Slumgullion

New Jersey boys The Smithereens are frequent and always welcome visitors to the Chicago area, and they’ll be at The Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts  tomorrow night. When I saw them at City Winery Chicago last September (see September 26, 2016 in the BHT archive for my review), they were celebrating the 30th Anniversary of their full-length debut Especially For You. It’s a landmark album, but every Smithereens record has its share of power pop gems. Look for them to do some covers of The Beatles and The Who as well.

The Adrian Belew Power Trio will be at Old Town School Of Folk Music tomorrow night.

Richard Thompson has two shows at The Old Town School of Folk Music next Sunday; an all request show at 4:00 p.m. and his regular show at 8:00 p.m.

If you saw Greg Kot’s Turn It Up column on The Regrettes in the On The Town section of today’s Chicago Tribune and wondered if such a young and relatively unknown band is worth that much attention, the answer is yes. Lead vocalist-guitarist Lydia Night’s observations on navigating life as a teenager ring true and are often bitterly funny. Plus, she and her mates mix authentic punk with the 1960s girl group sound and come up with irresistible melodies on their full-length debut Feel Your Feelings Fool! The Regrettes will be at Schubas this Sunday, with Brooklyn-based indie rock band Active Bird Community as their opening act.

Nancy Wilson from Heart will be on hand when The Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp celebrates its 21st Anniversary in Hollywood, CA. on July 29 – July 2. Other guests include Steven Adler from Guns N’ Roses, Greg Bissonette from the David Lee Roth Band, Ashley Dzerigian from Filter, and Joe Vitale.

Ann Wilson from Heart has a solo concert coming up at House Of Blues in Chicago on June 16. Tickets went on sale earlier today.

Tickets also went on sale today for the Phoenix and Lemon Twigs concert at the Aragon Ballroom on June 5.

Tellin’ Tales Theatre kicks off its latest production, Metamorphosis tonight at the Prop Theatre on Chicago’s north side. James Sweeney from Live Lit will be joining in, along with members Tekki Lomnicki, Steve Glickman, and Judi Lee Goshen. Metamorphosis runs this weekend and next weekend.

Power pop fans know him as a founding member of the band Green, and now singer-guitarist Jeff Lescher has a solo effort coming out. A post on Lescher’s Solo Album Facebook page states he has 28 songs that need a home. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing those songs in the near future.

Tributosaurus will become Pink Floyd next Wednesday, April 5 at Martyrs in Chicago. The first set will feature Pink Floyd’s rock classics, and for the second set, Tributosaurus will perform the entire Dark Side Of The Moon album in order. Two days later, they’ll go all Pink Floyd again at Wire in Berwyn.

The Griffin Theatre’s In To America, a new production that features stories of immigrants coming to America throughout the country’s history, continues at The Den Theatre through April 23.

Dave Davies from The Kinks will be coming to The Arcada in St. Charles next Saturday, April 8. I saw Mr. Davies with his first-rate backing band at Taste Of Lincoln Avenue a few years back and it was an amazing show that included his solo stuff as well as Kinks material.

The annual CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights takes place next Saturday at the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Union Hall on Washington, just west of downtown. Admission is $7. By the way, this should have been part of my April, Rock She Will post the other day. It’s always a lot of fun and you can find records, CDs, videos, posters, and other music-related treasures.

John Sebastian, who was a founding member of The Lovin’ Spoonful before embarking on a successful solo career, will be at SPACE in Evanston next Sunday, on April 9.

The Second Disc website recently reported that the Brinsley Schwarz album All Over Now is being released on the U.K. label Mega Dodo four decades after it was recorded. The band lineup is Nick Lowe, Ian Gomm, Brinsley Schwarz, Bob Andrews, and Billy Rankin; the tracks include “Cruel To Be Kind.”

Also, according to The Second Disc, there’s a new Bee Gees tribute album coming out, titled To Love Somebody: The Songs Of The Bee Gees 1966 – 1970. Al Green, Nina Simone, Percy Sledge, Lulu, Sandie Shaw, and The Staple Singers are among the artists who’ll be participating. It’s available on Amazon.

We still play the blues in Chicago, and by 2019, we’ll finally have a downtown museum honoring the music and role the our city played in its development. Chicago Blues Experience already has a Facebook page, announcing “A world-class cultural attraction for the City of Chicago,” and has garnered press in Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune.

It’s A Small World After All

I frequently worry that the postings here on Broken Hearted Toy are too Chicago-centric to interest anyone outside the immediate area. So here’s some far-reaching entertainment business news.

Joe Algeri, the hardest-working singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist in Australia has just released a new song by The Outryders. (He’s also a member of The Britannicas, The Jangle Band, and The JAC.) “Live For Today”/“Piangi Con Me” finds Algeri and Paul Colombini performing a catchy and very fun blend of the original version by The Grassroots and a later one by the Italian band The Rokes.The song also features Britannicas bassist Herb Eimerman, and is available for free download on Algeri’s Bandcamp page.

UK-based Genesis Publications had an exhibit at the AIPAD-hosted Photography Show in New York today to celebrate the 100 limited-edition music books it’s published since 1974. Photos on display at the Genesis booth included ones relating to John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Yoko Ono, and Paul Weller. Noted photographer Mick Rock was on hand to sign bookplates from Transformer, a Genesis book devoted to Lou Reed.

The French band Phoenix will be traveling the globe performing “Lisztomania,” “1901,” and other selections from their oervre for the first time in two years. The tour will bring them to London, Tokyo, Paris, Jakarta, Manila, Rome, Berlin, Lisbon, Hollywood, Chicago and other major cities.

Fruits de Mer, the UK indie label that puts all its releases on slabs of vinyl (frequently coloured), has some new efforts on the way. The bands Sendelica and Superfjord combine forces on the seven-inch single “Zappa,” which features “Peaches En Regalia” on one side and “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” on the other. Astralasia’s new double album Oceania has over an hour of new and original electronic/chill music. The album has a gatefold sleeve and includes a perforated seven-inch blotter. I’m not sure what a perforated seven-inch blotter is; I’m just quoting the press release.

April, Rock She Will

April is traditionally a big month here at Broken Hearted Toy because it brings International Pop Overthrow, Record Store Day, CIMMfest, and usually C2E2 to Chicago. 2017 has those four anchor events, along with the Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism exhibit, and a bunch of live shows. Here’s a quick list of what to expect. Hopefully, I’ll be going into more detail on each of these in future posts. More events will probably be added to the list as the month goes by.

April 1 The Smithereens at thePrairie Center Arts in Schaumburg.

April 1 Adrian Belew Power Trio at Old Town School Of Folk Music

April 2 The Regrettes at Schubas.

April 5 Tributosaurus becomes Pink Floyd at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue.

April 8 Dave Davies of The Kinks at The Arcada in St. Charles.

April 12 The Shelters at Beat Kitchen

April 13 and 14 - The Zombies Odyssey and Oracle 50th Anniversary Tour at Thalia Hall

April 15 through July 30 Exhibitionism - The Rolling Stones at Navy Pier.

April 19 The New Pornographers at Metro

April 21 through 23 C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) at McCormick Place.

April 21 through 23 CIMMfest at various venues.

April 21 through April 29  International Pop Overthrow runs at the Red Line Tap on Chicago’s north side.

April 22 Record Store Day

RSD - Seeing Double

Last Thursday’s post here on Broken Hearted Toy mentioned four of the most tempting box sets or multiple-LP offerings coming on April 22 as part of Record Store Day 2017. For those with the cash, there are definitely some genuine treasures on the way. Now it’s time to move on to the (hopefully) more modestly priced 2-LP sets.

The Cars Live at the Agora, 1978 was recorded in Cleveland at the height of the band’s popularity. Songs include “Just I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” and “Moving In Stereo.” The Cars played an essential role in putting new wave on the map and should have been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Cheap Trick has been inducted into the RRHOF, and The Epic Archive Vol. One will likely provide more evidence of why they’ve earned that right. The official RSD site describes this as “eighteen rarities” on yellow vinyl but doesn’t mention any specific tracks. There will be single mixes, and non-LP tracks, along with annotation by Bun E. Carlos, rare photos from band photographer Bob Alford, and liner notes by Ken Sharp. Sharp is the noted rock critic/musician who recently published Vol. 4 of his Power Pop Heroes book series.

The Cure - Greatest Hits offers two picture discs of songs selected and remastered by lead vocalist Robert Smith. Songs include “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Love Cats,” “Friday I’m In Love,” “Let’s Go Yo Bed,” “Why Can’t I Be You” and “Love Song.”

The Cure Greatest Hits Acoustic is also on two picture discs and has acoustic versions of the hit songs on the regular Greatest Hits album. It doesn’t say when these were recorded but the concept could be “Just Like Heaven” for the group’s devoted following.

Various Artists - Nuggets: Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets was originally released in 2004 on the Rhino Handmade label, and now it’s on orange/yellow marble vinyl. The acts involved include Harpers Bizarre, The Association, The Monkees, The Vogues, and Dino, Desi, and Billy. Hard to imagine this being as much fun as the harder-edged Nuggets fare, but probably still a worthwhile trip.

Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye - A Tribute To Roky Erikson recruits R.E.M., The Lyres, ZZ Top, The Mighty Lemon Drops, Julian Cope, Poi Dog Pondering, The Judybats, Lou Ann Barton, Richard Lloyd, John Wesley Harding, T Bone Burnett and others to pay homage to the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators and one of psychedelic rock’s most adventurous pioneers. Originally released by Sire in 1990, this version has three songs that were previously only available on a cassette version.

Slumgullion

The Shelters will be at Beat Kitchen in April and at Lollapalooza in August.

The full lineup of 170 music acts for this year’s Lollapalooza was announced earlier this week. The event takes place August 3 – 6 in Grant Park. Chance the Rapper, who’s been in the news lately for his efforts to stop gun violence in Chicago, is one of the headline acts, along with Lorde, The Killers, and Arcade Fire. The Shelters (whose self-titled album came in at number two on the Broken Hearted Toy Favorite Releases of 2016 list), Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, Spoon, Tegan and Sara, Warpaint, and The Shins will also be performing. Tickets for Lollapalooza are already sold out.

Tickets went on sale today for Juliana Hatfield at Lincoln Hall on May 1; The Shelters at Beat Kitchen on April12; Robyn Hitchcock at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on June 17; and Alison Moyet at Park West on September 19.

The Factory Theater, a major force in Chicago for decades, has a new play called Born Ready opening tonight at its space on the far north side. Stacie Barra’s play about an aging actress and a young dancer who join forces as a comedy duo is directed by W. Bullion and stars Eleanor Katz and and Clara Byczkowski.

Wild Honey’s benefit for The Autism Think Tank takes place tomorrow night, March 25 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale California. Jackson Browne, Peter Case, Victoria Williams, Syd Straw, David Baerwald, Continental Drifters, Plainsong, and Cait O’Riordan are among the musicians who’ll be performing The Band’s Music From Big Pink album. Founding Band member Garth Hudson will also be on hand.

Singer-guitarist James Moeller will be getting a workout tomorrow night at Phyllis Musical Inn when whitewolfsonicprincess, the mysterious alt rock band he leads with vocalist Carla Hayden, shares the stage with his more garage rock oriented outfit The Telepaths. Music starts at 10:00 p.m.

The Refugee Theatre’s production of the High Fidelity Musical wraps up tomorrow night.

The Experience Hendrix all-star tribute to the legendary guitarist comes to the Chicago Theatre tomorrow night, March 25. Performers include Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dweezil Zappa, and others.

The Smithereens will be back in the Chicago area next Saturday, April 1 when they play the Prairie Arts Center in Schaumburg. The Smithereens’ ESP3PECIALLY F0R YOU 30th Anniversary of their debut album Especially For You, came in at number three on my Favorite Releases Of 2016 list.

The Heroes And Villains Fan Fest returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center tomorrow and Sunday, March 25 and 26, with special guests from several popular TV shows. Two-day passes for general admission are $90, Saturday only is $55, and Sunday is $45. Various forms of VIP packages are also available.

The 20th Annual Chicago European Union Film Festival is currently taking place at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and by the time it’s finished on March 30, 62 films from 28 countries will have been screened

The Regrettes, the Los Angeles-based quartet whose full length debut Feel Your Feelings Fool is an irresistible blend of punk and the 1960s girl group sound, will be at Schubas next Sunday night. Brooklyn-based indie rock band Active Bird Community, which released its latest album Stick Around earlier this year, will be the opening act.

Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul will be summering in Europe this year, with concerts scheduled in Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Norway. Musician/actor/radio host Steven Van Zandt first recorded with The Disciples Of Soul in 1982 with the release of the Men Without Women album. Musically, of course, Van Zandt is best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen

The ambitious psychedelic rock fest Tim Ferguson, Gregory Curvey, and Lee Klawans are going to stage at the LiveWire Lounge in Chicago this September has been officially dubbed Kaleidoscope Eye. The bands involved are The Red Plastic Buddha, The Luck Of Eden Hall, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor, Friends of Dennis Wilson, Warhorses, Heaven’s Gateway Drugs, Magic Castles, The Orange Drop, White Shape, Constantine, Aethereal, Junkee Girl, Diagonal, and Lucille Furs.

RSD - Big Ticket Items

As far as I can tell, there’s no way to find out in advance what the prices will be on any of the Record Store Day releases. A seven-inch single can run from a few bucks to $15.00, and the cost of albums and EPs varies as well. Box sets are sure to be expensive but it might be worth rolling the dice on some of this year’s more tempting selections.

Just Say 50, The Sire Records 50th Anniversary four-LP set reaches back to the label’s very first single (“Hocus Pocus” by Focus) and up to current releases by artists like Wilco. There are several tracks by late 1970s and early 1980s punk and new wave acts, including Echo And The Bunnymen, The Pretenders, The Ramones, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, and Talking Heads.

The three-LP Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles ’74) by David Bowie features him performing “Changes,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Suffragette City,” “All The Young Dudes,” The Jean Genie,” and other world-changing songs. The Ramones ’76 – ’79 Singles box set includes “Rock ’N’ Roll High School,” “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” and each record has an authentically reproduced picture sleeve. The four-LP Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band Hammersmith Odeon ’75 captures his first European concert.

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club - Don’t Buy This Record

It’s always a kick to encounter a new release from The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, the Chicago-based quintet with the Monty Pythonesque name and knack for quirky power pop. Don’t Buy This Record is a ten-song effort that mostly follows in the tradition of fellow Midwestern acts like Wilco and The Webstirs, but also explores 1980s style synth rock. True to its title, the release is currently available for free download on the group’s Bandcamp page.

“Have You Met You” delivers sharp lyrics about lacking self awareness via glam rock vocals and a guitar-driven arrangement. “Pick Pocket,” with its punchy rhythms and keyboards simultaneously evokes The Cars and Supergrass while “The Woman Who Got Old” is a catchy and energetic look at how quickly life can pass us by. “The Sweetest Song,” with its rich instrumental tapestry and adventurous vocal interplay (guitarist Bill Giricz, bassist Dan Passarelli, and guitarist Paulette Bertrand are all listed as lead singers), would have fit in well on a Wilco album.

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club delves more deeply into techno music than on previous efforts, and the results are impressive. The hard-edged “Up The Stairs” grooves to an ominous beat, and the band also conjures a 1980s style ambience on “Just Drive” and “What’s It To You.” The eclectic approach on Don’t Buy This Record also includes the lighter and eccentric “Rare Bird” and “Succumb To Your Blues.”