Slumgullion #53

I’ve mentioned The Second Disc before, but it really is worth signing up to receive regular updates from this reissues-obsessed blog. An email I received yesterday immediately caught my attention with an opening line that proclaimed, “It’s Hollies-mania all over again!” The reason for this excitement is a new crop of Hollies-related reissues and box sets. The Second Disc reports that April 19th will see the release of a vinyl box set of the band’s rarities, as well as the Lost Recordings And Beat Rarities CD box set on the Sundazed label. Hollies fans can also look for vinyl reissues of the 1966 Imperial albums, Beat Group and Bus Stop. BGO Records is also set to release a disc that combines the 1964 release Here I Go Again with the 1965 release Hear! Here! The Second Disc has also recently provided news on reissues by Neil Diamond, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Beach Boys’ long lost SMiLE album.

Singer Cliff Johnson and his current band will be digging into the Off Broadway treasure chest of power pop gems for an Off Broadway Redux gig scheduled at the Nitecap Lounge on April 2nd. Johnson will be performing some of his newer stuff as well. The Nitecap Lounge is located at 5007 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago. The show starts at 9:30.

Tres-Tres, a new band on the Chicago scene, has just released its debut effort, Romantic Propaganda. The group describes its music as power pop for moderns, and the consistently clever lyrics are packed with references to several high-tech devices. The well-polished vocals and arrangements call to mind The Outfield, but at times they’re a bit too commercial for my tastes. “Holly Says Go,” a fun tale about hanging out with trendy gal whose hot looks get her into any club she wants, and the catchy “Ashley Chase” are the best tracks. Romantic Propaganda definitely sounds like a hit record, but I’d like Tres-Tres more if they threw out the rule book and played a little rougher.

A trio of improv groups at The Playground Theater are plenty excited about the second annual Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, also known as C2E2. On Friday, March 18th, The Fling, International Stinger, and The Tweet Life will be aiming for an entire evening’s worth of laughs “dedicated to and inspired by the awesomeness that is C2E2.” The Tweet Life’s performance will be based on the Twitter musings of comic book writer Warren Ellis. The show kicks off at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the BYOB event are $10. The Playground Theater is offering visitors to its website a chance to win weekend passes to C2E2.

Most of the visitors to The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, which is coming to the West Building at McCormick Place March 18th - 20th, will probably stop by the Tonner exhibit. The company makes lifelike dolls and figures of celebrities, and has hit on an interesting method for getting the word out about its products. It’s now possible to become Facebook friends with Andy Mills, Cami Malone, and Jonquil Parker - - a trio of impeccably dressed dolls who hang out in Manhattan; seeing the latest hit musicals, visiting museums, and planning elegant social events. If you don’t mind inanimate objects having more fun than you ever do, you might want to Like them on Facebook.

WXRT DJ Tom Marker posted a blog on the station’s website this week with the news that Garbage may be planning to release a CD of new material within the coming months. A new tune called “The Hunger,” featuring Garbage front woman Shirley Manson on vocals, is available on iTunes, with the profits going to help Amnesty International. The song is from the musical Prometheus Bound.

Thomas Conner, the Sun-Times music critic noted in yesterday’s edition that this year’s Ravinia schedule leans heavily toward pleasing Baby Boomers. Several classic rock acts will be performing, including Robert Plant, Deep Purple, The Moody Blues, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Peter Frampton, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The most intriguing date for me is the double bill of The Go-Go’s and The B-52’s. When last heard from, The Go-Go’s had aborted a farewell tour last year due to a Jane Wiedlin injury. I'm wondering if the Ravinia date is part of a new swan song, or if the girls have decided to stick around for a while. Here’s hoping it’s the latter.

James Moeller and Carla Hayden, founders of Black Forest Theatre as well as members of the WhiteWolfSonicPrincess alt-rock band, have unveiled a new venture dubbed Black Forest Design. The company will provide clients with website design, web application development, graphic arts, and other services. For more information, send an email to jamesblackforest@yahoo.com

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is selling new t shirts and mugs to help promote the 2011 Inductees. This year’s ceremony, honoring Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darlene Love, and Tom Waits, will be held on March 14th at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The show will be broadcast on Fuse.

Slumgullion # 30

At least two people like this album.

Long Live Garage Rock. I’m having a Rock & Roll Garage Sale this weekend, specifically timed to align with the Downtown Palatine Street Fest, which is taking place about a block away from my house. I’m selling CDs, vinyl, publications, and cassettes. I placed an ad in the local paper, listed my event on CraigsList, and posted signs around the neighborhood. Business was sporadic today, but I made enough to cover the ad, with a little left over. Whatever I make tomorrow will add to my profit margin.

After hustling to get all my merchandise outside for the 8AM grand opening, I sat alone for over an hour before anyone stopped by. Having the sale felt a bit like entertaining guests, as I talked with people about various bands, past work experiences, and various other topics. One young woman asked if I had any Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd stuff. I said I had Pink Floyd stuff inside, but it wasn’t for sale. She explained that she needed to find two more albums and then she would have everything Pink Floyd put out on vinyl. When I mentioned I had a friend who was the biggest Pink Floyd fan in the world, she just laughed and said, “Wanna bet?” Hopefully, there will be more conversations and sales tomorrow. So far, the Street Fest doesn’t seem to be helping sales, though.

Hollus Happenings. Hollus might be rocking out at the Martyrs’ club as you’re reading this. The Chicago-based band is part of a four-act Booze Rock showcase tonight that also includes The Dirty Rooks, The Delta Routine, and Thunderbird Kingsley. The music starts at 9PM. Hollus will be following up on its impressive Joker And The Queen CD by releasing a pair of EPs. Part One drops in November, with a TBA release show planned for late October.

Can’t Stop The World. After selling out the first installment of her first Lady Robitika comic book, Jane Wieldlin now has a second one on the way, titled, Of G Strings and Galaxies. Her Facebook page says it should be available at your local comic store.

They Say It’s His Birthday. Black Forest will be hosting a tribute to John Lennon to celebrate what would have been his 70th birthday, and is seeking performers to play his music. The songs can be from Lennon’s solo repertoire, or his earlier work with The Beatles. The show will be held from 8:00 to 10:30PM on October 9th at the Black Forest space at 512 Kedzie in Evanston. Contact James Moeller at jamesblackforest@yahoo.com for information.

Beatles By The Books. The Niles Public Library has an entire month of Beatles related fun on tap, including screenings of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on September 18th, and A Hard Day’s Night on September 21st. There will be a Beatles Rock Band Tournament on September 19th, and on September 22nd, photographer Jorie Gracen will discuss her experiences with Paul McCartney. Walter Podrazik, who was recently on hand at the Fest For Beatles Fans in Rosemont, will host a Beatles Trivia Challenge on September 26th, and The Threetles, a trio comprised of musicians Eric Howell, Michael Mahler, and Frank Canino, will celebrate John Lennon’s birthday on October 9th with a live performance. WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert will serve as MC for an Invitation Only Beatles Art Show and Closing Ceremony on October 15th. All of the artists who submit displayed artwork will be eligible to attend, and there will also be a drawing for anyone who comes to the library to vote for a special People’s Choice award.

On With The Show!

I was a writer/performer with the Famous In The Future comedy group for 20 years before leaving to pursue other interests about a year and a half ago. The others continue to roll along, and we remain friends. I plug their occasional shows, usually when they’re teaming up with Black Forest Theatre. In less than a month, FIF will be playing at Abbie Fest XXII at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre.

Today, I’m plugging my own comedic endeavors. My wife Pam and I have created a series called Manchester Gallery, which can be seen on Jeff Kelley’s Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff Internet show. I play Terrence, the devious and inept curator of a pop culture museum who lies about all the items he’s displaying. Kelley and I have developed a mutual admiration for each other’s comedic styles, so we decided that he would direct a sketch that I had written.

We got together this past Saturday, along with Dave Metzger, who had done so well in a previous Manchester Gallery, and Karen Yashon-Brown, a talented comic actress who had performed with Famous In The Future for over 10 years. We taped a skit called The Cancelers that I had written and performed with FIF a few years ago. We also taped an episode of Manchester Gallery, with Karen playing the museum’s Director of Public Relations; Dave reprising his role of a victimized button collector from the earlier episode; and Jeff doing a cameo.

Everything went extremely well, and it looks like we’ll be taping more sketches in the future. It was a kick performing with Karen again, and she really brought her character to life. Manchester Gallery has had a few running jokes and story lines involving Terrence getting into more and more hot water, and within the next few episodes, they’ll all be resolved. I’m not sure if there will be a season or series finale. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing and performing Manchester Gallery, and being part of the fun and eclectic Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff lineup. So I’m hesitant to abandon it. I’m hoping for inspiration for a new series.

In the meantime, check out Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. In addition to having Manchester Gallery every other week, it has enjoyable features like On The Road With Willy, The News With Mark, Anklebone Stories, Cinema Cheese, vintage clips, and Jeff’s commentary.

BlackforestPalooozzzaaa!

Photo of James Moeller and Carla Hayden from Hayden's Facebook page.

As Pitchfork Music Festival and Lilith Fair prepare to lock horns in the Chicago area this Saturday, James Moeller and Carla Hayden of Black Forest Theatre are spreading the word about their first ever BlackforestPalooozzzaaa, which takes place on the same day. Kicking off at noon, it’s a free, DIY multi-media event spread across a few locations in Evanston.

“We have a little storefront space in Evanston and we’re trying to create a local scene by inviting in a bunch of cool acts to perform,” Moeller said of BlackforestPalooozzzaaa in a recent e-mail. “It’s a party, a scene, a happening where everyone is welcome!”

The fun includes music, comedy, and meditation, as well as a BYOB and BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) backyard barbecue at 746 Hinman. I’m assuming it’s BYOVS (Bring Your Own Vegetarian Substitute) as well. Attendees can get a free acupuncture treatment at the nearby Acupuncture Access if they mention “BlackforestPalooozzzaaa.” Call for an appointment at 847-312-1797 or just drop by 915 Elmwood between noon and 3:00 PM.

Surprisingly, Black Forest itself won’t be offering one of its charmingly offbeat theatrical productions at the fest. But the multi-faceted Moeller and Hayden will be on stage performing a half hour set with their alternative band WhiteWolfSonicPrincess at 9:30 PM. Moeller is also a guitarist-singer with the garage rock band The Telepaths, who’ll perform at 5:00PM.

The live entertainment portion of the fest, held at Black Forest’s space at 512 Kedzie, will get underway at 4:15PM, as John Dalton sings the National Anthem. Cynthia Marchant, Cory Hance, Peter Demuth, and Joe Lapsley will be doing solo acoustic sets. Hance will also be doing some stand-up comedy. John & the Deerfield Boys, pysch-folk Hannah Frank Trio; Bad Burrito; and 1960s rock specialist Mr. Mo are also on the eclectic schedule.

Famous In The Future, a comedy group I performed with for 2000 years, will be offering a musical set at 8:40 PM. Dave Drazin, a former FIF member who has since become a highly respected silent film photoplay pianist (see Elevated Observations column), will be reuniting with the group for this set.

“We're performing four songs with Dave on piano, two newer and two older,” founding member Frank Carr explained in an e-mail. The two older tunes, “Mr. Beauvais” and “Stop That Guy,” are Drazin compositions; Carr and cast member Desiree Burcum each wrote one of the other two.

Famous In The Future and Black Forest are veterans of the annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Sins festival, which has been held at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre for over 20 years. Hopefully, BlackforestPalooozzzaaa will capture that same creative and cooperative spirit that the Abbie exudes.

“We hope to fill up the space with positive vibes and coolness,” Moeller said of the living room ambience of the Black Forest HQ. Or as the BlackforestPalooozzzaaa poster states, “Unchain your heart. Open your head. Energy is Eternal Delight!”

Slumgullion #6

Photo taken from Sarah McLachlan's website.

It's late Friday night, and metaphorically speaking, the dirty pots and pans are in the sink, the stove is covered with spills and stains, and the kitchen has a strange, but not altogether unpleasant fragrance. All of which can only mean one thing: another serving of that exotic stew of entertainment happenings, Slumgullion.

There Will Be Songs To Sing The pond in our back yard is only now starting to thaw, and it will be at least a month before migrating birds start dropping by on their way back up north. But there has already been a flood of reports on the music festivals that will be coming to the Chicago area this summer. In addition to highly anticipated announcements about Lollapalooza, Ravinia and Pitchfork, there was the welcome surprise that Lilith Fair is coming back. Created by Sarah McLachlan, Terry McBride, Dan Fraser, and Marty Diamond in 1997, Lilith Fair lasted for three years. The tours were billed as celebrations of women in music, and according to Wikipedia, raised 10 million dollars for various charities. Toward the end of last year, McBride announced that Lilith Fair would be reborn in the summer of 2010. Like its predecessors, the new version finds McLachlan joined by female musicians and female-fronted bands from several genres, including The Go-Go’s and The Bangles; Loretta Lynn, Kelly Clarkson and Martina McBride; Cat Power, Metric, and Gossip; and Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu. The Indigo Girls, Heart, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, and Colbie Caillat have also signed on. Lilith Fair 2010 has stops scheduled in several cities, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Boston, Dallas, and Nashville. It’s not clear yet if all of these artists will perform in each city, but it would be a tremendous festival if they did. Lilith Fair is also conducting a Local Talent Search for new artists who would like to join these impressive headliners in concert.

Famous In The Forest Black Forest Theatre is offering a double bill of “comedy and weirdness” on March 20th at its brand new space at 512 Kedzie in Evanston. Black Forest, led by Carla Hayden and James Moeller, will perform its own avant garde piece, The Wig. Famous In The Future, the sketch comedy group I wrote and performed with for 20 years, will perform a revue titled Loose Animals. I believe that’s the revue FIF (Frank Carr, Desiree Burcum, Michael Hora and Tina Teske) did at last year’s Abbie Hoffman Festival at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre (See August under Archives). As I said last summer, it would be impossible for me to write an unbiased critique of Loose Animals, but I did think my old mates offered some funny takes on current topics. Hayden and Moeller will be performing with their band WhiteWolfSonicPrincess at the Elbo Room on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago on April 2nd. I caught a WWSP gig at Goose Island Brewery a few weeks back, and the new lineup is looking good.

The Story On Story Week Columbia College will be sponsoring Story Week from March 14th through 19 at its Film Row Cinema and other venues around Chicago. Subtitled a Festival Of Writers, it will include readings, panel discussions, performances, and signings. In addition to guests like Joyce Carol Oates and Achy Obejas, Story Week will hold a special Literary Rock & Roll: Rock The Genre night with writers Aleksander Hemon, Bonnie Jo Campbell, and Marcus Sakey. There will be a performance by Bread & Puppet Theater, and music provided by DJ/Metro owner Joe Shanahan and DJ Don De Grazia. Call 312-369-7611 for more information.

Abbie Fest Aftermath

Photo by Gavin Robinson, taken from Mary-Arrchie Facebook Photo Album

Mary-Arrchie Theatre presented Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins XXI over the past weekend, and this annual festival showed no signs of losing steam. Having only seen a fraction of the performances this year, it’s hard to make a fully informed assessment, but the opening ceremonies on Friday literally set the stage for what was to follow. Audience members clapped, stamped their feet, and whooped it up in anticipation of Artistic Directory Richard Cotovsky’s arrival in the persona of Abbie Hoffman. His political ranting, flavored with a touch of stand-up comedy and delivered from a makeshift soapbox, was highly entertaining.

Team Venture Productions had the difficult task of following this mayhem. Just Us Two, their gentle sci-fi comedy about two socially awkward virgins being whisked off to populate another planet, won over the audience with appealing performances from its cast.

The Plagiarists have a well-deserved reputation at the fest for intellectually stimulating comedy, and their new parody American Stage Sessions was both clever and laugh out loud funny. This is a group that bears watching closely, as they engage in several sight gags.

Bruised Orange’s show I Saw You fell somewhere between improv and sketch comedy as the group drew inspiration from the classified section of The Chicago Reader. It wasn’t clear if these were actual or fictional ads, or if the cast members had seen the ads before bringing them to life, but the results were very funny.

The cast of Red Ink Theatre showed their singing and dancing chops as they reeled off a series of provocative songs and sketches about our current president’s effect on the country in their revue Obama Nation. Their material brought laughs at the expense of liberals as well as conservatives.

Mary-Arrchie Theatre performs Gas Mask 101, a politically-charged comedy set at Southern Illinois University during the Viet Nam War, every year, and this goofy and touching play is a welcome Abbie Fest tradition.

On the Fest’s second day, my old comedy group Famous In The Future surprised me by going back to basics with its all new revue Loose Animals rather than performing the more elaborate song and dance routines of recent years. Much of the material was driven by current events, featuring sketches about animal rights and the slow economy. As an FIF cast member for several years, I can’t give an unbiased critique, so I’ll simply say I enjoyed the show.

Black Forest’s performance of their original piece The Drugs, which was inspired by David Bowie’s Low album, found James Moeller dressed in a long black coat and Carla Hayden decked out in a white pants suit. The imaginative and funny show included Moeller’s guitar playing and a blast of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” on the sound system.

The Mary-Arrchie's crew of actors and actresses, more accustomed to performing onstage than selling tickets, did a super job of keeping things running smoothly. Pictures and more information on this year’s Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins can be found on the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s website (www.maryarrchie.com). Also check out the blog http://jimmydumpssunnyjimmy.blogspot.com/

Album Review: White Wolf Sonic Princess - This Car Available

photo from White Wolf Sonic Princess MySpace page

White Wolf Sonic Princess is comprised of Carla Hayden and Jimmy M., who also founded the avant garde theater group Black Forest some years ago. In live performances, they’re often backed by other musicians, but on This Car Available, a digital album for sale on iTunes, it’s pretty much Carla on vocals and percussion, and Jimmy on vocals, guitar, bass, and percussion. They drift through 13 indie rock songs like a couple of hipsters.

In many ways, White Wolf Sonic Princess is a natural progression from the duo’s theater group. In recent years, Black Forest’s shows have morphed into multi-media affairs that combine drama with live music and film. Even when you weren’t sure what was going on in a Black Forest production, Carla and Jimmy’s engaging stage presence and clever dialogue pulled you in. This Car Available likewise offers consistently fun and imaginative word play, usually set to slinky, sparse arrangements. Carla does most of the singing, affecting a seductive drawl on the title track, while crooning beautifully on the acoustic “Surfer Boy From Illinois,” which also features Bacchus Blue on harmonica. Jimmy sings lead on the funny “My Baby’s In The CIA” as well as the Hollywood satire “Elston Gunn Is Banished From Eden,” a song taken from a Black Forest play. “Behind Closed Eyes” is the most theatrical track on This Car Available, spinning spiritual imagery via Carla’s spoken word delivery and a jazz arrangement.

Carla Hayden and Jimmy M. can be seen at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival, as Black Forest presents its newest production, The Drugs, on Saturday, August 15th at 7:50PM and Sunday, August 16th, at 3:45PM.