Slumgullion

Here’s a toast to all those who plan to celebrate the holiday season at some point this weekend. (My family, for example.) Have fun, share plenty of good will, and be careful.

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy will kick off his traditional January residency at his Legends venue on January 3, and add 15 more performances throughout the month. There will be supporting acts for each of Guy’s shows. Legends is located in the south end of downtown Chicago.

Henry Diltz has joined forces with Cindystock for a series of rock musician photo books that would make great stocking stuffers. They benefit the Yates Fund For Cancer Hope, and the choices include The Monkees; Dan Fogelburg; Stephen Stills; David Crosby; Micky Dolenz; David Cassidy; Joni Mitchell; America; Graham Nash; and Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young. Each book contains 40 photos and sells for $24.

Richard Milne, the former WXRT radio DJ who provided air time for countless Chicago area music acts when he hosted the Local Anesthetic show, will make a special guest appearance on CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM on Christmas Eve from 9:00 am to noon.

Mike Skill, a founding member of The Romantics will perform on New Year’s Eve at the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit. He’ll 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.

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.

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.”

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.”

The Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, which had an initial run from 1999 through 2004 and was revived in 2019 under the guidance of musicians Fareed Haque and Wanees Zarourd, will showcase songs from their new album Sanctuary at 7:00 pm this Sunday at the Epiphany Center for the Arts. The Epiphany Center for the Arts is located at 201 S. Ashland Avenue.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It’s still a gift even if it’s not seasonal. Aussie musician Joe Algeri has been offering people around the globe a free new song each December on his Egomaniac Music website for 25 years. In the past, he would take an off-kilter view of the yuletide, but recently Algeri switched his December free download to a non-seasonal song. Which is fine, considering how many holiday gifts are standard rock and roll related. I still have The Hollies Hear Here album I got got for Christmas in 1966. Algeri’s 2025 gift is a melodic power pop tune titled “Summer Forever” that deals with emotional confusion. Once again, he’s joined by an international crew of musicians: American bassist-backup vocalist Herb Eimerman; drummer Stefan Johansson and organ player Lars Brussel from Sweden; and lead guitarist Andy J. Prinkkila from Finland.

The Walkin' on Sunshine band, featuring Steve Dawson, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith, John Abbey and special guest Diane Christiansen, has a gig coming up at Simon’s in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood on December 28. Admission is free, but tips are always welcome. A recent post from Dawson states the two sets will feature “a lot of my songs and a bunch of surprise covers.” The music starts at 8:30 pm. 

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.

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.”

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 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, “Light Night Mountains All That” and “Anywhere” are already available to download; the full album drops February 6.

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.

Congratulations to my nephew chef Joe Flamm on the opening of his new restaurant 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.

Ring in the new with Old 97s at SPACE in Evanston. Tickets are now on sale for the Dallas, TX band’s December 29, 30, and 31 shows at the Illinois venue. Old 97s will likely perform selections from their 2024 album American Primitive, as well as favorites such as “Champagne, Illinois” and “Big Brown Eyes.”

Weekend Reminders

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, or concert tickets going on sale.

Happy Birthday to Keith Richards, one of rock and roll’s most impressive guitarists for seven decades. His strumming has fueled hit singles as well as classic album tracks, all the while conveying a superstar persona.

On the local scene, Happy Birthday to John San Juan, a guitarist-vocalist who’s performed with numerous acts on stage as well as performing and recording with his indie rock band Hushdrops.

Desiree Burcum, a longtime member of the Chicago comedy group Famous In The Future and The Ruts alt rock band, is also celebrating today. Happy Birthday, Des.

The LiveWire Lounge at 3394 N. Milwaukee Avenue on Chicago’s north side will host a Holiday Market this Sunday from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Shoppers will find handmade goods, artwork, fashion, records, and rock and roll memorabilia.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with an event in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, and upcoming dates in January.

As noted on the Jam Mail Concert Calendar, tickets are now on sale for Fountains Of Wayne, with Fig Dish and Child Seat at Vic Theatre on December 31; Mavis Staples with Nathaniel Rateliff (solo) at The Chicago Theatre on January 10; and Brigitte Calls Me Baby at Schubas on January 21.

Congratulations to vocalist Darlene Love and The Smithereens on being announced as the next inductees for the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame. The inductions will take place tomorrow at the Count Basie Center in Redbank, NJ. Previous inductees are Count Basie and Jon Bon Jovi.

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side will offer a full lineup of oddly named acts tomorrow night with Helen Huff; Trick Shooter Social Club; The Revinirs; The Cold Motions; and Decoy Prayer Meeting. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Michael McDermott will bring his Mischief And Mistletoe celebration to City Winery - Chicago for the 13th year this coming Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Each night will offer a different show, as McDermott is joined by special guests.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Old Town School Of Folk Music on March 14. The critically acclaimed a cappella singing group has been together for 60 years.

The Bad Examples’ gig tomorrow night at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL is being billed as A Christmas Rock Party. The long-time, Chicago-based indie rockers are led by vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert, whose songs are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Those Chicago-based, self-described 21st century druid musicians whitewolfsonicprincess will wrap up a busy year with “a little party/concert at our humble rehearsal studio” this Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Participating musicians will include Chris Bock, Randy Farr, Pat McDonald, Karen Singer, Daniel Connolly, Scott Judd, and The Telepaths. There is a suggested donation of $10. The studio is located at 826 Custer St. in Evanston.

Incoming

Happy Birthday to Tony Hicks of The Hollies. As with The Hollies themselves, Hicks doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. Likewise for drummer Bobby Elliott, whose birthday we celebrated earlier this month. Hicks is a superb musician and one third of the glorious harmonies that have been a Hollies trademark since the days he helped create them with Graham Nash and Allan Clarke.

Hicks also wrote hits such as “Carrie Anne” and “Dear Eloise” with Nash and Clarke, and came up with the idea for “Stop Stop Stop,” which features his distinctive banjo playing. Later, Hicks collaborated with songwriter Kenny Lynch on the terrific tracks “Long Dark Road” and “To Do With Love” on the Distant Light album. He’s also a good judge of outside material, having suggested “The Air That I Breathe” to the band.

Several local musicians will take part in the Second Annual Remembering Elliott Smith Night being held tomorrow at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The ambitious format involves eight brief sets, each by an individual performer, with a full band taking over at 10:00 pm. John Aulabaugh will kick things off at 7:00 pm, followed by Rick Nitz; Niko Stavropoulos; Trevor Lynch; Phil Yates; Dolph Chaney; Garret Johnson; and Phil Angotti. The full band will feature Mike Conroy; Eric Chial; Brian Stour; Garret Johnson; and Trevor Lynch. We lost the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Elliott Smith in 2003, but his emotionally charged approach to performing and writing is still highly regarded on the music scene.

Congratulations to vocalist Darlene Love and The Smithereens on being announced as the next inductees for the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame. The inductions are scheduled for this Friday at the Count Basie Center in Redbank, NJ. Previous inductees are Count Basie and Jon Bon Jovi.

Tickets go on sale this Friday for the Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert taking place at the Old Town School Of Folk Music on March 14. The critically acclaimed a cappella singing group has been together for 60 years.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events in Brookline, MA tomorrow and Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Congratulations to my nephew chef Joe Flamm on the opening of his new restaurant 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.

What better night for honoring The Belfast Cowboy than St. Patrick’s Day? Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 am 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.

The Bad Examples’ gig this Friday night at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL is now being billed as A Christmas Rock Party. The long-time, Chicago-based indie rockers are led by vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert, whose songs are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze.

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side offers a full evening of live music this Friday with performances by Helen Huff; Trick Shooter Social Club; The Revinirs; The Cold Motions; and Decoy Prayer Meeting. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Slumgullion

Congratulations to vocalist Darlene Love and The Smithereens on being announced as the next inductees for the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame. The inductions are scheduled for December 19th at the Count Basie Center in Redbank, NJ. Previous inductees are Count Basie and Jon Bon Jovi.

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 an album together earlier this year, have become regular guests at live gigs by The Smithereens.

Several local musicians will take part in the Second Annual Remembering Elliott Smith Night being held on December 17 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The ambitious format involves eight brief sets, each by an individual performer, with a full band taking over at 10:00 pm. John Aulabaugh will kick things off at 7:00 pm, followed by Rick Nitz; Niko Stavropoulos; Trevor Lynch; Phil Yates; Dolph Chaney; Garret Johnson; and Phil Angotti. The full band will feature Mike Conroy; Eric Chial; Brian Stour; Garret Johnson; and Trevor Lynch. We lost the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Elliott Smith in 2003, but his emotionally charged approach to performing and writing is still highly regarded on the music scene.

It’s still a gift even if it’s not seasonal. Aussie musician Joe Algeri has been offering people around the globe a free new song each December on his Egomaniac Music website for 25 years. In the past, he would take an off-kilter view of the yuletide, but recently Algeri switched his December free download to a non-seasonal song. Which is fine, considering how many holiday gifts are standard rock and roll related. I still have The Hollies Hear Here album I got got for Christmas in 1966. Algeri’s 2025 gift is a melodic power pop tune titled “Summer Forever” that deals with emotional confusion. Once again, he’s joined by an international crew of musicians: American bassist-backup vocalist Herb Eimerman; drummer Stefan Johansson and organ player Lars Brussel from Sweden; and lead guitarist Andy J. Prinkkila from Finland.

Chicago-based/world renowned blues artist Buddy Guy has announced the dates for his traditional January residency at his Legends venue in the south end of downtown Chicago. He’ll have 16 performances throughout the month, with the first on January 3, and the last on January 30. There will be supporting acts for each of Guy’s shows.

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.”

The Walkin' on Sunshine band, featuring Steve Dawson, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith, John Abbey and special guest Diane Christiansen, has a gig coming up at Simon’s in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood on December 28. Admission is free, but tips are always welcome. A recent post from Dawson states the two sets will feature “a lot of my songs and a bunch of surprise covers.” The music starts at 8:30 pm.

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’s long-time indie rockers The Bad Examples will perform at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL on December 19. As often mentioned here on Broken Hearted Toy, lead vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert creates songs that are reminiscent of the clever and melodic music of Squeeze. A recent Facebook post from Covert promises “a fun mix of old and new favorites from our catalog.” He’s also a skilled, humorous storyteller, so they may be a few anecdotes from his extensive career.

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.”

Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side offers a full evening of live music on December 19 with performances by Helen Huff; Trick Shooter Social Club; The Revinirs; The Cold Motions; and Decoy Prayer Meeting. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events in Princeton, NJ this Monday; Brookline, MA on December 17; Washington, D.C. on December 19; New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26. 

Chloe F. Orwell from The Handcuffs will play saxophone as a special guest at the Custard Flux gig scheduled for December 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums, such as his most recent effort Enter Xenon. He’ll have a few special design t-shirts for sale at the Montrose Saloon show.

The Continental Posters (1982 – 83) - Selections from Dean Brownrout exhibition, which recently opened at The Fitz Books store in Buffalo, NY, has been extended through the whole month of December. The posters on display will be from Brownrout’s private collection and focus on acts such as Billy Idol, The Fleshtones, and The Dream Syndicate that performed at the Buffalo, NY venue The Continental. Brownrout booked bands at the club back then, before moving on New York, where he founded the Big Deal rock record label. He offers a fun and informative look back in his recently released book No Big Deal - Chasing the indie music dream in the last days of the record business. Fitz Books is located at 1462 Main Street in Buffalo.

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 recent Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

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 Books. P.S. This publisher also really digs The Monkees. 

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, “Light Night Mountains All That” and “Anywhere” are already available to download; the full album drops February 6.

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.

The Chicago-based Kevin Brown Quintet will have a release party for their new Christmas album this Monday at the Church Of The Resurrection in Wheaton, IL. Adventus is an ambitious effort that updates nine hymns from much earlier centuries with contemporary jazz arrangements. “The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” and “Gaudete” are particularly appealing, and like the other tracks, would go well with a sophisticated holiday brunch or get-together.

Ring in the new with Old 97s at SPACE in Evanston. Tickets are now on sale for the Dallas, TX band’s December 29, 30, and 31 shows at the Illinois venue. Old 97s will likely perform selections from their 2024 album American Primitive, as well as favorites such as “Champagne, Illinois” and “Big Brown Eyes.”

Weekend Reminders

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, or concert tickets going on sale.

The 45th Annual John Lennon Tribute - Benefit For Theatre Within will take place tomorrow at The Town Hall venue in New York. Judy Collins will be given this year’s John Lennon Real Love Award and she’ll perform a few Lennon and Beatles songs. The other musicians who’ll participate are Graham Nash; Suzanne Vega; Shawn Colvin; Jimmy Webb; Valerie June; Yola; Livingston Taylor; Willie Nile; Lucy Kaplansky; and The Kennedys. Joe Raiola will host the event, with Rich Pagano serving as Musical Director.

Happy Birthday to bassist Mike Mesaros, a founding member of The Smithereens. These guys have been awesome from the start, and Mesaros has played a major role in their success. 

Singer-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen, a former member of the power pop bands The Abbeys and Pop Dollys, has embarked on a successful career playing selections from The Great American Songbook at dinner clubs. His last performance for 2025 will take place tomorrow at one of his regular haunts, the Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights, IL. The music starts at 7:00 pm.

The Do You Her What I Her? event taking place at 3:00 pm this Sunday at Urban Stages in New York City will feature new original holiday music crafted by female songwriters. Curated and hosted by Amy Engelhardt, with Tracy Stark serving as musical director, the showcase will honor writers as well as performers. Urban Stages is located at 259 W. 30th Street in New York.

Long-time Chicago indie rockers The Social Act (one of the first bands I interviewed back when I freelanced for the Illinois Entertainer) will perform a free holiday show tomorrow evening at 8:00 pm at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. With founding member Ellis Clark leading the way, The Social Act will perform a set of original songs they’ve created over the years, along with covers of “Susie Q” and “That’s All Right, Mama.”

Pink Floyd’s 50th anniversary edition of Wish You Were Here, AKA Wish You Were Here 50, drops tomorrow in 2CD, 3LP, and a deluxe box formats.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Phil Angotti Band will perform an acoustic solo show tomorrow at Goldy’s in Forest Park, IL. And in welcome news for those of us out in the northwestern suburbs, tickets are now on sale for the February 19 show by The Phil Angotti Band at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Wicked Cool Records and Little Steven’s Underground Garage will present The Chesterfield Kings Christmas Show with special guests The Grip Weeds this Saturday at Iron Smoke Distillery in Fairport, NY. As recently noted by The Chesterfield Kings founding member Andy Babiuk on Facebook, the Wicked Cool Records compilation It's A Wicked Cool Christmas!, which includes a track by his band, is now available on all digital platforms.

The Cure - The Show Of A Lost World - Troxy Live 2024 concert film opened exclusively in cinemas today and will have a limited run. Information on where fans can “see one of the most influential bands of all time on the big screen film” can be found on the film’s official website.

The December issue of the Illinois Entertainer features a cover story on Cheap Trick, in which journalist Tom Lanham interviews the band’s bass player Tom Petersson. Langham also interviewed Naoko Yamano from the Japanese trio Shonen Knife for this issue, and there are album reviews of Smashing Pumpkins; Tortoise; and Hüsker Dü. The Illinois Entertainer is available for free in record stores in the Chicago area. I usually pick up a copy at The Music Room in Palatine.  

Incoming

Photo of Bobby Elliot, taken by Rob Haywood, from the official Hollies website.

Happy Birthday to Bobby Elliott, who started drumming for The Hollies in the early 1960s and never left them. He and guitarist Tony Hicks are the only remaining original members in current Hollies lineup. The band hasn’t toured for a while, but you never know what the future might bring. Among professional musicians and music critics, Elliott is regarded as an inventive rock and roll drummer who frequently incorporated elements of jazz. Judging from Elliott’s 2020 autobiography It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story - My Life In The Hollies, he’s justifiably proud of his musical accomplishments.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Phil Angotti Band will perform an acoustic solo show this Friday at Goldy’s in Forest Park, IL. And in welcome news for those of us out in the northwestern suburbs, tickets are now on sale for the February 19 show by The Phil Angotti Band at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Tickets for the March 29 charity event An Evening With Wolf Alice at the Royal Albert Hall in London will go on sale at 9:00 am this Friday. The British alt rock band has been touring in support of its critically acclaimed new album The Clearing and will have fellow Brit singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya as their special guest. Robert Smith is listed as the cureator—I believe that’s a deliberate misspelling intended as a pun—and the event will support the Teenage Cancer Fund.

Chloe F. Orwell from The Handcuffs will play saxophone as a special guest at the Custard Flux gig scheduled for December 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums, such as his most recent effort Enter Xenon. He’ll have a few special design t-shirts for sale at the Montrose Saloon show.

Wicked Cool Records and Little Steven’s Underground Garage will present The Chesterfield Kings Christmas Show with special guests The Grip Weeds this Saturday at Iron Smoke Distillery in Fairport, NY. As recently noted by The Chesterfield Kings founding member Andy Babiuk on Facebook, the Wicked Cool Records compilation It's A Wicked Cool Christmas! includes a track by his band, and is now available on all digital platforms.

Henry Diltz, one of rock music’s most successful photographers, will present Once Upon A Troubadour - A Slideshow And Story-Telling Experience Of The Photographs That Made Music History By The Man Who Took Them at the Troubadour in Los Angeles tomorrow night.

Chloe F. Orwell from The Handcuffs will play saxophone as a special guest at the Custard Flux gig scheduled for December 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Custard Flux, AKA musician Gregory Curvey, is a veteran of the Chicago-based prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall, and is noted for creating adventurous albums, such as his most recent effort Enter Xenon. He’ll have a few special design t-shirts for sale at the Montrose Saloon show.

The Continental Posters (1982 – 83) - Selections from Dean Brownrout exhibition recently opened at The Fitz Books store in Buffalo, NY and has been extended through the whole month of December. The posters on display will be from Brownrout’s private collection and focus on acts such as Billy Idol, The Fleshtones, and The Dream Syndicate that performed at the Buffalo, NY venue The Continental. Brownrout booked bands at the club back then, before moving on New York, where he founded the Big Deal rock record label. He offers a fun and informative look back in his recently released book No Big Deal - Chasing the indie music dream in the last days of the record business. Fitz Books is located at 1462 Main Street in Buffalo.

Tickets are now on sale for The Cure - The Show Of A Lost World - Troxy Live 2024. The concert film will be shown exclusively in cinemas for a limited run starting this Thursday. Information on where fans can “see one of the most influential bands of all time on the big screen film” can be found on the film’s official website.

The 45th Annual John Lennon Tribute - Benefit For Theatre Within will take place at the Town Hall venue in New York this Friday. Judy Collins will be given this year’s John Lennon Real Love Award and perform a few  Lennon and Beatles songs. The other musicians who’ll participate are Graham Nash; Suzanne Vega; Shawn Colvin; Jimmy Webb; Valerie June; Yola; Livingston Taylor; Willie Nile; Lucy Kaplansky; and The Kennedys. Joe Raiola will host the event, with Rich Pagano serving as Musical Director.

Patti Smith will continue promoting her Bread Of Angels memoir with events in Brooklyn, NY this Thursday; Princeton, NJ on December 15; Brookline, MA on December 17; Washington, D.C. on December 19; New York City on January 21; and New Haven, CT on January 26.

Pink Floyd’s 50th anniversary edition of Wish You Were Here, AKA Wish You Were Here 50, drops this Friday in 2CD, 3LP, and a deluxe box formats.

Sunday Papers

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 recent Facebook post, “It’s a benefit for Endeavor Health’s excellent Integrative Medicine program.”

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo successfully collaborate on indie rock songs from time to time, and they also enjoy spreading holiday cheer. Their Aimee Mann and Ted Leo Christmas Show! drops by Cleveland, OH tomorrow;  and Royal Oak, MI on Tuesday. The show, which also features Paul F. Tompkins, Nellie McKay and Josh Gondelman, is coming to Chicago on December 11 and 12.

Congratulations to Andrew Bird on selling out all five of his December 8 – 12 Gezelligheid Concerts at the Fourth Presbyterian Church just north of downtown Chicago. I believe this is a common occurrence whenever the vocalist-violinist-whistler stages this annual holiday event.

Now that Paul McCartney has wrapped up his Got Back North American Tour 2025 with two well-received concerts at Chicago’s United Center, he can concentrate on promoting the his autobiographical book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run. It was edited by well-known biography author Ted Widmer, who also contributed the introduction.

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, “Light Night Mountains All That” and “Anywhere” are already available to download; the full album drops February 6.

Actor-musician Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy recently announced the nine dates on their September 40th Anniversary of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant 2026 UK and Ireland Tour. (The North American portion takes place earlier in the year.) The lucky cities are Bristol; Brighton; London; Manchester; Leeds; Edinburgh; Glasgow, Dublin; and Belfast. As on their previous R.E.M. tribute tours, Shannon and Narducy will be backed by musicians Dag Juhlin, John Stirratt, Vijay Tellis-Nayak, and Jon Wurster.

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.

The Chicago-based Kevin Brown Quintet’s Christmas album Adventus is an ambitious effort that updates nine hymns from much earlier centuries with contemporary jazz arrangements. “The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” and “Gaudete” are particularly appealing, and like the other tracks, would go well with a sophisticated holiday brunch or get-together.

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 Books. P.S. This publisher also really digs The Monkees. 

Tickets are now on sale for The Smithereens with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill concert at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL on March 6. Cowsill and Peterson, who released an album together earlier this year, have become regular guests at live gigs by The Smithereens.

Ring in the new with Old 97s at SPACE in Evanston. Tickets are now on sale for the Dallas, TX band’s December 29, 30, and 31 shows at the Illinois venue. Old 97s will likely perform selections from their 2024 album American Primitive, as well as favorites such as “Champagne, Illinois” and “Big Brown Eyes.”

Well done, mate. Mick Jagger surprised the students at Dartford Grammar School in Kent—which he attended as a lad—by dropping by for a visit. The occasion was the 25th anniversary of The Mick Jagger Centre at the school, a program he helped create to help kids looking for a career in music.