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.

Happy Birthday to Neil Young, who arrived on the American music scene in the 1960s and hasn’t stopped amazing and impressing fans around the globe ever since. His most recent effort, the seven-track Second Song, came out this past September.

EXPO ’76, Chicago’s fun and unpredictable covers band, will be the opening act tomorrow night when 12-piece, self-described “RocknSoul party band” Tom Kenny And The Hi-Seas performs at Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago’s south loop.

U2’s latest album, Carnaval De Luz, comes out tomorrow, and there will be listening events in various locations from today through Sunday. The Illinois venues include Rattleback Records in Chicago; Rediscover Records in Elgin; Val’s Halla in Oak Park; and The Records Department in Woodstock. See the official U2 Facebook page for details.

Ghost Voice, the Chicago area classical trio of Jeffrey Parker, Tom McGettrick, and Alison Hinderliter, will likely showcase songs from their upcoming album at their show at The Hideout—corner of Elston and Wabansia on the city’s north side—tomorrow night. Hinderliter is also familiar to Chicago area rock fans as the keyboards player for The Handcuffs. 

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Stewart Copeland’s 2027 Police Deranged Tour coming to several locations in America, Canada, and Australia. The concerts will feature Copeland performing several of the band’s big hits with a full orchestra supporting him. The U.S. tour kicks off in Rancho Mirage, CA on March 13 and will wrap up in San Antonio, TX on Jun 17. Police Deranged comes to The Chicago Theatre in downtown Chicago on April 30.

International Pop Overthrow - Toronto will bring 20 live acts to The Painted Lady venue tomorrow through Sunday. I must confess the only one I’m familiar with is the globe-trotting, always impressive Dave Rave, who has the 9:15 pm slot on Saturday. But one of the good things about IPO gigs is they cast a spotlight on local talent in various cities, and introduce them to the rest of the world. You can find links to most of them on the official International Pop Overthrow website.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Sons of the Silent Age Best of David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy + More event coming to Metro on January 6. The band, led by Chris Connelly and Matt Walker, and features other well-known Chicago area musicians. They’ve been impressing audiences with their David Bowie tributes for several years. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will benefit cancer patients at NorthShore University HealthSystem's Integrative Medicine Program.

Ivy has three concerts coming up this weekend. They’ll perform at the Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn, NY tomorrow; at Roadrunner in Boston, MA on Saturday; and at City Winery in Philadelphia, PA on Sunday. The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour is named after a 2025 album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Today’s Weekend Reminders post is a bit late due to my monthly trek into downtown Chicago. Sandmeyer’s Bookstore at 714 S. Dearborn has become one of my regular stops due to their collection of books, greeting cards, and stickers. It also has copies of The Reader, New City, and other local free publications.