Slumgullion

A new music documentary titled Peter Asher Everywhere Man explores the multi-decade career of the English musician and producer. Several major stars are featured in the film, including James Taylor; Linda Ronstadt; Carole King; Paul McCartney; and Robin Williams. Those of us who’ve seen Asher’s live presentations at Fest For Beatles Fans and various venues can attest to his amazing career, as well as his often amusing descriptions of it. Peter Asher Everywhere Man will be shown in select theaters on June 19.

The Handcuffs recently announced a series of upcoming gigs via a Facebook post. The Chicago indie rock band will perform at the Metro Jam Festival in Manitowoc, WI on June 20; Summerfest (as Kim Gordon’s opening act) in Milwaukee, WI on June 25; Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on June 27; and PravdaFest at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL on September 12. The Handcuffs plan to record a pair of new songs for a vinyl and download single release some time this summer.

Thomas Dolby, who had major hits with “She Blinded Me With Silence,” “Europa And The Pirates Twins,” and other new wave gems, will open his The Iconic 80s: My Personal Recollections tour on April 14 at the Spire Center in Plymouth, MA. He’ll be at House Of Blues in Chicago on April 20; other stops include New York, Indianapolis, and St Louis.

Upcoming shows at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights, IL this month include Mud Morganfield on April 25; Chris Greene Quartet on April 29; and Brett Newski And The Bad Inventions on April 30.

Graham Nash kicked off a major tour last Saturday in Lansdowne, PA, and it will run through September 19 in Fredericton, NB. The tour includes a July 26 stop at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL, with Emmylou Harris as his special guest. Earlier today, I received the “Our House” mug I ordered from the official Graham Nash website.

If you know a Mom with a gypsy spirit, consider treating her to City Winery Chicago for the Mother’s Day Brunch - The Songs Of Stevie Nicks. On May 31, City Winery Chicago will present Highway Dream: 50 Years Of Tom Petty Brunch. Both brunches are PureSoul events, and will start at noon.

Singer, guitarist and quite witty English songwriter Nick Lowe will perform at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on July 13. It will be the first in a series of concerts that month that also feature Lowe’s buddies, the guitar-driven instrumental band Los Straitjackets. Other stops on the July tour include Minneapolis; Milwaukee; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Toronto; and Washington, DC.

Guitar-driven, local rockers Outronaut promise to deliver Psymphonic Surf-Noir Crime-Jazz during their May 8 show at the Side Bar at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. The adventure starts 8:30 pm.

Chris Stamey’s upcoming album Modernism finds the The dB’s member and solo artist performing cover versions of songs by some of his favorite bands, including “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles; “Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks; and “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones. Guest musicians Jody Stephens; Pat Sansone; Jon Wurster; Mitch Easter; Probyn Gregory; Wes Lachot; and Emily Frantz; as well as Stamey’s fellow dB’s band members Will Rigby and Peter Holsapple, pitched in during the recording. Modernism is due out June 19 via Flatiron Recordings.

“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.

Issue #22 of Second Scene includes articles on The Godfathers, The Pandoras, Reckless Eric, and Big Stir Records. Led by editor-in-chief Tim Thomas, the Pittsburgh, PA indie rock music newspaper presents its reviews and articles within a colorful, eye-catching layout. Second Scene can be found in some records stores, and is available through its Bandcamp page.

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.

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.

Del Amitri has a show coming up at the Vic Theatre in Chicago on June 15. It’s the third date on the Scottish band’s first U.S. tour since 2023, following shows on June 13 in Milwaukee and June14 in Minneapolis. The other stops on the tour are Providence; Boston; New York; Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.

“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.

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.

Theater Of The Mind, the imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, has been extended through July 12 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind, a Goodman Theatre production, has been picking up rave reviews in Chicago newspapers.

John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson will likely showcase songs from their debut album Long After The Fire, along with a few songs from The Bangles and The Cowsills, when they perform at The Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, IL on April 25. They recently opened for The Smithereens at the Des Plaines Theatre in Illinois, and were a blast. Their opening act at The Woodstock Opera House will be the multi-talented Chicagoan Dag Juhlin, who recently toured with Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy on their Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour. He’s also known for his work with Sunshine Boys; The Slugs; and Sonic45.

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 9:30 pm concert that same night will feature The Wailers performing their 1977 album with Marley, Natural Mystic.

If you’d still like to be friends with Todd Rundgren—and who wouldn’t?—you have two opportunities to see him perform live in 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 the next day. Rundgren is known for hits such as “Hello, It’s Me”and “Can We Still Be Friends?.” Other cities on the tour include Dallas, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C.

Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival is being held September 26 and 27 at Moody Center in Austin TX. An impressive variety of well-known musicians will take part, including Clapton; Trey Anastasio; Joe Bonamassa; Billy Gibbons; Buddy Guy; Sonny Landreth; Taj Mahal; John McLaughlin; Robert Randolph; Tedeschi Trucks Band; and Pete Townshend. Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival will celebrate of the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Crossroads Centre Antigua, a substance-abuse rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol addiction.

The Smoking Popes have come up with an ambitious plan to celebrate their decades-long, critically acclaimed career. Their 35th Anniversary Tour will involve performing two nights in each location, with one show being completely different from the other. Depending on the location, The Smoking Popes will appear with special guests Alien Boy, Radiator Hospital, or Nerf Herder and Alien Boy.

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.

The B-52’s have a return engagement at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, NV on April 22, 24, and 25.