Slumgullion

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

As announced by the Chicago-based, multifaceted writer Mark Guarino in a recent Facebook post, the Souvenirs - 80 Years Of John Prine four-day event will kick off October 8 at the Chicago Theatre. Members of Prine’s band will perform, along with Steve Earle; Ratboys; Jon Langford; Kathleen Edwards; Alynda Segarra; Amos Lee; Shemekia Copeland; Josh Ritter; Margo Price; and The Cactus Blossoms. Actor John C. Reilly will serve as host. All proceeds from Souvenirs will benefit the Prine-inspired Hello In There Foundation.

Avid record collectors in the northwest Illinois suburbs can now show off their favorite acquisitions before a live audience. The Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights recently started a New Vinyl Fridays series in which participants can sign up at 8:30, and hear their album played at some point after 9:30.  As a recent Hey Nonny email noted, “You provide the record, we provide the player.”

Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney, women performers who first found fame in the 1990s and have been successful ever since, will join together for The Flannel and the Fury Tour this fall. They’ll perform at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds in Chicago on September 17; other stops on the tour include Los Angeles; Denver; Brooklyn; Philadelphia, and Boston.

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 features an entertaining and informative two-part interview with XTC member Dave Gregory about the band’s 1982 American tour difficulties, and the recently released album XTC- Live Boots (Emerald City, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 17th April 1981).

The Rolling Stones recently announced that their new album Foreign Tongues, which is due out on July 10, can now be pre-ordered from Amazon and other sites. A video of the hard-edged first single “In The Stars” on YouTube finds the band at the top of their game.

Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, who’s admired for his original material as well as rock and roll tribute shows around the Chicago club scene, will celebrate Pete Townshend’s birthday a day late at Montrose Saloon next Wednesday, May 20. The music starts at 8:00 pm.

The Roger Daltry - A Great Night Out! North American Tour will kick off in Mesa, AZ on August 23 and wrap up on September 29 in Medford, MA. Fans in the Midwest can choose New Lenox, IL on September 12 or Milwaukee, WI on September 15.

A four-act showcase at Montrose Saloon on May 29 will feature The 321’s; Bellevue Holiday; Means Of Production; and Ride The Lightning. The rocking starts at 7:30 pm. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side.

A remastered seven-inch vinyl single of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash, with “Straight To Hell” on the B-side, will be available from various sites starting on June 12.

Congratulations to rock and roll legend Patti Smith on being chosen as the winner of this year’s Harold Washington Literary Award. As noted in Rick Kogan’s article in this past Wednesday’s Chicago Tribune, the award will be presented to Smith in Chicago on September 10. Her latest book, Bread Of Angels: A Memoir was published last year.

Joe Jackson’s 2026 North America Tour in support of his new album Hope And Fury kicked off on May 11 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and will include dates at Park West in Chicago on May 19 and 20.

SOLSTICE, which is being described as “A Festival Where Nature Is Not The Backdrop, But The Headliner,” is coming June 19 – 22 to Trematon Castle in Cornwall, England. As noted on the SOLSTICE website, the event will offer live music, dialogue, and workshops centered on the concept of “what a truly nature-centric culture could look like.” Performers include Anna B Savage; Alexis Taylor; Boss Morris; and Chapel Of (Nature) Love. Andy Bell and Deb Grant are among the DJs scheduled. 

Tickets are now available for the May 19 – 31 performances of Monty Python’s The Holy Grail at the CIBC Theatre in downtown Chicago. 

Chicago-based power trio Triple will be in the middle of a three-act showcase at Liar’s on Chicago’s north side on June 5. Woolworthy gets things rocking at 9:00 pm, followed by Triple at 10:00 pm, and Panther Style at 11:00. Liar’s is located at 1665 W. Fullerton.

Bring us back some souvenirs. International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool will run from May 24 through May 31 at The Cavern Club, with dozens of acts scheduled to perform. Two of them—Who’s This Mary and Phil Yates And The Affiliates— are from Chicago, and The Incurables are from Detroit. All three recently performed at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago.

If you check out the official International Pop Overthrow website, you’ll find the entire Liverpool 2026 schedule; with links for most of the acts who’ll be performing. It’s a great way to discover new music, especially when the act has a Bandcamp page.

International Pop Overthrow regulars (in Chicago and elsewhere) Kerosene Stars will share a triple bill with Kenneth Scott Peters and Lonefeather at the Dan Electro’s venue in Houston, TX on June 6. Kerosene Stars have been releasing power pop albums since their 2014 self-titled effort.

Mike Campbell And The Dirty Knobs are coming to The Vic in Chicago on July 9 with special guest Sarah Lee Guthrie. It’s the second date on an upcoming tour that starts two days earlier in Minneapolis. The band has a new album titled Mission Of Mercy coming out on June 12.

Veteran Chicago band The Claudettes, whose adventurous music challenges critics as well fans to slap a label on it, will release their next album, Garage Glamour, on Pravda Records on June 5.

The Zombies’ lead vocalist Colin Blunstone still draws rave reviews 60+ years after the band emerged from the original British Invasion scene. He’ll likely find more critical acclaim during his UK Believe In Miracles Tour, which run through May 28.

Montrose Saloon has a Power Pop On Stage event coming on June 7 that will feature The Unswept, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, and Andy Bopp. The music starts at 6:00 pm.

Kinks fans who collect picture sleeve 45 rpm records are in for a treat. The band’s official Facebook page recently announced they’ll mark the 60th anniversary of their hit single “Sunny Afternoon” with a “sunshine coloured” seven-inch limited edition due out in June. The B-Side will be “I’m Not Like Everybody Else.”

Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm And Time is now open at the Motown Museum in Detroit, MI, and will run through September 27. The website states the exhibit will focus on the years 1967 through 1975, “when the label expanded beyond its signature love songs to embrace experimentation and socially conscious storytelling.”

Chicago indie rock band The Handcuffs have a series of live performances scheduled for the next few months. They’ll be at the Metro Jam Festival with Sonny Landreth 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; Evanston SPACE with whitewolfsonicprincess on July 28; and PravdaFest at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL on September 12. As posted on Facebook today, The Handcuffs have recorded two new songs in the studio for a picture sleeve single to be released some time this summer.

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. Peter Asher Everywhere Man will be shown in select theaters on June 19.

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.

Metric’s 10th album Romanticize The Drive dropped last Friday, and the Toronto indie rock band’s upcoming tour with Broken Social Scene and Stars kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago (July 24 at Aragon Ballroom), Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.