IPO - Chicago: Friday On My Mind

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago just finished a weekend of live music at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side, but there are still seven showcases to check out this week. See my April 18 post here on BHT for a preview of tonight's lineup.

Looking ahead, IPO - Chicago 2024 will wrap things up at Montrose Saloon this weekend with a six-band showcase on Friday night, and a pair of six-packs (afternoon, and evening) on Saturday. All acts scheduled for Friday are from Chicago unless otherwise noted.

Friday night will kick off with Dolph Chaney And The Phins, most likely playing songs from his latest album Mug. “Californiagain,” the first single, showcases Chaney’s ability to inject humor into guitar-driven, catchy pop songs. He was also a major player on the “Airwave Hello” single recently released by power pop super group The Electromagnates. Custard Flux is an ambitious prog rock project from Gregory Curvey, who is well known for his years with the prog rock band The Luck Of Eden Hall. He’ll perform six of the adventurous songs from his latest album Einsteinium Delirium, including “Right Now Here In Time” and “Peace In Time.” On his Bandcamp page, Curvey states, “This album is a little different than our first four albums. It’s no holds barred electric!” It’s always fun when out-of-town visitors come to Chicago for International Pop Overthrow, and with a high energy album like This Time Next Year . . ., San Francisco garage rockers The Seagulls are certainly welcome. The quartet states their “hook-laden sound draws from S. London,” which might explain why “Coraline” has an energetic ska feel. Other tracks, like “Sunday Afternoon Drinking” and “Big Bad Beautiful World,” offer an overpowering blend of guitars, drums, and organ.

Penthouse Sweets is the first of two bands performing this night that include Montrose Saloon boss Eric Chial in their lineups. (He’s also a founding member of The Bon Mots, who played this past weekend.) They’ve been offering an intriguing blend of country and alt rock during fun and occasionally wild shows on the Chicago rock scene for over 20 years. In The House Of The Penthouse Sweets, the most recent effort among their singles and albums, features gems such as “Shelly Brown” and “Whiskey Winged.” They’ve performed at IPO - Chicago a number of times. Who’s This Mary? define themselves as “celebrated globe-trotting power pop sons” who intend to perform “Britpop powered gems” at Friday’s IPO - Chicago show. Sorry for resorting to quotes, but this is pretty imaginative stuff from their Facebook post. The trio of Niko Twist Action, Tony Long, and Eric Chial specializes in originals and covers of The Cars, The Buzzcocks, and other post-punk and new wave acts. The Pickpockets have two decades of experience playing Brit and American post-punk and indie rock on the Chicago club scene, and released their debut album in 2011. The songs on their 2021 The 1 Dream EP are augmented with horns and strings.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

IPO - Chicago: Thursday

Graphic from The Embryos Facebook page.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 is wrapping up its first weekend tonight with a five-act showcase. See my April 17 BHT post for a full preview.

Moving on, here’s a preview of this coming Thursday night’s lineup. The evening will kick off at 7:30 with Americana singer-songwriter Mark Ripp, former front man for the Canadian roots rock band The Bel-Vistas, and now an accomplished solo artist. His 2022 album All Things Considered Vol 1 offered well-crafted songs with provocative lyrics from various points of view. Ripp is also a member of The Joyful Hope trio, which covers surf rock instrumentals and classic folk songs, along with his original stuff. Golden Richards has played numerous IPO - Chicago gigs, and the power pop group’s 2023 catchy, guitar-driven single “Take A Chance” gave a good indication why. A recent post on the Golden Richards Facebook page promises “a cool new single.” Maybe fans will get a preview this Thursday. Rolling Numbers plan to showcase songs from their two albums, 2023’s Killer Machines and their self-titled 2022 release. The band’s harmony vocals play a major role on melodic songs such as “Best Of Luck” and “Memories Of You.”

Soulful singer-guitarist Brian Krumm has played a steady stream of gigs (including ones in Nashville and New York) with His Barfly Friends band since the release of his debut solo effort Just Fade Away on Pravda Records last June. Standout tracks include the title track and “Back In My Old Neighborhood.” Krumm is definitely familiar with Montrose Saloon, having completed a 19-show residency there last November. As the title of their 2021 album National Absurdatory suggests, The Embryos view life through satiric glasses. That album had plenty of highlights, and their recently released single “Desiree,” a country and western weeper (but still clever), is a preview of a new album to come later this year.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

IPO - Chicago: Wednesday

Don’t panic, Ralph’s just having fun. Photo from the Ralph Covert Facebook page.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 got off to a rousing start at Montrose Saloon last night, with each act having the luxury of performing to a full house. That’s how new fans are made. The nine days of rock and power pop fun continues with afternoon and evening showcases today. Check out my April 16 BHT post for a rundown of all today’s IPO - Chicago acts.

Moving ahead a bit, here’s a look at the acts that will be performing on Wednesday, April 24. I suspect IPO Founder David Bash wanted to make things a bit quirky for this midway-through-the-festival lineup. It sure looks interesting. Unless otherwise noted, the following acts are from the Chicago area. 

Singer-songwriter Rob Schulz will be the first act up to the plate, at 7:30 pm. He’s performed at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago numerous times, and he’s also known for his Wrigleyville solo acoustic gigs at Merkle’s Bar and Grill during the baseball season. Schulz has a knack for putting political and social satire to catchy melodies, especially on his 2022 album Tragedy And Comedy. Olympia, WA actor/singer-songwriter Andras Jones recorded five albums with a variety of bands, and has worked with Spearhead, Rickie Lee Jones, Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, and other well-known recording artists. He has a brand new album with the intriguing title Recognize, De-escalate and De-code, and it’s likely he’ll promote it at IPO - Chicago. Ralph Covert has found success creating catchy and clever songs with The Bad Examples, and offering fun musical lessons to kids via Ralph’s World. I’m not sure what he has planned for his Ralph Covert And Panic at The Costco IPO - Chicago gig, but rest assured, it will be worth seeing.

Named after founding member Jerry Schwartz, The Jerrys have been creating Anglo-influenced, guitar-driven pop since releasing their debut album in 2001. They’ll follow their 2022 release Ready Or Not with an album of cover tunes in the near future. The Unswept, a Chicago power pop band that brings catchy songs and a bit if British humor to each performance, recently released a nine-track live album. Highlights include a cover of Marshall Crenshaw’s “Cynical Girl” and originals such as “Got Lucky” and “Try To Forget You.” The Unswept has several fun releases available on their Bandcamp page.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow - Chicago website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

Slumgullion

Photo from the official Pearl Jam Facebook page.

Today brings the release of Pearl Jam’s 12th album, Dark Matter. Even at first listen, it’s an impressive effort that offers hard-hitting, emotionally charged tracks such as “Scared Of Fear,”  “React, Respond,” and “Running.”

Congratulations to Squeeze on selling out the majority of their 50th Anniversary shows in the U.K. Well done, lads.

“Time To Let Some Light In,” the first single from singer-songwriter Steve Dawson’s upcoming album Ghosts, is now available to download on Bandcamp. Dawson has described this well-crafted Americana song as having gone through various changes on its way to a more positive message. Ghosts is due out June 7.

“February Sky,” a brand new song from Ringo Starr’s Crooked Boy EP, is now available to  download from various streaming sites. The physical EP, on black and white marble vinyl, will be available exclusively as part of tomorrow’s Record Store Day releases.

The entire list of this year’s limited-edition vinyl offerings is available on the official Record Store Day website. It’s highly recommended that you have your wishlist made out before you approach the counter at your favorite record store. Don’t stand there and dither. Once again, the selection has something to entice fans of just about every genre and era. Here’s a sampling of recording artists involved: Cannonball Adderley; Chet Baker; The Beatles; David Bowie; Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas; Alex Chilton; Nat King Cole; The Cure;  De La Soul; The English Beat; George Harrison; Howlin’ Wolf; Ian Hunter; Chris Isaak; Elton John; John Lennon, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Marty Stuart; Willie Nelson; Delores O’Riordan; OMD; Paramore; Charlie Parker; Parliament; Pearl Jam; Public Enemy; Queen; Queen Latifah; Ramones; The Replacements; The Roches; The Rolling Stones; Sonny Rollins; Linda Ronstadt; Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson; Siouxsie And The Banshees; Sleater-Kinney; Sonic Youth; Sparks; Donna Summer; Sun Ra; Supergrass; Talking Heads; T. Rex; U2, The Who; Wilco; The Yardbirds; Yes and Frank Zappa. There are tons more I didn’t mention, as well as a number of interesting various artists compilations.

Long-time Chicago-based rock musician Michael Steven Cohen has been specializing in classic tunes from The Great American Songbook lately, and he’ll perform Friday Night Love Songs tonight at Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights. The romance begins at 7:00 pm. Cohen will be part of next Saturday’s afternoon IPO - Chicago showcase.

Chicago radio station WXRT will broadcast a Bob Marley And The Wailers performance recorded live at The Quiet Knight venue in Chicago in 1975 as part of its Friday Night Archives series. The broadcast starts at 9:00 pm. WXRT is available via the Audacy app.

The first six-act showcase of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 starts tonight at 7:30 pm at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. Alpine Subs; We The Cats; Phil Angotti; The Spindles; The 321’s, and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club will perform. Starting this past Monday, I’ve been posting showcase previews for each event. As of today, I’m up to and including Tuesday, April 23. Keep an eye out for more.

The Zombies have released a collection of five one-take demos titled less is more on Spotify and Apple Music.

 

Tellin’ Tales Theatre in Chicago will present Diversity: Real Life Stories, its latest production of solo performances by artists, writers, and advocates with disabilities on the weekend of April 26, 27, 28, at Greenhouse Theater Center.

Usually when my wife Pam and I visit Long Grove, IL, it’s for the cafes and restaurants, but we also check out the stores. There used to be a lot more retail options there, so we’re always happy to hear things are picking up. Three movies have been filmed there in the past few years, with the latest still in progress. Also, according an article by Chloe Hilles in today’s Chicago Tribune, Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove has been drawing lots of customers with its Taylor Swift-inspired blonde ale 13th Poet. They posted an update on Facebook just a few hours ago regarding their selling out the first batch: “Given the response and demand, we decided this morning to scale up our small batch operations to be able to have a SECOND RELEASE of The 13th Poet on tap May 10 for 2024 BCB Maifest. This release will be draft-only. No growler fills.”

Journalist-musician Hugh Hart has passed along the sad news that vocalist Jo Dare has died. She was probably best known for sharing lead vocals with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury on the 1985 single “Hold On.” Judging from a post on the Freddie Mercury and Queen Facebook page, Mercury was quite impressed with her powerful voice. Before moving to Germany, where she met Mercury, the Texas native spent time in Chicago as a member of Hart’s The ODD alternative rock band. Back then, she was known as Jo Jackson. Rock In Paradise, Jo.

Writing Day Workshops will offer an in-person conference on June 22 in downtown Chicago. I’ve attended this event a number of times, and have really appreciated the seminars, as well as having the opportunity to schedule a 10-minute pitch to literary agents. There will be Workshops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, and other cities, as well as a few online versions.

As someone who’d love to get my rock and roll/paranormal romance novel published some day and then see it adapted to film, I was fascinated with Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper’s review of the new movie The Greatest Hits. It’s the story of a young woman who gets transported back in time whenever she hears a rock song that brings back memories of her recently deceased boyfriend. Roeper says it features a variety of recordings by current artists, including Roxy Music and Nelly Furtado. He gave it three stars.

The Bad Examples, the Chicago band that specializes in clever and melodic songs reminiscent of Squeeze and XTC, has a show tomorrow night at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights.

The Webstirs, another Chicago band that’s quite often catchy and humorous, will share a bill with at Milhous and Spoonbenders at Beat Kitchen next Wednesday, April 24. 

Northeastern Illinois University radio station WZRD Chicago 88.3 will celebrate 50 years of offering freeform radio with a free of charge party at Martyrs on May 4. There will be live music by Cosmic Bull, Silver Abuse, Sons of Ra, and Charlie Otto. Martyrs’ is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The Neverly Brothers 20th Anniversary Tour will bring them to the Beverly Arts Center on May 4. It’s located at 2407 W. 111th Street - Chicago, IL. The trio provides a history of rock music dating back to the 1950s by performing artists such as Buddy Holly, The Beatles, and The Kinks.

It’s safe to assume tickets are going fast for the Paul Weller + Special Guests event taking place on September 15 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. It’s his first US and Canada tour in seven years. Other cities in September will include Brooklyn, Boston, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver. After visiting North America, Weller heads back across the pond for a UK Autumn Tour. It would be great if he also played some material from his days with The Style Council and The Jam. His new guitar-driven single “Soul Wandering” is now available on streaming sites, and a full-length album titled 66 is due out May 24.

Chicago fans of offbeat theatre will likely enjoy Theatre Wit’s current production of Nick Robideau’s play Inanimate, which runs through May 4. The play concerns a young woman who’s fallen in love with a neon sign. Theatre Wit, which is located at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue on the north side, describes the Jeremy Wechsler-directed Inanimate as “the best (and only!) objectum-sexual dramedy of the year.” J.G. Smith stars in the lead role.

This year’s Skokie Backlot Bash will be held on the weekend of August 23-25 in Skokie, IL. The lineup will be Arrested Development, Big Wade And Black Swan Theory, Tonic, Woolworthy, Tributosaurus Become The Kinks Part 2, and Thrift Store Halo.

Chicago-based power pop veterans Thrift Store Halo’s now has a cover band side project named Uncle Boogie. Fans can check it out when Uncle Boogie performs at the alliteratively named Lizard’s Liquid Lounge tomorrow night. I’ve never heard of this venue before, but from the photos on its website, it looks pretty cool. It’s located at 3058 W. Irving Park Road.

The Sound And Vision exhibit, which features artwork by well-know artist-musicians, is now open and will run through April 21 at Mad.Kat Gallery in Rancho Mirage, CA. Participants include Joan Baez, Jon Langford, Penelope Houston, Juliana Hatfield, and Steve Wynn.

The 40th Annual Latino Film Festival will wrap up its run this Monday, April 22.

The very first Off North Shore Skokie Music Festival will be held on the Skokie Sports Park on June 21 and 22. Scheduled performers include Mike Campbell and Dirty Knobs; Larkin Poe; The Bones Of J.R. Jones; and The Empty Pockets on day one; and Grace Potter; Donavon Frankenreiter; Jaime Wyatt; and JC Brooks Band on the second night.

Louise Post from Veruca Salt has kicked off a four-city tour to promote her Sleepwalker solo album. She’ll be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on Tuesday, April 23.

The Reader Best Of Chicago celebration will take place next Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Lincoln Park Zoo. There will be live entertainment and performances by some of the award winners, as well as food and beverage vendors and other activities.

Bernie Williams is best known as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, but he’s also familiar to Chicago sports fans and music lovers for his guitar playing at a few Hot Stove Cool Music charity events staged by The Foundation To Be Named Later at Metro. So it was nice to discover Williams will be performing with the New York Philharmonic’s spring gala at the Lincoln Center on next Wednesday, April 24. Knock it out of the park, Bernie. 

 

007 Science: Inventing The World Of James Bond, a new exhibit that views the popular spy movies from an intellectual but still fun perspective, opened recently at Chicago’s Museum Of Science And Industry, and will run through October 27.

Happy Birthday to my younger brother Bill, who was probably the first person to share my joy of buying records. We even had out own make-believe radio station. Well, I did. He was normal.

IPO -Chicago: Tuesday Night Schedule

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts tonight (Friday, April 19) at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. See the first post I did on April 15 (there were two that day) for a preview of tonight’s lineup.

The festival continues at Montrose Saloon through April 27, with several acts scheduled to perform. Here’s a look at next Tuesday night’s showcase. All of the Tuesday night acts are from Chicago.

Singer-guitarist Billy Nixon will get things rocking and rolling at 7:30 pm, backed by his full band (he sometimes does acoustic solo gigs). Nixon’s October 2023 album Late Fees, like his 2021 effort C’mon Let’s Rattle, evokes sock hops and malt shoppes with catchy and fun arrangements. “Make My Way To Memphis” and “Tears Won’t Come” are particularly well done. Five-member band Secret Forest Service crafts its own style of indie-pop by adding a bit of alt country and 1980s elements. “We’ll Break The Wall” and other tracks from their Animal Mineral Digital album have been getting airplay on CHIRP radio. Singer-songwriter Packy Lundholm’s rare solo appearance will find him exploring originals he doesn’t often perform. He recently reworked his first effort American Soccer, and it’s now available.

The Mark Watson Band has done well on the Chicago club scene with an energetic power pop approach that draws on Cheap Trick and Fountains Of Wayne. Their song “When Two Still Feels Alone” was included on the impressive 2021 Big Blast Records compilation The Big Singles Vol.1. Modern Daybreak released their first single “Piece Of Mind” last summer, kicking off their goal of creating catchy rock with a supportive vibe. They released the Music For Love EP a month later, and put out the more rock-oriented single “Wake Up” this past February.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

IPO - Chicago: Start The Week Rocking

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts this Friday night at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side and will continue at that venue through April 27. Here’s a preview of the five-act showcase taking place on Monday, April 22. Most of the acts involved are local, although there are some out-of-state visitors.

Monday’s showcase starts with Windsor, Ontario native KtG, who is also known as Kait the Great. Her catchy techno rock is delivered with various nuances and moods, from the satiric “Wish I Knew” to the slinky “Gravity.” The atmospheric “Middle Of The Night” from her second album Realitease finds her at her best. Singer-guitarist Hannah Frank has become an IPO - Chicago regular with a repertoire that includes original acoustic compositions such as “Mad Girl’s Diary” and “Is You Mine,” along with unexpected covers such as the 1939 tune “Comes Love.” Her 15 Horses album, originally recorded in 2015, was mixed and updated for a 2023 release. The group Bur released its three-song EP No Brainer late last year as a follow-up to their impressive 2022 album We Are Bur. Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jeremy Kush and bassist Colin Burns continue to impress with their engaging harmonies, and the emphasis remains on ornate pop and guitar-driven rock.

Indie rock quartet The Braymores offer three easy going, melodic songs on their Talking To Trees EP. Their most recent gig was as part of triple bill at Reggies Chicago in February. Monday night’s showcase wraps up with A.M. Slingers, who’ve been performing at Montrose Saloon and other Chicago venues over the past few years. Their music, creatively self-described as “Slashing treble bites hard on bone, plus the choruses of power pop and grit-infused rock,” has been played on CHIRP Radio and the Power Pop Shoppe radio program.

An IPO - Chicago Doubleheader

Members of The Artist Formally Known As Vince get along well together.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts this Friday night at Montrose Saloon and will continue at the north side venue through April 27. Most of the acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors. Sunday brings a six-act afternoon showcase and a five-act evening showcase, separated by a short break.

The first set kicks off at 2:00 pm with country-rock singer-songwriter Miles Maxwell, who’ll be drawing from his 2018 album Red Ghost and several singles he’s released since then. Montrose Saloon regulars Brother Derek are back for another IPO - Chicago performance after making their festival debut last year. Their 2022 album Parade Rest finds them taking a satirical point of view while exploring various genres. Otter Petter have been crafting melodic and guitar-driven pop for 15 years, with their latest recording being the single “Movies.” They’re long-time favorites at IPO - Chicago. 

Kerosene Stars have been releasing albums since their self-titled 2014 effort, and they released a pair of new singles in 2023. “A Pretty Good Year” puts optimistic sentiment to a guitar-driven, power pop arrangement. Half Catholic looks to be making their IPO - Chicago debut this year, and they have a 2023 album titled Art In Heaven to promote. The TAFKAVINCE Band, also known as The Artist Formally Known As Vince, has been entertaining Chicago area audiences with fun, freewheeling rock for years. They recently released the two song EP February, and “Magazine,” a track from their 2023 album A Problematic Opera was voted as one of The Top Ten Glam Rock Songs Of 2023 by listeners of Elastic Glam Radio.

The Sunday evening showcase will start just a few hours later with Rollo Time, a band that’s equally impressive with the psychedelic rock of “12-17” and the Who-inspired “Spider In The Hole.” Their most recent single, “One Thing,” came out just about a year ago. Einstein’s Sister has previous experience performing at IPO showcases in Chicago and Los Angeles. Their Exit Strategies EP, which came out last November, was chosen as a favorite release of 2023 by Davenport, Iowa’s River Cities Reader publication. Big Stir Records artists Blake Jones And The Trike Shop hail from Fresno, CA and have often participated in the label’s power pop showcases.

Singer-guitarist Tim Kish has performed with Swingset and other bands in the state of Michigan. He recently released his debut album Drawn To Life, and has a knack for creating mind-altering videos for his indie rock songs. Chicago band Satellite Union draws on classic rock of years past for melodic and guitar-powered songs such as “Dirt Road” and “Leave My Heart.”

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.