Incoming

Photo from the The Smithereens official Facebook page. 

The Smithereens will return to the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI this Friday, with Marshall Crenshaw once again serving as their guest vocalist.

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy recently kicked off his traditional January residency at his Legends venue and has gigs there this Thursday through Sunday, with a different supporting act for each night. Guy has more performances scheduled throughout January, with the next batch starting January 15. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

As noted by author/former IRS Records publicist/journalist Cary Baker in a recent post on the Wild Honey Foundation Facebook page, The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival, which features four plays written by local high school students, continues it run at Chicago Dramatists and this Friday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 2:30 and 7:00 pm. Chicago Dramatistm located at 798 N. Aberdeen.

L.A. musicians Deke Dickerson and Dave Stuckey will host the Elvis Presley Birthday Bash this Thursday at the Venice West venue in Los Angeles. Several acts will perform, including Ronnie Mack And The Legendary Barndance Band; Billy Vera; and Carla Olson. The event will be in memory of publicist and TV host Art Fein, with proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association.

Ralph Covert, the versatile singer-songwriter for the Chicago-based band The Bad Examples, will tap into his extensive supply of children’s songs with a Ralph’s World Solo Concert at the Oak Park Temple in Oak Park, IL on January 19. The event will support the Glasser Preschool.

British indie rockers The Cribs will release their first album in five years when Selling A Vibe comes out this Friday. They released the catchy, guitar-driven single “Never The Same” a few days ago, and will kick off an extensive U.K. tour on Friday. 

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights kicked off its annual Women’s Jazz Festival tonight and it will run through this Saturday. See the official Hey Nonny website for the full festival information.

Sunday Papers

Ebet Roberts photo of Michael Stipe from the official R.E.M. Facebook page. 

Happy Birthday to Michael Stipe. His vocals on R.E.M. songs, starting with the spooky Chronic Town EP in 1981 and throughout the Athens, GA band’s successful career, were mesmerizing if not always understandable. He continues to work on fascinating recording projects and worthy causes to this day.

Congratulations to the Milwaukee-based power pop band Trolley on the positive attention their new album A Carnival Of Grey And White received in  the latest issue of the U.K. rock magazine Shindig. There’s an article by Clive Webb on page 16, and reviewer Ben Graham suggests “Trolley could well be the perfect fusion of new-wave and progressive art pop” in his four-star album review.

Tim Thomas, editor-in-chief of the indie rock newspaper Second Scene, recently posted on Facebook that he’s “planning another special Issue for the Spring that will again feature art and, this time, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by those who have been featured in previous Issues.” Second Scene, which is available through its Bandcamp page, consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Thomas tosses in some art and literature.

Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival, which features four plays written by local high school students, opened this past Thursday at Chicago Dramatists and will continue on each Friday at 7:00 pm and each Saturday at 2:30 and 7:00 pm through January 24. Chicago Dramatist located at 798 N. Aberdeen.

There’s encouraging news for those of us who’ve been looking forward to the release of Justin Fielding’s documentary on the power pop genre. Fielding now has a basically complete edit of The Power Pop Movie, and hopes that with industry/financial support—particularly regarding the licensing of music—the film could be released in a few months.

Desiree Burcum and Frank Carr of the Chicago-based Famous In The Future comedy group (I was once a member) have changed the name of their alt-rock side project from The Rut to The Lovely Rut. The band has a gig coming up at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on January 16, so you can judge their appearance for yourself. They’re be joined by local bands Boiaderio and Gunnelpumpers, who will likely be attractive as well. Phyllis’ Musical Inn is located at 1800 W. Division on Chicago’s near north side.

As noted in the British rock magazine Shindig No. 169 (for some reason they don’t go by month), 1960s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock have released a new album on the Big Stir label. Reviewer Andy Morten gave Monster / White Light four stars, while declaring The Strawberry Alarm Clock “refuse to play the oldies game, instead writing new material that’s as inquisitive and exploratory as their 1967 gear.” Morten also points out the band still has five original members.

The critically acclaimed (Downbeat magazine, Chicago Reader) Joe Policastro Trio will likely showcase songs from their recent Mending Wall album during an upcoming performance at Merriman’s Playhouse, Inc. in South Bend, IN on January 14. Bass player Policastro, along with guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery, is known for adding adventurous touches to traditional jazz music.

The Smithereens will perform at the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI with Marshall Crenshaw as their guest vocalist on January 9. The band has a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL.  Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will be join The Smithereens for that show.

Chicago-based indie rockers Local H rang in the new year at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, and have several shows coming up in 2026 as part of a triple lineup with Filter and Finger Eleven.

Australian garage rockers Hoodoo Gurus will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on January 29 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. The listing on the Ticketek site promises the band’s material will be “reimagined on an epic scale, with orchestral arrangements bringing fresh energy and grandeur.” In other down under news, Hoodoo Gurus, along with Iggy Pop; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; and ZED will share a tour in Auckland, New Zealand on January 23, 26, and 31.

Gina Marie and The Golden Bucks, a Chicago-based Americana sextet whose 2024 album Pastures Of Plenty offers several examples of authentic country and swing, can just as easily slip into genuine blues. “Without That Man,” the latest single from Pastures Of Plenty, employs a slow, slinky arrangement to capture the sense of loss singer Ruth Etting brought to the original 1931 version.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Congratulations to Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, on his latest album Enter Xenon coming in at number 8 on MOJO’s Top 10 Prog albums of 2025 and grabbing the number 2 spot for the Top 5 Prog Albums in Classic Rock. Seems like these UK rock magazines really like his music. Curvey is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums and graphics.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

What’s The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, a new book from author Bill Kopp, is now available from HoZac Books for $21.99. Kopp’s exploration of musical storytelling includes an interview with concept album master Pete Townshend, and a foreword by Let’s Active founder and critically acclaimed producer Mitch Easter.

Local singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and the Nash String Duo will perform a brunch time tribute to The Beatles at City Winery Chicago on January 18. Having performed Beatles brunches several times at this venue over the years, Angotti has become quite good at it. Looking further down the road, the Phil Angotti Band will be at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights on February 19.

Autographed copies of musician Melissa Auf der Maur’s upcoming book Even the Good Girls Will Cry are available to pre-order from the TalkShopLive! website. Auf der Maur, who’s known for performing with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, describes her book as “part rock memoir, part travel diary, [and] part psychedelic scrapbook.”

Sons Of The Silent Age, the Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band led by vocalist Chris Connelly, has a tradition of kicking off the new year with a benefit performance at Metro. The January 31, 2026 event finds Sons Of The Silent Age taking “Our second trip through the Berlin trilogy, consisting of the albums Low, Heroes, and Lodger.” A second set will concentrate on Bowie’s hit singles and well-known material. And, as noted by guitarist Steve Gerlach in a Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

Post Of Christmas Past: Four “Auld Lang Synes,” My Dear

I’ve shared this post several times over the years, and if you’re putting together a last-minute playlist for your New Year’s Eve celebration, here are some worthy candidates.

One of the reasons people get misty-eyed at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life is because all the family, friends, and neighbors singing “Auld Lang Syne” at the Bailey residence reminds us of our own situation. The song has always conveyed a bittersweet message. A celebration of the loved ones we’ve cherished throughout our lives and can count on for help, but a recognition that for one reason or another, many of them have moved on. John Lennon explored a similar sentiment with The Beatles on “In My Life.”

There was a time when just about everybody thought of Guy Lombardo when it came to “Auld Lang Syne” since he and his Royal Canadians played it every New Year’s Eve for years on radio and TV. Nowadays, nobody under 60 would know who he was, although his version is available on iTunes and YouTube. It sounds particularly melancholy. 

“Auld Lang Syne” continues to be covered by various musicians. The version by The Smithereens on their terrific album Christmas With The Smithereens opens with the band harmonizing like a barbershop quartet. From there, the guitars and drums kick in and the arrangement morphs into a pulsating surf rock tune that’s predominantly instrumental.

Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken also tackled the song as part of side project group called Husky Team. This fun instrumental take, which is included on the Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 CD, mixes “Auld Lang Syne” with the Booker T & The MG’s 1960s hit, “Green Onions.”

My favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne” comes from a New Jersey band called The Cucumbers, and as far as I can tell, it’s only available on the various artists CD Ho Ho Ho Spice. The guitar-driven, slightly Celtic, power pop arrangement and Deena Shoshkes’s spirited vocals cast out any trace of sadness and offer instead an exhilarating sense of triumph. The journey’s over and the quest has been successful. Definitely inspirational, but not the feeling we’ve come away with at the close of any recent years. Here’s hoping we’ll never stop trying to make things better.

But Wait, There’s More

Tad Fettig photo of Peter Buck from the official Drink The Sea Facebook page.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe and festive New Year’s Eve, and success with all your goals in 2026. Here are a few more items for this week’s Incoming/Weekend Reminders posts.

Drink The Sea, an exotic, experimental band of established musicians that includes R.E.M. founding member Peter Buck, has a U.S. Tour coming in 2026 that will visit several cities, including Boston, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. Tickets are now on sale for the Drink The Sea concert coming to Chicago’s Old Town School Of Folk Music on February 13.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Terry White will return to Fitzgerald’s in Berywn, IL this Friday for a happy hour show in the Sidebar. White held a record release party for his latest album You Won’t Have A Name at FitzGerald’s back in September, but this time out, he’ll likely draw from an extensive career that includes solo efforts as well as being in bands such as Modern Day Saints and The Zimmermen. His happy hour show Friday will start at 5:30 pm.

As noted in the British rock magazine Shindig No. 169 (for some reason they don’t go by month), 1960s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock have released a new album on the Big Stir label. Reviewer Andy Morten gave Monster / White Light four stars, while declaring The Strawberry Alarm Clock “refuse to play the oldies game, instead writing new material that’s as inquisitive and exploratory as their 1967 gear.” Morten also points out the band still has five original members.

Tickets are now on sale for the Bonnie Koloc Trio all-ages show at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL on March 24. Koloc, a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, was a driving force in Chicago’s emerging folk scene back in the 1970s. She was a Founders Choice inductee into the Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year.

Incoming/Weekend Reminders

Due to this Wednesday being New Year’s Eve, Broken Hearted Toy will present a combination of two weekly posts that usually appear on Monday and Thursday respectively.

The Old 97s have sold out their shows for tonight and tomorrow night at SPACE in Evanston, IL, but it looks like there are still tickets left for New Year’s Eve at that same venue. They’ll likely perform selections from their 2024 album American Primitive, although they have several years of material (“Champagne, Illinois,” “Big Brown Eyes,” etc.) to choose from. Front man Rhett Miller will play an opening solo set each night.

Phil Angotti and Friends have a Beatles Brunch coming up this Sunday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL. Angotti will be joined by some of his frequent collaborators; John San Juan, Tom Ryan and Blair Holmes.

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy will kick off his traditional January residency at his Legends venue this Saturday, and add 15 more performances throughout January. There will be supporting acts for each of Guy’s shows. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

Mike Skill, a founding member of The Romantics, will perform on New Year’s Eve at the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit. He’ll be joined by Brad Elvis, who was a Romantics member for several years, Ricky Rat and Brian McCarty. The Custodians are also on the bill that night.

The Purple Madness - The Ultimate Prince Tribute Experience will take place at 7:00 pm this Sunday at City Winery Chicago. The venue promises to present “Prince’s iconic presence — from the soulful vocals and intricate guitar riffs to the dazzling choreography and flamboyant fashion.”

Alejandro Escovedo of Rank And File and True Believers fame will bring his current band The Electric Saints to FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL for performances on December 30 and 31. Chicago-based singer-songwriter Nora O’Connor will be the opening act on the first night.

Chicago-based indie rockers Local H will close out the year with a show at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI (with Fig Dish) tomorrow night, and with their annual New Year’s Eve show at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. Looking ahead to 2026, Local H will have several shows as part of a triple lineup with Filter and Finger Eleven.

Allan Clarke, a founding member of The Hollies, and their lead vocalist through 1999 (with a few gaps), recently released a holiday song that’s doing quite well on Heritage Chart Radio in the UK. It’s available on YouTube, although there’s just a photo without a video clip. “Christmas Sleigh Ride,” featuring The Get Together Choir, opens with chimes and takes off with a catchy, guitar-driven Phil Spector style arrangement. Prior to the release of “Christmas Sleigh Ride,” Clarke had returned to the recording scene with two well-received albums; Resurgence is 2019 and I’ll Never Forget in 2023.

The Allan Clarke Appreciation Society Facebook page has been promoting “Christmas Sleigh Ride” for about a month. Group Expert/All-Star Contributor Chrissy Rowan graciously and almost immediately responded to my message asking if there was any way I could download the song. Thanks to her help, I was able to find it on Amazon. It’s already been added to one of my Christmas song playlists, following “White Christmas” by Carl Wayne (another former Hollies lead vocalist) with Et Cetera.

Slumgullion

For those whose new year’s resolutions include traveling the world to see rock concerts: Australian garage rockers Hoodoo Gurus will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on January 29 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. The listing on the Ticketek site promises the band’s material will be “reimagined on an epic scale, with orchestral arrangements bringing fresh energy and grandeur.” In other down under news, Hoodoo Gurus, along with Iggy Pop; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; and ZED will share a tour in Auckland, New Zealand on January 23, 26, and 31.

Congratulations to Danny Horn on being chosen by theatre critic Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune as having given one of the top 10 performances on Chicago Stages in 2025. Horn portrayed Ray Davies of The Kinks in the musical Sunny Afternoon, which was staged at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The well-respected Jones covers a lot of ground with his list, which appeared in today’s issue. His top 10 performances also include Sondra Radvanovsky’s title role in the Lyric Opera’s Medea, and Ava Lane Stovall for her work in Jekyll And Hyde by Kokandy Productions.

The first volume of an enhanced and fully rewritten edition of Doug Hinman’s 2004 book The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night - The Day-By-Day Story Pt. 1: 1940 - 1971 is now available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Chicago-based indie rockers Local H will close out the year with a show at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, WI (with Fig Dish) on December 30, and with its annual New Year’s Eve show at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. Looking ahead to 2026, Local H will have several shows as part of a triple lineup with Filter and Finger Eleven.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26.

Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights will hold its annual Women’s Jazz Festival from January 6 through January 10. Somaluna And Tomeka Reid are the scheduled performers for the first day; followed by Hana Fujisaki and the Marlene Rosenberg Trio on January 7; and Carmani Edwards and Paige Brown on January 8. On Friday, January 9, there’s a 4:00 pm set with Christy Bennett, and a 7:30 set with Stacy McMichael and JoVia Armstrong. There will be three sets on Saturday, January 10: Student Ensembles at 12:30 pm; Lucy Smith with JoAnn Daugherty at 4:00 pm; and Joanie Pallatto and Tromblau And Friends at 7:30. See the official Hey Nonny website for the full festival information.

Fans of The Gin Blossoms can pre-order an autographed copy of the indie rock band’s 1992 album New Miserable Experience on marble colored vinyl for $49.98 from the TalkShopLive! website. That’s the record that includes the hits “Found Out About You” and “Hey Jealousy.”

Congratulations to Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, on his latest album Enter Xenon coming in at number 8 on MOJO’s Top 10 Prog albums of 2025 and grabbing the number 2 spot for the Top 5 Prog Albums in Classic Rock. Seems like these UK rock magazines really like his music. Curvey is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums and graphics.

Gina Marie and The Golden Bucks, a Chicago-based Americana sextet whose 2024 album Pastures Of Plenty offers several examples of authentic country and swing, can just as easily slip into genuine blues. “Without That Man,” the latest single from Pastures Of Plenty, employs a slow, slinky arrangement to capture the sense of loss singer Ruth Etting brought to the original 1931 version.

What’s The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, a new book from author Bill Kopp, is now available from HoZac Books for $21.99. Kopp’s exploration of musical storytelling includes an interview with concept album master Pete Townshend, and a foreword by Let’s Active founder and critically acclaimed producer Mitch Easter.

What could be a better time to honor The Belfast Cowboy than on St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets are now on sale for the Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event taking place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston, IL.The participants will be Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz.

Autographed copies of musician Melissa Auf der Maur’s upcoming book Even the Good Girls Will Cry are available to pre-order from the TalkShopLive! website. Auf der Maur, who’s known for performing with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, describes her book as “part rock memoir, part travel diary, [and] part psychedelic scrapbook.”

Local singer-guitarist Phil Angotti and the Nash String Duo will perform a brunch time tribute to The Beatles at City Winery Chicago on January 18. Having performed Beatles brunches several times at this venue over the years, Angotti has become quite good at it. Looking further down the road, the Phil Angotti Band will be at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights on February 19.

The Smithereens, with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, will perform at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on March 6. Cowsill and Peterson, who released the Long After The Fire album together earlier this year, have become regular guests at live gigs by The Smithereens.

Sons Of The Silent Age, the Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band led by vocalist Chris Connelly, has a tradition of kicking off the new year with a benefit performance at Metro. The January 31, 2026 event finds Sons Of The Silent Age taking “Our second trip through the Berlin trilogy, consisting of the albums Low, Heroes, and Lodger.” A second set will concentrate on Bowie’s hit singles and well-known material. And, as noted by guitarist Steve Gerlach in a Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

British recording artist Mordecai Smyth, who specializes in catchy, offbeat tunes, has a new album coming out soon on the Mega Dodo indie label. He recently posted a video of “Breaking The Backs,” one of the songs from that release, on his Facebook page as a preview. Smyth has a gig on March 1 at the Crumbs Coffee Shop in Woodley, Reading, with musician/producer/DJ Robert Sowden as supporting act.

Chicago-based indie rockers Ratboys are offering another impressive preview of what fans can expect from their up coming album Singin’ To An Empty Chair. According to a recent message on their Bandcamp page, a Thelma and Louise inspired video for their song “What’s Right?” can be viewed on various sites, including Apple Music and YouTube. Two other two tracks, “Anywhere,” which is getting some airplay at radio station WXRT, and “Light Night Mountains All That” are already available to download. The full album drops February 6.

My nephew chef Joe Flamm has opened a new restaurant called Bar Tutto. As with his already established venues Rose Mary and il Carciofo, this one’s located in the happening Fulton Market area, just west of downtown Chicago. 1114 W. Carroll Avenue, to be exact. The difference with Bar Tutto is that it takes an all-day approach, which means patrons can order breakfast, lunch or dinner. I was able to attend a preview event, and rest assured, I’ll be back. Maybe for a chai latte and a croissant.

Another Post From Christmas Past

With Christmas coming tomorrow, it’s a good time to revisit one of the best (and possibly first) various artists collections of original holiday songs. Back in 2010, I reviewed Yuletunes here on Broken Hearted Toy. Here’s an edited version of that review.

“This Christmas” by Shoes is a catchy rock song with a monster drum beat and chiming guitars that offers an optimistic approach to coping with tough times. The punchy “Merry Christmas Will Do” finds Material Issue at the peak of its power. Jim Ellison’s rugged guitar playing takes center stage, and as usual, he’s a master at selling the pain of unrequited love through his evocative singing. The Idea, fronted by vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, contributes the melodic “It’s About That Time,” which describes the joys of winter scenes, church bell, carols, and watching It’s A Wonderful Life.

The single-named Leroy checks in with “Santa Stole My Baby,” a mid-tempo song that sets up a crime scene with clever clues like, “footsteps on the rooftop.” On a more serious note, there’s the haunting “The Saddest Time Of The Year” from Spooner. The band featured lead vocalist-guitarist Duke Erikson and drummer Butch Vig long before they formed Garbage with dynamic Scottish singer Shirley Manson. The Spongetones craft an old-fashioned Christmas tune with a delicate melody and intricately layered vocals on their innocent fantasy “Christmasland.”

“A God Of My Own” by 92 Degrees offers a complex look at religious beliefs during the most commercial time of the year. Whatever your feelings on that issue, there’s no denying this song has a gorgeous arrangement. Songs don’t come much happier than Bill Lloyd’s romantic “Underneath The Christmas Tree.” Set to a catchy arrangement, it sounds like it could have been a 1960s Top 40 hit. Kelley Ryan adds a hint of Country and Western to her heartfelt vocals on “It’s Not Christmas,” as someone spending the holiday alone “for the first time in years.”

Singer-songwriter Herb Eimerman’s gorgeous ballad “You Gave Me” celebrates family traditions at Christmas, as well as the way love and values are passed on from one generation to another. The Critics uncork an irresistible energy on their romantic “She Feels Like Christmas Day.” This is probably the only song on Yuletunes that would fit in just as well on a non-holiday collection.