Photo from Michael Steven Cohen Facebook age.
International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2026 will finish up at Montrose Saloon this weekend with a six-act showcase on Friday night, and a doubleheader (six acts in the afternoon, seven in the evening) on Saturday. Long-time IPO - Chicago fans will notice familiar faces scheduled for both days, as well as a few acts making their debut.
One sure thing about Mike Cohen’s set at Friday night’s IPO - Chicago show at Montrose Saloon is that he won’t have trouble finding the venue. Cohen has literally performed there 100 times as a solo act and as part of various bands. He’s also a Chicago - IPO veteran at its various locations dating back to the days when he led The Abbeys with vocalist-guitarist Jeff Janulis. As for tomorrow’s Chicago - IPO gig, Cohen noted on Facebook that he’ll “put together a set of some great songs” an will be accompanied by bass player Edward Hasse. The power pop band The Thin Cherries have released two albums and a few singles dating back to 2017, with material ranging from the mysterious “I Love Your Ghost” to the catchy though still a bit unsettling “Weird World.” The band’s vocalist-guitarist Steven Delisi has released solo music they can also perform. The Spindles have spent several years on the Chicago club scene perfecting their British Invasion flavored power pop. Their Past And Present and Wavelength albums each offer an entertaining mix of originals and well-chosen covers. Vocalist-guitarist and chief songwriter Jeff Janulis was a band mate with the above-mentioned Mike Cohen in the power pop band The Abbeys.
Judging from its Bandcamp page, Sample Quincy features the same three musicians as Bur, a band that has performed at IPO - Chicago in previous years. Certainly, the two songs on Sample Quincy’s very recently released Soup And Salad digital effort offer the same style of engaging harmonies, ornate pop, and guitar-driven rock as on Bur releases. The Minneapolis, MN band High On Stress has been recording music since its 2005 full-length album Moonlight Girls. Their soon-to-be-released album Still Here features catchy indie rock songs such as “House Of Cards” and “Over/Thru.” The Queue have been bringing their melodic Brit pop style tunes to IPO - Chicago for quite a few years now. Their song “Settle Down Your Gun” was included on the Dum Sun Records Compilation, Vol. 3 Halloween Edition last fall. Earlier efforts include the single “Love Save Us All” and the hard-edged EP Fire And Lies.
Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago 2025 schedule. You’ll also find links for most of the acts who’ll be participating this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you even see the band perform.
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