Slumgullion

Photo of Peter Tork from the Official Peter Tork Facebook page.

First, a salute to Peter Tork, who was born on this day in 1942, and left us in 2019. Far more than a funny character on The Monkees TV show, Tork was well known in the New York and Los Angeles music scenes even before he started acting, and went on to decades-long successful career. Happy Birthday, Peter. Keep Rocking In Paradise. 

Tickets are now on sale for Chicago-based singer-songwriter Rachel Drew’s A Tribute To Amy Winehouse taking place on April 28 at SPACE in Evanston. Drew will focus on Winehouse’s Back To Black album, and she’ll be supported by musicians John Szymanski; Michael Krayniak; Jason Batch; Kenn Goodman; and the Total Pro Horns. 

The Asbury Record Show, featuring LPs, 45s, CDs, and cassettes, will be held at the The Stone Pony venue in Asbury Park, NJ on March 1. The event’s Facebook page promises to feature vendors from all over the tri-state area. 

Nora O’Connor and Casey McDonough, two fifths of Chicago’s acclaimed band The Flat Five, have a 4:00 to 7:00 pm performance coming up on February 22 at Cary’s Lounge. Of course, O’Connor and McDonough are known for several other music projects as well. Cary’s Lounge is located at 2251 W. Devon on the city’s far north side.  

The Oddball Art Labs will celebrate its 13th anniversary with a Year13 Opening Reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on March 6 at the Side Street Studio in Elgin, IL. Oddball Art Labs is devoted to promoting the arts in Chicago area suburbs.

Decoy Prayer Meeting; Everly Hillbillies; Ian McKinley Band; Between Howls; and Rhythm And Twang will join together in a country and western/rockabilly flavored event on March 28 at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. The music starts at 6:30 pm.

Tickets are now on sale for the All The Feelings Tour with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. The tour kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX, and will include a stop at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on July 24. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, and Washington, D.C. 

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago doesn’t start until April 17, but we already know that The Spindles will perform in the 9:00 pm slot on April 24; and Trolley will have the 4:00 pm slot on April 19. Both acts posted their time slot information on their Facebook pages. And both have impressed with recently released albums.

The Bowery Palace in New York, NY will celebrate the late Clem Burke with several performers on March 25 and 26. Both nights are now sold out. Burke is best known for being Blondie’s drummer, and in recent years, he collaborated with several musicians on recordings and live performances. Guest performers at The Bowery Palace event will include Glen Matlock; Steve Wynn; Jesse Malin; Tommy Stinson; Kathy Valentine; Brix Smith; Linda Pitmon; Gail Greenwood; John Easdale; and Michael Giblin. 

The list of limited-edition vinyl offerings that will be available on April 18 for this year’s Record Store Day is now available on the official website. As always, there’s something for fans of just about every genre and era. If I had to pick a handful from the numerous worthy releases, they would be The Cars - Heartbeat City Live; The dB’s - Cycles Per Second: US Tour 2024; and XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City 1981.

San Francisco-based author Richie Unterberger’s latest book, Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground, is due out via Omnibus Press on May 14 in the UK and in mid-June in America.

Three new dates have been added to the United States leg of the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant Tour. The first new gig is at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, which sounds like a great name for a band but is actually a venue in Maquoketa IA. Next up is The Riviera Theatre on September 25 in Chicago; and finally, The Majestic in Detroit, MI on September 25. As with their other recent tours, Shannon and Narducy will be joined by Dag Juhlin, John Stirratt, Vijay Tellis Nayak and Jon Wurster.

It’s gratifying to see popular performers on Chicago’s club scene make the trek out to Arlington Heights for a gig at Hey Nonny. Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, who’s well known on the city’s north side for his tributes to famous bands as well as for shows featuring his own material, will be at the venue on February 19. I believe it’s his second show there.

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 available to pre-order from Beatland Book and is expected to ship on February 20.

Fans who enjoyed the catchy rock Yipes! created on its 1979 and 1980 albums have reason to cheer now that the Milwaukee-based group has released the Irish Exit EP on its Bandcamp page. A brief note on the Yipes! Bandcamp page states the songs were “recorded during and after the last tours, always intended for the next album, but shit happens.” Regardless of the circumstances, the six songs on Irish Exit are energetic and fun.

Autographed copies of Joe Jackson’s new album Hope And Fury (due out April 10) are available for pre-order from TalkShopLive website. The offer is only available in the USA. Jackson’s extensive 2026 North America Tour kicks off on May 11 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and will include dates at Park West in Chicago on May 19 and 20. The European leg of his tour will start on September 24 in Cork, Ireland.

Pravda Records recording act The Handcuffs have their first gig of 2026 coming up on March 14 as part of a triple bill at Liar’s Club at on Chicago’s north side. The band will have guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak—who made quite an impression on their Burn The Rails album—back on board after a two-year absence. The other bands performing with The Handcuffs on March 14 will be The Midnight Calls and The Kozmic Kids.

Ann Wilson from Heart recently posted on Facebook that Heart will have “new music, new shows, and new stories” to share with their fans in 2026. Sounds promising. Heart is the cover story for the winter issue of Goldmine magazine.

Liar’s Club will present a matinee double bill of psychedelic rockers Hushdrops and high energy instrumental band Outronaut on March 1. Music starts at 3:00 pm. Liar’s Club is located at 1655 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side.

The 10th annual My Sweet George George Harrison birthday celebration will take place on February 21 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Performers include Clar & Gigi Monaco; Sandalwood Sitar, Phil Angotti, New Heartaches, Black Friars Social Club, Torpedo Los, Pierce Crask, Frankie B, and The Amazing Johnsons. Organized by Ellis Clark and Ary Paloma, My Sweet George aims to celebrate Harrison’s music, and raise awareness for MusicCares.

The Lovin’ Spoonful have a 7-CD box set titled What A Day For A Daydream - The Complete Recordings 1965 - 1969 coming out on March 27 via Strawberry Records.

On February 20, PureSoul Presents will bring The Smiths cover band The Bomb That Will Bring Us Together to GMan Tavern. Just about a month later (March 19), PureSoul Presents will bring A Brief History Of R.E.M. to City Winery Chicago.

Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried of the Hoboken, NJ band The Cucumbers have created another video for a song from the band’s new album As You Heard Me. “One Valentine’s Day” has a homespun, pretty arrangement, and clip’s simple graphics suit it well. As You Heard Me and Fried’s novella Hello, George work hand-in-hand, and were simultaneously released today. “One Valentine’s Day” is available to watch on YouTube.

The Smithereens have a show coming up on March 6 at The Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL. Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, who released the Long After The Fire album together in 2025, will join The Smithereens for that show.

The Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison event will take 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.

Tickets are now on sale for an April 10 concert by long-time indie rock band Throwing Muses at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL. Led by vocalist-guitarist and acclaimed songwriter Kristen Hersh, the band has plenty of material to chose from, but might concentrate on songs from their 2025 album Moonlight Concessions.

Tim Thomas, editor-in-chief of the indie rock newspaper Second Scene, recently posted on Facebook that Issue #22 will likely be released late next week. He’s also “planning another special issue for the spring that will again feature art and, this time, short stories, poetry, photography, and lyrics by those who have been featured in previous issues.” Second Scene, which is available through its Bandcamp page, consistently sports an eye-catching layout, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he tosses in some art and literature.

Incoming

 

Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10:00 am for the potent triple bill of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Garbage, and Metric that’s coming to the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago on June 27. It’s part of a two-month American tour that will also visit Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and other cities.

Romance will be in the air when vocalist-guitarist Michael Steven Cohen performs a Valentine’s Day selection of vintage love songs at Tuscan Market And Wine Shop in Arlington Heights tomorrow at 6:30 pm.

Or you can have a fab Valentine’s Day when Phil Angotti And Friends perform the Beatles Love Songs album at SPACE in Evanston tomorrow. This Friday, February 17, Push Puppets with Rachel Drew and Rob Newhouse will be performing at SPACE.

Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s will headline a pair of multi-act concerts in California on the weekend of August 26 and 27. Wang Chung, General Public, Missing Persons, Wally Palmer of The Romantics; and Stacey Q are among the other acts on the bill. The Saturday show will be held at The Honda Center in Orange County, the Sunday show will be held at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Chicago Independent Venue League’s CIVL Fest 2023 kicked off last Wednesday and will continue at locations around the city through February 26. The event helps fund Venue Staff and Artist Mental Health Programs; Venue Safety Initiatives; and Equal Access And Equity Campaigns. See the official website for a full list of venues and performers.

Peter Tork was born on this day in 1942, and though he has left us in 2019, he remains in the hearts of countless fans who loved him on The Monkees TV show and for his amazing musical talent. I’ve started a tradition in recent years of posting a link to guest post my friend Desiree Burcum from the Famous In The Future comedy group did on this blog in 2011. It concerns her endearing encounter with Tork at the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con.

My condolences to the family and friends of Dave Roberts on his recent passing. The Chicago area DJ developed a loyal following throughout his many years of spinning punk and new wave music at venues such as Exit, Club 950, Neo, and Late Bar. 

Champagne

Photo from  The REAL Peter Tork (Official) Facebook page.

Best wishes for a festive New Year’s Eve and a successful 2023 to all who read this blog. Whether you choose to hit the town or party at home, be sure to keep safe tomorrow night.

First, a champagne toast to Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees, who were both born on December 30. Happy Birthday, guys, and keep rocking in paradise. We’ll never forget you. Or Peter Tork.

The always fun rockabilly/garage rock band Amazing Heeby Jeebies will be ringing in the new year at Montrose Saloon tomorrow night, along with The Metalliques and Forbidden Kingdom. The Metalliques are a masked, mysterious, and female-fronted band that performs chilling but engaging techno jazz. Forbidden Kingdom features Eric Chial from Bon Mots on guitar and his son Gustaf on drums; Ellis Clark from Social Act on keyboards and his son Andrew on bass; and Jared Chase Eisenmann on guitar. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose Avenue on Chicago’s north side.

Vivienne Westwood, who along with Malcolm McLaren managed the iconic Let It Rock shop in London, has passed away at age 81. The duo is widely recognized for giving birth to the provocative punk rock fashion that erupted in the late 1970s and remains to this day. Westwood maintained a successful designing career throughout her life, while actively supporting worthwhile causes like saving our planet from global warming. Several well-known rock stars paid tribute to her on social media the past few days.

EXPO ’76, the equally unpredictable and entertaining covers band made up of musicians from some of the area’s best original groups, will return to Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights tomorrow night for what’s bound to be a joyous New Year’s Eve celebration. In related news, the Hey Nonny Women’s Jazz Festival runs on the weekend of January 6 – 8.

Sending out December 30 Happy Birthday wishes to punk/alt rock priestess Patti Smith and Electric Light Orchestra founder and Traveling Wilburys member Jeff Lynne. And Happy Birthday to rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, who was born on this day in 1928.

The fourth annual Winter Mini Fringe, an offshoot of the Elgin Fringe Festival, will be staged at the Elgin Public House on January 21. The event features the comedies Party Cops and It’s That Time Of The Month, along with Cats That I Know presented by Danny Wightkin. Admission is $15 per show or $30 for all three. The event kicks off at 4:00 pm and is being produced by Side Street Studio Arts with support from the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, and Elgin Public House.

Just in time for viewing on long winter nights when it’s too cold to go outside, English pop masters Squeeze have begun posting HD videos with new audio of some of their best-loved tracks on YouTube. So far, the list includes “Cool For Cats,” and “Up The Junction.” 

Bric-A-Brac Records and Collectibles, a friendly and imaginative store on Chicago’s north side, is in need of help after a “burst pipe disaster.” A recent Facebook post states, “We have insurance and shouldn't have trouble getting compensated for our losses, but the real issue is replacing the inventory.” People are being asked to sell records, toys, VHS, cassettes, etc. to Bric-A-Brac but I’m sure the store wouldn’t mind donations. Wouldn’t it be great if Bric-A-Brac received stuff from around the globe? The address is 2845 N. Milwaukee Avenue/Chicago, IL  60647. Another way to help is to purchase special t-shirts and tote bags designed by Ryan Duggan available from the Bric-A-Brac website. 

According to an Instagram post, the Reckless Records location on Belmont in Chicago also suffered a burst pipe incident and needed to close for a while in order to to clean up. A more recent post noted that quick-acting employees and customers “allowed us to mostly avoid disaster.”

The Pretenders have a series of gigs coming up next February in Manchester, Newcastle, London, Brighton, and Bristol that will align with Independent Venue Week in the U.K.

Congratulations to The Bodeans on selling out their show tonight at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.

Reggies in the south loop has a four-band showcase coming up on January 12 featuring Silver Abuse, Voice Of Addiction, The Handcuffs, and Vortis. Each act will perform a half-hour set. People around these parts have been picking The Handcuffs’ Burn The Rails as one of the best albums of 2022, and I’d have to agree.

Dreaming in Colours. The Dream Syndicate has an upcoming tour in the U.K., and has sold out its  March 15 concert at The Lexington in London. The Los Angeles-based band recently added a March 16 date at the Colours venue, also in London. Fellow original Paisley Underground member Vicki Peterson of The Bangles will be a guest performer at both gigs.

Congratulations to Chicago-based musician/actor Common on his Broadway debut in Between Riverside and Crazy, the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

Tickets are now on sale for The Chicago Independent Venue League’s CIVL Fest coming to various locations around the city February 8 – 26. The event will benefit will help fund Venue Staff and Artist Mental Health Programs; Venue Safety Initiatives; and Equal Access And Equity Campaigns. The full schedule is yet to be worked out, but so far, the venues involved are Beat Kitchen, Berlin, Harold Washington Cultural Center, Metro, Patio Theatre, Reggies, Rosa’s Lounge, and Sleeping Village.

The third installment of It’s Karma It’s Cool’s quest to offer six digital singles in three months was just released, and despite being named “Winter Coats,” it’s not a holiday tune. The English band describes its catchy, original tunes as power pop with bite, and this new one definitely fits that description. As with the first two songs, Peter Holsapple from The dB’s joins It’s Karma It’s Cool on keyboards.

I’ve been reading at least a chapter a day of Bono’s SURRENDER: 40 Songs, One Story and it’s continually fascinating to discover the inspiration for some of U2’s biggest hits. As I’ve noted previously, Bono comes across in this memoir as honest, funny, and interesting. 

The immersive exhibit Bob Marley: One Love Experience, having already made stops in London and Toronto, will come to the Ovation Hollywood venue in Los Angeles on January 27. Its features include photography, music, concert videos, and a One Love Forest.

If These Walls Could Sing, Mary McCartney’s new documentary about the amazing history of Abbey Road Studios in London is now streaming on Disney +. 

 

Musician Jason Narducy, musician/actor Michael Shannon, and their friends will perform songs by The Modern Lovers at SPACE on January 19. 

Nine Liars, the latest novel in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series is now available. The story finds young and brilliant sleuth Stevie Bell investigating a murder in England.

Saturday Slumgullion

Like so many people yesterday, I was shocked to learn that Michael Nesmith had died. I was a loyal fan of The Monkees during its first run on TV, and gladly spent money I earned from my paper route to buy the band’s albums. Many years later, I had the pleasure of seeing Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork perform at the Chicago Theatre. Back in 1960s, I had no idea of the behind-the-scenes battle The Monkees waged with management to gain respect for their musicianship and songwriting. Fortunately, they won out and would enjoy a decades-long career built on their own terms. 

Along with all those catchy Top 40 hits, The Monkees were genuinely fun people with distinct personalities. That probably played a role in why they were embraced by some of the biggest names in rock, including The Beatles. Nesmith came across as the most intellectual member, with skills in music and film producing; writing; and performing that would enable him to succeed in a variety of formats. And he had a great sense of humor. Rock In Paradise, Michael and say hi to Peter and Davy.

Great Moments In Vinyl, a rotating collection of area musicians devoted to honoring some of the best records in rock history, will be performing Elvis Costello’s first two albums at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue next Thursday, December 16.

We’ve been down this road a few times during the pandemic, but hopefully 2022 will be the year Record Store Day actually does return in its traditional April format. The official RSD site recently announced it will be celebrating its 15th year of offering limited-edition vinyl releases on Saturday, April 23. For the past two years, the major springtime event has been swapped out for smaller RSD Drops spread across the summer.

There’s a triple bill of The Handcuffs, The Spindles, and Go Time! coming to Montrose Saloon next Saturday night. All three acts have garnered favorable albums reviews here on Broken Hearted Toy, and are well worth seeing in a live performance. The Handcuffs will kick things off at 8:00 pm; followed by The Spindles at 9:00 and Go Time! at 10:00. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose Avenue.

The Regrettes have a tour in the works for 2022 that includes several U.S. stops, as well as one in the U.K. and one in Spain. There’s no Chicago gig as of now but the band has been known to perform at major festivals here in the past. Still, it would be nice to see them in a club setting, like their previous shows at Schubas and House Of Blues. 

The recently remodeled Cultural Center in downtown Chicago will present Colescott Night - Comedy And Performances this Monday, December 13 featuring Calvin Evans, WindyIndie, and JustNesh. Curated and hosted by Melissa DuPrey, the free event will run from 6:00 to 9:30 pm.

Several musicians from the rock and country genres, including Ringo Starr; Sheryl Crow; Willie Nelson and John Daly; Guy Clark; Rodney Crowell with Wendy Moten; John Oates and Chely Wright; and Shelby Lynne can be found on Songs From Quarantine Vol. 2. The 15-track album is now available for download on Bandcamp, with all proceeds going to benefit the Music Health Alliance.

Tickets are now available for the Chrissie Hynde and Co. Perform Bob Dylan (And Other Songs) streaming event coming up on December 27. Hyde will performing songs from her Standing In The Doorway album, which was released earlier this year.

The Empty Pockets band have a performance titled An Americana Holiday coming up at City Winery Chicago on December 15; and Michael McDermott will bring Mischief And Mistletoe to that same venue December 20 through 23.

Chicago area fans of cutting-edge English bands will have cause to drop by Beat Kitchen next Friday, December 17 when Primary performs music by The Cure and Still Il covers Morrissey and The Smiths. Beat Kitchen is located at Belmont. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.       

Remembering Peter Tork

I was sad to hear the news that Peter Tork from The Monkees has died. In a post here last week, I wished him a Happy Birthday and shared a link to a friend’s story about how nice he was to her during a photo op at Wizard World Comic Con in Chicago. When I saw The Monkees perform at the Chicago Theatre in 2012, Tork frequently addressed the audience in a genuinely fun, friendly manner. It was a natural progression from the The Monkees sitcom persona that made him so popular in the 1960s. Rock In Paradise, Mr. Tork.

Here’s a review of that concert that I wrote for the Illinois Entertainer.

One of the first of many nostalgic images that flashed across a big screen at the Chicago Theatre during the sold-out performance by The Monkees last Friday night showed the band decked out in top hats and tails. It drew a huge round of applause and foreshadowed an evening of good-time, almost old-fashioned entertainment. Original members Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Tork, backed by a seven-piece band, journeyed deep into an eclectic catalog of mid-1960’s material. Anyone who came with only a knowledge of the group’s biggest hits was likely left feeling stunned. But in a good way.

Still dismissed in some circles as actors who pretended to be musicians on a sit-com, The Monkees started writing their own material while the TV series was on the air but didn’t hit their creative stride until LPs like Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. The current 12-date tour, which reportedly was already being planned before the death of Davy Jones, gives the surviving members an opportunity to showcase just how inventive and talented The Monkees can be. It helps that all three have vibrant voices, and they pretty much play the same quirky roles that made their TV show an instant success in 1966. Dolenz and Tork exude a childlike energy while the more reserved Nesmith prefers a droll approach.

Audience members at the Chicago Theatre could be forgiven for casting a wary eye on Nesmith, who has always seemed to be the most reluctant Monkee to participate in reunions. He has occasionally performed with his mates over the years, but this is his first actual tour with them in quite some time. Fortunately, he seemed in good spirits, even during some technical difficulty with his guitar. There was a good chemistry among the three stars, starting with the opening number, “Last Train To Clarksville.” The band immediately switched to the more obscure LP tracks, “Papa Gene’s Blues,” a country-flavored song that featured Nesmith on lead vocals; and “Your Auntie Grizelda,” which found Tork delivering the silly lyrics while strutting around like a Broadway performer.

From then on, it was an almost equal mix of hits like “She,” “I’m A Believer,” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” with lesser known fare like “Sweet Young Thing” and “You Just May Be The One.” Dolenz was particularly impressive on the Gospel-flavored workout, “Goin’ Down” and very British sounding rave-up, “Randy Scouse Git.” On several occasions, the live performance was augmented by eye-popping footage on the big screen, particularly during psychedelic selections like “Porpoise Song” and “Can You Dig It” from the band’s 1968 avant garde movie, Head.

The Nesmith-penned “Daily Nightly” from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (believed to be the first rock song to feature a Moog synthesizer) showed these guys haven’t lost their touch for clowning around. Dolenz introduced it as a song, “That has never been performed before . . . and rightfully so” while adding that the lyrics were completely incomprehensible. Nesmith explained Moog synthesizers were too expensive and cumbersome to take on tour, and then vocally tried to recreate the instrument’s unique sounds. Dolenz, who was singing lead, was barely able to keep from laughing.

There were well-crafted video interludes honoring Davy Jones at various times, but the most touching tribute came toward the end of the concert, when the audience was invited to provide the vocals for “Daydream Believer” and overwhelmingly obliged. It proved to be the defining moment on an evening when The Monkees had been able to reconnect with some of their most loyal fans.

Happy Birthday To Peter And A Few Other Thoughts

Happy Birthday to Peter Tork! I still remember the great story a friend told me about how nice he was when she paid for a photo op with him at a Wizard World Comic Con in Chicago in 2011. And of course, there are all those cool Monkees songs and their fun TV show. Hope he had a blast celebrating today.

The Chicago Auto Show, billed as the country’s largest auto show, opened last Saturday at McCormick Place and runs through Monday, February 18. In addition to all the cars on display, there will be special events and guests, including local media and sports celebrities. A handful of radio stations will be broadcasting live from the Auto Show. A number of years back, Cheap Trick had a gig at there, but the closest thing I see for 2019 is a pair of School Of Rock concerts next Monday.

The Symphony Center Presents Jazz series will offer Jazz In The Key Of Ellison, a multimedia celebration of novelist Ralph Ellison at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22. Author Roxane Gay will serve as narrator and host, and there will be performances by Will Downing, Nona Hendryx, Quiana Lynell, Nicholas Payton and The Andy Farber Jazz Orchestra. The Symphony Center is located at 220 S. Michigan Avenue.

If you live in the Chicago area, Metra wants to reward you for surviving the recent polar vortex by letting you ride free on its trains this weekend. That’s nice for people who would normally drive to some entertainment venue. But it does nothing for Metra’s biggest supporters—the monthly pass holders who endured delays, unpredictable schedules, and the occasional surly conductor who thought passengers were somehow at fault for the inclement weather. In a better world, Metra would give every monthly pass holder an Apple iPod nano 7th Generation to listen to on our ride each day.

45 Favorite Album Releases Of 2016 - Part 2: 1 through 20

This is in no way a Best Of List, since I was only able to listen to a fraction of the music that came out last year. The albums are arranged in order of preference. I’d like to extend my gratitude to all the artists, press agents, and labels that sent CDs and downloads. I sincerely apologize that due to time constraints, I wasn’t always able to respond to the messages I received. Note: Some of these albums were actually released in 2015. So, here is the Top 20 of this year’s list. The numbers in parenthesis are the date the review was posted on Broken Hearted Toy.

(Numbers 21 through 45 were posted here yesterday.)

1. Cheap Trick - Bang, Zoom, Crazy . . . Hello Released at the same time the band was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, this guitar-driven collection offered the energetic, highly melodic rock Cheap Trick is known for, along with some more experimental material. (4/11)

2. The Shelters - The Shelters The Los Angeles-based band drew inspiration from The Beatles, glam rock, and Led Zeppelin to create their own unique sound on this impressive debut. (8/30)

3. The Smithereens - ESP3PECIALLY F0R For You Two-CD set celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the band’s debut with live and acoustic tracks, demo versions, and rarities. (10/25 and 10/27)

4. Trolley - Caught In The Darkness All three members of the Milwaukee-based band can sing lead, and the power pop arrangements they create together are consistently inventive. (2/1)

5. Ex-Norwegians - Glazer Hazerr The Miami-based band once again featured Roger Houdaille and Michele Grand’s dynamic vocals on off-kilter but infectious power pop songs.(11/15)

6. Graham Nash - This Path Tonight His first solo album in several years found him striking a balance between exploring romantic relationships and exposing society’s ills. (5/9 and 5/10)

7. The Chills - Silver Bullets Frontman Martin Phillipps combined gorgeous arrangements with caustic lyrics about economic inequality and environmental disasters. (3/10)

8. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool English quartet’s adventurous debut was fueled by vocalist-guitarist Ellie Rowsell breathing fire into various genres and personas (4/13)

9. The Monkees - Good Times Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork made good on the inspired concept of having modern rock stars compose songs for their new album. (6/29)

10. The Pretenders - Alone Chrissie Hynde retained her status as one of rock’s premier vocalists, even if some of the material was a little soft at times. (12/31)

11. Dot Dash - Searchlights Another engaging effort from the Washington, D.C. band, with added nuances to its guitar-driven, 1980s alt rock approach. (8/9)

12. The Zombies - Still Got That Hunger Founding members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent tapped into the American blues and soul music that has inspired them since the 1960s. (6/10)

13.The Flat Five - It’s A World Of Love And Hope Band of veteran Chicago musicians created catchy songs with vintage vocal interplay and arrangements. (1-7/17)

14. The Weeklings - Studio 2 Second effort from these music veterans once again seamlessly blended original tunes with vintage rarities composed but never released by The Beatles (1/1/17)

15. Arvidson And Butterflies - Arvidson And Butterflies Swedish singer Roger Arvidson explored broken relationships via guitar-driven songs and impeccable harmony vocals (6/23)

16. The Vulgar Boatmen - You And Your Sister - Remastered 25th Anniversary Edition celebrated songs that were never hits but are still highly regarded by critics and fans. (11/10)

17. The Forty Nineteens - Rebooted Another fun collection of energetic songs with catchy melodies and the exuberant vocals of lead singer-bassist John Pozza. (5/30)

18. Sidewalk Society - Sidewalk Society The California-based trio did a great job of covering David Bowie and the lesser-known 1960s Brit act The Action on this four-song EP. (7/28)

19. The Lash Outs - State Of Excess Third album from the Dallas-based quartet mixed quick-rhyming put-downs and aggressive arrangements in equal measures. (8/11)

20. whitewolfsonicprincess - Shadow Of The Marigold Spinoff of Chicago theatre group Black Forest established its own identity with an enchanting mix of rock, jazz, and blues. (2/23)

The Monkees - Good Times!

If you’re a fan of Little Steven’s Underground Garage syndicated radio show, an avid Mojo magazine reader, or in any way celebrate the connection between mid-1960s pop and current alternative rock, then Good Times! is likely to strike a chord with you. The concept of having modern rock stars compose songs for a new Monkees album is an inspired one. Working with material from XTC’s Andy Partridge; Death Cab For Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard; Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo; and Noel Gallagher (Oasis) with Paul Weller (The Jam, Style Council), the three remaining Monkees deliver a lively and well-crafted album.

Fountains Of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger produced the album, played various instruments, and wrote one of the better tracks. Good Times! includes a 1967 Neil Diamond song featuring Davy Jones, and a previously unreleased Harry Nilsson effort from 1968. These tracks, along with one from 1968 by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, were re-recorded this year with added vocals.

Micky Dolenz, who does most of the lead vocals on Good Times!, breezes through the lilting “You Bring The Summer,” capturing Partridge’s signature wry imagery. Cuomo’s catchy “She Makes Me Laugh” is lighter and silly, as Dolenz sings of playing Scrabble with his girlfriend while they wear pink party hats. “I Was There (And I’m Told I Had A Good Time),” co-written by Schlesinger and Dolenz is a basic but fun rock tune that reminds me of the Chicago-based band The Handcuffs’ “Everybody Waves Hello.”

Lest anyone think the fare here is too lightweight, Dolenz and Michael Nesmith share lead vocals on Gibbard's mysterious and intricately woven “Me And Magdalena.” “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster,” co-written by Gallagher and Weller, is a psychedelic jewel featuring Nesmith on lead vocals and an arrangement that drifts through various tempo changes. Peter Tork nails the rebellious mood of King and Goffin’s folk tune “Wasn’t Born To Follow.”

The re-recorded “Love To Love” allows Dolenz and Tork to harmonize with Jones, and Dolenz joins his old pal Nilsson on the garage rock of “Good Times!” Schlesinger’s catchy “Our Own World” has Dolenz, Tork, and Nesmith singing on it, and there’s a guitar-driven instrumental break. “Whatever’s Right,” a peppy new tune from Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, evokes images of dancers bopping around on one of those 1960s variety shows, and brings back fond memories of the days when this songwriting duo gave The Monkees some of their biggest hits.

Hey, Hey, They’re On Midwest Beat

Photo of Peter Tork from THE Real Peter Tork Facebook page.

It’s open to debate as to who has been a Chicago area-based rock critic longer—Tom Lounges or myself. We both started out in the mid-1970s; Lounges at Night Rock News and me at Metro Entertainment Calendar. Neither publication would ever have been confused with Rolling Stone. Lounges has founded a few newspapers over the years, while I was never the boss of anything until I started this blogsite. And my staff is minimal, to say the least. Interestingly enough, after all this time, we’ve never crossed paths.

Tom Lounges also hosts a radio show called Midwest Beat on 89.1FM, Lakeshore Public Media. His special guests tonight are Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees. They, along with Michael Nesmith will be performing this Saturday night at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, IN. My wife Pam and I saw The Monkees at the Chicago Theatre a few years back and it was a very enjoyable show. Their interview with Tom Lounges tonight can be streamed live at The Lakeshore at 6:30 CST.

Slumgullion

Photo from the Archie Powell And The Exports Facebook page.

I’ve thoroughly cleaned my gazebo in the hope that The Rolling Stones will use it to rehearse during their extended Chicago area visit, but so far I haven’t heard from them.

As written up in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, noted photographer Paul Natkin is now displaying some of his most famous rock and roll pics at an exhibit at the Elmhurst Historical Museum. Shutter To Think: The Rock And Roll Lens Of Paul Natkin, runs through August 25th. I still have my copies of Bright*Lights, the PhotoReserve free paper Natkin put out with fellow photographer Bill Sosin, in the late 1970s. Freelance writer Cary Baker and rock DJs Bob Gelms, Scott McConnell, and Mitch Michaels were among the guests who contributed copy.

Archie Powell & The Exports are one of the acts that will be playing at the Do Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale this weekend on Division from Damen to Leavitt. The band’s Great Ideas In Action CD came in second on the BHT list of 2012’s top releases.

The Right Tidys, a co-ed power pop band that will be releasing its debut in the coming months, are performing at a Do Division After Party at Phyllis’ Musical Inn tomorrow night. Power pop veterans 92 Degrees go on at 10:00 PM, The Right Tidys at 11:00 PM, and Moist Guitars go on at Midnight.

Singer Sharon Van Etten will be giving a free performance at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park this coming Monday, June 3rd at 6:30 PM.

Eleanor Friedberger, one half of the duo Fiery Furnaces, will be performing songs from her new Personal Record release during an in-store solo acoustic set at the Reckless Records location in Wicker Park nerxt Friday at 6:00 PM.

If you check out The Smithereens next Saturday when they perform at the Wells Street Art Fair, be sure to tell them you saw an item on Broken Hearted Toy about the new Smithereens 11 Live Compilation that will soon be available on iTunes. Lead vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio posted about it on Facebook. The compilation has live songs, demos, and alternate versions among its 21 tracks.

Fest For Beatles Fans has announced the lineup for its Chicago event on August 9th - 11th. British Invasion duo Chad and Jeremy and power pop musician Greg Kihn will be appearing for the first time. Returning favorites Joey Molland from Badfinger, singer Billy J. Kramer, and producer/musician Mark Hudson are also on the bill.

The Handcuffs are scheduled to return to the studio next week to begin work on their fourth release. The Chicago-based indie rock band recently added guitarist Susie Q to replace longtime member Ellis Clark, who left earlier this year. That leaves drummer Brad Elvis as the only dude in the band. Clark’s new solo effort, LP Number One, is already picking some positive reviews.

Mighty Con, a toys, comics, and gaming convention, will be held at Pheasant Run Megacenter in St. Charles on the weekend of June 21st -23rd. A one day pass is $10, a weekend pass is $15.

Peter Tork, the most lovable Monkee according Desiree Burcum from my former comedy group, Famous In The Future, has a gig at the Old Town School Of Folk Music on Sunday, June 9th. Burcum and fellow FIF members Frank Carr and Tina Teske will be performing as The Rut at The Rolling Stones Tribute show being hosted by alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess next Saturday, June 8th at The Brothers K CoffeeHouse in Evanston. Maybe if she promises to see Tork on Sunday, he’ll come to see The Rut on Saturday.

Glancing over the Official Hollies Facebook page, I noticed a post about a Hollies Tribute band in the UK called The Hollywood Bees. This is the first Hollies tribute band I’ve heard of, and judging from their promo video on YouTube, they’re fairly successful. If there are any other Hollies tribute bands out there, I’d love to hear from you.

Robin Hitchcock, the eccentric English musician whose critically acclaimed career dates back to his time with the Soft Boys back in the 1970s, dropped by Chicago radio station WXRT yesterday morning for a visit with DJ Terri Hemmert. He was promoting his performance last night at City Winery, which involved the audience imbibing fine wines specially chosen by XRT Program Director Norm Winer between songs. It’s a new concert/wine tasting series the venue has started.

Hitchcock also chatted with Hemmert about his latest release, Love From London, and he performed an acoustic version of one of the songs from it. He also did an older tune, “Serpent At The Gate.” The interview touched on Hitchcock’s work as a writer and artist (he created the front and back cover art for Love From London), as well as his recent musical collaborations with Peter Buck from R.E.M. He came across as hip and funny; it was clear that he and Hemmert have a good rapport.

Edge City, a syndicated comic by Terry and Patty Laban, and carried by the Chicago Sun-Times, is currently running a story about its main character Len going to a punk concert with his buddy. I had to laugh since the band is called The Measles.

Long ago in another era, I wrote a parody of Rolling Stone magazine's Random Notes column called Rancid Notes for a local paper called Metro Calendar. One of the fictional items I came up with was about a punk band called The Measles. I don’t remember all the particulars, and I’m not about to hunt through my archives, but there was a member named Lita Rebellion, and the band’s debut was titled, Eat Yer Offal. This was back when I was an uninformed child who hated punk rock. These days, I know better.

The Monkees At Chicago Theatre

Photo from The Monkees Facebook page.

Note: This review previously appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

One of the first of many nostalgic images that flashed across a big screen at the Chicago Theatre during the sold-out performance by The Monkees last Friday night showed the band decked out in top hats and tails. It drew a huge round of applause and foreshadowed an evening of good-time, almost old-fashioned entertainment. Original members Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Tork, backed by a seven-piece band, journeyed deep into an eclectic catalog of  mid-1960’s material. Anyone who came with only a knowledge of the group’s biggest hits was likely left feeling stunned. But in a good way.

Still dismissed in some circles as actors who pretended to be musicians on a sit-com, The Monkees started writing their own material while the TV series was on the air but didn’t hit their creative stride until LPs like Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.. The current 12-date tour, which reportedly was already being planned before the death of Davy Jones, gives the surviving members an opportunity to showcase just how inventive and talented The Monkees can be. It helps that all three have vibrant voices, and they pretty much play the same quirky roles that made their TV show an instant  success in 1966. Dolenz and Tork exude a childlike energy while the more reserved Nesmith prefers a droll approach.

Audience members at the Chicago Theatre could be forgiven for casting a wary eye on Nesmith, who has always seemed to be the most reluctant Monkee to participate in reunions. He has occasionally performed with his mates over the years, but this is his first actual tour with them in quite some time. Fortunately, he seemed in good spirits, even during some technical difficulty with his guitar. There was a good chemistry among the three stars, starting with the opening number, “Last Train To Clarksville.” The band immediately switched to the more obscure LP tracks, “Papa Gene’s Blues,” a country-flavored song that featured Nesmith on lead vocals; and “Your Auntie Grizelda,” which found Tork delivering the silly lyrics while strutting around like a Broadway performer.

From then on, it was an almost equal mix of hits like “She,” “I’m A Believer,” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” with lesser known fare like “Sweet Young Thing” and “You Just May Be The One.” Dolenz was particularly impressive on the Gospel-flavored workout, “Goin’ Down” and very British sounding rave-up, “Randy Scouse Git.” On several occasions, the live performance was augmented by eye-popping footage on the big screen, particularly during psychedelic selections like “Porpoise Song” and “Can You Dig It” from the band’s 1968 avant garde movie, Head.

The Nesmith-penned “Daily Nightly” from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (believed to be the first rock song to feature a Moog synthesizer) showed these guys haven’t lost their touch for clowning around. Dolenz introduced it as a song, “That has never been performed before . . . and rightfully so” while adding that the lyrics were completely incomprehensible. Nesmith explained Moog synthesizers were too expensive and cumbersome to take on tour, and then vocally tried to recreate the instrument’s unique sounds. Dolenz, who was singing lead, was barely able to keep from laughing.

There were well-crafted video interludes honoring Davy Jones at various times, but the most touching tribute came toward the end of the concert, when the audience was invited to provide the vocals for “Daydream Believer” and overwhelmingly obliged. It proved to be the defining moment on an evening when The Monkees had been able to reconnect with some of their most loyal fans.

One Monkee Does Stop The Show

Cue the superhero music. The dimpled Peter Tork in a photo from the June, 1967 edition of WCFL Presents The Teen Set.

Today marks the first time there has been a guest post on Broken Hearted Toy. Comedic actress-journalist Desiree Burcum has graciously accepted my invitation to write about her encounter with Peter Tork at this year’s Chicago Wizard World Comic Con.

As a veteran of Famous In The Future (the same comedy group I performed with for 20 years), Burcum has written skits and song parodies about Barbie, All In The Family, Wal-Mart, hoarders, religious fanatics, the benefits of dating a dead guy, and all kinds of hot-button issues. Of the current cast, only founding member Frank Carr has logged more time with the group. Burcum’s also a freelance writer who has written indie film reviews for the Chicago Tribune. So here’s her tale of meeting Mr. Tork:

I was uninitiated. I never followed sci-fi or fantasy. Never collected comic books. My single-minded purpose for attending the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con was to meet Peter Tork. My teen crush. It was early Sunday morning and I was already lost and disoriented by the sheer size of Comic Con. I wandered past storm troopers, took a right at a Ren Faire guy and, as if the mists parted, there he was. Just like that. Peter Tork standing at…the Peter Tork booth.

Having never experienced him looking back at me, I was only able to mutter and change colors. I blame my inner 16-year old, who was giddy at the sight of Peter’s dimples. I said something profound like, “I always wanted to meet you.”

I then learned that the “Photo Op with Peter Tork” that I’d prepaid for online would take place across the convention hall. So, I stumbled off. (Did I mention I was already feeling lost? Human-Bermuda-Triangle lost.) I somehow found the place and waited in line. The wrong line. And was told, “You missed it. Peter’s gone.” -- My inner 16-year old was kicking me in the prefrontal cortex. -- “But, you might still be able to catch him at his booth.”

How I found the booth again is a mystery. But, Peter was there. I sheepishly asked his assistant if I could pay to take a picture at the booth. Because…yes, I got in the wrong line. Because…yes, I’m a bonehead.

Here’s where you can insert the superhero music. Peter overheard this and said, “That’s not right.” He offered to take me back to the photography spot. I stammered a protest since I knew he’d have to abandon his booth. But he stepped out and motioned me to follow. I must have stood there stupefied for a second, because he added, “You’re going to have to hurry.”

So, I ran with Peter Tork through the vast Comic Com convention hall. When we got to the photo spot, we ducked through the curtains. Fans were posing with Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame. Peter leaned in by the camera and shot them a peace sign. He waved me over. I remember a flash. It was so fast. And Peter was gone.

I meandered back, passing stacks of comic books, Batgirl, Iron Man…Eventually, I found myself across from Peter Tork’s booth again. He was greeting fans and children. I caught his eye and mouthed “Thank you.” He smiled and mouthed back, “You’re welcome.”

Ahhh.

-- Desiree Burcum