Incoming

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will offer a potent trio of local bands this Saturday. Go Time! will kick things off at 8:30 with their hard-edged power pop, followed by The Spindles and their 1960s-inspired approach to power pop at 9:30. The 321’s, a hard-edged trio that’s been getting positive audience responses since arriving on the Chicago music scene not too long ago, will perform at 10:30

Actor John Cusack has an in-store appearance coming up this Wednesday from noon to 2:00 pm at the First Aid Comics store at 1617 E. 55th Street in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. He’ll be signing copies of MOMO, the graphic novel he created with illustrator Ignacio Noe.

The Kopi Cafe will host a Songwriter’s Showcase featuring singer-songwriter Phil Angotti and musician/teacher David Hayes this Wednesday at 6:00 pm. Long-time Chicago songwriter Al Rose will serve as host; The Kopi Cafe is located at 5317 N. Clark.

The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival kicked off last Wednesday and will run through this Sunday at various locations around the city. The participating venues are AMC NEWCITY14; Music Box Theatre; Gene Siskel Film Center; Chicago History Museum; Reva and David Logan Center For The Arts; Kennedy-King College; National Museum Of Mexican Art; and Harold Washington Library. Tickets can be purchased from the festival website (chicagofilmfestival.com) or at each venue’s box office.

The Split Squad, an all-star indie rock band whose members have found considerable success with other indie rock bands, has a new album coming out next year on Pravda Records. In the meantime, they’ve released the catchy single “Spanish Hospital Food” and a truly fun animation video to go with it. Chicago fans will get a kick out of seeing drummer Brad Elvis of The Handcuffs in cartoon mode.

Chris Isaak’s 15-date On Tour For The Holidays will start in Atlantic City, NJ on November 27 and wrap up in Shipshewana, IN on December 19. The seasonal music tour includes a stop in Milwaukee, WI on December 16 and at the Hard Rock Live Rockford venue in Rockford, IL on December 18.

Local indie psychedelic garage rock band Vinto Van Go has a record release show for their latest album Charms And Trips coming up this Sunday at 4:00 pm at the LiveWire venue on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The event will also feature special guests Mike Younger And The Tennessee Trehuggers Band, who also has a new album on the way. 

Gina Schock and Jane Wiedlin, founding members of The Go-Go’s, will perform at The Sands Rocks in Cancun, Mexico through this Sunday.

Steve Barton from the band Translator will release his latest solo effort, See-Saw Hullabaloo this Friday. Two days later, he’ll showcase the album at the Alberta Street Pub in Portland, Oregon.

As noted in a recent email from the Uncommon Ground venue in Chicago, the second night of its November 16 and 17 Jeff Buckley Tributes is sold out and there are only a few tickets left for the first night. Uncommon Ground stated this annual event usually does sell out.