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; record release info; or concert tickets going on sale.

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.

Depending on when you read this, you could still catch the Chicago-based psychedelic/power pop recording artists Hushdrops tonight at Liar's Club on Chicago’s north side with the hard-edged trio The Feeders, and Hues.

“Casablanca,” the energetic first single from an upcoming album of new material from Susanna Hoffs, is now available to download on various sites. The entire album, titled The List, is due out on September 18.

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

Tickets are now on sale for Cheap Trick’s concert in Milwaukee on November 18 part of their All Washed Up Tour.

International Pop Overthrow - Los Angeles kicks off tomorrow night and will run through August 16 at the Redwood Bar and Corbin Bowl venues. Several acts, including Plasticsoul; Lori Garrote And The Chaos; Kerosene Stars; The Jeremy Band; and Rick Hromadka, will perform. The entire schedule is now available on the official IPO website.

As noted in a recent Facebook post from International Pop Overthrow founder David Bash, the IPO Vol. 27 compilation is now available for pre-order from Omnivore Recordings. The CD features several acts who have performed at IPO events around the globe.

Push Puppets will likely showcase songs from their 2025 album Tethered Together when they perform at Hey Nonny! in Arlington Heights, IL tomorrow night. The Chicago area band specializes in melodic, well-crafted indie rock.

Pravda Records recording artists The Handcuffs, Nathan Graham, Reilly Downes, and Nora O’Connor will perform an all-ages, free show as part of the Dovetail Brewery’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration this Saturday. The Handcuffs go on at 6:00 pm, and will have new t-shirts, vinyl and CDs for sale.

Long-time Chicago area musician Phil Angotti will bring his expertise in performing Beatles songs to the Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks, Michigan this Friday. The singer-guitarist will perform two sets of Beatles and Paul McCartney covers, as well as a few originals. Angotti will be accompanied by Blair Holmes and Tom Ryan, along with string duo Emily Nash and Chris Ferrer. The show starts at 7:00 pm Eastern time.

The FitzGerald’s venue in Berwyn, IL will present Still IL - A Tribute to The Smiths on the patio this Saturday at 7pm. The Still IL Facebook page describes the band’s mission as, “Celebrating The Smiths, Morrissey, Marr, Manchester and more via Chicago.” This is a free show, but reservations are encouraged.