Catching Up

I worked 30 hours on a freelance proofreading assignment at an ad agency this past weekend, and I have say it was ...exhilarating! Glad to help out a favorite client and great to be doing the work I love. But it did wipe my Valentine’s Day dinner with Pam (at least she had cupcakes ready when I came home at 11:30 PM) and any chance of doing a Slumgullion, Saturday Slumgullion or Sunday Papers post. So here are a few items of interest.

Sleater-Kinney will be performing at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago tomorrow night, February 17th. The highly influential trio has received a hearty welcome from fans and critics for its new CD No Cities To Love. 

So I missed Saturday Night Live’s entire three and a half hour 40th Anniversary special on NBC last night. Fans got to see famous former cast members performing in new skits as part of the festivities. Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, and Jane Curtin were just a few of comedians who were on hand, along with special guests like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Emma Stone, and Kerry Washington. Congratulations to all those involved with SNL, especially the many performers and writers who learned their craft in Chicago.

I’m sad to learn that Lesley Gore has died from cancer. She was 68. As Little Steven pointed out on his Underground Garage syndicated radio show, she was ahead of her time when it came to songs like "You Don’t Own Me." She may not have written it, but she really put the message across. Here’s a link to a heartfelt tribute crafted by Joe Marchese on the always classy Second Disc website. 

As revealed by rock critic Greg Kot in the Chicago Tribune, Wilco will headline the opening night of this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival on July 17th. Other acts scheduled to perform during the three-day event are Sleater-Kinney, Jessica Pratt, and New Pornographers. 

Wild Honey has another all-star Beatles tribute coming up in California to benefit the Autism Think Tank. Several power pop and indie rock musicians will gather to play the entire White Album on February 28th at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Chris Carter, who hosts the Breakfast With The Beatles Show on KLOS in Los Angeles, will serve as host, and the participants include Vicki and Debbi Peterson of The Bangles; Mitch Easter of Let’s Active; Gary Wright; The Muffs; The Three O’Clock; Chris Collingwood of Fountains Of Wayne; Translator; John Wicks from The Records; John Cowsill; Susan Cowsill; and Dave Gregory from XTC.

Ticket prices are $25 for balcony; $45 for orchestra and terrace, and $100 for VIP. Wild Honey is seeking donations on the gofundme site to help with the cost of artist travel and rehearsal expenses. In  2014, their Revolver/Abbey Road and Big Star 3rd tributes raised over $43,000 for the Autism Think Tank and $11,500 for the Children’s Music Fund. And as I’ve said about these Wild Honey events before; I wish they would bring these performers to Chicago and other cities.

Now that AC/DC has been slated for a gig at Wrigley Field on September 15th, someone is bound to refer to Clark and Addison streets as Highways To Hell. Actually, Cubs fans have been calling them that for decades.

Oh, and by the way: This is post number 1,500 for Broken Hearted Toy.

Backwards Broadway, Fan Fest, And Other Upcoming Events

I’m offering a few items tonight that would have been in tomorrow’s Slumgullion because I’m about to embark on an unpredictable freelance assignment.

Boogaloo backwards down Broadway. There will be an evening of show stopping gender swapping in Elgin tomorrow night (February 13th) as Side Street Studio Arts, presents Backwards Broadway. The fundraising event will give actors an opportunity to belt out tunes usually reserved for females, while actresses interpret songs traditionally delivered from a guy’s point of view. Tickets are a $10 suggested donation. Proceeds will benefit Youth Outlook, an organization dedicated to supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adolescents.

Working for a heart-shaped weekend. Fans of melodic rock songs that topped the charts in the 1980s might want to spend Valentine’s Day with Loverboy and The Romantics at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles Saturday night. Tickets are $39 and are available on the venue’s website.

Wizard World Comic Con usually draws hordes of sci-fi, horror, and comic fans to the Donald E. Stephens Center in mid-August each year, but there’s a sort of bonus event coming up on the weekend of March 7th & 8th. Karen Gillan from Doctor Who, Selfie, and Guardians Of Galaxy; and Lee Arenberg from the Once Upon A Time TV series and The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies are the headliners for the very first Fan Fest Chicago. Two-day tickets are $30 and one-day tickets are $15; with additional charges for Autographs and Photo Ops. Not sure if you’re supposed to come in costume for this one.

As mentioned here yesterday, Crosby, Stills and Nash plan to perform three concerts during an Eastbound Transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2 next fall. Journalist Mary Forgione mentioned the cruise, which will run from September 4th through the 11th, in the Travel section of last Sunday’s Chicago Tribune.

Other performers have gone the cruise route, including the all-woman Celtic band Cherish The Ladies. Vocalist/penny whistle player/founding member Joannie Madden will host a Folk’ Irish Cruise featuring numerous acts on May 16th through the 23rd. In other Cherish The Ladies news, the quintet will be marking its 30th Anniversary with a series of concerts this year. The one at Symphony Space in New York on March 3rd will be a special reunion show that brings back past members like Aoiffe Clancy, Deirdre Connolly, Liz Carroll, and Donna Long. I’m not sure if I should mention this, but Ms. Clancy, whom I’ve seen perform with CTL a few occasions, was partly the inspiration for a character in one of my Middle Grade novels.

Across The Sea In Harmony

According to a short piece by Mary Forgione in the Travel section of last Sunday’s Chicago Tribune, Crosby, Stills and Nash will perform a trio of concerts during an Eastbound Transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2 next September. Reflecting the band’s American/English roots, the trip will kick off from New York and arrive at its destination in London a week later. Unlike wooden ships, the cost of sailing aboard the Queen Mary 2 won’t be very free. Forgione notes that prices start at $1,449.

As longtime fans know, these guys are hardly landlubbers. Crosby has spent quite a bit of time on his own boat, often taking Stills and Nash along for the ride. One of those trips provided the inspiration for Nash’s “To The Last Whale.” Still, entertaining an audience on a boat might take some practice. That’s why I’m offering to treat Crosby, Stills and Nash to a ride on a Wendella river cruise when they come here for two shows at the Chicago Theatre in May. I’m looking forward to a mashup of “Chicago” and “Lee Shore.”

Dave Caruso - Cardboard Vegas Roundabout

It’s impossible to miss the craftsmanship that went into this latest effort from singer-songwriter Dave Caruso. A founding member of the band CARUSO along with his brothers, the Detroit native sets articulate lyrics to gorgeous melodies. Still, for all merit to be found on Cardboard Vegas Roundabout, there are times when Caruso’s sleek styling gets the better of his material. Even the bonus Slip Road disc (as opposed to the Main Road disc) sometimes sounds too ornate when it’s supposed to have harder edges.

“The Art Of Erica” falls a bit shy of an Elvis Costello type masterpiece, and it’s definitely not the fault of the lyrics. Caruso’s putdowns are as imaginative as they are withering, but his phrasing and the song’s arrangement are just too nice. That approach works better on the breezy 1960s pop of “Champion,” and makes “Rockabye (A Rocturnal Lullabye)” all the more reassuring. “I’ve Tried To Write You” kicks off with some authentic street corner doo wop, and on “A Great Day For The Angels,” Caruso’s vocals have a touch of gospel as he delivers a genuinely heartfelt eulogy.

“Sticks Keys and Wires” is a fun look at the basics of songwriting, but it could have easily done without Caruso’s synth playing. Likewise, keyboards just add clutter to the catchy melody, ringing guitars, and blistering social satire of “Fake Friends.” The Slip Road disc doesn’t go far enough in reinventing the Main Road songs, but its does offer a leaner, and thus perfect “Fake Friends” and a stark and seductive “Mystery and Sweetness (Stripped.)”

Slumgullion

The first Elgin Literary Festival, affectionately known as ELF,  kicked off tonight with an open mic at Blue Box Cafe. The fun will continue throughout this weekend at Blue Box, Martini Room, The Elgin Public House, Solo Restaurant and Wine Bar, Next Door Theatre, Side Street Studio Arts, and other locations in Elgin’s downtown area. Kym Brunner, Cherie Colyer, and Katie Sparks from the writers group I belong to will be among the many authors taking part in panel discussions and giving presentations.

The Neverly Brothers will bring their entertaining and informative showcase of 1950s and 1960s hits to Durty Nellie’s in Palatine tomorrow night. 

The Arcada in St. Charles has borrowed Cupid’s bow and arrow and is aiming to entice 1980s rock fans with a Valentine’s Day double bill of Loverboy and The Romantics. And since Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, it’s a perfect date night.

One if by land, two if by eBay. The Chicago Tribune recently ran a feature story by Randy Lewis with the intriguing headline, “Rare British Invasion photos to hit eBay.” The previously unpublished shots of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were taken by Bob Bonis from 1964 to 1966. Bonis served as the road manager for both groups and kept these photographs to himself for several years afterward. He passed away in 1992, and some of his work has surfaced in Larry Marion’s books The Lost Photographs of The Rolling Stones and The Lost Photographs of The Beatles. A few were exhibited at the Hollywood Bowl as part of a 50th Anniversary celebration of The Beatles performing there. The photographs will be auctioned on eBay in small batches over the next few years in various sizes, with starting prices ranging $165 through $625. The Tribune noted that 10% of the proceeds will benefit The Grammy Museum (the same people who created The British Invasion: How Beat Groups Conquered America exhibition currently on loan to the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool). Bonis had 5,000 photos in his collection, with over half being of The Rolling Stones. There were 800 of The Beatles. He also took pics of Cream, Simon and Garfunkel, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and The Hollies. No word on whether those photos will be up for sale.

The highly influential Sleater-Kinney has received a hearty welcome from fans and critics since reuniting a while back. Their new CD No Cities To Love is out, and they’ll be at the The Riviera Theatre in Chicago February 17th.

Peter Asher; Chad And Jeremy;  Billy J. Kramer; Mike Pender’s Searchers; Denny Laine of The Moody Blues and Wings; and Terry Sylvester of The Hollies will mix with audience members and sign merchandise following performances on select dates of The British Invasion 2015 Tour. The City Winery show in Chicago on March 7th is among those dates.

Ringo Starr’s next release Postcards From Paradise is now available for pre-order on Amazon. 

Graham Nash’s photography exhibit My Life Through My Lens has been extended at the Mumm Napa winery in Rutherford, CA.

Genevieve Schatz from the Chicago-based band Company Of Thieves has embarked on solo career, performing under her first name. She’ll be at Schubas on February 20th.

A word of thanks to Veronica Rundell for giving a shout out to Broken Hearted Toy on her V’s Reads blog. Rundell reads books the way some people eat potato chips, and as someone who’s a member of the same writers group as her, I can attest that she knows the publishing industry inside and out. Especially when it comes to YA and children’s books. She’s an astute critic and always supportive of her fellow writers.

We’ve been eating folks all summer long. The Portland quartet Summer Cannibals has released the single “Something New” from its second album Show Us Your Mind, which comes out March 3rd. It’s a catchy, garage rock number reminiscent of Palmyra Delran and Amy Gore, as well as Patti Smith, who recorded a song called “Summer Cannibals” in the 1990s.

Side Street Studio Arts, the people who are constantly dreaming up unusual fun in Elgin, will present Backwards Broadway next Friday Night. It’s a fundraising event in which men sing tunes usually done by women and vice versa. Proceeds will benefit Youth Outlook, an organization dedicated to supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adolescents.  

I Think Like Midnight - Warm Seclusion Structure

Aside from the Chicago-based quartet Pelican, it’s hard to think of many bands these days that only play instrumentals. With the release of their debut Warm Seclusion Structure, the oddly named I Think Like Midnight immediately prove they’re capable of creating compelling songs without singing. The imaginative mix of guitars and keyboards throughout this album tends toward alt rock, but there are also some appealing acoustic moments and hints of jazz.

The mid-tempo “They’re Calling For Possible Storms” and the energetic “Everyone Has A Silver Car” find I Think Like Midnight weaving intriguing textures within strong melodies. “Swiss Voltage” has an easygoing acoustic vibe, but there’s a mysterious undercurrent of mumbled voices and odd synthesizer bits and pieces. “Maiden Names” is an engaging blend of lighter guitars and keyboards playing but the reflective “Dulce de Leche” is the only track that feels more like an interlude than an actual song.

I Think Like Midnight are at their most impressive while mixing modern indie rock with a nocturnal new wave ambience on the energetic and infectious “Frictionless” and “Ground Effect Aircraft.” These two songs are prime examples of why this Philadelphia-based band’s approach works so well. Another highlight is “Block Captain,” which sets acoustic and electric guitars to a fun and driving beat.

Happy Birthday, Graham!

If you’ve read Graham Nash’s autobiography Wild Tales or Ken Sharp’s interview with him in the limited-edition book Play On! Power Pop Heroes, you know he enjoys sharing entertaining anecdotes about his life. I experienced that first hand when I interviewed Nash for the Illinois Entertainer in 2009.

He comes across like a guy hanging out with his mates in a pub, and occasionally the way he remembers something isn’t quite the same as the way Stephen Stills, David Crosby, or his fellow band mates in The Hollies, Allan Clarke and Tony Hicks remember it. Who can really say for sure at this point? All I know is that the way he described how the idea for “To The Last Whale” came to him will always be one of my favorite moments in all the centuries I’ve been writing about rock and roll.

On a related note, yesterday’s edition of the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff internet show included a rerun of the first episode of the Manchester Gallery series my wife Pam and I created for its host and creator Jeff Kelley. In the premiere, I showcased the Graham Nash puppet I had custom made by an artist I saw at The Wells Street Art Fair, and fabricated a back story of how it was lovingly crafted by an English schoolgirl/Hollies fan named Jennifer Eccles back in the mid-1960s. I would go on to create 21 episodes of Manchester Gallery for Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff, and the Graham Nash puppet returned in the finale.

Graham Nash will be coming to Chicago on May 5th and 6th for a pair of Crosby, Stills and Nash shows at the Chicago Theatre. As I mentioned in a recent Slumgullion post, hope Nash will take the opportunity to schedule a book signing for Wild Tales while he’s in town. It would be a kick to see him sharing those anecdotes in person.