Slumgullion

I’m On Fire, And Baby, It’s Cold Outside. There will be a double dose of classic power pop tomorrow night at Reggies on south State Stree in Chicago when Pezband opens for Dwight Twilley. Pezband has a CD of previously unreleased material from its vault coming out later this year.

Paragon’s Virtues. Paragon Studios on Fulton Street in Chicago is holding a combination open house/acoustic concert featuring singer-songwriters this Sunday from 4:00 to 9:00 PM. Ellis Clark, who has performed in Epicycle, Social Act, and The Handcuffs, will be performing at 6:00 PM. He’ll probably be playing songs from his recent solo release, LP Number One. Admission for the Paragon Open House is free. 

On A Sad Note. Several Chicago area musicians gathered at the FitzGerald’s club in Berwyn this past Wednesday night for a memorial to their close friend, Tom "Pickles" Piekarski. The charismatic bass player, known for his work with several artists, including The Bad Examples, John Prine, Famous Potatoes, and Bucky Halter, recently suffered a fatal heart attack. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Coma Comes To Town. The San Antonio-based three-woman alt rock band Girl In A Coma will be appearing at the UNISONO en el Zocalo One Sound, One Village event in the Pilsen tomorrow. Mexican Institute Of Sound, Sidewalk Chalk, Fue, and Banda Potrillos will also be performing, and there will be women empowerment workshops throughout the day. In my review of Girl In A Coma’s Exits And All The Rest Cd (see June 11, 2012 in Archives) I described their songs as having rough edges, abrupt tempo shifts, and emotionally charged lyrics.

CD Review: Gary Ritchie - Drake Near The Alley

Singer-guitarist Gary Ritchie once again taps into the 1960s on his latest collection of power pop songs, Drake Near The Alley. He has logged time with a number of bands over the past few decades, most notably Loose Lips and Mike Jordan And The Rockmatics. Some of that experience surfaces in the lyrics on Drake, and Ritchie also reflects on his childhood and high school years.

“Hum, Sing, Repeat” includes the line, “I spent my milk money on a 45,” and celebrates the rock and roll era of Chicago AM radio station WLS. There’s a nice shout out in the liner notes to the late DJ Art Roberts and his nightly Top Three Songs. The acerbic “Charming Life” depicts a guy who still feels empty even while boasting about all his accomplishments to the girl who snubbed him back in their high school days. Other tracks deal with crumbling relationships, like “Hear My Plea,” which has an easy-going arrangement reminiscent of Chad And Jeremy.

At times, Ritchie’s vocals sound over-articulated, which can throw the song off a bit. He comes across stronger while cutting loose on the harder-edged “Back To You.” Still, fans of melodic pop with ringing guitars are sure to appreciate the approach on Drake Near The Alley, particularly on “Woman, Oh Woman” and “Midnight Lovers.” 

No Problem With The Handcuffs

Kevin Elwardt photo of The Handcuffs at an earlier concert. From The Handcuffs Facebook page.

The catchy rock songs The Handcuffs have recorded over the course of three CDs came across loud and clear during a performance at Northalsted Market Days. Led by the husband and wife team of singer-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis, the Chicago-based band has landed a number of songs on TV shows, and plays the local scene on a semi-regular basis. On Sunday, The Handcuffs opened with the energetic “Mickey 66” and continued at a relentless pace throughout the hour-long show.

A touch of glam and a consistently hard guitar attack mixed within classic pop melodies makes it challenging to slap a label on this four woman/one man quintet. Plus, chief songwriter Brad Elvis is pretty adventurous when it comes to lyrics. Orwell, a charismatic front person, acknowledged the predominantly gay Market Days crowd from time to time, and dedicated the provocative tale of cross-dressing, “Vinyl Isabella,” to “all the trannies in the crowd.” The song segued nicely into a bit of “Lola” by the Kinks, and The Handcuffs later offered a rollicking cover of Mott The Hoople’s “All The Way To Memphis.”

Otherwise, it was an impressive set of originals like “Miss You On Tuesday,” “Kiss This Goodbye,” “Dirty Glitter,” and “Jet Baby.” New guitarist Susie Q exuded the mystique of a western gunslinger as she powered each song, and broke free for some extended solos. At one point, Orwell instructed the crowd to chant Q! in the guitarist’s honor. Orwell also had some interactive fun during “Gotta’ Problem With Me?” As she sang, “You gotta a problem with me?”, the audience pointed at her and shouted “We gotta a problem with you!” It takes a lot of confidence to encourage a crowd participate that way.

The Handcuffs have been working in the studio on their fourth release. The two new songs performed on Sunday, “Keep Your Mouth Shut!” and “Fluffer” (I’m guessing at the titles) gave a strong indication that the band shows no signs of slowing down.    

Silver Subversion: Abbie Hoffman Fest Turns 25

Photo of Rich Cotovsky (left) and Famous In The Future member Pat Über-Critic McDonald from McDonald’s Facebook page.

The Mary-Arrchie Theatre celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its three-day performing arts celebration named in honor of the late Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman this past weekend at The Den Theatre. On Sunday morning there was an informal reading from Hoffman’s Steal This Book, but otherwise, the tone of the event was more creative than revolutionary. A Facebook message posted by Mary-Arrchie Theatre yesterday neatly summed up the positive vibes generated at this year’s Abbie Fest, and expressed the hope that feeling will exist year round within the Chicago theatre scene.

“Remember throughout the year the spirit of the Abbie Hoffman Died for Our Sins Theatre Festival. It’s about cooperation, not competition. Live that in everything you do this year. Our sincerest thanks to everyone who performed, attended, or worked the fest this year, you are the best!”

Bringing local performers, writers, and directors closer together has been one of Mary-Arrchie Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky’s major goals since the first Abbie Fest took place in 1989. And it worked just as well in the more expansive space at The Den Theatre as it always has at the Mary-Arrchie’s home base at the corner of Broadway and Sheridan Road. The action was in full swing when I dropped by for a second visit on Saturday evening. The bar area was filled with performers and the people who had come to see them. At times, loud conversations bled into Stage 1 (just as music from the bands playing on Stage 2B could occasionally be heard during the plays on Stage Not 2B) but it felt more like a festive ambience than an intrusion.

Abbie Fest veterans Citizens’ Relief brought their usual engaging stage presence to the cryptic Tennessee Williams work, The Two Character Play. No matter what piece they choose—and they always aim for the offbeat—these two performers are fun to watch. Carla Hayden and James Moeller of Black Forest are also long-time participants with a knack for compelling forays into the avant garde. For Mixtapes, Hayden and Moeller were joined by a dancer who brought her own charm and talent to the production. The three women of Mudgeonsoul Productions brought a sharp edge to Liz Siedt’s gothic comedy, Rebecca Back To Life.

Which brings us to Famous In The Future, and even though I performed with this comedy group for 20 years, I’m going to once again toss aside journalistic integrity and critique their Twenty-FIF: Silver And Mold revue. FIF, the only group other than the Mary-Arrchie itself to have appeared at every single Abbie Fest, experimented with a few new concepts for their silver anniversary. Having a musician play guitar and sing between skits worked well, as Jason Weinberg immediately endeared himself to the audience and had them singing along with his versions of well known rock songs.

FIF opened with a puppet representing Cotovsky’s Swami character in Gas Mask 101, and Abbie Fest regulars loved it. Later, FIF did an amazing job bringing two stuffed bears to life, but the skit didn’t have a strong enough payoff. Some of the better material included a song about an ugly flower, and a hick who claimed to have filmed Jesus visiting his trailer park. Not all the bits were gems, but Famous In The Future is still funny and imaginative after 25 years.

Unfortunately, I had to leave Saturday night before The Abbeys played on Stage 2B, and that was the band I most wanted to see. I returned early Sunday morning and caught two shows that exemplified the Abbie Fest spirit. Cotovsky was in his element as Rex the crazed loner in Matt Borczon’s Wild Dogs. I’ve seen Cotovsky eat a Twinkie off the floor in the opening scene at least 20 times, but he always makes this comic/tragic play a kick to watch. Afterward, Cotovsky gathered some of the younger Mary-Archie staff members together on Stage 1 to take turns reading out loud from Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book. The author’s rebellious spirit rages on 25 years after his death, thanks to this freewheeling annual festival.

I’ve Just Seen A Fest 2013

Photo from The Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page.

You could call The Fest For Beatles Fans a celebration with kaleidoscope eyes. The Chicago version, which was held this past weekend at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, once again offered a colorful variety of ways to look at the most famous rock band in history. The celebrity guests—musicians who performed with and/or were inspired by The Beatles; authors who’ve spent years researching them; and artists and photographers who’ve captured their images—all worked from a different point of view. A screening room showed Beatles-related films, and of course, the fans in attendance all came with their own perspectives.

The wide selection of t-shirts in The Fest’s marketplace gave fans plenty of choices on how to wear their Fab Four pride, and there were new items to discover. The Record Showcase is a larger-sized frame that simultaneously displays a vinyl  LP’s cover and most of the record itself. The frame provides a UV Inhibitor for protection and can be easily opened to allow the record to be played. Other products emblazoned with The Beatles ranged from blankets to a pair of dice.

The Fest For Beatles Fans also brought artists and authors face to face with the people who would most likely be interested in their work. Rob Shanahan, who is Ringo Starr’s personal photographer, gave an entertaining slide show in the ballroom, and author Bruce Spizer also used a slide show while promoting the digital version of his book, Beatles Records on Vee-Jay. The hard cover version sold out long ago and is difficult to find. Singer-guitarist Greg Kihn autographed copies of his latest mystery novel, the Beatles-themed Rubber Soul, and entertained people in the marketplace with acoustic versions of “The Breakup Song” and “Jeopardy.” Other authors on hand included Larry Kane (When They Were Boys), Wally Podrazik (All Together Now), Jim Berkenstadt (The Beatle Who Vanished), Jude Southerland Kessler (She Loves You), Jorie Gracen (Paul McCartney: I Saw Him Standing There), Judith Kristen (Once Upon A Time In Liverpool), Robert Rodriguez (Revolver: How The Beatles Reimagined Rock And Roll), and Gillian Gaar (100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know And Do Before They Die).

Eric Cash and Georgina Flood filled the Heathrow Room at the Hyatt with imaginative Beatles art on prints, t-shirts, and calendars. In addition to being talented artists, they both share an easy-going and genuine rapport with fans. Freda Kelly, the subject of Good Ol’ Freda, a new documentary about her time as secretary of the official Beatles Fan Club, also charmed the numerous people who came up to talk with her.   

The musical guests were the biggest draw for most people who came to The Fest For Beatles Fans, and unfortunately, I missed a major chunk of the concerts due to having such a hectic weekend. But I did catch Chad & Jeremy’s performance on Saturday afternoon, and their harmonies on hits like “Summer Song,” “Willow, Weep For Me,” and “Yesterday’s Gone” were still amazingly fresh. Other highlights included an acoustic take on the Jimi Hendrix classic “Purple Haze,” which Chad touchingly dedicated to the memory of a young student who took guitar lessons from him, and a gorgeous rendition of The Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back Again,” for the encore. The British Invasion duo also shared humorous tales of being on American TV shows like Batman, The Patty Duke Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

The B.U.I. (Beatles Under the Influence) Musicians’ Forum is always an entertaining if unruly adventure of improv rock and roll. British writer/producer Martin Lewis, who shares interviewing duties with WXRT radio personality Terri Hemmert, assembles a panel of musical guests, feeds them questions about The Beatles and watches them cut loose. This year, the participants were producer/musician Mark Hudson, Badfinger singer-guitarist Joey Molland, singer-guitarist Billy J. Kramer, drummer Liberty Devitto, and bassist-vocalist Chas Newby, who played with The Beatles on four gigs in the early 1960s. 

  

As always, The Fest For Beatles Fans wrapped up with a Sunday night concert by the tribute band, Liverpool. These four New Jersey-based musicians nail every Beatles song that lay their hands on, and their range of material exceeds most of their competitors. After an hour of bringing the cheering audience to its feet for songs like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Strawberry Fields,” and “Hey Bulldog,” Liverpool followed its annual tradition of inviting some of the musical guests to join them. I had to leave shortly after Molland drove them through “Dixie Blue” and “Day After Day,” in order to catch the CTA and Metra back home.  I may not have been able to see as much of The Fest For Beatles Fans as I wanted to this year, but even a bit was still quite an experience.

Well, All Right, Den!

Long-time participants and fans alike must have wondered if the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival would lose some of its in-your-face storefront allure with its move to The Den Theatre this year. Then there was the question as to whether regulars would follow Abbie from the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s home base on north Broadway to its special, 25^th Anniversary location on Milwaukee Avenue. If a quick visit to The Abbie last night is any indication, the results have been mostly positive.

Luckily, my fear that a late-night freelance obligation would keep me from not going at all last night didn’t come about, but it did delay my arrival enough to miss Mary-Arrchie Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky portraying Abbie Hoffman in the opening ceremonies. From there, it was a difficult decision to pass up Rush Pearson’s masterful one-man show, Diary Of A Mad Man on Stage 1, in favor of a rapid-fire quartet of of new plays on Stage Not 2B.

Jessica Wright Buha’s Gently Killing Grandma was a dark comedy deftly performed by five women from The Luha Group. Iguana Productions followed with John Weagly’s A Goose Without A Gander, a funny monologue fueled by its dynamic performer, about infidelity and the ill-fated title bird. Value Meal found two burly gentlemen from Big-Big! faced with the challenge of polishing off a line of Subway sandwiches while discussing their favorite food. Paper Bag Void was an entertaining, brief bit of philosophy that climaxed with audience members shouting their appreciation for Abbie Fest and popping paper bags.

Over on Stage 2B, where several bands will be performing this year, whitewolfsonicprincess cast a spell with Get Right With God; indie rock songs laced with  provocative spiritual imagery. Founding members Carla Hayden and James Moeller also front Black Forest, a theatre group with several years of playing the Abbie under its belt.

For the complete Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins schedule, check out the Mary-Arrchie Theatre website. Some of today’s highlights include a series of bands kicking off with Jungle Of Cities at 2:00 PM; Wild Dogs by Mary-Arrchie Theatre at 4:00 PM; The Two Character Play by Citizens Relief at 6:00 PM; Mixtapes by Black Forest at 8:00 PM; Twenty-FIF: Silver & Mold by my former comedy group, Famous In The Future, at 9:00 PM; and power pop band The Abbeys at 10:45 PM.        

Slumgullion

If you notice a commotion in Daley Plaza around 2:00 PM today, don’t be afraid to check it out. The Mary-Arrchie Theatre holds a rally there each year around this time to kick off the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival. Following the rally, Rich Cotovsky, portraying Abbie Hoffman will lead his followers on a march to The Den Theatre on Milwaukee Avenue. Opening ceremonies (always a highlight of Abbie Fest) are at 7:00 PM, and then the flood gates open for three days of nonstop entertainment. The schedule is now available as a mobile app and a Google Doc on the Mary-Arrchie Theatre wesbsite. 

Northhalsted Market Days takes place this Saturday and Sunday with food, art, crafts, exotically dressed people, and three stages of live music. Andy Bell from Erasure, 10,000 Maniacs, Cherie Currie, Wilson Phillips, and David Cassidy are among the headline acts. The Handcuffs, fronted by lead vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis, will be performing at 3:30 PM Sunday. Other acts include Girlband, Dot Dot Dot, and 7th Heaven.

International Pop Overthrow recently wrapped up a successful visit to Los Angeles, the city of its birth, and has moved on to San Francisco. Lannie Flowers, the six-piece rock/soul outfit Talk Tonight, and a Paris-based mod band called French Boutik are among the artists scheduled to participate this weekend at Hotel Utah Saloon.

Meanwhile, International Pop Overthrow-Chicago veterans Go Time! will be bringing their hard-edged but melodic tunes to the Gallery Cabaret next Saturday, August 18th at 9:00PM. The venue is located at 2020 N. Oakley in Chicago.

Can’t get enough of that Fab Four stuff? On Monday, August 12th, a day after Fest For Beatles Fans-Chicago ends, Phil Angotti will carry the baton as he and some friends perform Paul McCartney’s Band On The Run album at Martyrs on Lincoln Avenue.

This might sound like that 1970s rumor about Alice Cooper being the same guy who played Eddie Haskell on Leave It To Beaver, but according to the Uproxx website, Peter Capaldi, the actor recently selected to portray the 12th generation of The Doctor on Doctor Who, was once in a Scottish punk band called The Dreamboys. The band’s drummer was Late Late Show host and avid Doctor Who fan, Craig Ferguson. 

James Moeller of Black Forest and whitewolfsonicprincess has a new side project called Broken TV. His first song, “Whizzing By” is a terse number featuring only him on vocals and electric guitar. It’s available on BandCamp.