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.
If you’re going to honor power pop, why not choose one of the best bands in that genre to be the headline act? And so, The Smithereens will perform this Saturday at the Memphis Power Pop Festival in Memphis, TN. John Cowsill, who’s performed with The Cowsills, The Beach Boys, and currently with Vicki Peterson, will once again be the guest lead vocalist for this show. The Sonny Wilsons; Your Academy, and Joybomb are also on the bill. The Smithereens have a few busy months coming up; with Cowsill, Marshall Crenshaw, and Wesley Stace taking turns as lead singer.
The Chicago Jazz Festival opened today and will run through Sunday evening in Millennium Park and the Harris Theater Rooftop. Scheduled performers include Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Bill Charlap Duo; M.E.B. (Miles Electric Band) Celebrating The Miles Davis Centennial; and Paquito D'Rivera. Admission is free.
Depending on when you read this, you could catch a double bill of the Chicago-based indie rock band The Telepaths and the ¡Ex Maquina! band from 7:00 to 10:pm tonight at Double Clutch Brewery in Evanston, IL.
Bandcamp Friday returns tomorrow, which means the downloading site waives its share of sales on music purchases for 24 hours. As noted in a Bandcamp email, it “sends even more money directly to the artists and labels you support.”
After taking a breather in 2026, Fest For Beatles Fans will return when the NY Metro Fest is held April 9 – 11 at World of Blue, a new hotel in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets are now on sale for the event, which the Fest For Beatles Fans folks say will have a new talk show stage; a Magical Mystery Tour into The Fest For Beatles Fans archives; and “more live music than ever before.”
Trap Door Theatre, an award winning company that has performed in venues throughout Europe as well as in its hometown of Chicago, will stage Andrei Kureichik’s eccentric play The Man Who Fell with the Rain starting tonight and will run through September 26. The play was translated by John Freedman, adapted and directed by Kay Martinovich; and the cast includes former Mary-Arrchie Theatre artist director Rich Cotovsky as the Old Man with Enormous Wings.
Rock and roll photographer Henry Diltz will be the Special Legacy Guest at The Monkees Fan Convention being held this weekend at The Clarion Inn Hotel in North Haven, CT. The event aims to honor the “60 years of fun, music, and friendship” The Monkees have given us, and will include concerts, special guests, authors, and vendors. Diltz will have signed prints for sale.
WXRT has a weekly feature called Live From The XRT Concert Archives on Friday nights at 9:00 pm, but starting tomorrow at 9:00 am, the Chicago radio station is offering a Labor Day Weekend featuring live tracks. Several of the performances being aired were recorded in Chicago. The event runs through Labor Day; WXRT can be heard on 93.1FM; 93XRT.com; and the Audacy app.
Over The Rhine will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of its Nowhere Else Festival this weekend in Clinton County, Ohio. The critically acclaimed alt rock/Americana band promises there will be a variety of entertainment, including songwriters; workshops; art; poetry; children’s workshops; an open jam; and camping spots.
International Pop Overthrow - Vancouver opens tonight and will run through Saturday at the Lana Lou’s venue in, Vancouver, BC. Sixteen acts will perform over the three evenings; see the official IPO website for the full schedule.
Long Grove, IL will hold its annual Irish Days Festival this Saturday through Monday in the downtown area. Performers will include Academy of Irish Music; McNulty School of Dance; The Larkin & Moran Brothers; Without U2 (tribute band); Trinity School of Irish Dance; Shannon Rovers Pipe Band; The Dirty Wellies; and The Tooles. Those attending can buy hot and cold beverages at the Blu Fig cafe, which is close to the fest area. Tell them the medium chai latte guy sent you.
