by Corky Siegel and Kalyan. New Colony Six, the Chicago-based band that scored hits such as “I Confess” and “Things I’d Like To Say” in the 1960s, has a gig at Hey Nonny on Friday.

I may not know where all the good times have gone, but I’m sure there will be some at Montrose Saloon this Wednesday when singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, with special guest guitarist John Szymanski, presents a Ray Davies Night. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side. There is a suggested $10 donation. On Thursday night, Montrose Saloon will screen the Avalon feature film Roxy Music - More Than This at 7:00 pm.

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. He took some time off since his last performance in December, 2025 but will be back at one of his regular haunts, the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on Valentine’s Day. Cohen will be joined by Edward Hasse on bass.

For couples who enjoy a bit of intrigue with their Valentine’s Day celebration, Sideshow Villains’ Deviant Cabaret will present its 7 Deadly Sins Masquerade at the Copernicus Center in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood this Saturday. The troupe will offer musical tales of crime set to an adventurous mix of puppetry, vaudeville, and circus acts. Audience members are encouraged to arrive in costume.

Cult Canyon, the latest band formed by Chicago-based vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, has a show coming up at the G-Man Tavern in Chicago this Friday. Chicoine is best known for his work with The M’s, an indie rock band that released a series of albums (2003 – 2008) and built a loyal following via numerous live performances. In more recent years, he led the bands Sabers and Cloudbirds. Cult Canyon’s G-Man Tavern gig will no doubt showcase songs from their Smoke Tricks album, which will be available to download on March 13 via Bandcamp. Rattleback Records on Chicago’s north side will carry a limited-edition vinyl version.

Slumgullion

The list of limited-edition vinyl offerings that will be available on April 18 for this year’s Record Store Day is now available on the official website. As always, there’s something for fans of just about every genre and era. If I had to pick a handful from the numerous worthy releases, they would be The Cars - Heartbeat City Live; The dB’s - Cycles Per Second: US Tour 2024; and XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981.

Congratulations to Chicago-based alt rock band Ratboys on the release of their latest album Singin’ To An Empty Chair on Bandcamp today. There’s a two-page profile on them by staff writer Selena Fragassi in today’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times.

San Francisco-based author Richie Unterberger’s latest book, Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground, is due out via Omnibus Press on May 14 in the UK and in mid-June in America.

Long-time entertainment writer Mark Caro (Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.) has talked with several rock musicians on his Caropop podcast, and recently started making those interviews available on his YouTube channel, as well as on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The latest edition offers a fascinating conversation with Dag Juhlin, the Chicago musician whose career spans from founding the The Slugs back in the late 1980s to his current work with Sunshine Boys; Sonic45, EXPO ’76, and Courtesy Patrol. The interview also covers Juhlin being part of the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour, and how their two previous R.E.M. tours were embraced by fans and the actual members of R.E.M.

Three new dates have been added to the United States leg of the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour. The first new gig is at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, which sounds like a great name for a band but is actually a venue in Maquoketa IA. Next up is The Riviera Theatre on September 25 in Chicago; and finally, The Majestic in Detroit, MI on September 25. As with their other recent tours, Shannon and Narducy will be joined by Dag Juhlin, John Stirratt, Vijay Tellis Nayak and Jon Wurster.

Blues Week at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL wraps up tomorrow night, but there are two blues events well worth checking out next week at the venue. John Primer has a show there on Tuesday night; and Wednesday brings a performance by Corky Siegel and Kalyan.

It’s gratifying to see popular performers on Chicago’s club scene make the trek out to Arlington Heights for a gig at Hey Nonny. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, who’s well known on the city’s north side for his tributes to famous bands as well as for shows featuring his own material, will be at the venue on February 19. I believe it’s his second show there.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Fans who enjoyed the catchy rock Yipes!created on its 1979 and 1980 albums have reason to cheer now that the Milwaukee-based group has released the Irish Exit EP on its Bandcamp page. A brief note on the Yipes! Bandcamp page states the songs were “recorded during and after the last tours, always intended for the next album, but shit happens.” Regardless of the circumstances, the six songs on Irish Exit are energetic and fun.

Autographed copies of Joe Jackson’s new album Hope And Fury (due out April 10) are available for pre-order from TalkShopLive website. The offer is only available in the USA. Jackson’s extensive 2026 North America Tour kicks off on May 11 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and will include dates at Park West in Chicago on May 19 and 20. The European leg of his tour will start on September 24 in Cork, Ireland. 

Pravda Records recording act The Handcuffs have their first gig of 2026 coming up on March 14 as part of a triple bill at Liar’s Club at on Chicago’s north side. The band will have guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak—who made quite an impression on their Burn The Rails album—back on board after a two-year absence. The other bands performing with The Handcuffs on March 14 will be The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids.

Ann Wilson from Heart recently posted on Facebook that Heart will have “new music, new shows, and new stories” to share with their fans in 2026. Sounds promising. Heart is the cover story for the winter issue of Goldmine magazine.

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. He took some time off since his last performance in December, 2025 but will be back at one of his regular haunts, the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on Valentine’s Day. Cohen will be joined by Edward Hasse on bass.

Liar’s Club will present a matinee double bill of psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and high energy instrumental band Outronaut on March 1. Music starts at 3:00 pm. Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side.

The performers for the 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration, taking place on February 21 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, will include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar, Phil Angotti, New Heartaches, Black Friars Social Club, Torpedo Los, Pierce Crask, Frankie B, and The Amazing Johnsons. Organized by Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma, My Sweet George aims to celebrate Harrison’s music, and raise awareness for MusicCares.

Cult Canyon, the latest band formed by Chicago-based vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, has a show coming up at the G-Man Tavern in Chicago on Feb 13. Chicoine is best known for his work with The M’s, an indie rock band that released a series of albums (2003 – 2008) and built a loyal following via numerous live performances. In more recent years, he led the bands Sabers and Cloudbirds. Cult Canyon’s G-Man Tavern gig will no doubt showcase songs from their Smoke Tricks album, which will be available to download on March 13 via Bandcamp. Rattleback Records on Chicago’s north side will carry a limited-edition vinyl version.

The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

On February 20, PureSoul Presents will bring The Smiths cover band The Bomb That Will Bring Us Together to GMan Tavern. Just about a month later (March 19), PureSoul Presents will bring A Brief History Of R.E.M. to City Winery Chicago.

Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried of the Hoboken, NJ band The Cucumbers have released a video of “There’s a Crop Circle on My Daddy’s Land,” the quirky, country-flavored song that inspired Fried’s Hello, George novella, as well as the band’s new album As You Heard Me. The novella and album will be simultaneously released on Valentine’s Day; “There’s a Crop Circle on My Daddy’s Land,” is available to watch on YouTube.

The Smithereens have a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Tickets are now on sale for an April 10 concert by long-time indie rock band Throwing Muses at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. Led by vocalist-guitarist and acclaimed songwriter Kristen Hersh, the band has plenty of material to chose from, but might concentrate on songs from their 2025 album Moonlight Concessions.

Thanks to filmmaker Justin Fielding for sharing a link to my recent post on his upcoming documentary The Power Pop Movie on his Facebook page, and to everyone who gave his post a Like. Also, thanks to those who gave a Like to my Facebook post with a link to my review of the film. 

I just received the latest issue of Shindig! magazine in the mail today. The cover story is titled Powerpop: The Third Wave With The Nerves, The Records, Our Top 1974 – 1981 Top 30 And More! I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but it certainly sound interesting.

Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on 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.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 am for a pair of Los Lobos performances at FitzGerald’s Outdoors in Berwyn, IL on July 11. Tickets will also go on sale tomorrow for a concert Los Lobos just added at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on April 20. (The band quickly sold out its April 19 show at that venue.)

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL  continues its Blues Week with the Smiley Tillmon Band tonight; The Jimmys tomorrow; and Will Tilson on Saturday.

The first Bandcamp Friday of 2026 takes place tomorrow. That’s when Bandcamp continues a tradition it started in March, 2020, and 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.”

Ratboys, one of Chicago’s better new bands in recent years, will release their next album, Singin’ To An Empty Chair via Bandcamp tomorrow. Based on the singles Ratboys have already released from the album, it’s going to be impressive.

GMan Tavern on Chicago’s north side (3740 N. Clark) will celebrate International Clash Day tomorrow with the tribute band Guns And Ammunition. DJ Stevo will provide a pre-show set; doors open at 7:00 pm.

The Copper Fiddle venue in Lake Zurich, IL will present an eclectic and entertaining double bill tomorrow night featuring folk rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys (John Lewandowski, Andrew Clark and Thomas Tojza) and the prog rock band McLuhan. Both acts have been performing on the local scene more and more lately; and McLuhan has two new singles to showcase.

The WXRT Live From The XRT Concert Archives series continues tomorrow night at 9:00 pm with an August 18, 2007 Crowded House performance at the The House Of Blues in Chicago. Live From The XRT Concert Archives can be heard on 93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.

Phyllis’ Musical Inn on Chicago’s north side is throwing a Big 76th Birthday Bash this Saturday for one of its regular performers, singer-songwriter Mike Felten. In addition to The Mike Felten Band, there will be sets by The Polkaholics; Letterbomb; Andrew D. Huber; Taylor Morse; The Lovely Rut; and Tom Compton. The bash will also include a literary touch; with author Cally Raduenzel signing copies of her book Chicago Stories: An Outsider’s View From The Inside. The festivities start at 6:00 pm, Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division.

The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will present a double bill tomorrow featuring the current version of The Lovin’ Spoonful, along with singer-guitarist Terry Sylvester performing hits by The Hollies. 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.

As noted by Chicago Sun-Times writer Mary Houlihan in today’s edition, Black And Highly Flavored, a mix of live music and comedy created by The 2026 Black Excellence Revue, opens tonight at Second City and will run through March 20.

The Desert Rock - A Tribute To The Laurel Canyon Music Scene event is coming to The Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake, IL tomorrow. 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.

Oddball Art Labs, which is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs, will hold their annual group show this Saturday from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Prairie Center For The Arts in Schaumburg. Expect the unusual.

Incoming

Happy Birthday to Graham Nash, who’s been performing for most of his life. In his Wild Tales - A Rock And Roll Life autobiography, Nash describes how much he loved singing in the church choir as a child. “Even at that age I learned how to put my voice above the melody, something that would serve me well the rest of my life.”

Nash performed with Allan Clarke as a teenage duo before they formed The Hollies in 1962, and he’s been a rock and roller with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and as a solo artist ever since. He continues to perform live and record at the top of his game. His next American tour starts on April 4 in Lansdowne, PA, with several dates to follow through concerts May 1 and 2 in Ponte Vedra, FL. Nash is still outspoken about important issues, and frequently invites us to walk along with him in New York via his Instagram page. Cheers, Graham.

The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will present a double bill this Friday featuring the current version of The Lovin’ Spoonful, along with singer-guitarist Terry Sylvester performing hits by The Hollies. 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.

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. He took some time off since his last performance in December, 2025 but will be back at one of his regular haunts, the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL, on Valentine’s Day. Cohen will be joined by Edward Hasse on bass.

Pravda Records recording act The Handcuffs have their first gig of 2026 coming up on March 14 as part of a triple bill at Liar’s Club at on Chicago’s north side. The band will have guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak—who made quite an impression on their Burn The Rails album—back on board after a two-year absence. The other bands performing with The Handcuffs on March 14 will be The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids.

Chicago’s soulful The Imperial Sound has a free show coming up on February 11 at Simon’s Tavern on Chicago’s north side. 5210 N. Clark. The music starts at 8:30 pm.

Oddball Art Labs, which is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs, will hold their annual group show this Saturday from 6:00 to 9:0 pm at the Prairie Center For The Arts in Schaumburg. Expect the unusual.

Ratboys, one of Chicago’s better new bands in recent years, will release their next album, Singin’ To An Empty Chair via Bandcamp this Friday. Based on the four singles Ratboys have already released from the album, it’s going to be impressive.

The Desert Rock - A Tribute To The Laurel Canyon Music Scene event is coming this Friday 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.

The Power Pop Movie Celebrates The Genre’s Cultural Relevance and Longevity

I’ve recently watched the latest edit of The Power Pop Movie, and have come up with the following review. You can find more information about this documentary at https://powerpopmovie.com 

I’m pretty sure I never heard the term ‘power pop’ until around 1977, when it was used to describe the debut album from the Chicago-based group Pezband. The Who’s Pete Townshend is often credited with coining the term in 1967, but it didn’t catch on until it was applied to 1960s-influenced bands from the 1970s and beyond. Filmmaker Justin Fielding was well-acquainted with power pop’s history and set out to celebrate its appeal and often-poignant stories in a feature-length documentary. The quest has taken longer than Fielding anticipated, but as of now, there’s a good chance he’ll be sharing The Power Pop Movie with the world soon, if he can find studio support for a public release.

Not everyone is an admirer of power pop, and there are musicians who resist having that label applied to their work. Fielding explores their reasons, as well as why it’s sometimes dismissed by critics and record company execs. The Power Pop Movie is a well-crafted, thoroughly researched effort that will please the genre’s dedicated followers and perhaps draw new converts into appreciating the genre and its artists. That’s primarily due to Fielding’s ability to enlist a virtual army of music industry people to offer their stories and feelings about power pop.

The documentary concentrates more on interviews than performance footage, and it hooks viewers with interesting commentary from relevant musicians such as Marshall Crenshaw; Todd Rundgren; REM’s Mike Mills; Peter Holsapple from The dB’s; Big Star’s Jody Stephens; Paul Collins; Peter Case; Mitch Easter; The Bangles’ Vicki and Debbi Peterson; Raspberries’ Eric Carmen, Jim Bonfanti, and Scott McCarl; and The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken. Chicago fans will be happy to see Jeff Murphy, John Murphy, and Gary Klebe of Shoes; Material Issue’s Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani; The Handcuffs’ Brad Elvis; Pezband’s Mimi Betinis; Off Broadway’s Cliff Johnson; and longtime Cheap Trick member Bun E. Carlos offering their thoughts. It would take up too much space to list all the musicians who participated, and while some don’t identify as power pop, the various perspectives are fascinating.

The movie opens by exploring power pop’s connection to the original British Invasion, with a heartfelt tribute to Badfinger, including commentary about them by Zombies founding members Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, and Chris White. Some interviewees describe power pop as The Beatles with harder guitars. This illustrates a conundrum that the general public sometimes resents new bands that strive to sound like the most popular band ever, even when those new bands make records that sound like can’t-miss hits. Fielding also explores how the media has viewed and affected the success of power pop; with commentary from International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash; as well as from authors and journalists, including Ken Sharp; Cary Baker; Moira McCormick; Mary Donnelly; Ira Robbins; Not Lame Recordings’ Bruce Brodeen; John Borack; and Michael Chabon.

Ultimately, The Power Pop Movie makes a valid point that the genre has never left us and retains its lifelong fans while finding new ones in today’s music-streaming era. There’s a shout-out to the Wild Honey Foundation and the charity concerts it often stages in California featuring power pop icons. On a sad note, some of the musicians interviewed for The Power Pop Movie have since passed away. Hopefully, this documentary will spark pleasant memories of how much Badfinger’s Joey Molland; The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck; The Records’ John Wicks; the aforementioned Eric Carmen and Cliff Johnson; Emitt Rhodes; Blondie’s Clem Burke; Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger; Tommy Keene; and others contributed to the music scene.

Slumgullion

George Harrison art from the official My Sweet George Facebook page.

The lineup for the 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration taking place on February 21 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago has been announced. The performers will include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar, Phil Angotti, New Heartaches, Black Friars Social Club, Torpedo Los, Pierce Crask, Frankie B, and The Amazing Johnsons. Organized by Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma, My Sweet George aims to celebrate Harrison’s music, and raise awareness for MusicCares.

Autographed copies of Joe Jackson’s new album Hope And Fury (due out April 10) are available for pre-order from TalkShopLive website. The offer is only available in the USA. Jackson’s extensive 2026 North America Tour kicks off on May 11 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and will include dates at Park West in Chicago on May 19 and 20. The European leg of his tour will start on September 24 in Cork, Ireland. 

Cult Canyon, the latest band formed by Chicago-based vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, has a show coming up at the G-Man Tavern in Chicago on Feb 13. Chicoine is best known for his work with The M’s, an indie rock band that released a series of albums (2003 – 2008) and built a loyal following via numerous live performances. In more recent years, he led the bands Sabers and Cloudbirds. Cult Canyon’s G-Man Tavern gig will no doubt showcase songs from their Smoke Tricks album, which will be available to download on March 13 via Bandcamp. Rattleback Records on Chicago’s north side will carry a limited-edition vinyl version.

The Desert Rock - A Tribute To The Laurel Canyon Music Scene event is 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.

It’s always nice to see one of Chicago’s regular club performers make the trek out to Arlington Heights for a gig at Hey Nonny. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and his band will be at the venue on February 19. I believe it’s his second show there.

Hey Nonny will stage its Blues Week from February 3 through February 7 with live performances each night. See the venue’s Facebook page or website for the full schedule.

The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will present a double bill on February 6 featuring the current version of The Lovin’ Spoonful, along with singer-guitarist Terry Sylvester performing hits by The Hollies. 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.

Ann Wilson from Heart recently posted on Facebook that Heart will have “new music, new shows, and new stories” to share with their fans in 2026. Sounds promising. Heart is the cover story for the winter issue of Goldmine magazine.

Congratulations to The Twigs on the 30th anniversary of their debut album Bring Me the Head of Eternity. The Chicago-based alt rock band, led by fraternal twins Laura and Linda Good, specialized in catchy songs and harmonies. A Facebook post today from The Twigs seemed to suggest there may be some sort of celebration in the works.

GMan Tavern on Chicago’s north side (3740 N. Clark) has announced it will celebrate International Clash Day with the tribute band Guns And Ammunition on February 6. DJ Stevo will provide a pre-show set. On February 20, PureSoul Presents will bring The Smiths cover band The Bomb That Will Bring Us Together to GMan Tavern.

PureSoul Presents will bring A Brief History Of R.E.M. to City Winery Chicago on March 19. As with previous PureSoul events, this concert will feature Chicago area musicians. 

Three new dates have been added to the United States leg of the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour. The first new gig is at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, which sounds like a great name for a band but is actually a venue in Maquoketa IA. Next up is The Riviera Theatre on September 25 in Chicago; and finally, The Majestic in Detroit, MI on September 25. As with their other recent tours, Shannon and Narducy will be joined by Dag Juhlin, John Stirratt, Vijay Tellis Nayak and Jon Wurster.

Sideshow Villains’ Deviant Cabaret will present its 7 Deadly Sins Masquerade at the Copernicus Center in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood on February 14. The troupe will offer musical tales of crime set to an adventurous mix of puppetry, vaudeville, and circus acts. Audience members are encouraged to arrive in costume.

Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried of the Hoboken, NJ band The Cucumbers have released a video of “There’s a Crop Circle on My Daddy’s Land,” the quirky, country-flavored song that inspired Fried’s Hello, George novella, as well as the band’s new album As You Heard Me. The novella and album will be simultaneously released on Valentine’s Day; “There’s a Crop Circle on My Daddy’s Land,” is available to watch on YouTube.

10,000 Maniacs have a show coming up at at City Winery Chicago on February 12. The band, which gave us hits such as “Like The Weather,” “Trouble Me,” and “Candy Everybody Wants,” will celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2026 by releasing of box set of material from their Elektra/Rhino Records years, as well as an album of new songs.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

The Smithereens have a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Tickets are now on sale for an April 10 concert by long-time indie rock band Throwing Muses at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. Led by vocalist-guitarist and acclaimed songwriter Kristen Hersh, the band has plenty of material to chose from, but might concentrate on songs from their 2025 album Moonlight Concessions.