Weekend Reminders

Weekend Reminders on Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention, or concert tickets going on sale.

Billy Idol must have enjoyed his 2025 It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! gigs because he’s scheduled some new ones for this fall. The first is on September 10 in St. Louis, MO; followed by September 11 in Grand Rapids, MI; September 13 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH; and September 16 in Kansas City, MO. Bangles founding member and solo artist Susanna Hoffs will be Idol’s special guest at each location.

Best wishes for a Happy Birthday to musician/journalist/publisher Tim Thomas. I’ve been buying issues of his sporadically released Pittsburgh-based rock and roll zine Secret Scene for a few years now. Issues are available via the Secret Scene Bandcamp page.

As noted in the CELEBRITIES column in today’s Chicago Tribune, rhythm and blues vocalist Gladys Knight and Creedence Clearwater Revival vocalist-guitarist John Fogerty were also born on this date. Best wishes for a splendid day to Gladys and John, and congratulations on those amazing careers.

Paul McCartney’s latest album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, an introspective look at his earliest days with The Beatles, will be released tomorrow. In related news, a Paul McCartney And Wings exhibit recently opened on at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Rattleback Records, a definitely cool store on Chicago’s far north side, has a three-act showcase of garage rockers Tuff Sudz, power pop/rock quartet A.M. Slingers, and former The M’s leader Josh Chicoine’s new band Cult Canyon coming up tomorrow at the Burlington Bar. A.M. Slingers will be celebrating the release of their second album To The Nines; and Cult Canyon recently released their Smoke Tricks album. Burlington Bar is located at 3425 W. Fullerton. 

Crawlspace Of The Pantheon, the latest album from Dayton, OH indie rock band Guided By Voices, will also be released tomorrow. Judging from their official website, there are no immediate plans to tour.

A four-act showcase at Montrose Saloon tomorrow 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.

The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival kicks off tonight in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland and will run through this through Sunday. According to the official website, the event will feature “Big Top Concerts each night as well as 30 Hours of Open Air Free Gigs on the Rockin’ Streets of Ballyshannon Co.”

This Sunday, City Winery Chicago will present the Highway Dream: 50 Years Of Tom Petty Brunch. It’s being staged by PureSoul, which has brought several tributes to famous acts to venues around the Chicago area. The music starts at noon.

International Pop Overthrow - Liverpool 2026 kicked off last Sunday and will run through through this Sunday at The Cavern Pub and The Cavern Club in The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool. The official International Pop Overthrow website has the entire Liverpool 2026 schedule; with links for most of the acts who’ll be performing. For a personal touch, check out the video clips of some of the participating acts on the IPO founder David Bash’s Facebook page.

The Chicago-based, freewheeling covers band EXPO ’76 will perform tomorrow at Fuller’s Pub. EXPO ’76 has released an official album, titled Hot In The Dark, that reflects the variety of styles this band covers, and it’s available to purchase on their website. Fuller’s Pub is located at 3205 W Irving Park Road on Chicago’s north side.

Congratulations to The Zombies’ lead vocalist Colin Blunstone on the success of his UK Believe In Miracles Tour, which wraps up tonight with a show in London.

Monty Python’s The Holy Grail will continue its run through this Sunday at the CIBC Theatre in downtown Chicago.

The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour, named after a 2025 album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, comes to the Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway venue in Wells, NV this Saturday. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.