Champagne

No Slumgullion again this week, due to the holidays. In its place, I'm offering champagne to all my Broken Hearted Toy readers. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Today and tomorrow will be the last days I'll be taking submissions for my annual Big Ideas post, which I'm hoping to offer some time around the start of 2016. If you have great plans for yourself; your band; your theatre or comedy group; your artistic endeavors; anything in the creative realm, and can express that idea in a few sentences, I'll be happy to use it. Or, if you have a positive suggestion for someone in the entertainment world, send that along too. Just contact me through via brokenhearted@gmail.com.

Happy Birthday to the brainy Monkee, Michael Nesmith. The January issue of Shindig (one of the coolest rock mags around) is devoted to the year 1966, and features The Monkees on the cover. Other acts profiled include The Move, Herman's Hermits, Aretha Franklin, The Yardbirds, Love, and Chicago's own The Shadows Of Knight. In fact, I found out about this issue via a post from Shadows Of Knight lead vocalist Jimy Sohns on the Chicago Rock Concerts 1960s and 1970s Facebook page. Mr. Sohns, who is still very active on the music scene, was interviewed for this special edition. Shindig can be found at most Barnes And Noble stores.

Shindig isn't the only magazine singling out specific years from the 1960s. The History Of Rock series features vintage articles, photos, and even ads pulled from the archives of NME and Melody Maker. At $16.99, these magazines cost more than most periodicals, but are well worth picking up at Barnes And Noble, if you're into that era. I'm hoping to post something in the near future about the 1968 and 1969 issues I bought.

I mentioned a while back that Scraps, one of my favorite Chicago bands from the late 1970s and early '80s club scene, has just released Vol. 1, a collection of vintage studio and live recordings, on iTunes. Now comes word that another popular Chicago club act, The New Duncan Imperials, are going the same route by making the 10 songs from their limited edition Live, Rare And Bad cassette available on iTunes for just $5.99.

There's a Go Fund Me campaign underway to help Chicago area band Killer Moon recover from the recent theft of its van, instruments, and gear.

George Fest, a tribute to George Harrison that was recorded and filmed on September 14, 2014 at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, will be released as a 2 CD/DVD package and in various other formats toward the end of February. The event was organized by George's son Dhani, and featured performances by Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys; The Flaming Lips; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Ann Wilson from Heart; Ben Harper; Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction; Norah Jones; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Chase Cohl featuring Brian Bell from Weezer; Ian Astbury from The Cult; Nick Valensi from The Strokes; Britt Daniel from Spoon and others.

There are only a few days left to help Chicago alt-rock band Whitewolfsonicprincess fund its upcoming release The Shadow Of The Marigold via its IndieGoGo campaign.

Dot Dash, the Washington, DC based quartet that crafts melodic, guitar-driven gems inspired by 1980s bands like Translator and Wire Train, has just created a video for the song "Flowers" from its recent Earthquakes and Tidal Waves album. I've favorably reviewed each of the albums Dot Dash has put out, and count them among my favorite acts I've come across while doing this blog.

Vulgar Boatmen, a Chicago-based band that garnered a lot of attention with a pair of albums in the early 1990s, is releasing a 25th Anniversary version of its debut You And Your Sister. The CD will offer remixes of "Decision By The Airport" and "The Street Where You Live," along with previously unreleased bonus tracks. The band has release shows planned for Chicago and Indianapolis.

Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, and David Crosby recently became Ambassadors for the Seva Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to raising awareness that 80% of blindness and visual impairment can be prevented or cured. Other musicians, such The Grateful Dead and Bonnie Raitt, have helped Seva in the past by performing benefit concerts.

Dean Milano is sort of a modern-day Renaissance man in that he's an author, folk singer, humorist, and builder of model cars. He's currently on a Music and Old Toys tour that will find him performing and talking about antique toys at the Woodstock First Saturday event on January 2, The Timbers in Shorewood on January 9, and the Floosmoor Library on January 14.

The Dayna Clay Band will stage a Rock Against Rape event called Unplugged: A Survivor's Story In Scenes and Songs January 7 at the Found Cabaret in Evanston. The $10 admission will benefit RAINN and The Kennedy Forum/Kennedy Forum Illinois.

If someone had asked me to predict which 1970s sitcom actress would be getting rave reviews for her work in a hip hop musical running at the Bank Of America Theatre in downtown Chicago this winter, I wouldn't have come up with Georgia Engel. Even with a hundred guesses. But Engel, who played Ted Baxter's ditsy wife Georgette on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, garnered praise in recent reviews in the Tribune and Sun-Times for her rapping and hoofing in Gotta Dance. Apparently, the musical is based on senior citizens who dance during halftime at NBA games. I know a woman, the mother of a good friend, who does those type of halftime shows for a professional basketball team. I wonder if she'd get a kick out of Gotta Dance.

For Your New Year's Eve Entertainment

A few ideas for ringing in the new year.

One sure way to avoid greeting 2016 with a crippling hangover is to spend New Year's Eve at the city of Evanston's annual First Night celebration. The family-centric entertainment includes Corky Siegel and Chamber Blues; Second City All-Stars; Howard Levy and Acoustic Express; Poetry Slam veteran Marc Smith; and a Motown Sock Hop with Gerald McClendon.

The very first Chi-Town Rising celebration has assembled an eclectic night of entertainment for its Broadcast Boulevard stage from 7:00 PM to 12:30 AM. The event takes place in the heart of downtown Chicago, with a lineup that includes recent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Chicago; American Authors, of "Best Day Of My Life" fame; The NuBlu Band, featuring Carlise Guy, the daughter of legendary blues man Buddy Guy; the festive Latin band Radio Free Honduras; and blues/soul favorites JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound.

EXPO '76 is staging a 2015 Hits The Highway gig at FitzGerald's Sidebar in Berwyn, with help from The Total Pro Horns. These Chicago music veterans cover everybody from Al Hirt to Looking Glass, and frequently put their own stamp on hit songs. They're the only covers band that offers a mashup of the James Bond Theme and Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." Admission is $25, the show begins at 9:00 PM.

Lucky Boys Confusion will be bringing its commercially successful alt rock sound to Durty Nellie's in Palatine. Tickets are $25, and avid fans can get the $75 VIP package. Doors open at 8:00 PM. Farraday, Top Shelf Lickers, and Steve Knecht are also on the bill.

For more adventurous types who don't mind traveling on New Year's Eve, there's a Popgun! extravaganza going on at The Bassendean Hotel in Australia. Joe Algeri will be there with The Jangle Band (one of the 5,000 groups he's involved with around the globe) along with DM3, High Horse, and The Surf Mist. I'm not familiar with all these acts, but based on Algeri's musical output, I think you can expect some high energy power pop and garage rock music.

Would You Like A Book or CD/DVD Set To Go With That Live Performance?

The 11th Annual Alex Chilton Birthday Bash is a free event that takes place tonight, starting at 9:00 PM, at The Empty Bottle. Several local performers, as well as a few out-of-town visitors, will be involved in honoring Chilton's music. The lineup features Certain Stars, Cooled Out Babies, Deadly Bungalows, Christopher Elam, Go Time!, Michael Heaton, The Injured Parties, Letterbomb, Allegra Malone, Simeon Peebler, Patrick Potts, Rent Party, Tomorrow The Moon, The Tornaparts, and the Jamie Wagner Band. This Chicago-based annual celebration, as well as the frequent Big Star-related charity events staged by the Wild Honey organization in Los Angeles, underscore how much Chilton's presence is still felt among musicians and fans.

Anyone yearning to get a better understanding of why Chilton remains a such a rock and roll icon should pick up a copy of Holly George-Warren's biography A Man Called Destruction: The Life And Music Of Alex Chilton From Box Tops To Big Star To Backdoor Man. The veteran rock journalist/author affirms Chilton’s amazing talent, and provides a revealing look his childhood, his love of jazz and blues music, the lost years of substance abuse, and his eventual reemergence as a major touring and recording star. Up until his death by a sudden heart attack in 2010, Chilton performed with a new version of Big Star that included fellow founding member Jody Stephens, along with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies.

Phil Angotti, Tommi Zender, Dann Morr, and Joe Camarillo will be performing John Lennon and Beatles songs, along with Rachel Drew and Bitter Roots tomorrow night at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue. I saw a Lennon tribute Angotti put together with several guest musicians at The Fest For Beatles Fans in Chicago last August, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable mix of hits and deep album cuts. Bryn Rich will be opening the show tomorrow evening at 8:00 PM.

A George Harrison tribute that was recorded and filmed on September 28, 2014 at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles will be available toward the end of February. George Fest - The Music of George Harrison was organized by his son Dhani, and featured performances by Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys; The Flaming Lips; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Ann Wilson from Heart; Ben Harper; Brandon Flowers from The Killers; Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction; Norah Jones; Conan O'Brien; Cold War Kids; Karen Elson; "Weird Al" Yankovic; Chase Cohl featuring Brian Bell from Weezer; Heartless Bastards; Jamestowen Revival; Ian Astbury from The Cult; Nick Valensi from The Strokes; Jonathan Bates; The Black Ryder; Britt Daniel from Spoon; Butch Walker and others. George Fest is already available for pre-order as a 2CD/DVD set; a 2 CD/Blu-Ray set; as a 3 180-gram LP set; and in digital form.

Posts Of Christmas Past

Happy Holidays!

Here are some thumbnail descriptions of seasonal albums that were fully reviewed on Broken Hearted Toy in previous years. If your family is like mine and is celebrating Christmas after the actual day in order to ensure everyone will be there, then you still have time to use some of these songs to set an appropriately festive mood.

Released in 2002, Hi-Fi Christmas Party was put together by vocalist-bassist Dan Pavelich to help fund research for Von Willibrand’s disease, a bleeding disorder that had stricken his daughter. This easy-going holiday compilation included contributions from several local and national power pop acts. Pavelich led his band The Bradburys through the romantic and highly energetic “I Love It When It Snows!” Other artists involved with this worthy effort included Don Dixon, The Jellybricks, Andrea Perry, The Ted Ansani Trio, Lisa Mychols, and The Spongetones.

On Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2, Pavelich kept the focus on original 1960s-style power pop, although The Elvis Brothers traveled back a little further on their very fun “Rock-A-Billy Christmas.” Lisa Mychols joined The Wondermints on the Leslie Gore-influenced “Lost Winter’s Dream,” and Husky Team, which included Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, delightfully mixed “Auld Lang Syne” with “Green Onions.” Volume 2 also featured The Grip Weeds, Jeremy, The Bradburys, Rob Paravonian, Joey Molland and The Echo Boys, The Spongetones, and The Brothers Figaro Orchestra.

Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume Three followed in the amiable tradition of its two predecessors, with another selection of mostly original material. Sketch Middle’s “Very Very, Merry Merry” had an energetic power pop buzz, and The Jigsaw Seen’s “What About Christmas?” was another highlight. The Click Beetles, a Pavelich side project with drummer Ed James; The Yule Logs; The Sun Kings; Jamie and Steve from The Spongetones; and Jim Babjak of The Smithereens also contributed catchy holiday tunes.

In 2007, The Smithereens brought their power pop approach to a mix of originals and cover versions on Christmas With The Smithereens. “Waking Up On Christmas Morning,” which can also be found on the Hi-Fi Christmas Party and Ho Ho Spice collections, is a catchy tune penned by guitarist Jim Babjak. The fast-paced “Christmas Time All Over The World,” written by Babjak, singer Pat DiNizio, drummer Dennis Diken, and original bassist Mike Mesaros, celebrates hugging and kissing under the mistletoe, and compares the holiday to a big rock show.

Yuletunes, an ambitious collection of original Christmas songs created by various power pop artists, came out in 1991 on Shoes’ Black Vinyl label. In addition to the shimmering “This Christmas” by Shoes, the classic collection included Matthew Sweet's reverent “Baby Jesus,” Material Issue's powerful "Merry Christmas Will Do," The Idea's wistful "It's About That Time," and the more introspective "A God Of My Own" by 92 Degrees. Leroy offered the comedic "Santa Stole My Baby," Kelly Ryan captured the heartache of missing someone on the holiday with "It's Not Christmas," and Herb Eimerman celebrated family traditions with "You Gave Me."

Most of the bands on A Kool Kat Kristmas Volume Two took a cheerful approach to the holiday, even when it comes under unusual circumstances. As with Volume One, a portion of the proceeds for each sale went to the Susan Giblin Foundation For Animal Wellness and Welfare. “Christmas Is Coming Again” by The Pencils (who reunited for this effort) and “Snowbirds” by The Honeymoon Stallions celebrated holiday traditions, using lush harmony vocals and ringing guitars. The Connection used playful, old time music on “Poor Boy” while proclaiming that you don’t needs loads of money to enjoy Christmas as long as you’ve got rock and roll. Shake Some Action and The Tor Guides adroitly employed mid-1960s jangle for songs about observing the Yuletide in non-freezing weather and getting cool records as gifts on “Christmas In The Sun” and “Beatles Vinyl,” respectively. Other acts on board included Split Second, Dan Kibler, The Bottle Kids, and The Genuine Fakes.

Back in 1993, Christmas Time with Chris Stamey And Friends had the feel of an old-fashioned variety show. Chris Stamey, a founding member of The dB’s, played host, and kicked things off with the catchy “Christmas Time.” Stamey also teamed up with vocalist-guitarist Wes Lachot for the wistful “Christmas Is The Only Time (I Think Of You)” and joined vocalist-keyboards player Cathy Harrington on the high-charged romance of “You’re What I Want For Christmas.” Big Star checked in with an original rocking hymn called “Jesus Christ,” and founder Alex Chilton offered a positively cozy acoustic version of “The Christmas Song.” Vocalist-guitarist Peter Holsapple of The dB’s served up a simple but beautiful “O Holy Night.” Brent and Kristen Lambert, Syd Straw, The dB's, Don Dixon, and Marshall Crenshaw also took part in the this rock and roll Christmas classic, which has been expanded a few times over the years.

Guitarist/actor/radio show host Little Steven Van Zandt morphed into a crazed Santa for the ambitious 2008 holiday compilation Christmas A Go Go. He threw in some genuine rarities, like a surf rock reinvention of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” delivered by 1950s kids show host, Soupy Sales and actor Joe Pesci's wiseguy treatment of Gene Autry’s “If It Doesn’t Snow On Christmas." The Boss Martians gave Charles Dickens a spin with their high speed rock song, “3 Ghosts (A Modern X-mas Carol),” and The Electric Prunes created a psychedelic and slightly unsettling version of “Jingle Bells.” Other highlights included The Kinks' funny but ultimately goodhearted "Father Christmas" and Keith Richards romping through Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run." Darlene Love's "All Alone On Christmas" (written by Van Zandt and featuring him and The E Street Band), and Tina Sugandh’s “White Christmas,” with its gorgeous vocals and exotic sitars and tablas arrangement, were also standout tracks.

Christmas Punch

Slumgullion is being replaced this week with a steaming and delicious bowl of Christmas punch.

I didn't get an official Christmas card from The Hollies this year, so it's nice to see that they've posted one on their Facebook page.

Now that a Facebook campaign to get Cheap Trick inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has succeeded, other individuals are hoping to do the trick with the very worthy English band Squeeze. Led by the songwriting/singing duo of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, Squeeze arrived via the second wave of British Invasion bands, and their clever and catchy songs have stood the test of time and inspired other artists. Squeeze just filmed a rock video for the title track of its recent and very impressive Cradle To The Grave album.

Better Things do happen. Ray Davies joined his brother and fellow founding Kinks member Dave for a rendition of "You Really Got Me" during the encore at a concert Dave Davies performed on December 18 at the Islington Assembly Hall in London. While there are no guarantees when it comes to these brothers, Ray's surprise guest appearance certainly give fans hope for a reunion.

The 11th Annual Alex Chilton Birthday Bash will be held next Monday, December 28 at The Empty Bottle on Western Avenue. Several local performers are involved, including Certain Stars, Tomorrow The Moon, Go Time!, and The Injured Parties This free event starts at 9:00 PM.

Phil Angotti, Tommi Zender, Dann Morr, and Joe Camarillo will be performing John Lennon and Beatles songs, along with Rachel Drew and Bitter Roots next Tuesday, December 29 at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue. The music starts at 8:00 PM.

A few years back, international power pop trio The Britannicas crafted the jangling holiday song "Chris Hillman Christmas" in honor of The Byrds' legendary guitarist. They got a pleasant surprise this week when Hillman praised their effort on his Facebook page.

There's still some time to be part of the annual Broken Hearted Toy Big Ideas extravaganza. I'll kick off the new year with a list of people or organizations, stating what I think they will or should accomplish in 2016. If you're a musician, thespian, DJ, author, artist, comedian, any other creative type and would like to send me your goals in a few concise sentences, I would be happy to include them in my Big Ideas post at the beginning of January. Let me know via my gmail account.

An eclectic lineup of bands will be performing on the Broadcast Boulevard stage from 7:00 PM to 12:30 AM when the very first Chi-Town Rising New Year's Eve celebration takes place on December 31 in the heart of downtown Chicago. The performers include recent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Chicago; Americn Authors, of "Best Day Of My Life" fame; The NuBlu Band, featuring Carlise Guy, the daughter of legendary blues man Buddy Guy; the festive Latin band Radio Free Honduras; and blues/soul favorites JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Note: The Chi-Town Rising organization recently decided this will NOT be a free event; and the tickets are fairly expensive.

I'll bet he'd autograph your life-sized map of the world. Comedian Steven Wright will be bringing his off-kilter observations and deadpan delivery to the Chicago area next April, with a show on the 8th at the North Shore Center in Skokie and the 9th at The Arcada in St. Charles.

As recently reported in the Chicago Tribune, the city has ditched plans for bringing the critically acclaimed Royal de Luxe and its giant puppets here next June. My wife Pam and I saw this theater company working its magic while we were vacationing in London in 2006. It's disappointing to learn that we won't get a chance to see them in Chicago.

All Things Must Pass: The Rise And Fall Of Tower Records will be shown on Sunday, January 24 and Tuesday, January 26 at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. It's director Colin Hanks' documentary on the once successful record store chain, as well as the music industry in general.

Let's Hear It For Old Fezziwig

In the classic novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the conniving businessman Mr. Jorkin told Mr. Fezziwig to sell his company to vested interests while he still had the chance. Fezziwig resisted this advice. “I’ll have to be loyal to the old ways,” he explained, “and die out with them if needs must.”

If Fezziwig had been able to see centuries into the future, he would have appreciated that at least his generous spirit never died out. Owners of large, medium, and small businesses still provide the type of merriment and good cheer he gave his employees, including the young Ebenezer Scrooge. Whether they’re held in a banquet hall, club, corner bar, or in the company lunchroom, these gatherings celebrate the season and boost morale.

So here’s a toast to the bosses and coworkers at company parties I’ve attended, from my days at Montgomery Ward, through Arthur Andersen, Borders bookstore, the Illinois Entertainer, the Famous In The Future comedy group, and in more recent years, freelance assignments at ad agencies. Some of these people are still my friends (at least through social media) and I’ve lost contact with several others. But with guidance from the Ghost Of Christmas Past, they all come flowing back right around this time every year.

And now, an appropriate musical selection (from the terrific holiday album Christmas With The Smithereens) that would be perfect for any company party.

Odds And Sods And A Birthday Greeting

Kinks fans who attended this Dave Davies gig got an early Christmas present.

First off, I'd like to wish my wife Pam (that's not her in the photo above) the happiest of birthdays. She's been a guiding light and a driving force (often literally) in my life for several years, and she set up this blog for me. Pam also inspired me to write two novels with a main character that's based on her. Now I just need to get them published. Thanks for all your help and support, Sweeeeeeeetie!

In addition to the good news about Cheap Trick being inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Ray Davies joined his brother and fellow founding Kinks member Dave on "You Really Got Me" during a concert at the Islington Assembly Hall in London a few days ago. As noted by Daniel Kreps in Rolling Stone, it was the first time the feuding siblings performed together in 20 years, and gives fans hope for a Kinks reunion.

The Dave Davies touring band includes guitarist Jonathan Lea and bassist Tom Currier from The Jigsaw Seen, as well as drummer Dennis Diken from The Smithereens. It was fun seeing their posts on Facebook about being part of that London concert. Lea stated, "It's overwhelming right now but I'll tell the story as soon as I get a chance." David Quaife, brother of the late Kinks founding member bassist Pete Quaife, posted, "Still buzzing!!!!!!!!! Posting photos and videos later." David created the Pete Quaife Foundation in his brother's name to help children on dialysis.

Children by the million can scream for Alex Chilton when The 11th Annual Alex Chilton Birthday Bash takes place on Monday, December 28 at The Empty Bottle on Western Avenue. The performers celebrating the late pop/rock and roll genius include Certain Stars, Tomorrow The Moon, Go Time!, and The Injured Parties There is no admission charge for this tribute, which kicks off at 9:00 PM.

Elsewhere on the annual event scene, Australian multi-instrumentalist and power pop ambassador Joe Algeri is offering another seasonal song as a free download on his Bandcamp page. Be advised that "Holiday On Mars" has some rough edges, but it also spotlights Algeri's knack for catchy melodies. The Christmas Crew band includes his wife Erika (singing in French), rhythm guitarist Joe Colombini from The Outryders, and bassist Herb Eimerman and Stefan Johansson from the international trio The Britannicas.