Slumgullion

Please see yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

This event should have been included in yesterday’s post: Joe Shanahan, who runs the popular Metro and GMan Tavern venues in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood, will show off his DJ finesse when he spins punk, funk, soul, and a bit of disco from 3:00 to 7:00 pm tomorrow at GMan. In a recent Facebook post, Shanahan noted he’ll have, “plenty of ground to cover as well as a nod to the classics.”

Tickets are now on sale for two Jeff Tweedy outdoor solo acoustic shows at FitzGerald’s Outdoors in Berwyn, IL. On September 24, his special guest will be Official Claire; and on September 25, his special guest will be Henry True.

“Casablanca,” an energetic song that immediately catches your ear, is the first single from an upcoming album of new material from Bangles founding member Susanna Hoffs. It’s available to download on various sites; the entire album, titled The List, is due out on September 18.

Vicki Peterson (another Bangles founding member) and John Cowsill of The Cowsills (and later The Beach Boys) have a month-long, six-date tour that will wrap on August 30 with a show at The Rhode Island Folk Festival in Riverside, RI. The duo recently announced three October dates: on the 10th in Port Arkansas, TX; the 11th in Austin, TX; and the 14th at Avenel, NJ.

Vicki Peterson fans can pick up a cool souvenir while helping to support a worthy cause by ordering a limited-edition tumbler she designed for Joey’s Song, an organization that supports epilepsy research. It’s available, along with other special items, on the official Joey’s Song website.

Amazing Heeby Jeebies, a Chicago-based band that combines garage rock and rockabilly while spinning tales of werewolves, mummies, and cannibals, will get the party started as the first band to perform at 25th Annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest. They’ll go on at 6:00 pm on the first night of the August 14 – 16 bash. Other scheduled acts over that weekend include Kid Kingston; Funkadesi; Tennis Court Oath; and Son Monarcas.

This year’s Hometown Celebration - A Benefit for The Lin Brehmer Scholars Fund at Metro will take place on August 16. The featured acts will be The Linburgers (Tributosaurus members Matt Spiegel & Curt Morrison); Dag Juhlin; Michael McDermott; and Heather Lynne Horton.

Local indie rock band Vinto Van Go will celebrate the release of its new record Charms And Trips on September 29 at Reggie’s Chicago, which is a bit south of the downtown area. Jem Records recording artists The Cynz from New York are also on the bill that night.

Sleater-Kinney and Fandiem have joined forces to support Sweet Relief, the non-profit organization that helps people in the music business cope with medical, age-related, and other hardships. Fans who donate to Sweet Relief via the official Fandiem website have a chance win a trip to Chicago and see Sleater-Kinney and Liz Phair perform at The Salt Shed on September 17. The prize includes airfare and hotel accommodations, along with meeting the band backstage; having exclusive side stage viewing; and receiving a merch pack. Other stops on the tour include Los Angeles; Denver; Brooklyn; Philadelphia, and Boston.

Singer-bassist Herb Eimerman will perform original songs during a solo acoustic set at 3:00 pm at the On The Rocks venue at the Waukegan Harbor in Waukegan, IL on September 13. The band Hindsight will also perform that afternoon. One of songs Eimerman performs will likely be “Designed By You,” a new single he recorded with his grandson guitarist Gavin Eimerman. It’s now available as a free download on the Egomaniac Music Bandcamp page.

Los Angeles-based singer Juniper and her radio personality/musician father Michael Shelley have a gig coming up in Tokyo, Japan on August 30. Back in February of 2023, I posted a favorable review of Juniper’s She Steals Candy album, which featured her performing a mix of lost nuggets from the mid-1960s; along with covers of  The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, Amy Rigby, and other artists.

Kevin Lee And The Kings, long-time masters of melodic, hard-edged rock, will perform at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side on August 13. Singer-guitarist Scott Niekelski, who’s launched a successful solo career in addition to fronting the popular Go Time! band, will serve as the opening act.

Chrissie Hynde: On Canvas, a new exhibition featuring The Pretenders vocalist-guitarist’s paintings, is now open tomorrow at the Harvey And Woodd gallery in Edinburgh, and will run through August 28th.

The Kinks: Brothers, a new exhibition created by Ray and Dave Davies of the band and artist Christian Furr, is now open at London’s Gibson Garage.

Montrose Saloon has done a splendid job hosting the annual International Pop Overthrow - Chicago for a few years now, so it’s no surprise the north-side Chicago venue has come up with its own multi-act festival. The End Of The Summer Music Fest will present 15 bands over the course of two nights—September 11 and 12. The participating acts include Kent Rose; Esmerelda’s Boys; Who’s This Mary?; The Bon Mots; Go Time!; The Thin Cherries; and The Spindles.

U2 has released a video of a new single titled “Street Of Dreams” that’s available to view on the Rock Cellar website. The song is showing up on radio stations such as WXRT in Chicago, and has a classic U2 arrangement and inspirational message about following your dreams. It’s an enticing preview of a full album the band promises will be released in the near future.

The Chicago-based Clinard Dance will present its Flamenco Quartet Project, a multi-faceted event that blends history and art within a flamenco format, at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL at 7:30 pm on August 10.  The performers will include jazz vocalist Joan Collaso, rapper King Mossa, flamenco percussionist Diego Alvarez, and flamenco dancer Wendy Clinard.

Marshall Crenshaw’s Fall 2026 Tour, with special guests Sarah Borges with Eric Ambel, will start October 27 in Toronto, ON and continue through November 23 with a concert in New York, NY. The tour will bring Crenshaw to The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on Halloween night.

An impressive variety of acts will be on hand when the Edgewater Music Fest is held on the weekend of August 28 – 30 at Broadway and Thorndale on Chicago’s north side. Ted Leo And The Pharmacists; NNAMDÏ; Maps And Atlases; Spitalfield; Mucca Pazza; Naked Brunch; Cult Canyon; Dianogah; and North By North are among the performers.

Lenny Kaye, whose impressive resume includes being a member of The Patti Smith Band; a successful producer; and a connoisseur of garage rock, will drop by the Gman Tavern in Chicago on September 18. As noted by Gman Tavern boss Joe Shanahan in a Facebook post, Kaye will promote his debut album and will be joined by onstage by local singer-songwriter Nora O’Connor.

The August issue of the splendid UK rock magazine MOJO (with The Rolling Stones on the cover) features journalist David Fricke’s extensive interview with Lenny Kaye, along with a lot of cool photos.

Chicago-based blues legend Buddy Guy’s massive Celebrate The Legend Tour continues this month with a busy schedule that includes shows in Nashville; Atlanta; New Orleans; San Antonio;and Dallas. Guy will celebrate his 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on October 1; the tour runs through October 29. 

Issue #23 of Second Scene includes articles on The Monochrome Set; Joan As Police Woman; The Lemon Twigs; The Dream Syndicate; The Long Ryders, and numerous other bands, is available through its Bandcamp page. 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.

A trio of UK acts comprising Colin Blunstone of The Zombies; new wave stars The Fixx; and musician/producer Peter Asher will tour America throughout the month of September. The 19 stops will include New York, NY; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, MN; and Waukegan, IL.

Theater Of The Mind, the imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, will run through August 30 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind is a Goodman Theatre production.