Incoming

The Smithereens, with guest lead vocalist John Cowsill will open for The Fixx in Norfolk, VA on this very night. The same two bands will perform on Wednesday in Richmond, VA;  Friday in Ponte Vedra, FL; and Saturday in Orlando, FL. As noted in a post on the official Smithereens Facebook page, 2026 marks the 40th Anniversary of the band’s full-length debut album Especially For You. And it sounds just as good as ever. 

Depending on what time you read this, you could check out local musician Phil Angotti in his “Phil Murray the K” DJ mode playing selections from his beloved collection of 45s and albums at Simon’s Tavern. He’ll be spinning from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm; Simon’s Tavern is located at 5210 N. Clark St. on Chicago’s north side.

The individual who posted on a Hollies Facebook page last week that the band would perform two concerts in October is now stating those events have been cancelled. Hopefully, it’s just a temporary setback, and The Hollies will still embark on that long-awaited world tour at some point in the near future.

Joe Algeri, the multifaceted Australian musician/producer/indie label founder, is keeping busy these days with projects involving his groups The Outryders and The Jangle Band; as well as an album from American musician Herb Eimerman. Hopefully, we’ll hear the results soon.

You be me for a while. Androgynous Mustache, a collective of Chicago area musicians known for ambitious tribute shows honoring famous recording artists, will perform as The Replacements tomorrow night at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL.

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s latest album The Great Divide has been getting a lot of airplay on stations such as WXRT here in Chicago, and he’ll perform tomorrow night with Gigi Perez at Wrigley Field. There will be a pre-show event at Gallagher Way, the self-described “backyard for Wrigley Field concerts,” featuring Cult Canyon, a local band led by vocalist-guitarist Josh Chicoine, who’s best known for his work with The M’s.

Folk rock icon Paul Simon will bring his A Quiet Celebration Tour to Highland Park, IL for performances this Friday and Saturday at the The Hunter Pavilion at Ravinia Park.

Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy’s upcoming tour will start in Toronto, ON this Wednesday, and wrap up in Memphis, TN on October 29. The tour includes a July 25 sold-out show at the Chicago Theatre; and Guy will celebrate his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on October 1.

The Spindles, Go Time!, And Kevin Lee And The Kings—bands with years of experience of rocking the Chicago music scene—will share a triple bill on this Saturday night at Heroes West in Lemont, IL. Each of these acts has recorded impressive albums, so there will be a lot of original material to enjoy that night.