Weekend Reminders

Photo and John Lennon portrait by Phil Angotti.

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.

Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti’s annual John Lennon birthday tribute will take place tomorrow night at Martyrs’ on Chicago’s north side. As with Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma’s My Sweet George George Harrison birthday bash at that same venue each February, Angotti’s Lennon tribute involves local musicians doing a terrific job of covering Beatles full band and solo member material. In addition to his frequent fellow musicians Casey McDonough, John San Juan and Blair Holmes, Angotti’s special guests this year will be the Plastic Orwell Band (members of Chicago’s indie rockers The Handcuffs and Sunshine Boys); Sports Boyfriend; and famous Beatles pal Billy J. Kramer backed by Ellis Clark, Eric Howell and Brad Elvis. The fun starts at 7:30.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Benmont Tench’s November 18 concert at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago. Tench, who’s well known for his many years of playing keyboards for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, will showcase songs from his recently released second solo album The Melancholy Season.

An Evening With Steve Dawson, an event celebrating the Chicago-based singer-songwriter’s 35 years of teaching, performing, and recording, will take place this Sunday at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. He’ll be joined by special guests Jason Adasiewicz; Jason Roebke; Diane Christiansen; and Alton Smith. I interviewed Dawson and Christiansen three times for the Illinois Entertainer, and was once given a handful of Dolly Varden CDs that I still have. 

Famous In The Future, a skits and music comedy group with several years of experience on the local theatre scene, will present the multi-act YippieFest 2026 this weekend at The Cornservatory venue on Chicago’s north side. As in previous years, the counter culture event will offer puppets, dance, performance art, and a few acoustic music sets.

Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and John Cowsill of The Cowsills (and later The Beach Boys) have been touring in support of their Long After The Fire album, and will continue this Saturday in Port Arkansas, TX and Sunday in Austin, TX.

The Who’s Tommy - The Musical will wrap up its current run at Connor Palace in Cleveland, OH this Sunday, and continue its North American Tour through several cities. That includes a February 16 – February 28 run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.

As noted in the October issue of the Illinois Entertainer, tomorrow’s new album releases will include Pick You Up by Sheryl Crow and Do Not Dare To Dream by Teenage Fanclub. Next Friday will bring Richard Thompson’s Hippies, Thugs, And Heroes.

The Kung Fu Necktie venue in Philadelphia, PA has a double bill coming up this Saturday featuring the Lower Wolves band performing early R.E.M. songs (1982 – 1987) and the Bright Paper Werewolves band performing Guided By Voice songs.