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

The Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian Up The Sharp End Tour, with special guest Rosie Flores, is in town for a performance tonight at the Chicago Theatre. Here’s a hearty welcome to Mr. Plant and his crew.

The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival kicked off yesterday and will run through October 25 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 hard-hitting feminist band L7 will bring its The Last Hurrah Tour 2026 to Cannery Hall in Nashville, TN tomorrow. Shows in several other cities will follow, including November 1 at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. Tickets are now available online.

The Robert’s Westside venue in Forest Park, IL will present DollyFest, a tribute to Dolly Parton this Saturday evening. The all-ages show will include performances by Jules Klee, Megan Sampson, Amy Meyers, Reilly Downes, and Rachel Swain. The venue’s website states a portion of the proceeds will go to The Dollywood Foundation.

If I’m reading the official Jam Mail email correctly, both the December 7 and 8 Wilco Winterlude shows at Thalia Hall in Chicago are sold out, but there will be a “Limited in-person onsale on Friday, October 16 at 10:00 am at the Thalia Hall box office located at 1807 S. Allport St. in Chicago.” You might want to double check before heading over there tomorrow.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Richard Thompson And Band with Clayton Linthicum and Quinn Bachand concert at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side on January 30.

Police vocalist-bassist Sting, who has found success with the band as well as with his solo career, will bring his 3.0 Tour to the Hard Rock Live in Rockford, IL tomorrow. After that, he has concerts in Nashville, TN; Indianapolis, IN; Montreal, QC; Akron, OH; Cincinnati, OH; and other cities. Looking ahead to 2027, Sting has several Las Vegas Residency shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in March and October.

British vocalist Suki Waterhouse’s The Loveland Tour will make a stop at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago this Saturday. Rochelle Jordan will be her special guest.

Chicago-based musicians Phil Angotti, Casey McDonough, John San Juan, Carolyn Engelmann, Jason Batchko, and Scott Tipping will bring their Beatles performing expertise to The Venue in Aurora, IL tomorrow night. The music starts at 8:00 pm, and there will two sets of well-known hits and deep cuts.

Alt rock bands Young Fresh Fellows and Dot Dash will share a bill this Sunday at Hank Dietle’s Tavern, a venue that’s been around since the 1950s in Rockville, MD.

Tommi Zender, a well-known musician on the Chicago scene, will perform hit songs from 1966 this Sunday at the Glenview Public Library from 2:00 to 3:00 pm.The event is part of the library’s Sunday Music Series, and admission is free.

Chicago singer-songwriter Stephen Kohler will perform a free show at Madame Zuzu’s this Saturday, along with Rob Klegon from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Big Brother’s Vinyl, a Chicago area covers act that has a knack for picking songs you know and like but aren’t ones that you’ve heard performed countless times by other groups, has a gig coming tomorrow night at Peggy Kinnane’s Irish Restaurant And Pub in Arlington Heights, IL. The music starts at 8:00 pm.