Slumgullion

Mary McCartney photo of Paul from official Paul McCartney Facebook page.

 “Days We Left Behind,” the easygoing first single from Paul McCartney’s upcoming album The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, is now available on various streaming sites. Its introspective tone is likely to drift throughout the album, which is due out May 29. A Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit will open on May 15 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Gary Klebe from Shoes has given us another preview of his upcoming solo album Out Loud. Like the previously released “Not Tough Enough,” the catchy “Room To Breathe” has the feel of classic Shoes material. Both songs are available for listening on YouTube. Out Loud is due out April 10 on Black Vinyl Records.

Hoodoo Gurus, the most fun power pop/garage rock band in Australia and possibly the world, will perform “a handful of shows in Spain this coming September.” Before returning home, Hoodoo Gurus will play at The Electric Ballroom in Camden in the UK.

Police vocalist-bassist Sting’s 3.0 Tour comes to the Hard Rock Live in Rockford, IL on October 16. Meanwhile, Stewart Copeland Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood And Other Adventures - An Evening Of Conversation With The Hall Of Fame Rock Star is scheduled at the North Shore Center in Skokie, IL on July 31.

The Spindles have a new single on Spotify that features the Chicago power pop band capturing the high energy and seductive tone of The Raspberries’1973 hit “Tonight.” Side B “I Don’t Know Why” is an original tune that pays homage to The Raspberries with a piano and strings arrangement and harmony vocals.

The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, NV has some fun events coming up next month. Cheap Trick will perform the entire At Budokan album, along with a hearty selection of greatest hits on April 17 and 18; and The B-52’s have a return engagement there on April 22, 24, and 25.

The Black Ensemble Theater on Chicago’s north side is presenting The Jackie Wilson Story through April 26. Black Ensemble Theater is now celebrating its 50th season.

Critically acclaimed producer and performer Todd Rundgren, known for hits such as “Hello, It’s Me”and “Can We Still Be Friends?,” has two stops scheduled for Illinois this summer. His Damned If I Do Tour kicks off at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on June 11 and moves to the Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on June 12. Other cities on the tour include Dallas, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C.

Coming up on September 19, FitzGerald’s in Berwyn will present Mold Fest. For anyone who thinks their house is just as worthy for such an event, ‘Mold’ in this case refers to those Mold-A-Rama machines used to churn out plastic toys. They’re most often found in museums. FitzGerald’s will join forces with Mold-A-Mania for this bash, and admission “includes a specially marked MoldFest 2026 mold!”

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

Tony Richards, whose solo jazz guitar performances have gained a loyal following around Chicago, will start a new series at Basil Leaf Cafe on April 8. The venue is located at 2465 N. Clark Street.

Revolutionary Women In Music is now open at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The exhibit honors performers from the 1970s through today, with an emphasis on Punks, Rude Girls, Matriarchs, and Truth Tellers.

The BoDeans’ 40th Anniversary Tour will make a stop at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL on April 11. The Wisconsin alt rock/Americana band has given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things.”

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. has collaborated with producer/songwriter Andrew Watt on the theme song for the HBO series Rooster. “I Played The Fool,” an easygoing and well-crafted song, is available to stream on various sites.

Scott Ligon’s All Stars will perform on April 3 at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park IL. It’s not clear who those All Stars will be, but since Ligon often associates with top notch, Chicago-based musicians, this will definitely be interesting.

Theater Of The Mind, an imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, will run through May 31 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind is a Goodman Theatre production. In today’s Chicago Tribune, critic Chris Jones gave Theater Of The Mind three and a half stars in a review titled “Byrne will make you see your mind anew.”

The Robyn Hitchcock Live And Electric - Full Band Show is coming to the Athenaeum Center For Thought And Culture in Chicago on April 10. Hitchcock, an eccentric and forever young English performer/songwriter has influenced countless musicians since his days with The Soft Boys in the mid-1970s. He certainly has a lot of material to choose from for his concerts.

Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris will perform three concerts together this summer. The dates are July 23 at Kresge Auditorium in Interlochen, MI; July 24 at Meadow Brook Amphitheater in Rochester Hills, MI; and July 26 at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL. Nash also has a full schedule of shows with his band this year.

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 has 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.

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  options.

Sons Of The Silent Age - The Cracked Actor Cabaret is coming to City Winery Chicago, located straight west of the downtown area, on April 23. 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.

John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson will perform at The Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, IL on April 25. Cowsill and Peterson will likely showcase songs from their debut album Long After The Fire, along with a few songs from The Bangles and The Cowsills.

The Imperial Sound, a Chicago-based band that combines neo-soul, jazz, blues, and rock, with a dash of vintage supper club ambience, has a show coming up on May 30 at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL.

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.

Congratulations to The Second Summer on recently signing with Hardstop Records. The power pop band hopes to have a new album (their second) coming out later this year. In the meantime, The Second Summer has a gig coming up at The Village Club in Western Springs, IL on April 17.

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.