Slumgullion

Tonight marks the official kickoff of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2026 on the city’s north side. So, here’s an official Broken Hearted Toy welcome back to the festival’s founder and traveling guardian David Bash, as well as best wishes to Eric Chial and the staff at Montrose Saloon for a successful run. I’ve already posted previews of tonight’s and both of tomorrow’s showcases (see April 13, 14, and 15 posts.) My plan is to post a preview for each of this year’s IPO - Chicago showcases.

Tomorrow is Record Store Day, and as I stated in yesterday’s preview of this event, I’m aiming to snag The dB’s Cycles Per Seconds: US Tour 2024 and XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981. I’m also hoping to get Chris Stamey’s 7-inch single covering The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset,” which was released today.

As noted on the entertainmentNOW website, Robert Plant, whose Saving Grace With Suzi Dian album is one of the RSD selections this year, has been chosen as the 2026 Record Store Day Legend. He’s only the third recipient, with the other two being Elton John in 2017 and Johnny Marr in 2025.

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.

As reported in a recent American Songwriter News Facebook post, Graham Nash revealed during an interview that director Robert Zemeckis is wrapping up a Crosby, Stills and Nash documentary. Nash also told the music publication there are plans to put out a box set of (mostly) previously unreleased CSN material to coincide with the documentary. So far, there isn’t definite date for either project. 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.

Congratulations to my nephew Joe Flamm, who’ll celebrate the fifth anniversary of his acclaimed Rose Mary restaurant this Monday. According to a recent Rose Mary Facebook post, the special event will feature “chef stations throughout the restaurant serving all of our greatest hits, live music, flash tattoos and more.” The $150 ticket will include all of your food and beverages. Rose Mary is located at 932 W. Fulton in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood.

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.

“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.

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. Other 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.

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.

The 42nd Latino Film Festival opened today at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema on Chicago’s north side and will present 51 features and 31 shorts April 27.

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

A Tribute To The Smiths presented by PureSoul will take place on April 21 at City Winery Chicago just west of the Loop. The band will be led by Bob Nanna and Rodrigo Palma. PureSoul Presents has staged several tributes to famous music acts there over the past few years.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.