Incoming

This will be a busy week for The Handcuffs, the Chicago indie rock band led by drummer Brad Elvis of The Romantics and The Elvis Brothers fame and vocalist-guitarist Chloe Orwell. They’ll perform Thursday night at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI; and at Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on Saturday. The Handcuffs will likely showcase recently recorded new songs at these gigs, as well as material from their previous albums. Plus, they’ll have brand new t-shirts to sell.

The other acts performing at SummerFest this Thursday are Robert Randolph and The Family Band; Sincere Engineer; and Sonic Youth founding member Kim Gordon. The festival runs Thursday through Saturday; and again from July 2 – 4. See the official SummerFest 2026 website for the full schedule of acts.

The Smithereens have announced the locations for their 2026 Summer Tour, which kicks off in Rutherford, NJ this Saturday. Marshall Crenshaw will be their guest lead vocalist for that show. John Cowsill will take on the lead vocals when The Smithereens open for The Fixx in Norfolk, VA; Richmond, VA; Ponte Vedra, FL; and Orlando, FL. Singer-songwriter Wesley Stace will be the guest lead vocalist for shows in Grass Valley, CA and Petaluma, CA, before Cowsill returns for final Summer Tour date in Park City, UT. Dates for these events have been posted on the official Smithereens Facebook page.

     

Cheap Trick will perform at the Riverside Park venue in Aurora, IL this Thursday, as part of the venue’s 2026 Summer Concert Series. Other shows coming up at Riverside Park include UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell on August 9; The Beach Boys on August 14; and Poi Dog Pondering on August 15.

The 9th Annual Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on August 16 at Buddy Guy’s Legends venue in the south end of downtown Chicago. A post on the official Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame notes that tickets will only be sold in advance.

Singer-guitarist Scott Niekelski from the Chicago-based, hard-hitting power pop band Go Time! has a solo gig coming up at the BuckleDown Grapefruit Festival this Saturday in Lyons, IL. Buckledown Brewing is located at 8700 47th Street in Lyons, IL.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Terry White will host another Songwriter Circle tomorrow night at Fitzgerald’s Sidebar in Berwyn, IL This time out, White’s guests will be Pravda Records recording artist Brian Crumm and musician/engineer Brian Leach.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch Cult Canyon with strings, along with Moon Type and Jules Klee tonight at Cafe Mustache. Cult Canyon is a recently formed band led by Chicago-based vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, who’s best known for his work with The M’s. The music starts at 7:00 pm; Cafe Mustache is located at 2313 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.

Chicago-based recording artists Naked Brunch have a Pride Month themed release party coming up at G-Man Tavern this Saturday. Released by Rattleback Records, the new 12-inch vinyl single features exclusive remixes of “Kiddie Pool” and “Humanoid”—tracks from Naked Brunch’s critically acclaimed 2025 debut album At the Humanoid Motel.