Incoming

Photo from the Official David Bowie Facebook page.

In honor of what would have been David Bowie’s 77th birthday, here’s a clip of his hit single “Blue Jean.” Also, as WXRT radio personality Annalisa noted on her show today, there is now a street in Paris, France that is named Rue David Bowie in his honor.

Chicago-based David Bowie tribute act Sons Of The Silent Age posted a video on its Facebook page yesterday asking fans to pick the songs they’d like to see SOTSA perform this Saturday night at Metro. There are several choices listed in alphabetical order for the event, which is titled David Bowie: Future Legend. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the NorthShore HealthSystem Foundation to help people overcome cancer. Actor-musician Michael Shannon will also take part, playing the songs of Brian Eno.

According to a photo caption in today’s Chicago Tribune, January 7 was International Silly Walk Day, an occasion inspired by the “Silly Walk” skit that aired on Monty Python’s Flying Circus decades ago. Even if thousands participated around the globe, I doubt any of them could improve on Python member John Cleese’s awesomely silly high stepping.

The name of local band The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club always strikes me as Pythonesque, and they’ll be joined by Rolling Numbers; Golden Richards; and Things That Fly this Saturday night at Montrose Saloon for a celebration titled Rock N’ Roll High School - 50th Year of The Ramones. The live show is being sponsored by WNUR FM radio program The Power Pop Shoppe and will offer a mix of Ramones covers and original songs by the participating acts. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side.

An exhibit titled Give Peace A Chance - The Art Of John Lennon will open this Friday at Gallery725  in Jacksonville, FL and run through January 22. Admission is free, and all the art being exhibited will be available to purchase. There will be champagne receptions on Saturday, January 13 and Sunday, January 14.

Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein will release a new Sleater-Kinney album titled Little Rope on January 19. That’s the same day Saviors by Green Day comes out.

Singer-songwriter Steve Dawson, who’s drawn critical acclaim as a solo artist as well as a member of the Chicago-based bands Dolly Varden and Funeral Bonsai Wedding, will perform with Alton Smith, Brian Wilkie, John Abbey, and Diane Christiansen this Saturday at Constellation in Chicago. The venue is located at 3111 N. Western Avenue.

Tickets are now on sale for a February 28 performance by the six-piece band Oh Yes! at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights that will benefit the recently opened Gerry’s Cafe. The cafe’s motto is Changing Lives One Cup At A Time and is staffed by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My wife Pam and I recently added Gerry’s Cafe is our roster of venues for hot beverages.

And for those across the pond: The all-star charity event Teenage Cancer Trust At The Royal Albert Hall takes place at the esteemed venue March 18 through March 24. The scheduled performances are The Who With Orchestra And Very Special Guests Squeeze on March 18 and 20; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds With Very Special Guests Blossoms on March 21; Young Fathers Plus Special Guests (TBD) on March 22; The Chemical Brothers Plus DJ Paul Holroyd on March 23; and Ovation, which is described as A Celebration Of 24 Years Of Gigs For Teenage Cancer Trust with: Roger Daltrey, Kelly Jones, Robert Plant With Saving Grace, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, and Paul Weller. Tickets go on sale this Friday. There are all kinds of really cool merch, including t-shirts and prints, for those who can’t make the trip to London but would love to support this worthy cause.

According to the official website for the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the special presentation of High Fidelity scheduled for January 18 has been postponed. John Cusack, who starred in the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Hornby based on Hornby’s popular novel High Fidelity, had been scheduled to take part in the screening. The Auditorium website states, “All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date once announced.”

Slumgullion

As announced on the official John Lennon Facebook page, there will be an exhibit titled Give Peace A Chance - The Art Of John Lennon held at Gallery725 in Jacksonville, FL from January 12 to January 22. Admission is free, and all the art being exhibited will be available to purchase. There will be champagne receptions on Saturday, January 13 and Sunday, January 14.

The 2024 Joey’s Song Benefit Concert takes place tomorrow at The Sylvee venue in Madison, Wisconsin. This year’s format features many well-known musicians in a Battle Of The Bands pitting The Know-It-All Boyfriends against The Know-It-All Girlfriends. Joey’s Song is a charity devoted to raising money for epilepsy research and to provide services for children with special needs.

The popular Phil Angotti And Friends Beatles Brunch monthly series at City Winery Chicago will alternate with Soul Brunch events, as well as Angotti’s solo events in 2024. This Sunday at noon, he’ll perform tunes by Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Bee Gees and other well-known acts.

Bernie Williams is best known as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, but he’s also familiar to Chicago sports fans and music lovers for his guitar playing at a few Hot Stove Cool Music charity events staged by The Foundation To Be Named Later at Metro. So it was nice to discover Williams will be performing with the New York Philharmonic’s spring gala at the Lincoln Center on April 24. 

Chicago-based filmmaker Michael Smith (Paper Planes; Relative; Rendezvous In Chicago) will start directing a new short film titled HANDLE WITH CARE next week. According to a recent Facebook post from Smith, it’s based on a script he wrote over the recent holidays.

The January issue of Chicago’s long-running free publication NewCity includes Mary Wisniewski’s article on Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoise musical, which opens at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on January 28. The musical is based on Stevens’ critically acclaimed 2005 album Illinoise.

Congratulations to author Stephanie Kuehnert on her memoir Pieces Of A Girl being selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. The book is due out on March 26. 

The Women’s Jazz Festival at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights continued today with a showcase by Mary Halm And Helios this afternoon and tonight with the Marlene Rosenberg Quintet and Natalies Wood Plays Roland Kirk. There are three Women’s Jazz Festival showcases tomorrow and two on Sunday. See the official Hey Nonny website for the full schedule and ticket information.

Robyn Hitchcock will perform with musician Kelley Stoltz at the Syd Barrett Birthday Show at The Chapel venue in San Francisco tomorrow night. A recent update on Hitchcock’s Facebook page states there are a few tickets left.

Best wishes to Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson as they take on their roles as The Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday respectively on the latest series of Doctor Who adventures. Today’s edition of the Chicago Tribune picked up Los Angeles Times critic Robert Lloyd’s glowing review of the show’s recent Christmas special.

Sons Of The Silent Age, Chicago’s top notch David Bowie tribute act, has a new benefit coming up on January 13 at Metro. It’s titled David Bowie: Future Legend, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to NorthShore HealthSystem Foundation to help people overcome cancer. Actor-musician Michael Shannon will also take part, playing the songs of Brian Eno.

Katherine Yeske Taylor, the long-time music journalist whose articles and interviews have appeared in several national publications, will release her first book on January 16. She’s a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism is due out on January 16 from Backbeat Books. It’s available to pre-order on Amazon and other sites.

It’s a pre-sale and a party. Tickets for the FitzGerald’s 41st Annual American Music Festival coming this summer in Berwyn will be available at an In-Person Pre-Sale Party taking place at a FitzGerald’s Sidebar event with The Shaun Gotti Showtime Band on February 18.

In the meantime, FitzGerald’s has an impressive triple bill of  The Handcuffs, Jon Langford and His Fancy Men, and The James Dean Joint coming up on January 20.

Steve Dawson will perform with Alton Smith, Brian Wilkie, John Abbey, and Diane Christiansen on January 13 at Constellation in Chicago. The venue is located at 3111 N. Western Avenue.

Country music icon Roseanne Cash has a pair of concerts at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on Chicago’s north side on January 19 and 20.

Trouser Press Books, the publisher whose Trouser Press magazine delighted cutting edge rock fans from 1974 to March 1984 (I still have copies), will celebrate the magazine’s 50th birthday with a ‘best of’ collection book in March.

Big Brother’s Vinyl has a performance coming up at Peggy Kinnane’s in Arlington Heights on January 19. The band has a knack for selecting material that’s well-known to classic rock fans but not often heard on the local club scene. 

Cheap Trick will be the headline act at the International Beatles On The Beach festival taking place at the Delray Beach Amphitheater in Delray Beach, FL on January 24 – 28. Other performers include The Fab Faux; Gregg Bissonette; and The Weeklings. 

Local acts The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Rolling Numbers, Golden Richards and Things That Fly will celebrate the The Ramones’ 50th anniversary at a live show sponsored by WNUR FM radio station The Power Pop Shoppe at Montrose Saloon on January 13. The evening will offer a mix of Ramones covers and original songs by the participating acts.

Androgynous Mustache, a local collective of musicians that has been behind several impressive tribute shows, will bring their annual Warren Zevon Tribute Show to SPACE in Evanston on January 24. Zevon fans should check out the January issue of the Brit rock magazine MOJO for writer Bob Mehr’s eight-page article on him, as well as photographer Aaron Rapaport’s numerous photos.

 

A production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child will open next fall at the Nederlander Theatre in downtown Chicago. The blockbuster play was written by Jack Thorne, based on J.K. Rowling’s story, and will be directed by John Tiffany.

Incoming

Katherine Yeske Taylor, the long-time music journalist whose articles and interviews have appeared in several national publications, will release her first book on January 16. She’s a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism is due out on January 16 from Backbeat Books, and will feature Yeske Taylor’s profiles on Suzi Quarto, Ann Wilson, Exene Cervenka, Gina Schock, Lydia Lunch, Suzanne Vega, Cherie Currie, Joan Osborne, Donita Sparks, Amy Ray, Tanya Donelly, Paula Cole, Tobi Vail, Laura Veirs, Catherine Popper, Amanda Palmer, Bonnie Bloomgarden, orianthi, Fefe Dobson, and Sade Sanchez. It’s available to pre-order on Amazon, and other sites.

If winter in Chicago is getting you down, just imagine a summer evening of live music at FitzGerald’s in suburban Berwyn on the 4th of July. Tickets for the venue’s summertime  41st Annual American Music Festival will be available at an In-Person Pre-Sale Party in a FitzGerald’s Sidebar event with The Shaun Gotti Showtime Band on February 18.

In the meantime, FitzGerald’s can chase those winter blues away with its triple bill of  The Handcuffs, Jon Langford and His Fancy Men, and The James Dean Joint on January 20.

Chicago-based musician Matt Tiegler will showcase songs from latest album Hands Free Down Hill this Thursday, night at SPACE in Evanston. Tommi Zender, who produced the album and is a solo artist and a member of Push Puppets, will also perform at SPACE that night.

The Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights will kick off its annual Women’s Jazz Festival this Thursday, and it will run through Sunday. Tickets are available for individual shows, as well as for a four-day pass.

The eccentric and always entertaining Robyn Hitchcock will be at the 4-Star Theater in San Francisco this Thursday to introduce a new Syd Barrett documentary, and play a few of Barrett’s songs. Two days later in that same city, Hitchcock will perform with musician Kelley Stoltz at the sold out Syd Barrett Birthday Show at The Chapel venue.

Steve Dawson will perform with Alton Smith, Brian Wilkie, John Abbey, and Diane Christiansen on January 13 at Constellation in Chicago. The venue is located at 3111 N. Western Avenue.

Country music icon Roseanne Cash has a pair of concerts at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on January 19 and 20.

Sons Of The Silent Age, Chicago’s top notch David Bowie tribute act, has a new benefit coming up on January 13 at Metro. It’s titled David Bowie: Future Legend, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated NorthShore HealthSystem Foundation to help people overcome cancer. Actor-musician Michael Shannon will also take part, playing the songs of Brian Eno.

Champagne

Best wishes for a festive New Year’s Eve weekend and a happy, successful 2024 to all who read this blog. May all your goals and creative endeavors bear fruit. And, whether you choose to hit the town or celebrate at home; party all weekend or just on Sunday night, be sure to keep safe and stay healthy.

 

Here’s a fun option for an almost-end-of-the-year bash. The Dyes and Amazing Heeby Jeebies will share a New Year’s Eve-Eve double bill at The Outta Space Art Music Bar in Berwyn tomorrow night.

Some joints just celebrate the new year, but Montrose Saloon promises patrons will be able to “Enter the portal of 2024 with cherished local acts.” The Metalliques; Rose Lake; Vydoc; and Montrose Saloon honcho Eric Chial will perform during the festivities.

The Lemonheads’ New Year’s Eve Extravaganda at SPACE in Evanston sounds like fun, but keep in mind there’s a low ticket warning in effect for gig.

Super Creeps, the Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band, and their special guests My Biggest Thrills, will help Brit rock fans ring in the new year at Outta Space in Berwyn. Super Creeps will perform a couple sets of Bowie material, and My Biggest Thrills will honor The Mighty Lemon Drops, along with other new wave acts. The celebrating starts at 8:00 pm.

Today is Marianne Faithful’s birthday. You can celebrate and help a good cause by purchasing The Faithful - A Tribute To Marianne Faithful from the In The Q record label. It’s now available to stream on Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music; iHeart Radio, Deezer and Pandora. The album will help Faithful deal with complications from Long COVID, and several noted artists have donated their time to the project. A double vinyl LP version is on the way.

If reading more rock and roll books is one of your new year’s resolutions, consider Elizabeth Winder’s Parachute Women. It honors the women, especially Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg that Winder feels had a major and positive influence on the The Rolling Stones. 

More book suggestions: The Singers Talk, Jason Thomas Gordon’s book honoring the essential role lead vocalists play in creating music (with all royalties benefiting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) and I Quit Everything by Freda Love Smith, who was a member of the Blake Babies, Some Girls, Sunshine Boys.

Sons Of The Silent Age, Chicago’s top notch David Bowie tribute act, has a new benefit coming up on January 13 at Metro. It’s titled David Bowie: Future Legend, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to NorthShore HealthSystem Foundation to help people overcome cancer. Actor-musician Michael Shannon will also take part, playing the songs of Brian Eno.

Getting back to the subject of books, you should also consider Jeff Tweedy’s World Within A Song. Subtitled Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music, it features the Wilco frontman exploring the art and importance of songwriting.

In a case of double-oops, I hadn’t mentioned Patti Smith’s December 27 concert at the Salt Shed venue in Chicago since a single line in the December 15 Slumgullion. It wasn’t even a proper sentence; it was more of a note to myself to write some copy about the event. (I’ve just gone in and fixed it, so let’s keep this our little secret.) Luckily, Chicago Tribune music critic Bob Gendron was on the case, so Smith fans can read his favorable review in today’s issue. “Though Smith is no stranger to remarkable performances,” Gendron notes, “her transcendent showing at the former Morton Salt facility unfolded as the stuff of legend.”

More book ideas: Eric M. Shade’s unauthorized biography All Over The Place - The Rise Of The Bangles From The L.A. Underground. Brian Kramp’s This Band Has No Past: How Cheap Trick Became Cheap Trick. And from England, Fingers Crossed - How Music Saved Me From Success by Miki Berenyi from Lush.

Who wouldn’t want to be sedated these days? The Power Pop Shoppe radio program will present a celebration of The Ramones’ 50th anniversary with local acts Bishops Daredevil Stunt Club, Rolling Numbers, Golden Richards and Things That Fly at Montrose Saloon on January 13. The evening will offer a mix of Ramones covers and original songs by the participating acts.

The Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights will hold its annual Women’s Jazz Festival January 4 through 7. Tickets are available on the official website for individual shows, as well as for a four-day pass.

Chicago-based musician Matt Tiegler will showcase songs from his latest album next Thursday, January 4 at SPACE in Evanston. Released last October, Hands Free Down Hill features catchy indie rock tunes like “I Didn’t Get You” and the title track. Tommi Zender, who produced Hands Free Down Hill, will also perform at SPACE that night. Zender is well known on the Chicago music scene for his solo work, as well as a member local bands such as Push Puppets.

Androgynous Mustache, a local collective of musicians that has been behind several impressive tribute shows, will bring their annual Warren Zevon Tribute Show to SPACE in Evanston on January 24.

 

The critically acclaimed production of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker ends its run at the Auditorium Theatre tomorrow night.

City Winery Chicago will unveil new variations for its weekend brunch series in 2024. The popular Beatles Brunch With Phil Angotti And Friends will continue on Sundays but will now rotate with Soul Brunch (January brings tributes to Tina Turner and ‘90s rhythm and blues). There will also be Phil Angotti And Friends events that cover other famous artists, such as Buddy Holly, The Police, and The Kinks.

Congratulations to composer/recording artist Shawn Maxwell on his pair of nominations in The Chicago Reader’s Best Of Chicago poll. He’s up for Best Individual Jazz Musician, and his ambitious Story At Eleven, which is a long-form composition in four movements, is under consideration for Best Local Album Of The Year. Story At Eleven is Maxwell’s eleventh album.

That Chicago Reader Best Of Chicago poll is divided into the seven major categories of Arts And Culture; Buy Local; Cannabis; City Life; Food And Drink; Music And Nightlife; and Sports And Recreation. Each of these is further broken down into several smaller categories. Voting will continue through January 14.

The critically acclaimed Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs through Sunday at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.

A production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child will open next fall at the Nederlander Theatre in downtown Chicago. The blockbuster play was written by Jack Thorne, based on J.K. Rowling’s story, and will be directed by John Tiffany.

Yet another book suggestion: Trouser Press Books, the publisher whose Trouser Press magazine delighted cutting edge rock fans from 1974 to March 1984 (I still have copies), will celebrate the magazine’s 50th birthday with a ‘best of’ collection in March 2024.

Robyn Hitchcock will be at the 4-Star Theater in San Francisco on January 4 to introduce a new Syd Barrett documentary, and play a few of Barrett’s songs. Two days later in that same city, Hitchcock will perform with musician Kelley Stoltz at the sold out Syd Barrett Birthday Show at The Chapel venue.

The Goodman Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol will finish its run this Sunday.

The 2024 Joey’s Song Benefit Concert takes place at The Sylvee venue in Madison, Wisconsin on January 6. This year’s format involves a Battle Of The Bands pitting The Know-It-All Boyfriends against The Know-It-All Girlfriends. Participating musicians include Butch Vig and Duke Erikson from Garbage (and as any rock-savvy Wisconsin fan knows, Spooner), Chris Collingwood from Fountains Of Wayne and Freedy Johnson; and Gail Greenwood from Belly, Debbi and Vicki Peterson from The Bangles, and Linda Pitmon from The Minus Five. Joey’s Song is a charity devoted to raising money for epilepsy research and to provide services for children with special needs.

As with so many others who watched The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the 1960s, I was saddened to see the news that Tommy Smothers has passed away. In addition to being blessed with perfect comic timing, he deeply cared about his fellow human beings, and wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed. Plus, he and his brother Dick featured so many cool bands on their show. I was thrilled to see The Hollies on there, but The Who had the best-known appearance. Riff In Paradise, Tom. I guess now you’ll find out your Mom actually liked you and Dick equally. 

Incoming

Spend lots of time and money. Dad, get me into this. Androgynous Mustache, a local collective of musicians that has been behind several impressive tribute shows around the Chicago area, will stage its annual Warren Zevon Tribute at SPACE in Evanston on January 24.

As noted on Facebook by each of the three participants, this Friday night’s triple bill of John San Juan, Outronaut, and and Depravos De La Mour at The Hideout on Chicago's north side has been postponed due to an illness in one of the acts.

The Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights will hold its annual Women’s Jazz Festival January 4 through 7. The scheduled performers include Yoko Noge’s Jazz Me Blues; Sitarsys and Joan Hickey Quartet featuring Alexa Tarantino; Mary Halm and Helios; Marlene Rosenberg Quintet and Natalies Wood Plays Roland Kirk; Alexander/McLean Project and Pamela York’s Affinity Trio; Heirloom and Eunoia Society; Meghan and Stagl and Friends; and Mary Halvorson Amaryllis Project and Alexis Lombre. There will also be an afternoon Student Performance. Tickets are available for individual shows, as well as for a four-day pass.

Chicago-based musician Matt Tiegler will showcase songs from latest album on January 4 at SPACE in Evanston. Released last October, Hands Free Down Hill features catchy indie rock tunes like “I Didn’t Get You” and the title track. Tommi Zender, who produced Hands Free Down Hill, will also perform at SPACE that night. Zender is well known on the Chicago music scene for his solo work, as well as a member of local bands such as Push Puppets.

Post From Christmas Past: Four "Old Lang Synes," My Dear

I‘ve shared this post several times over the years, but if you’re putting together a playlist for a New Year’s Eve celebration, these are some worthy candidates.

One of the reasons people still get misty-eyed at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life is because all the family, friends, and neighbors singing “Auld Lang Syne” at the Bailey residence reminds us of our own situation. The song has always conveyed a bittersweet message. A celebration of the loved ones we’ve cherished throughout our lives, but a recognition that for one reason or another, many of them have moved on. John Lennon explored a similar sentiment with The Beatles on “In My Life.”

There was a time when just about everybody thought of Guy Lombardo when it came to “Auld Lang Syne” since he and his Royal Canadians played it every New Year’s Eve for years on radio and TV. Nowadays, nobody under 50 would know who he was, although his version is available on iTunes and YouTube. It sounds particularly melancholy.

“Auld Lang Syne” continues to be covered by various musicians. The version by The Smithereens on their terrific album Christmas With The Smithereens opens with the band harmonizing like a barbershop quartet. From there, the guitars and drums kick in and the arrangement morphs into a pulsating surf rock tune that’s predominantly instrumental.

Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken also tackled the song as part of group called Husky Team. This fun instrumental take, which is included on the Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 CD, mixes “Auld Lang Syne” with the Booker T & The MG’s 1960s hit, “Green Onions.”

My favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne” comes from a New Jersey band called The Cucumbers, and as far as I can tell, is only available on the various artists CD Ho Ho Ho Spice. The guitar-driven, slightly Celtic, power pop arrangement and Deena Shoshkes’s spirited vocals cast out any trace of sadness and offer instead an exhilarating sense of triumph. The journey’s over and the quest has been successful. Definitely inspirational, but not the feeling we’ve come away with at the close of any recent years. Here’s hoping this next one leaves us feeling better.

Incoming

WXRT is holding a Vintage Market this Thursday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at The Salt Shed. Fans of the Chicago radio station can shop for limited-edition and out-of-print WXRT t-shirts, Live From The Archives CDs, concert posters, and vinyl records. The event will also feature a Mt. Joy Pop-Up, since it takes place prior to the alt rock band’s concert that night. Radio personality Johnny Mars will be on hand from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Sales from the Vintage Market will help the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

If those positive reviews of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker in Chicago’s daily newspapers have you yearning to see the production, you’ll have to act fast. It ends its run at the Auditorium Theatre this Saturday.

Congratulations to composer/recording artist Shawn Maxwell on his pair of nominations in The Chicago Reader’s Best Of Chicago poll. He’s up for Best Individual Jazz Musician, and his ambitious Story At Eleven, which is a long-form composition in four movements, is under consideration for Best Local Album Of The Year. Story At Eleven is Maxwell’s eleventh album.

That Chicago Reader’s Best Of Chicago poll is divided into the seven major categories of Arts And Culture; Buy Local; Cannabis; City Life; Food And Drink; Music And Nightlife; and Sports And Recreation. Each of those is further broken down into several smaller categories. Voting will continue through January 14.

The Brother John Quintet will perform rhythm and blues, soul, and blues music this Thursday night at The Matrix in Naperville. The music starts at 7:30.

John San Juan, who’s been impressive in his work with The Hushdrops, as well as for providing expert live support for various bands around the Chicago club scene, has a solo show coming up at The Hideout this Friday. He’ll share the bill with the self-described rock and roll garage punk sleaze band Depravos De La Mour and the guitar-driven instrumental group Outronaut.

Phil Angotti has spent many a Sunday afternoon performing Beatles songs at City Winery Chicago, but he’ll be taking a new approach at the venue in 2024. His popular Beatles Brunch events will now take place every other month, starting in February, and the remaining Sunday shows will explore various themes. On January 7, Angotti will cover songs by Buddy Holly, The Police, early Bee Gees, Kinks, and others. Show time continues to be at noon.

The Lemonheads’ December 29 and 30 shows at SPACE in Evanston, in which they’ll celebrate their It’s A Shame About Ray and Come On Feel The Lemonheads albums respectively, have sold out. Tickets are still available for their New Year’s Eve Extravaganda gig at the venue. SPACE is located at 1245 Chicago Avenue in Evanston.

In other Lemonheads news, lead vocalist-guitarist Evan Dando will be selling his paintings during the Got A Black Marker! series at Liar's Club tomorrow through Sunday. The first night will feature a reception with cocktails. There will also be live music by Dorian Taj, Taylor Morse, and other guests. Liar’s Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton on Chicago’s north side.

The critically acclaimed Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will wrap up its successful run this Sunday at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.