Coherence And The Blue Carpet

The Fifth Annual Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival kicks off at 7:00 PM tonight, July 20th with a Blue Carpet Opening Night at the Star Cinema Grill in Arlington Heights. It promises to be an evening of sci-fi and suspense, delivered by one feature-length movie and two shorter efforts. Coherence is an 89-minute sci-fi thriller directed by James Ward Byrkit, starring Emily Foxler, Nicholas Brendon, and six others. A winner of Best Screenplay and Best Picture awards at independent film festivals, Coherence combines chills with an intimate look at personal relationships. 

The main feature will be preceded by Sorry About Tomorrow, director Motke Dapp’s 9-minute short concerning a man named Baldwin whose travels through time can have tragic results. Lapsus, director Karim Ouaret’s 30-minute thriller about a predator lurking in a laundromat, will also screen as part of the opening night festivities. The Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival moves to Cutting Hall in Palatine on Monday, and continues through Sunday, July 28th with events at Cutting Hall, Durty Nellie’s in Palatine, and then back to the Star Cinema Grill in Arlington Heights for the Awards Dinner and Blue Whiskey Chaser.

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Aren’t they just dolls? Art for The Both from Aimee Mann’s Facebook page.

The Pitchfork Music Festival  kicks off today in Union Park at 3:20 PM. Hello and welcome to everyone who has come to Chicago to see this annual event, which has become increasingly popular among fans of indie rock. The Reader, one of the city’s best-known free papers, has a helpful guide in this week’s issue, and you can find a thorough Pitchfork breakdown at the Innerview Magazine website. Today’s issues of the Tribune and Sun-Times also provide extensive coverage.

Tonight is the night local author Kym Brunner celebrates the release of her debut novel Wanted: Dead Or In Love a with a 1920s or ’30s event at Bar Louie on Rand Road in Mt. Prospect.

Shoes, with drummer John Richardson joining founding members John Murphy, Jeff Murphy, and Gary Klebe, will be performing tomorrow night, July 19th at SPACE  in Evanston. Check out today’s Chicago Sun-Times for a nice piece on the band by Moira McCormick. She worked with Mary E. Donnelly on the Shoes bio, Boys Don’t Lie. The Valley Downs, the coed power pop band led by vocalist Marianne Shimkus and bassist-vocalist Mike Galassini, will be the opening act. See my post earlier today on The Valley Downs.

Millennium Park has been getting some mixed publicity lately, with local newspapers praising its tourist-attracting aesthetics while questioning the ethics of some of its funding. Looking at the outdoor park strictly in terms of entertainment, it continues to impress. The Downtown Sound Monday Night concert series offers The Both, which features Aimee Mann and Ted Leo this coming Monday. On Tuesday, the classic mockumentary Spinal Tap will be shown, as part of the Sound Opinions At The Movies series. Sound Opinions is the WBEZ radio program hosted by rock critics Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis.

Congratulations to The Bangles on selling out both their July 27th and 28th shows at City Winery in Chicago.

Charming Axe, featuring singer-guitarist Rob Newhouse from The Elvis Brothers, Eugenia Elliott, and Hannah Hill, has a new gig lined up to follow its recent successful showing at The Old Town School Of Folk Music. The bluegrass/folk trio will be at one of Chicago’s newest venues, The Throne Room,  on August 1st.

Wizard World has just announced that Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, who play Howard and Raj respectively on The Big Bang Theory, will appear at Chicago Comic Con on August 22nd. Looking at the list of other guests, this seems to be a particularly impressive year for Wizard World Chicago. The stars include Matt Smith and Karen Gillan from Doctor Who; John Barrowman from Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Arrow; William Shatner from Star Trek; Patrick Stewart from X-Men and Star Trek The Next Generation; Nicole Beharie from Sleepy Hollow; James Marsters from Buffy The Vampire Hunter; supermodel Cheryl Tiegs; and comics mastermind Stan Lee.

Too big for my media room. Actually, a life-size parrot sculpture would be too big for my over-crowded media room at this point, let alone the giant Norwegian Blue that was recently laid to rest in the vicinity of the London Bridge. Artist Iain Pendergrast’s homage to lovely plumage was commissioned by the English TV channel Gold to promote the recent Monty Python reunion special. It measures 15 metres, which roughly translates into I have know idea what, and is a fitting tribute to The Pythons’ justifiably popular Dead Parrot skit.

The Valley Downs - Power Pop’s Brigadoon

When The Valley Downs perform this Saturday night at SPACE in Evanston, it will be the second time the band, led by married couple singer-guitarist Marianne Shimkus and bassist-vocalist Mike Galassini, has had the honor of opening for power pop legends Shoes.

“We were so excited to open for Shoes last year,” Shimkus recalled during a recent email exchange with BHT. “We had already bought our tickets when they invited us to open. So that was a a honor, really, to be asked. We’re excited to be asked back. They’re great songwriters and musicians and Space is a great venue. It’s pretty darn cool to be a part of this.”

It will be a rare opportunity to see both acts on the bill. The Valley Downs have been long-time participants at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago, but they missed this year’s event. That was unfortunate for their fans because other than their annual IPO shows, The Valley Downs appear in public about as often as Brigadoon arises from the mist of Ireland’s countryside.

“I think we’d all like to play more often,” Shimkus said. “We have a great time when we do. It’s not been a conscious decision. We all have crazy schedules. Sometimes things align and we get to do something cool like open up for Shoes!”

The Chicago-based quartet’s catchy power pop is certainly worthy of wider exposure. Their debut, the Behemoth EP,  included  “Better,” an optimistic mid-tempo number that sounded remarkably like The Bangles, as well as the social satire of the rougher-edged “Drama Queen.” Shimkus channeled Deborah Harry on the hard-edged and sexy “Twister.” Galassini, who got his start with the power pop trio 92 Degrees and still performs with them, brought his bass playing to the forefront throughout the EP, and joined Shimkus on harmonies. A later, less distributed self-titled EP continued to craft melodic songs that evoked The Bangles, while also showing a definite touch of Lennon and McCartney.

“For me, [it’s] The Beatles,” Shimkus said when asked about musical influences. “The first adolescent drive to sing, play guitar, write songs; all that can be traced back to The Beatles. Though people and circumstances around me influence my songwriting.”

Despite having a female lead vocalist, The Valley Downs’ songs rarely have a gender-specific point of view. Shimkus brings the cryptic lyrics to life, whether it’s on the sunny “Play For You” or the ironically titled “Lucky Day,” a Country & Western flavored tune with disturbing imagery like, “You leave me in the dirt, the dirt is where I’ll stay.” Fans of The Valley Downs will be glad to hear the band has new material on the way.

“We are working on a full-length CD now,” Shimkus said. “A number of songs that we do live haven’t been released; like ‘Perfect,’ ‘Good Friend,’ ‘Last Days of Summer.’ We’ll be doing those and a few others that haven’t been recorded or released yet. Mike has a brand new one called “Salem,” that he wrote about a week ago. So we’ll see how that goes in sound check. Plus, a couple off the 4- song CD Behemoth. We do a couple covers, too; Michelle Shocked, The Clash.”

The Valley Downs and Shoes have a connection that stretches back for a couple of decades. Galassini’s power pop trio, 92 Degrees, had their self-titled debut released on Shoes’ Black Vinyl label in 1995. Shoes made an impressive comeback after several tears of not recording with the critically acclaimed Ignition. The album top the BHT list of Favorite Releases of 2012.

The Jeremy Band - All Over The World

If CEO/Founder David Bash rules the kingdom of International Pop Overthrow, then Jeremy Morris must surely be one of its royalty. The Michigan native, who often performs by his first name only, has been traveling with the power pop/indie rock festival for years. All Over The World, features 20 live tracks performed by The Jeremy Band in San Diego in 2009, 2111, and 2113. That includes two previously unreleased tracks—the romantic “Let Me In Your Heart” and energetic “Cool Your Jets”— and there’s an added bonus with “I Want To Be With You,” a classic power pop original recorded at IPO - Liverpool in 2006. 

In addition to his impressive guitar playing and knack for crafting engaging, 1960s-influenced arrangements, Morris exudes a great deal of positive energy. Even the surly “Breaking Out Of This Cage,” which sounds like a manifesto for a political fringe organization, is actually Morris pushing back against people who don’t believe that playing music is a legitimate career. Occasionally, his outlook flows into spirituality, as on “New Creation” and “Highway To Heaven.”

Morris has psychedelic rock down to a science; creating imaginative landscapes on the upbeat “Radiant Future Days,” and “Not Of This World,” in which he envisions himself as an intergalactic alien. For straight-ahead British-inspired pop, there’s the catchy “Come On Over,” which evokes The Hollies’ “Step Inside.” “Pop Rules,” which was inspired by one of David Bash’s catch phrases, morphs from a three-minute studio pop song to an extensive jam in live performance. It’s one of the most fun tracks on All Over The World, as Morris glides effortlessly through 12 classic guitar rifts from Dick Dale, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Shadows Of Knight, and other artists. 

Durty Dates That Include Dick Dale

Photo from Dick Dale’s official website.

Durty Nellie’s in Palatine has been on an adventurous sprint in booking live acts lately. Earlier this week, the venue hosted Austin, Texas garage/Americana rockers Heartless Bastards, who are on tour promoting their new Arrow CD. Tomorrow night (July 16th), renowned guitarist and surf rock pioneer Dick Dale takes the stage. Dale, who has pretty much been canonized by Underground Garage host/musician Little Steven Van Zandt, started his career in the 1950s and released 11 albums over three decades that influenced countless bands. In 1997, Dale released the anthology Better Shred Than Dead, and he continues to maintain an active tour schedule.

Dale’s opening act at Durty Nellie’s tomorrow night is The Bingers an energetic and fun Chicago-based band rockabilly trio. Tickets are $27 for General Admission and seating is limited. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the music is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM. Next Wednesday, Durty Nellie’s will once again host the annual Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival’s Centerpiece Concert. This year’s headliner is Big Paraid, with Jackpot Donnie as the opening act. Admission is $10.

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Shoes back in the days when Skip Meyer was their drummer.

I’ve been considering the idea of pitching Broken Hearted Toy to downtown Chicago hotel concierges as an alternate source of entertainment news. This is another one of those packed weekends that could leave tourists, and even locals unsure of where to start. 
 
Chicago Acoustic Underground (CAU) has several shows lined up for the Bucktown Garden Walk  this weekend. Alt rock group WhiteWolfSonicPrincess goes on at 3:00 PM and Phil Angotti and Ellis Clark perform at 9:00 PM tomorrow; Liz Chidester (2:00 PM) and Beatles tribute band The Cheetles (8:00 PM) perform on Sunday. See the CAU Facebook page for the full schedule.
 
Chicago Independent Book Store Day makes its debut tomorrow at nine book stores throughout the area. The event will involve author participation, free stuff, and refreshing beverages. The participating stores are The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square; 57th Street Books and Seminary Coop in Hyde Park; Sandmeyer’s in Printer’s Row; Unabridged Books in Lakeview; Open Books in River North; City Lit Books in Logan Square Logan; Powell’s Bookstore in University Village; and Women And Children First in Andersonville.
 
Clawing their way back. The six-woman cover band Catfight made a triumphant return to its birthplace last Saturday with a two-hour performance at the Palatine Hometown Fest. Lead vocalists Molly and Julie have developed into a dynamic duo, and the band was consistently in synch behind them. A lot of the songs in Catfight’s repertoire spring from the current Top 40 (Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Fitz And The Tantrums’ “The Walker”) but guitarist Kimi occasionally took the spotlight for some blistering hard rock. I miss the days when Catfight was even more adventurous with its set list but it’s great to have them back. 
 
Catfight has a 3:45 PM show tomorrow at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest, which takes place at Belmont and Damen in Chicago. Verona Red, The Handcuffs, Treaty Of Paris, and Better Than Ezra are also among the bands scheduled for tomorrow. American English, Fort Frances, and This Must Be The Band and others perform on Sunday.
 
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, along with a backing band that includes his son Spencer, will be performing tomorrow at Taste Of Chicago, and he’ll have a potent opening act in Lucinda Williams. The concert starts at 3:00 PM. Other acts include Latin artist Rubén Alvarez and Sun Sounds; the tech duo Pyro Fighter; and the techno quartet Gemini Club. Aloe Blacc And The Wailers are the headliners on Sunday; with JA Cohen; Snow And Snow; Todd Kessler And The New Folk; and Logan Mize among the other acts scheduled.
 
The 23rd Annual Chicago Tribune North Michigan Avenue Art Festival runs through Sunday at Pioneer Court. I had a chance to check it out briefly at lunch today, and it has some interesting pieces that weren’t at the Old Town or Gold Coast Art Fairs.
 
According to a piece by Luis Gomez in the Tribune this past Tuesday, former Doctor Who actress Freema Agyeman (she played Martha Jones when David Tennant was The Doctor) will be among the cast members when the Netflix sci-fi series Sense8 starts filming in Chicago next month.
 
Kym Brunner, local author and co-leader (with local author Cherie Colyer) of the writers group I belong to, has a fun bash planned for next Friday night Bar Louie on Rand Road in Mt. Prospect to celebrate the release of her first-born novel Wanted: Dead Or In Love. Since the clever theme of the novel involves Bonnie And Clyde, Brunner is asking everyone who attends to dress in 1920s or ’30s costumes. Although as Clyde might say, “I reckon it ain’t mandatory.”
 
Local H, Jackpot Donnie, Hemmingbirds, Save The Clocktower, White Mystery, and Band Called Catch are among the acts scheduled to perform at the Great American Lobster Fest being held at Navy Pier on August 16th and 17th. The winner of the Throne Room’s Battle Of The Bands Contest will also be on the bill.
 
Shoes, with drummer John Richardson joining founding members John Murphy, Jeff Murphy, and Gary Klebe, will be performing next Saturday night, July 19th at SPACE  in Evanston. The Valley Downs, the coed power pop band led by vocalist Marianne Shimkus and bassist-vocalist Mike Galassini,  will be the opening act.
 
On a sad note: Skip Meyer, who played drums for Shoes back in the days when the band first dazzled power pop fans with classic fare like “Tomorrow Night” and “Too Late,” has passed away after a long battle with illness. Meyer hadn’t performed with the band for several years, but the Murphy brothers and Klebe fondly recalled working him, in Boys Don’t Lie, the Shoes biography penned by Mary E. Donnelly and Moira McCormick.

The Britannicas - High Tea

High Tea, the title of the latest effort from The Britannicas, has an appropriate regal significance but the CD could have just as easily been named Iced Tea. Not only because of its July release date, but also because these 13 songs sport breezy power pop arrangements. The international trio, comprised of American Herb Eimerman, Swede Magnus Karlsson, and Australian Joe Algeri, continues to draw inspiration from original British Invasion bands as well as American acts like The Beach Boys and The Byrds.

Karlsson’s catchy “Talkin’ ’Bout Summer” celebrates a season when romances are fun though often temporary, and Algeri serves up memories of teenage action from 1965 amidst the hard-edged pop of “The Moment Passed.” The members of The Britannicas share similar traits when it comes to songwriting, but each has his own style and quirks. Algeri, who also performs as The JAC, tends toward offbeat material like the Kinks-inspired “I Work At The Post Office,” while Eimerman favors love songs with enigmatic lyrics. His “Bleed Between The Lines” sounds like it could have been a hit single in 1965. On his catchy “Come On Boys,” Karlsson incorporates church choir harmonies and acoustic guitar as he advises young adults on how to navigate relationships and a troubling world.

High Tea also includes “I Got You,” a well-executed Del Shannon cover that The Britannicas previously contributed to a tribute album to the late American singer. Other highlights include Eimerman’s jangling love song, “Got A Hold On Me” and Algeri’s simultaneously ribald and touchingly romantic “A Shag And A Cup O’ Tea.”