Sunday Papers

Hello, Cruel World. Not sure how I missed this until now, when tickets went on sale last October, but the Cruel World festival will take place in Pasadena, CA on May 17. Headline acts include New Order; The Buzzcocks; Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds; The Go-Go’s; Devo; OMD; Garbage; Alison Moyet, Blancmange; Stereo MC’s; Midge Ure; and Madness. According to a 10/24/24 Facebook post from Aimee Mann, members of ’til tuesday will perform together for the first time in 35 years at the Cruel World festival.

Here in the Chicago, the arrival of the schedule for the upcoming Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is a sign of spring. Much like seeing a robin on your backyard bird feeder. This year, the outdoor concerts will run from early June through the end of August, covering just about any genre imaginable. Performers will include Heart; Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe; The Mohan Sisters; The Allman Betts Band and The Record Company; Counting Crows; Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’; The Black Crowes; James Taylor and His All-Star Band; David Foster and Chris Botti, featuring Katharine McPhee; Diana Krall; Lindsey Stirling with Chicago Philharmonic; The Roots; Al Green; “Weird Al” Yankovic; Nas with Chicago Philharmonic; Chicago; Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, and Arturo Sandoval; Gershwin’s Concerto in F; Sutton Foster and Kellie O’Hara; Juanes; Beck; Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms; Lang Lang’s The Disney Book; Mogan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience; Train; Earth, Wind and Fire; Laurie Berkner; Cynthia Erivo; Lenny Kravitz; Maren Morris; John Legend; UB40; Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Sing Along; and Ray Montagne.

Several highly regarded musicians, including Michael Stipe, Matt Berninger, Courtney Barnett, Sharon Van Etten, Alison Mosshart, Kronos Quartet, Ben Harper, Karen O, and Kim Gordon will take part in the People Have The Power - A Celebration Of  Patti Smith being held on March 26 at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage At Carnegie Hall. As noted on the official R.E.M. Facebook page, the event is part of the 20th annual Music Of benefit series, and all of net profits will go to fund music education for underserved youth.

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan sure is an eclectic guy. The last time I mentioned him here was when he and his wife Chloe Mendel were planning a Bozo-themed festival at their Madame Zuzu’s restaurant in Highland Park, IL. This past Wednesday, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Kyle MacMillan revealed Corgan is working with Lyric Opera Of Chicago boss John Mangum to create a piece “based on arranged and orchestrated music” from the Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness album. The Lyric Opera’s upcoming season will include performances of Night Of Mellon Collie And Infinite Sadness November 21 – 30.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Quoth the raven, “serve me more.” An Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy four-part cocktail experience is coming to 201 Schaumburg Ct. in Schaumburg, IL on March 27 and 28. The official website promises, “four of his most famous stories will be retold and reimagined by our Poe historians.” The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy will be visiting several other locations through April 19.

The 10cc’s Graham Gouldman and Heart Full Of Songs tour is currently visiting venues in the UK, featuring the well-known songwriter/musician and a “semi-acoustic four-piece band performing songs from his back catalogue.” That includes hits by 10cc, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, and The Yardbirds. I’d love to see him come to Chicago with that tour.

Having aced their performance at an Indie Music Night at the Des Plaines Theatre last December, local power pop band The Spindles are primed to do likewise at the Indie Rock Night coming up on March 18 at the The Arcada in St. Charles, IL. No doubt, The Spindles will perform some songs from their brand new Wavelength album.

The Fest For Beatles Fans 2025 NY Metro Fest will take place at The Hyatt Regency Jersey City on March 28 – 30, and special guests will include Jim McCarty from The Yardbirds and Colin Hanton from The Quarrymen. Performers on the Apple Jam Stage will include Phil Angotti from Chicago.

Congratulations to Phil on his first time being invited out to the Big Apple Fest.

Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison with Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz takes place this Monday at SPACE in Evanston.

Indie label Kool Kat Musik has set a March 18 release date for Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton. All net profits from the 23-track CD will go directly to the American Red Cross in its efforts to help people in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Acts who contributed songs to Pop Aid 2 include Mothboxer; Ronnie D’Addario featuring The Lemon Twigs; Vegas With Randolph; The Anderson Council; The Weeklings; Thrift Store Halo; The Grip Weeds, The Successful Failures; and Richard Turgeon. Kool Kat’s first POP AID effort came in 2022 with A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine, which has so far generated over $4,000 to help World Central Kitchen in its work.

I recently received the copy of Second Scene Issue 20 I ordered on the Pittsburgh-based alt rock print publication’s Bandcamp page. The indie rock publication sports an eye-catching design and covers acts such as Kaeidoscope; low sunday; Clan Of XYMOX; The Armoires; Vision Video; and Tall Poppy Syndrome.

The Clinard Dance’s Flamenco Quartet Project, which aims to infuse genres such as jazz, blues, and hip-hop with elements of flamenco, will return to SPACE in Evanston on March 24. Grammy Award nominated blues harmonica player Billy Branch will join jazz vocalist Joan Collaso; rapper King Mossa; flamenco percussionist Diego Alvarez; flamenco singer "Cachito" Jose Diaz; tap artist Jumaane Taylor; guitarist Andrea Salcedo; and flamenco dancer Wendy Clinard at the SPACE performance.

The Stop Making Sense: A Film By Jonathan Demme And Talking Heads Live Event Hosted By Jerry Harrison is coming on May 1 to the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. The re-release of Demme’s iconic 1984 concert flick has been restored in 4K, and Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison will provide an introduction, as well comments and a Q&A session afterward. Limited meet and greet tickets are available.

The Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand recently released Human Fear, their first album in a while, and will soon kick off a world tour. The American leg of that tour includes an April 5 concert at The Vic in Chicago.

Indie rock acts Doug Gillard and Bunnygrunt have recorded a seven-inch split single titled “A Tribute To Game Theory.” Gillard picked “Dripping With Looks” and Bunnygrunt chose “Together Now, Very Minor,” and both tracks are available on vinyl or as downloads on the Bert Dax Bandcamp page. It’s nice to see the late Scott Miller and his underrated band Game Theory getting some recognition.

The Michael Steven Cohen 100th Show Celebration will take place at Montrose Saloon on April 6 at 6:00 pm. Cohen will unveil a new group called The Everly Hillbillies, and Montrose Saloon honcho/musician Eric Chial will be his special guest. Note: Cohen means 100 shows at Montrose Saloon. Who knows how many thousands of shows he’s done if we count all the venues he’s performed at over the years in various bands?

Translator founding members Steve Barton, Robert Darlington, Larry Dekker, and David Scheff got together in 2023 and recorded two new songs. They’ll be included as bonus tracks on the Live at the Farm, San Francisco 1986 album. It was recorded at the band’s final live show, and is scheduled for release on May 9. One of those new tracks, “These Days To Come,” can now be heard on YouTube.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

A recently remastered and expanded version of director Cameron Crowe’s 1982 film Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party can now be viewed via the Paramount+ streaming service. The documentary had previously only been seen on MTV. In related news, a video of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers covering “Wild Thing” by The Troggs is available for viewing on YouTube. 

Autographed copies of Mike Campbell’s Heartbreaker memoir are now available for pre-order from the talkshoplive and Premiere Collectibles websites. Campbell was a founding member of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, and currently leads the band The Dirty Knobs.

Tickets are now on sale for Sunny Afternoon at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The play is based on the music of The Kinks, with original story, music, and lyrics by Ray Davies; book by Joe Penhall; and direction by Edward Hall. It will run from March 21 to April 27.

Graham Nash fans can enter to win the signed Fender acoustic CD-60 guitar he gave to Fandiem by making a donation to help raise funds to provide relief to musicians and music industry workers affected by the Los Angeles fires. Donations range from $10 to $500, with the highest amount bringing the most amount of entries. The entries must be received by April 21.

The Classic Albums series continues at Reggies on March 21 with Phil Angotti performing The Byrds’ Fifth Dimension album and Niko performing Billy Bragg’s Talking With The Taxman About Poetry. The music starts at 8:00 pm. Reggies is located at 2105 S. State Street, just south of downtown Chicago.

A day later, the above-mentioned Phil Angotti will perform Bob Dylan songs at Reclaimed Bar, which is located at 3655 N. Western in Chicago.

Aimee Mann has a 22 1/2 Lost In Space Anniversary Tour with guest Jonathan Coulton coming this summer. It opens on June 5 in Cranston, RI and wraps up at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on June 27.

Wisconsin-based Americana rockers The BoDeans, who have given us gems such as “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “Good Things,” will perform at the Des Plaines Theatre in downtown Des Plaines, IL on March 21

Shaky Knees - The Music Festival is scheduled to take place at Piedmont Park in in Atlanta, GA from September 19 through 21. Scheduled acts include Lenny Kravitz; Pixies; Spoon; Inhaler; Cage The Elephant; Johnny Marr; The Beaches; Vampire Weekend; Devo; Wet Leg; Franz Ferdinand; and Stereophonics.

The Handcuffs, whose latest album Burn The Rails offered another batch of melodic and inventive indie rock songs, will open for fellow Chicagoans The Steepwater Band at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL on April 25. The Steepwater Band has recorded a series of albums filled with hard-hitting Americana rock.

Tickets are now on sale today for Theo Epstein and Peter Gammons’ Hot Stove Cool Music event at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on April 12. The event will feature Cheap Trick; Greg Hawkes and Eddie Japan performing songs by The Cars; and the Hot Stove All-Stars (Peter Gammons, Theo Epstein, Bill Janovitz, Kay Hanley, Will Dailey, and MLB Legends). 100% of the proceeds will go to the Foundation To Be Named Later Gammons College Scholarships fund.

Chicago-based label Pravda Records will release a remastered, reissue of The Chamber Strings’ 2001 album A Month Of Sundays later this summer. Vocalist-guitarist Kevin Junior, who passed away in 2016, was the guiding force on what Pravda describes as, “a beautiful album from a beautiful soul.” 

The feature-length documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which is based on the U2 vocalist’s solo tour for his fascinating memoir, will stream on May 30 on Apple TV. According to an online post from Billboard, director Andre Dominik’s film will include footage of Bono performing some of the songs he’s made famous with U2.

Tickets are now on sale for The Color Purple - The Musical coming to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago starting June 21. The production will be directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

The Miki Berenyi Trio, led by Lush founding member Miki Berenyi, has its first album Tripla coming out in digital and vinyl formats on April 4.

Pure Soul Presents will continue its monthly Soul Brunch events at City Winery Chicago with a Tribute To Parliament Funkadelic on April 12; and a Tribute To Marvin Gaye on May 10. Each of these shows will start at noon.

Adventurous prog rock musician and The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey, AKA Custard Flux, has a new album titled Enter Xenon coming out on June 1. It can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp, and the first three tracks are already available to purchase and download.

The Chicago Women Of Color Puppetry and Performing Arts Fringe Festival has extended its run at the Zhou B Art Center to March 22. The event is being held on the 4th floor of the Women of Color Theatre and includes performances, workshops, and discussions regarding the artists’ work.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2025 will be held from April 25 through May 3 at Montrose Saloon, and the schedule is now available on the official IPO website. CFO/Founder David Bash has brought his multi-act showcase to a number of Chicago venues over the years, and Montrose Saloon is a particularly good fit. I believe this is its fourth year of hosting. Per tradition, each night will bring a set of at least five acts; and there will be afternoon and evening sets on April 26, 27, and May 3.

Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin will celebrate Pete Townshend’s birthday on June 21 at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights, IL. Townshend was born on May 19, which is why this event is being billed as a (Belated) Birthday Bash. Understandable since Narducy and Juhlin have a busy schedule these days.

Former WXRT radio personality Richard Milne will once again book the musical talent for the annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. The event takes place on Sept 13 and 14, and as Milne stated in a recent Facebook post, he’s “not looking for tribute or cover bands although covers mixed in with your originals are perfectly acceptable.

Pravda recording artist Nathan Graham is known for mixing classic blues with Americana music, and he’ll likely showcase songs from his Saint Of Second Chances album during his April 4 gig at the Thornton Distilling Co in Thornton, IL. Falling Stars, who gave us catchy indie rock songs on their recent Garden Variety EP, will be the opening act.

Lovely Stuff, the first new studio album from the Chicago-based indie rock band Smoking Popes in seven years, is due out on April 4.

Vocalist Gerald McClendon will receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Many of us in Chicago are familiar with McClendon because of his superb performance of “My Sweet Lord” at a number of My Sweet George events at the Martyrs’ venue on Lincoln Avenue.

Lorraine Hansberry’s award-winning play A Raisin In The Sun is picking up rave reviews, and has been extended through March 23 at Chicago’s Court Theatre. The venue is located at 5535 S. Ellis.

Patti Smith and her band have added a second Chicago date to their 50th anniversary tour of Smith’s groundbreaking debut album Horses. They’re now performing November 17 and 18 at the Chicago Theatre.

Long-time Chicago-based power pop band Thrift Store Halo will make its 2025 performance debut on March 20 at Montrose Saloon. They’ll be joined by Dolph Chaney and The Phins and Rent Party.

Great Moments In Vinyl, a rotating collection of area musicians devoted to honoring famous LPs and rock and roll artists, will perform the music of The Cars on March 20 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue.

Fans of Chicago rock and roll circa the mid 1960s might have a willingness to check out The New Colony Six on May 23 at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Tickets for the September 9 Supergrass concert at The Riviera in Chicago are now on sale. The Oxford, England trio is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its terrific debut album I Should Coco with concerts in the U.K., North America, and Mexico. Supergrass will perform their entire first album along with other hits.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune recently revealed the dates for some of the city’s most popular spring and summer outdoor events. Here’s a sample of what we can expect in the coming months: Chicago Blues Festival June 5 – 8; Chicago Gospel Music Festival July 12; Chicago Air and Water Show August 16 and 17; Chicago House Music Conference and Festival August 22 and 23; Chicago Jazz Festival August 28 – 31; and Taste Of Chicago Grant Park September 5 – 7.

Weekend Reminders

Thursday posts focus on events that were previously mentioned on Broken Hearted Toy, and are taking place during the upcoming weekend. Plus, the occasional event taking place this weekend that has just come to my attention.

There are standing room only tickets available for tomorrow’s Sons Of The Silent Age show at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The members of this Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band are veterans of the local club scene, and always put on an impressive show. A Facebook post from guitarist Steve Gerlach states, “We re-worked and stripped down some songs pretty extensively, so we’ll be sailing close to the wind.”

 

Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve have two remaining shows of their four-day visit to Chicago. They’ll perform with a full band tomorrow and Saturday night at Park West. As noted in a Jam Mail sent out today, Costello and Nieve will be joined by Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle; Shaye Cohn on cornet; Tony Garnier on double bass; and Sean McKeon on uilleann pipes.

Singer-songwriter-author Michael McDermott kicks off a three-day run at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, IL with a show tonight. He’ll also perform there tomorrow and Saturday night. McDermott has several albums to choose material from, including his 2024 double album Lighthouse On The Shore/East Jesus, and 2022 effort St. Paul’s Boulevard.

Panick and The Friars will perform original tunes and a few covers tomorrow night at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge on Chicago’s north side.

Marshall Crenshaw’s 40+ Years In Showbiz Tour is back in action, with performances starting tonight at Sportsmen’s Tavern in Buffalo, NY.  Upcoming shows include Cleveland, OH; Ferndale, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; SPACE in Evanston, IL (March 20 and 21); and Minneapolis, MN. Crenshaw will be backed by bassist-vocalist Derrick Anderson, drummer Mark Ortmann, and guitarist-vocalist Fernando Perdomo. More dates will be announced soon.

Congratulations to Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy And Friends on selling out this Saturday’s Play R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction show at SPACE in Evanston, IL. Dag Juhlin, Vijay Tellis-Nayak, John Stirrratt, and Jon Wurster comprise the Friends in Shannon and Narducy’s backing band.

Incoming

According to a promo email from Genesis Publications, the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album Déjà Vu was released on this day 55 years ago. Genesis Publications, which is based in England, specializes in limited edition, high quality books, and is now offering CSN and Y: Love The One You’re With, which features the work of iconic photographer Henry Diltz. Each copy is autographed by Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Diltz. The price is £325.

Marshall Crenshaw’s 40+ Years In Showbiz Tour is back in action, with upcoming performances starting this Thursday, and running through March 23. Crenshaw will be backed by bassist-vocalist Derrick Anderson, drummer Mark Ortmann, and guitarist-vocalist Fernando Perdomo. The band has gigs at SPACE in Evanston, IL on March 20 and 21. More concerts will be announced soon.

Here’s a friendly welcome to Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve, who are kicking off the first of four Chicago performances tonight at Park West. The March 11, 12, 14, and 15 shows are part of their 15-date In Concert Tour USA 2025 the tour.

There are still a few tickets available for this Friday’s Sons Of The Silent Age show at SPACE in Evanston, IL. The members of this Chicago-based David Bowie tribute band are veterans of the local club scene, and always put on an impressive show. A Facebook post from guitarist Steve Gerlach states, “We re-worked and stripped down some songs pretty extensively, so we’ll be sailing close to the wind.”  

The Michael Shannon And Jason Narducy And Friends Play R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction Tour has been garnering a lot of attention due to all four of the actual R.E.M. members joining a recent performance at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. But it should be noted that this Saturday’s show at SPACE in Evanston, IL sold out long before that Athens gig took place. At any rate, those lucky people with tickets are going to have a great time in Evanston this Saturday. Dag Juhlin, Vijay Tellis-Nayak, John Stirrratt, and Jon Wurster comprise Shannon and Narducy’s backing band.

The Experience Hendrix 2025 Tour starts tomorrow in Cincinnati; and will also include Toronto; Milwaukee; Chicago (Chicago Theatre, March 21); Detroit; Atlantic City; and Washington, DC. Performers will include Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Marcus King; Christone Kingfish Ingram; Zakk Wylde; Eric Johnson; Devon Allman; Samantha Fish; David Hildago and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos; Dweezil Zappa; Ally Venable; and Dylan Triplett.

Panick and The Friars will perform original tunes and a few covers this Friday at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge on Chicago’s north side.

For those already planning their local spring and summer outdoor events, the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune each offered articles with several suggestions. Thanks to reporters Miriam Di Nunzio and Doug George, respectively. Here’s a sample of what we can expect in the coming months: Chicago Blues Festival June 5 – 8; Chicago Gospel Music Festival July 12; Chicago Air and Water Show August 16 and 17; Chicago House Music Conference and Festival August 22 and 23; Chicago Jazz Festival August 28 – 31; and Taste Of Chicago Grant Park September 5 – 7.

    

Come hear lots of good bands. In today’s Chicago Sun-Times, Miriam Di Nunzio reported on Garcia’s Chicago, a concert and restaurant that’s scheduled to open at 1001 W. Washington in the city’s West Loop on March 21. The venue will honor former Grateful Dead founder, the late Jerry Garcia.

Saturday Slumgullion

Photo from the official Spooner Facebook page.

Founding members Duke Erikson, Dave Benton, Joel Tappero, and Butch Vig of the indie rock band Spooner will reunite for a 50th Anniversary show on July 12 at the Atwood Music Hall in their original hometown of Madison, WI. Musicians Pauli Ryan and Alex Drossart will help out, and there will be more special guests. The Sean Michael Dargan Trio show will be the opening act.

Beautiful Vision: The Songs Of Van Morrison with Steve Dawson, Chris Greene, Alton Smith, John Mead, John Abbey, Larry Brown, and Sophie Creutz takes place on March 17 at SPACE in Evanston.

Indie label Kool Kat Musik has set a March 18 release date for Pop Aid 2: A Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By Hurricanes Helene & Milton. All net profits from the 23-track CD will go directly to the American Red Cross in its efforts to help people in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. Acts who contributed songs to Pop Aid 2 include Mothboxer; Ronnie D’Addario featuring The Lemon Twigs; Vegas With Randolph; The Anderson Council; The Weeklings; Thrift Store Halo; The Grip Weeds, The Successful Failures; and Richard Turgeon. Kool Kat’s first POP AID effort came in 2022 with A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine, which has so far generated over $4,000 to help World Central Kitchen in its work.

Panick and The Friars will perform original tunes and a few covers at their March 14 gig at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge on Chicago’s north side.

I recently received the copy of Second Scene Issue 20 I ordered on the Pittsburgh-based alt rock print publication’s Bandcamp page. The indie rock publication sports an eye-catching design and covers acts such as Kaeidoscope; low sunday; Clan Of XYMOX; The Armoires; Vision Video; and Tall Poppy Syndrome.

The Stop Making Sense: A Film By Jonathan Demme And Talking Heads Live Event Hosted By Jerry Harrison event is coming on May 1 to the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. The re-release of Demme’s iconic 1984 concert flick has been restored in 4K, and Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison will provide an introduction, as well comments and a Q&A session afterward. Limited meet and greet tickets are available.

The Clinard Dance’s Flamenco Quartet Project, which aims to infuse genres such as jazz, blues, and hip-hop with elements of flamenco, will return to SPACE in Evanston on March 24. Grammy Award nominated blues harmonica player Billy Branch will join jazz vocalist Joan Collaso; rapper King Mossa; flamenco percussionist Diego Alvarez; flamenco singer "Cachito" Jose Diaz; tap artist Jumaane Taylor; guitarist Andrea Salcedo; and flamenco dancer Wendy Clinard at the SPACE performance.

Music industry people across the country have been helping victims of the California wildfires; whether it’s the Good Music To Lift Los Angeles download album; the FireAid Benefit concert in Los Angeles; or t-shirts available from the Consequence and Bandcamp websites. Now, comedians are literally getting in the act with Let’s Get L.Aid - A Night Of Music And Comedy For L.A. Wildfire Relief. The event will be held at The United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles on March 16. So far, “Weird Al” Yankovic; Al Jardine; Eric Idle; Margaret Cho; Peter Asher; and Rufus Wainwright are among the performers, with more to be added. The Wild Honey Foundation is helping out, so it’s a safe bet some popular musicians will be signing on.

Musicians at work. It was nice to see Facebook posts from the Chicago music acts The Handcuffs and Phil Angotti each stating they’re working on material for new albums.

The Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand recently released Human Fear, their first album in a while, and will soon kick off a world tour. The American leg of that tour includes an April 5 concert at The Vic in Chicago.

The current issue of the Chicago Reader is devoted to its annual Best Of Chicago awards. Each year, the long-running free publication asks the public to choose the winners in over 300 categories. Congratulations to WBEZ as Best Overall Radio Station (WXRT was First Runner-up); Terri Hemmert as Best Radio DJ; Wrigley Field as Best Sports Facility; Illinoise as Best Musical; Billy Branch And The Sons Of Blues as Best Blues Band; Simon’s Tavern as Best Dive Bar; Local H as Best Rock Band; Jamila Woods as Best Rhythm and Blues Artist; SPACE as Best Suburban Music Venue (FitzGerald’s was First Runner-up); Empty Bottle as Best Venue For Rock Music (Metro was First Runner-up); and Green Mill for Best Venue For Jazz. You can pick up a copy of the Chicago Reader from boxes in downtown Chicago and on the north side, as well as in many music and retail venues. 

Eternal Flame - The Authorized Biography of the Bangles is now available, and judging from The Bangles Official Facebook page, the band is thrilled with Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s book and how well it’s selling.

The Zombies’ official biographer Robin Platts has written a book titled Times and Seasons - The Rise and Fall and Rise of The Zombies that’s available from HoZac Books. Bangles singer-guitarist and long-time fan Susanna Hoffs did a fine job of writing the Forward. I particularly liked this comment regarding the band’s original lineup: “Rod, a choir boy; Hugh, a drummer in the marching band; Chris, who played bass; and Paul, who played guitar — and Colin — played rugby which I can hardly imagine! He had to have been the kindest bloke you could ever knock heads with in a rugby scrum.”

Indie rock acts Doug Gillard and Bunnygrunt have recorded a seven-inch split single titled “A Tribute To Game Theory.” Gillard picked “Dripping With Looks” and Bunnygrunt chose “Together Now, Very Minor,” and both tracks are available on vinyl or as downloads on the Bert Dax Bandcamp page. It’s nice to see the late Scott Miller and his underrated band Game Theory getting some recognition.

The Michael Steven Cohen 100th Show Celebration will take place at Montrose Saloon on April 6 at 6:00 pm. Cohen will unveil a new group called The Everly Hillbillies, and Montrose Saloon honcho/musician Eric Chial will be his special guest. Note: Cohen means 100 shows at Montrose Saloon. Who knows how many thousands of shows he’s done if we count all the venues he’s performed at over the years in various bands?

Translator founding members Steve Barton, Robert Darlington, Larry Dekker, and David Scheff got together in 2023 and recorded two new songs. They’ll be included as bonus tracks on the Live at the Farm, San Francisco 1986 album. It was recorded at the band’s final live show, and is scheduled for release on May 9. One of those new tracks, “These Days To Come,” can now be heard on YouTube.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter AJ Rosales has released his first new music since his 2021 debut Manifestations. Like the songs on that album, his new single “Thunderclouds” could be described as engaging indie rock led by acoustic guitar. Listeners will likely be reminded of vintage Neil Young. Rosales has a full album titled Phasedrift coming out later this year.

According to Jeff Lynne’s official Facebook site, Dhani Harrison will be a special guest at Jeff Lynne’s ELO - The Over And Out Tour on a few dates in the U.K. Those dates will be July 5 and 6 in Birmingham, and July 9 and 10 in Manchester.

Greg Kot, the rock critic and Sound Opinions radio show co-host with Jim DeRogatis, has assembled some of the best articles from his tenure at the Chicago Tribune and published them in a book titled Turn It Up: A Guided Tour Through the Worlds Of Pop, Rock, Rap and More.

Billy Idol will be joined by Joan Jett on his It’s A Nice Day To . . . Tour Again! series of concerts starting April 30. That includes a stop at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL on May 20.

Just Like Heaven: A Tribute To The Cure is now available from American Laundromat Records in vinyl format. Participating artists include Dean and Britta; Class Actress; Black Francis +Violet Clark; The Wedding Present; and Tanya Donelly.

The Experience Hendrix 2025 Tour starts on March 11 in Cincinnati; and will also include Toronto; Milwaukee; Chicago (Chicago Theatre, March 21); Detroit; Atlantic City; and Washington, DC. Performers will include Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Marcus King; Christone Kingfish Ingram; Zakk Wylde; Eric Johnson; Devon Allman; Samantha Fish; David Hildago and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos; Dweezil Zappa; Ally Venable; and Dylan Triplett.

Tickets are also available for Alejandro Escovedo’s April 4 and 5 shows at City Winery Chicago. In addition to his roots rock solo career, Escovedo found success as a member of Rank And File and True Believers.

Simple Minds has a U.S. tour starting in mid-May that will include a performance at Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on June 20. Simple Minds are marking the 40th anniversary their Once Upon A Time album—featuring “Don’t You Forget About Me”—by releasing a nine-track digital edition. A physical version will be out later this year.

Singer-guitarist Gary Louris, who’s known for his work with The Jayhawks, as well as his solo efforts, has a gig coming up at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on March 28.

Slumgullion

See yesterday’s Weekend Reminders post for events taking place this weekend.

Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve’s In Concert USA 2025 Tour will now wrap up with a four-day run in Chicago. Those shows are on March 11, 12, 14 and the recently added March 15. In the meantime, fans can catch Costello and Nieve tonight in Woodstock, NY and tomorrow night in Ann Arbor, MI.

Pravda recording artist Nathan Graham is known for mixing classic blues with Americana music, and he’ll likely showcase songs from his Saint Of Second Chances album during his April 4 gig at the Thornton Distilling Co in Thornton, IL. Falling Stars, who gave us catchy indie rock songs on their recent Garden Variety EP, will be the opening act.

Aimee Mann has a 22 1/2 Lost In Space Anniversary Tour with guest Jonathan Coulton coming this summer. It opens on June 5 in Cranston, RI and wraps up at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on June 27.

Lovely Stuff, the first new studio album from the Chicago-based indie rock band Smoking Popes in seven years, is due out on April 4.

 

The Miki Berenyi Trio, led by Lush founding member Miki Berenyi, has its first album Tripla coming out in digital and vinyl formats on April 4. Lush aficionados will also find much to like on the two albums the band’s other founding member Emma Anderson released over the past two years.

Adventurous prog rock musician and The Luck Of Eden Hall founding member Gregory Curvey, AKA Custard Flux, has a new album titled Enter Xenon coming out on June 1. It can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp, and the first three tracks are already available to purchase and download.

Graham Nash fans can enter to win the signed Fender acoustic CD-60 guitar he gave to Fandiem by making a donation to help raise funds to provide relief to musicians and music industry workers affected by the Los Angeles fires. Donations range from $10 to $500, with the highest amount bringing the most amount of entries. The entries must be received by April 21.

 

Former WXRT radio personality Richard Milne will once again book the musical talent for the annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. The event takes place on Sept 13 and 14, and as Milne stated in a recent Facebook post, he’s “not looking for tribute or cover bands although covers mixed in with your originals are perfectly acceptable.”

 

Shaky Knees - The Music Festival is scheduled to take place at Piedmont Park in in Atlanta, GA from September 19 through 21. Scheduled acts include Lenny Kravitz; Pixies; Spoon; Inhaler; Cage The Elephant; Johnny Marr; The Beaches; Vampire Weekend; Devo; Wet Leg; Franz Ferdinand; and Stereophonics.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2025 will be held from April 25 through May 3 at Montrose Saloon, and the schedule is now available on the official IPO website. CFO/Founder David Bash has brought his multi-act showcase to a number of Chicago venues over the years, and Montrose Saloon is a particularly good fit. I believe this is its fourth year of hosting. Per tradition, each night will bring a set of at least five acts; and there will be afternoon and evening sets on April 26, 27, and May 3.

This year’s list of IPO Chicago performers includes longtime participants The Spindles, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Hannah Frank, The Jeremy Band, The Band Calderisi, Freetoed, Things That Fly, The Sonnets, Einstein’s Sister, Phil Yates and The Affiliates, Golden Richards, The Walkdown, Custard Flux, The Thin Cherries, Who’s This Mary, The 321’s, Mark Watson, Aaron Fox And The Reliables, Michael Steven Cohen, Kerosene Stars, Otter Petter, and The Queue. There will also be several newcomers, so chances are good you’ll discover a new favorite.

Tickets are now on sale today for Theo Epstein and Peter Gammons’ Hot Stove Cool Music event at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on April 12. The event will feature Cheap Trick; Greg Hawkes and Eddie Japan performing songs by The Cars; and the Hot Stove All-Stars (Peter Gammons, Theo Epstein, Bill Janovitz, Kay Hanley, Will Dailey, and MLB Legends). 100% of the proceeds will go to the Foundation To Be Named Later Gammons College Scholarships fund.

Vocalist Gerald McClendon will receive the Bobby Blue Bland Award when the 25th Annual Jus’ Blues Foundation holds its Night Of The Living Legends event on July 30 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Many of us in Chicago are familiar with McClendon because of his superb performance of “My Sweet Lord” at a number of My Sweet George events at the Martyrs’ venue on Lincoln Avenue.

Autographed copies of Mike Campbell’s Heartbreaker memoir are now available for pre-order from the talkshoplive and Premiere Collectibles websites. Campbell was a founding member of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, and currently leads the band The Dirty Knobs.

Tickets are now on sale for The Color Purple - The Musical coming to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago starting June 21. The production will be directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with book by Marsha Norman, and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Director Bernard McMahon’s Becoming Led Zeppelin documentary presents the first authorized view of the iconic band’s early days, and includes full song performances, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with band members. It’s had special screenings at IMAX venues and is now showing in theaters across America.

Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin will celebrate Pete Townshend’s birthday on June 21 at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights, IL. Townshend was born on May 19, which is why this event is being billed as a (Belated) Birthday Bash. Understandable since Narducy and Juhlin have a busy schedule these days.

The feature-length documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which is based on the U2 vocalist’s solo tour for his fascinating memoir, will stream on May 30 on Apple TV. According to an online post from Billboard, director Andre Dominik’s film will include footage of Bono performing some of the songs he’s made famous with U2.

Tickets are now on sale for Sunny Afternoon at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The play is based on the music of The Kinks, with original story, music, and lyrics by Ray Davies; book by Joe Penhall; and direction by Edward Hall. It will run from March 21 to April 27.

Young Fresh Fellows recently recorded eleven songs in eight hours at Wilco’s Loft studio, giving them (Young Fresh Fellows) a Live In The Studio vinyl album they’ll be selling exclusively at their upcoming shows.

Lorraine Hansberry’s award-winning play A Raisin In The Sun is picking up rave reviews, and has been extended through March 23 at Chicago’s Court Theatre. The venue is located at 5535 S. Ellis.

Patti Smith and her band have added a second Chicago date to their 50th anniversary tour of Smith’s groundbreaking debut album Horses. They’re now performing November 17 and 18 at the Chicago Theatre.

Long-time Chicago-based power pop band Thrift Store Halo will make its 2025 performance debut on March 20 at Montrose Saloon. They’ll be joined by Dolph Chaney and The Phins and Rent Party.

The Chicago Women Of Color Puppetry and Performing Arts Fringe Festival has extended its run at the Zhou B Art Center to March 22. The event is being held on the 4th floor of the Women of Color Theatre and includes performances, workshops, and discussions regarding the artists’ work.

Great Moments In Vinyl, a rotating collection of area musicians devoted to honoring famous LPs and rock and roll artists, will perform the music of The Cars on March 20 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue.

Fans of Chicago rock and roll circa the mid 1960s might have a willingness to check out The New Colony Six on May 23 at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.

Tickets for the September 9 Supergrass concert at The Riviera in Chicago are now on sale. The Oxford, England trio is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its terrific debut album I Should Coco with concerts in the U.K., North America, and Mexico. Supergrass will perform their entire first album along with other hits.