Slumgullion #104

Hollies graphic from the band’s official website.

I Want You To Watch This. Cheap Trick fans in the Chicago area can catch the band performing on the PBS program, Austin City Limits. It airs tonight (Friday, March 9th) from 8:00 to 9:00 PM on WYCC Channel 20. Also, I've been informed by musician/journalist Dan Pavelich that the concert can be seen on the Austin City Limits website.

Theatre Nebula is in the midst of a three weekend run for its production of Jason Robert Brown’s contemporary musical, Songs For A New World, at Cutting Hall in Palatine. Showtime is 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 3:00 PM on Sunday. The same times hold true for next week’s performances on March 16th-18th.

Speaking of Cutting Hall, the newly-minted, Palatine-based Fremont Street Theater Company will be staging its first production, the musical, Anything Goes, at the venue in August. Auditions begin on May 29th. As noted by Brian Slupski on Palatine Patch, Fremont Street Theater Company is headed by businessman Elroy Sandquist.

Palatine resident Mordecai Smyth has a new video for “Georgina Jones” from his fun and very 1960s-influenced CD, Sticky Tape And Rust. The song is a tribute to Georgina Jones, a daring and sexy 1960s Brit TV heroine. Just kidding about Mr. Smyth being from Palatine. He’s a Londoner who recently teased me on Facebook about sharing my hometown events with rock fans in the UK. He’s still welcome to have tea at my house if he ever does visit Palatine.

I have a feeling Mordecai Smyth would really hit it off with drummer Brad Elvis. In addition to leading the Chicago indie rock band, The Handcuffs, Brad Elvis frequently entertains on Facebook with his quirky sense of humor and vast pop culture knowledge. Recently he’s been posting pics of himself modeling custom-made rock and roll shirts from Cellophane Flowers. They look really cool, especially the one inspired by The Monkees. The Westmont, Illinois company specializes in Beatles-related clothing items, but is up for trying “anything unique.” I couldn’t find a website, (there’s an English band by that name) but Cellophane Flowers does have a page on Facebook.

Congratulations to Chicago’s own synth rockers, Dot Dot Dot, who will mark the fifth anniversary of their very first performance tomorrow with a celebration at the Tilted Kilt in Elgin. And happy birthday to the band’s vocalist-guitarist, Adam.

Chicago-based alt rockers WhiteWolfSonicPrincess are having their CD Release Party for 10 + 1 on April 1st at Red Line Tap from 4:00 - 6:00 PM. Anyone who follows WWSP guitarist-vocalist James Moeller’s freewheeling JimmyDumpsSunnyJimmy blog knows how psyched he is about this new release. Looking forward to hearing the songs.

The Second Disc online newsletter is reporting that The Hollies are set to release a new CD titled Radio Fun sometime in May. The 32-track compilation will feature the band performing live at the BBC throughout the 1960s and ‘70s. Drummer Bobby Elliott wrote the liner notes. Despite the presence of songs like “Bus Stop,” “I Can’t Let,” “I’m Alive,” and “He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother,” Radio Fun isn’t a greatest hits package. It concentrates instead on album tracks and cover versions of other artists. Very fun, indeed.

Michael Quercio, the former lead singer-bassist for the 1980s neo-psychedelic band The Three O’Clock now does a podcast with co-host Lina Litonjua called The Michael Quercio Paisley Underground Consortium every Sunday from 4 to 6 PM. Not sure if that’s Pacific time, but it can be found online.

Speaking of cool podcasts, don’t forget Boris’s Secret Weapon, which can be heard on Woody Radio, on Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; Thursdays from 9:00AM to 5:00 PM; Fridays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Anyone who has ever seen an Elizabeth Swann from The Pirates Of The Caribbean action figure that looks more like Mike Ditka than Keira Knightley will appreciate the celebrity dolls created by artist Noel Cruz. As reported by Amanda Schneider in a recent edition of the online newsletter, Lost At E-Minor, Cruz paints over the faces of celebrity dolls to make them look a hell of a lot more like the actual performers. In fact, his renditions of Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Farrah Fawcett, and the kids from the Twilight movies are so lifelike, they’re almost scary. There’s no mention of prices, but it looks like Cruz puts his dolls up for auction on eBay.

The Hollies: Look Through Any Window 1963 -1975

Note: This DVD review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

The Hollies appeared on countless TV shows back in their heyday but only a few of those performances have surfaced in more recent years, primarily on VH1. The recently released The Hollies: Look Through Any Window 1963 - 1975, which is being billed as the first official documentary on the band, offers 22 songs, along with running commentary from original members Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Allan Clarke, and Bobby Elliott. This is the fifth installment in the critically acclaimed British Invasion series from Eagle Vision/Reelin’ In The Years, with re-transferred, re-mastered footage of the original performances.

All of The Hollies’ biggest hits are included, and the musicians offer some interesting background as to how they were recorded. Elton John was paid £12 to play piano on “He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother;” “Carrie Anne” was a thinly veiled tribute to Marianne Faithful; and “Jennifer Eccles,” with that cloying wolf whistle all The Hollies came to hate, was an overtly commercial reaction to the failure of Nash’s ambitious “King Midas In Reverse” to crack the UK’s Top Ten singles chart. Clarke explains that the delicate ballad, “Wings” was inspired by Neil Young’s “Expecting To Fly.”

At the heart of The Hollies: Look Through Any Window 1963 - 1975 is a ten-minute film created by famed producer George Martin that shows the band recording “On A Carousel” at Abbey Road. It’s bird’s eye view of Nash, Clarke, and Hicks crafting the impeccable three-part harmonies that would eventually earn them a place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Don’t It Always Seem To Go - - -

With all the talk around town about cutting back on the big name acts at Taste Of Chicago, and then tossing Celtic Fest and other formerly stand-alone events into the watered-down mix, it might be a good time to remember ChicagoFest. This 10-day outdoor celebration sprang to life on the lakefront every August, from the late 1970s through 1983. From what I can remember, ChicagoFest was always viewed in some quarters as an extravagance the city could ill afford, but for music fans, it was pure heaven. If one of the current mayoral candidates could figure out a way to bring it back, and make a profit, that would be something worth voting for.

ChicagoFest already had one foot in the grave by the time number VI came around. It had been abandoned by the mayor’s office and shagged from its normal home at Navy Pier (before its transformation into a major tourist attraction) and relocated to Soldier Field (before its transformation into whatever it’s supposed to be now). Still, this Chicago Park District managed version drew an amazing assortment of acts that could be enjoyed for a paltry $8 per day admission.

Rock and roll headliners on the Main Stage that year included Sammy Hagar; Charlie Daniels Band; The Beach Boys; Chicago; The Hollies with Graham Nash; and a Joe Walsh/Cheap Trick double bill that also included The Elvis Brothers. The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Mary Wells performed on opening night, and other Main Stage attractions included Alabama, George Strait and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; and The Impressions featuring Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield.

The Pepsi-Cola Rock Stage offered a mix of local acts like Heavy Manners, Scraps, Bohemia, B.B. Spin, Sirenz, The Kind, Phil ‘N’ The Blanks, and Spooner (actually from Wisconsin), with national acts like Red Rockers and Marshall Crenshaw. The Budweiser Blues ‘N’ Bud WXRT Stage served up the likes of Koko Taylor, Son Seals, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Luther Allison, King Sunny Ade, Corky Siegel Band, Willy Dixon, and Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows. Steve Goodman, Bonnie Koloc, Heartsfield, Doug Kershaw, and Jethro Burns kept things rocking at the Old Style Beer Country Stage, and Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Judy Roberts, The Original Ramsey Lewis Trio, Angela Bofill, and Wynton Marsalis were among the better known acts who performed at the Miller Highlife Jazz Scene. There was also a Vintage Rock Stage that brought in The Turtles, The Buckinghams, The Association, and David Clayton-Thomas.

As an avid Hollies fan, I was thrilled with their performance. A mist rolling in off Lake Michigan gave that night’s performance an added tough of magic as the band played a number of its biggest hits. The Allan Clarke-Graham Nash-Tony Hicks harmonies were perfect, and the concert ended with an extended version of “Long Cool Woman” that included a bit of the old standard “Shakin’ All Over.” Afterward, the crowd was chanting, “Hol-lies, Hol-lies, Hol-lies!”

Each year of ChicagoFest brought another banquet of astounding talent. I can still remember picking up the schedules in record stores, and planning how many nights I would be going. By comparison, Taste Of Chicago, even before its recent downsizing, has always seemed like barely a mouthful.

Black Rock Friday

Beatles guitar pick tins from The Fest For Beatles Fans catalog.

I’d like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who visits this blog. Even if you’re not a U.S. resident, you should still take a moment today to ponder a few things to be grateful for.

I used to get up early on every Thanksgiving so that I could run over to the grocery store before they sold out of their copies of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. On Thanksgiving, these papers are stuffed with flyers advertising bargains for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Now I get both papers delivered. I’ve always found it fascinating to discover what’s currently available in the retail world, even though I’m not one to brave the hectic shopping mall crowds on the day after Thanksgiving. Today’s post is a much more compact, rock and roll oriented shoppers’ guide to what to give or ask for this holiday season.

First up, is The Fest For Beatles Fans 26th Annual Holiday Sale! catalog, which arrived in the mail about a week ago. Billed as the “World’s Largest Beatles Catalogue And Webstore,” it offers just about everything a devotee of John, Paul, George, and Ringo could dream of, from the more obvious items like t shirts, mugs, and figurines, to the more unusual things like cufflinks, bottle openers, lamps, socks, and undies. Sometimes it’s the small things that fascinate me; like a tin with a striking black and white graphic of The Beatles in their Sgt. Pepper garb on the cover, filled with guitar picks.

The only thing that bugs me about The Fest For Beatles Fans catalog is that it’s such an embarrassment of riches for the followers of a single band. I already own five Beatles mugs, three sets of Beatles figurines, and four Beatles t shirts. What if I wanted a Kinks t shirt, or a coffee mug with The Move on it? Mamas & The Papas pajamas or a baseball cap with a Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich logo on it? Status Quo socks? Occasionally, fans can find rock paraphernalia stores in malls that carry a variety of items for several bands, but probably the best place to look is on your favorite band's website.

The Bangles offer a selection of t shirts for men and women on their site, as well as a cap, and two styles of tote bags. The band frequently puts items up for bid on eBay, with the profits going toward some charitable organization. The Hollies have tour books, a cap, and two styles of shirts for sale, along with a few badges. I recently purchased Through The Ages - Volume 1, a scrapbook filled with photographs from drummer Bobby Elliott’s private collection. It’s a Christmas present to myself, so I haven’t opened it yet, but it’s in the same format as the tour books.

Another rock gift idea is the new Live From The Archives Volume 12 from WXRT, which features live performances that have aired on the station over the years. A subscription to Mojo, Q, Rolling Stone, or Shindig would surely be appreciated, and there’s an ad in the latest issue of Shindig for a book called Endless Trip, which pulls together vintage album reviews, illustrations, and color photos of American and Canadian bands from the 1960s and 1970s. It’s published by Foxcote Books, which also published a British version called Galactic Ramble last year. You’ll find plenty of eye-popping posters and framed art of artists like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Led Zeppelin at the Rock Art Show website.

You can do your own Black, or Rock Friday shopping with some energetic web surfing. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and be sure to give the gift of rock.

The New Invaders Celebrate The 1960s

from The New Invaders website

August 2009 brings the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival so now would a perfect time to catch one of the outdoor concerts The New Invaders will be performing around Illinois this summer. The band covers 1960s rock from its early innocent days, through the British Invasion, right on to the politically charged hippie era. All six band members are accomplished singers, which results in airtight harmonies on covers of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds, and The Hollies. Melody Mallin, who initially performed with the band as a frequent guest artist, was rightfully granted full New Invaders membership for her spirited renditions of Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane songs.

In addition to playing well known artists like The Rolling Stones, The Monkees, Herman’s Hermits, The Doors, and Cream, The New Invaders honor lesser known acts, including Crazy Elephant, The Chambers Brothers, The Seeds and The Human Beinz. August dates include Palatine on the 7th, Bensenville on the 12th, Gurnee on the 13th, St. Charles on the 14th, and Wadsworth on the 15th. See the band’s website at www.newinvaders.com for more info.