Slumgullion

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

This should have been included in yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post: The adventurous band Poi Dog Pondering has a gig tomorrow night at the RiverEdge venue in Aurora, IL.

Guitarist-vocalist Dag Juhlin, who’s one of the multitude of musicians in Poi Dog Pondering, is keeping busy these days. He’s part of the entertainment scheduled for this Sunday night’s tribute to Lin Brehmer at Metro; and the trio Sunshine Boys, which features him; Jackie Schimmel, and Gerald Dowd, will perform next Tuesday at The Gazebo as part of a free outdoors concert series in Welles Park in Chicago.

  

“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.

Chicago’s own 21st Century Druid Music / Celtic Blues band whitewolfsonicprincess has a gig coming up a week from tonight at the Picnic Wine And Provisions venue on Sheridan Road on the city’s north side.

Ringo Starr is offering fans an opportunity to win a trip to meet him backstage when he returns to the Forest Hills Stadium in New York for the first time since 1964. Entry for the charity event can be found on the Fandiem website, and the proceeds will go to Starr’s Lotus Foundation, which aims to support social welfare in diverse areas.

Singer-guitarist Scott Niekelski, who’s launched a successful solo career in addition to fronting the popular Go Time! band, has an acoustic show coming up at Buckledown Brewing Lyons, IL on August 22. 

Beatles fans have three versions to choose from if they pre-order the special Rubber Soul rerelease on Amazon. The Super Deluxe 4 CD set is packaged in a 12-inch slipcase, and includes a new stereo mix; sessions and demos; mono versions; and the U.S. version. Plus, there’s a hardback book; photos, album info and track notes. The Special Edition Deluxe 2CD set includes the new stereo mix; demos and sessions highlights; and a 40-page booklet with information and rare photos. The Rubber Soul (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] version includes Atmos mixes; stereo mixes; and two videos each of “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out.” Vinyl fans willing to spend more cash can check out The Beatles USA Store for the Rubber Soul - Special Edition Super Deluxe: 5 LP + 7-Inch  Single Box Set + Posters + Art Cards. All the above choices are due out on October 2.

Singer-songwriter Jules Klee will no doubt perform her new single “He Don’t Know A Thing” when she shares a double bill with the Chicago-based country band Blue Rose at 5:00 pm on August 23 at the Tiny Tapp and Cafe  (55 W. Riverwalk South) in downtown Chicago.

Jeff Tweedy has a third outdoor solo acoustic show coming this fall at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. He’s now scheduled to perform on September 23, with Max Subar as his special guest. The addition comes after Tweedy sold out his FitzGerald’s gigs on September 24 with special guest Official Claire and September 25 with special guest will be Henry True.

Rock on through the night with four odd-named acts. Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will offer a quadruple bill of Sleepersound; Slow Teeth; Human Errors; and Phil Yates And The Affiliates on August 28. The music starts at 7:30.

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.

Tellin’ Tales Theatre, the Chicago-based theatre group whose mission is “to shatter barriers between the disabled & non-disabled worlds,” needs more kids for an upcoming production of its Six Stories Up series. A recent Facebook post states the theatre is looking for “middle school kids who would like to have a complete theater experience.” Those interested can contact Tellin Tales via tekki@tellintales.org.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.