A Radical Night Of Fun

Anna Rose li-Epstein's photo of Famous In The Future outside the

Mary-Arrchie Theatre from the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Facebook page.

August 14 - 16 was one of those rare and exciting three-wristband weekends in which I came home late each night with a different ribbon around my wrist signifying that I had been out having fun. On Friday and Saturday night, I was at Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre, and I spent 12 hours on Sunday at The Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago. Tough choices have to be made when these two summertime favorites occur simultaneously, which means that I wind up missing some cool stuff. The ideal would be to have enough time (and money) to fully experience each of these annual celebrations. 

One of several memorable moments at Abbie Fest 27 came right at the start of the Opening Ceremony. A simple living room set on the Mary-Arrchie stage featured windows and a front door that suggested a suburban neighborhood existed just outside. As the audience eagerly waited for Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky to enter in his beloved role of Abbie Hoffman, he suddenly appeared outside the door, peering in through a small window at the top. Cotovsky held this pose for a few minutes, like a burglar waiting to break in, until it was clear from the laughter and applause that everyone could see him. What a concept: Abbie Hoffman on your doorstep.

In addition to Cotovsky/Hoffman's inflammatory intro, other highlights on Friday night included Rush Pearson (an Abbie Fest veteran) literally throwing himself into a solo performance of Nicolai Gogol's Diary Of A Madman. Otherworld Theatre Company's witty and crisply acted staging of Jonathan Cook's Transferring Kyle, a supernatural tale of people being replaced with better versions of themselves if they don't live up to their potential, was another winner.

Saturday evening found long-time Abbie Fest performers Black Forest swapping out their customary off-kilter and comedic endeavors for a stirring reflection on mourning that involved live music, poetry, and monologues. Famous In The Future followed a short time later. Having been a cast member of this sketch comedy group for 20 years, I wonder about the journalistic integrity of giving them a favorable review. Still, they went over really well again this year; with imaginative concepts, clever songs, and fun costumes.

Transportation logistics kept me from staying late on Friday or Saturday, so I'm sure I missed a lot of other good shows. I've seen posts on Facebook stating this may have been the last time we'll see Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins, at least at the Mary-Archie's current space on Sheridan Road. It would be a shame to lose this annual event that brings together performers from across Chicago's theatre community for three days of virtually non-stop, freewheeling entertainment. Mary-Arrchie held its 25th Anniversary Abbie Fest at The Den Theatre a few years ago, so hopefully that venue would still be an option in the future.

Coming up next: I've Just Seen A Fest.

Slumgullion

August, rock she must. This is one of the most festive and important weekends on the Broken Hearted Toy calendar. The Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago and the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s  Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival both run today through Sunday. And being an airplane buff since childhood, I’ll also have to find time to check out The Chicago Air And Water Show on the lakefront. 

Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins brings performers from across Chicago’s vibrant theatre community to the Mary-Arrchie Theatre on the city’s northside. Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky oversees a chaotic and virtually nonstop barrage of drama, comedy, music, and performance art that he jokingly concedes he shouldn’t be possible to pull off. But somehow he always does. Check out my Abbie Fest Preview posted this past Tuesday for more info, and the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Facebook page for updates throughout the festival. 

Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago always lives up to its name; rewarding people who come together at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont with Beatles-related concerts, celebrity interviews; sing-along sessions; trivia contests; photography; artwork; an art contest; and much more. Terry Sylvester, formerly with The Hollies and Louise Harrison, George’s older sibling, are among this year’s guests. See my Fest For Beatles Fans preview (posted this past Wednesday) and The Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago website for more information.

The Chicago Air And Water Show is staged along one of the most popular areas on Chicago’s lakefront, which helps add a party atmosphere to the event’s breathtaking display of aerial acrobatics. There are also companies offering food samples, promo items, and chances to win prizes.

The Great American Lobster Fest returns to Chicago’s Navy Pier tomorrow and Sunday. The Original Wailers, who backed reggae superstar Bob Marley, will headline both nights. Other acts scheduled to perform include Burnside And Hooker, a coed band that weaves theatrical elements within jazz and rock arrangements; the folk rock act The Future Laureates; and Honey And The 45s, a soul/jazz act fronted by two women lead vocalists. 

The final outdoor concert in Palatine’s 2015 Sounds Of Summer series takes place tonight at the Fred P. Hall Amphitheater, and it looks like a good one. Lance Lapinsky and The Lovers perform 1950s and 1960s style music with an emphasis on unbridled piano playing. Lapinksy was a cast member in the Chicago production of Million Dollar Quartet.

Also, in Palatine, The Freemont Theater Company will wrap up its production of the hit musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at Cutting Hall in Palatine. It will be performed Friday through Sunday.

Yes, he’s gonna throw a party, party. Smithereens lead vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio is bringing back his FAN-tastic Fan Fest format to celebrate his 60th birthday on October 10 at the Italian American Hall in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Grip Weeds will be performing, with other musical guests to be added soon. The event will also serve as a fundraiser to help pay for surgery DiNizio needs on his arm and hand. Tickets are available through PayPal for $99.99 and must be purchased in advance. See The Smithereens Facebook page for more information.

LaGrange used to have a Borders book store in its downtown area and now it’s got an Anderson’s Book Store that just opened this month. Anderson’s is known for the many author-related events it holds at its Naperville and Downers Grove locations, and there are already some being lined for this new space.

Wizard World Comic Con Chicago runs next Thursday, August 20 through Sunday, August 24 at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont. Billie Piper and Arthur Darville from Doctor Who are among the many celebrity guests. I’m calling it Rory Williams Comic Con Chicago because Darville, who played that character on the sci-fi series, isn’t being promoted as much as he deserves for this event.

Reason number 5,257 why I want to visit England again. There will be a Rolling Stones memorabilia exhibit called Exhibitionism at the Saatchi Gallery in London from April September 2016. Check out the amazing promo video on the official website.

Philamonjaro Studio will present an opening reception for its exhibit featuring Howard Greenblatt’s photos of Tut’s at the Blues Heaven club next Saturday, August 22nd, from noon to 3:00 PM. Tut’s played host to some of alt rock’s best bands—including Los Lobos, X, The Replacements, and Missing Persons, along with Chicago’s best acts—from 1979 to 1984. The exhibit will run for about six weeks. Blues Heaven is located at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue.

The New Invaders, an honorary tribute band of A Hollies Summer In Chicago due to their inclusion of Hollies songs at many of their shows, will be performing a Summer Lunchtime Concert from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Friday, August 21 at the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) in downtown Chicago.

The waiting is almost over for fans of Tributosaurus who enjoy when the eclectic and critically acclaimed tribute band plays Tom Petty songs. Tributosaurus has covered Petty in the past, and will be doing it again on September 4 as part of the Taste Of Pononia festival taking place September 4 through 7 outside the Copernicus Center in Jefferson Park. 

Down by the river. The band Frisbie will be performing on Chicago’s Downtown River Walk from 1:00 to 3:00 PM next Saturday, August 22nd. I’ve heard that the bands play by the stairs at LaSalle, but if that’s not the case, just follow the sound of ringing guitars to the right location.

I haven't been able to find much info on this, but the first ever West Loop Art Fest takes place next Saturday and Sunday on Washington Boulevard, between Halsted and Aberdeen. Admission is $10.

The good news keeps rolling in for Squeeze fans. Founding members Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook have two acoustic shows coming in November at Park West in Chicago, and the band recently announced plans to release its first album of new material in 17 years. Cradle To The Grave drops October 2, but fans can order a limited edition CD version that comes with individually numbered collector inserts. The tracks will be the same as on the version that comes out in October.

Herb Eimerman, who sings and plays bass with the international power pop trio The Britannicas, and once teamed with Shoes member Jeff Murphy as The Nerk Twins, has a solo EP coming out August 28 on the Ego indie label. The five-song Five Dimensional Man features Eimerman providing just about all the instruments and vocals. It was produced by his Britannicas mate Joe Algeri. I’ll be reviewing Five Dimensional Man in the near future. Hopefully, I’ll also be getting to reviews of new efforts by Wilco, Jack Scratch,  Larry O. Dean, and some new imports from the UK label Fruits der Mer.

The Jigsaw Seen - “Have A Wonderful Day”

It doesn’t take long to realize the title of this hard-edged new single from The Jigsaw Seen is laced with sarcasm. Described by lead vocalist and songwriter Dennis Davison as a State Of The Union address that turned sour, “Have A Wonderful Day” is a psychedelic doomsday clock set to a catchy melody. “Tamper with perfection,” Davison sings, protesting the way we abuse the environment. “Turn it to pollution.” Jonathan Lea backs these sentiments with his powerful guitar playing, and bassist-keyboards player Tom Courier’s engaging piano work augments a slower interlude.

The single also includes a new mix of “We Women,” an acerbic but irresistible look at the war between the sexes composed by Davison and propelled by Teddy Freese’s steady drumming. It originally appeared on Old Man Reverb, the most recent in a line of well-received albums from this band over the past few decades. “Running To The Convent” is a little-known garage rock gem by the English band Dry Ice that The Jigsaw Seen obviously had a blast covering live at radio station KFJC.

   

The Jigsaw Seen will be out touring the U.S. in the next few months.

Fest For Beatles Fans Fits Perfectly In A Hollies Summer In Chicago

Photo from the Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page.

And now we move on to the second major event in what I’ve designated as A Hollies Summer In Chicago. On July 28, Graham Nash performed at The Arcada in St. Charles and now Terry Sylvester, who replaced Nash in The Hollies in 1969, is one of the guests at this year’s Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago. He’ll be interviewed on Saturday and Sunday, take part in a Musicians’ Forum on Sunday, and perform a few songs with the Liverpool tribute band on Saturday and Sunday night. I’ll be curious to see if he’s wearing the Broken Hearted Toy button I gave him when he performed at City Winery - Chicago as part of The British Invasion tour.

Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago runs this Friday through Sunday. Founded by Mark and Carol Lapidos back in the late 1970s, the annual celebration has never failed to live up to its name. A wide range of fans will come together at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont to relive Beatlemania and the original British Invasion via concerts, celebrity interviews; sing-along sessions; trivia contests; photography; artwork; a Beatles art contest; and much more. There’s a huge marketplace of every imaginable form of Beatles and rock memorabilia that can take hours to fully explore and appreciate.

In addition to Sylvester, the 2015 lineup of celebrity guests offers contemporaries of The Beatles; industry people who worked with The Beatles; several authors; creative types who were inspired by The Beatles; and a high-profile relative. Louise Harrison—George’s sister—is returning to Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago for the first time since 1999. She’ll no doubt be discussing her new book My Kid Brother’s Band. . .a.k.a. The Beatles during her Special Guest appearances on Saturday and Sunday.

Billy Kinsley, a member of The Merseybeats and Liverpool Express, as well as a session musician for Apple Records, will be on hand Saturday and Sunday, and perform a few songs with the Liverpool tribute band on those same nights. Jack Oliver, the former president of Apple Records, will share what it was like to run a world famous label with The Beatles. The Weeklings, a new quartet comprised of Glen Burtnik and John Merjave from the Liverpool tribute band plus Bob Burger and Dave Anthony, will perform on Sunday at 2:30 PM. They’ll have vinyl and CD copies of their debut Monophonic for sale afterward. Dick Biondi will talk about his decades of being one of Chicago’s most popular rock and roll disk jockeys.

Fest regular Mark Hudson is a producer and musician who has worked with Ringo Starr, Cher, and numerous other highly successful musicians. On Sunday, he’ll host the always entertaining Musicians’ Forum, with this year’s participants Sylvester, Kinsley, and sax player Mark Rivera. Rivera has worked as Ringo Starr’s Musical Director and is an impressive recording artist as well. Rob Shanahan has spent years as Ringo Starr’s photographer, and Bruce Spizer is part of an impressive list of authors whose books explore The Beatles from several points of view.

There will be designated signing times for all the guests, and many will take part in extended interviews throughout the weekend in the Grand Ballroom. Long-time master of ceremonies Terri Hemmert, whose Breakfast With The Beatles show airs on WXRT in Chicago every Sunday morning, is the one who conducts those interviews. Her approach mixes the enthusiasm of an avid fan with the insight she’s gained as a veteran broadcaster. A number of authors will have presentations in the Grand Ballroom as well.

There are some new activities this year—or at least some I don’t remember seeing in the past—including the FABoratory Beatles Experimental Zone, which brings fans and performers together on fun and creative projects. The Apple Jam Stage will feature shows by local performers, like singer-guitarist Phil Angotti; ukulele player Nick Peay; singer-guitarist Scott Erickson; and School Of Rock. Over at the Paperback Writer Room, one of the more promising sessions taking place will be Talking and Joking With a Bunch of Liverpool Scousers, featuring Harrison, Sylvester, and Kinsley.

Saturday and Sunday night will end with a performance by Liverpool, one of the top Beatles tribute bands in the country. They don’t dress up in Sgt. Pepper uniforms or chatter in fake accents—they just play amazingly faithful covers of Beatles songs. On Saturday, they’ll recreate The Beatles’ 1965 Shea Stadium concert, and on Sunday, they’ll salute the 50th anniversary of the movie Help. Liverpool will be joined by Sylvester, Hudson, and Rivera during those performances on Saturday and Sunday night. Seeing as there are fewer musicians among the guests this year, I’m hoping that means Terry Sylvester will get to play a number of Hollies songs. It is after all, A Hollies Summer In Chicago.

Tickets are $52 for Friday, $75 for Saturday or Sunday, and $189 for the entire weekend. Various two-day combinations are also available. Check Fest For Beatles Fans-Chicago online for a list of the celebrity guests and an extensive rundown on all the activities going on this weekend.

Abbie Fest 27 Preview

The man at the center of the mayhem. Photo from Rich Cotovsky’s Facebook page.

Mary-Arrchie, a storefront ensemble with close to three decades of critically hailed in-your-face productions, will hold its Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival this weekend, August 14th - 16th. The annual event involves veteran and fledgling groups from across Chicago’s vibrant theatre community gathering at the Mary-Arrchie’s 735 W. Sheridan Road home base. It has almost been around as long as the theatre itself, having sprung to life just two years after Mary-Arrchie was founded.

Once again, the official kickoff will be a hippie-infused rally in Daley Plaza at 2:00 PM on Friday afternoon. This will lead to a march to the Mary-Arrchie Theatre at the corner of Broadway and Sheridan Road, just south of Irving Park Road. Artistic Director Rich Cotovsky will once again resurrect his impersonation of Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman. I’ve seen the Opening Ceremony several times, and it’s simultaneously spooky and fun how he emerges from a casket after being brought onstage by a fervent team of cast members.

Each year, Cotovsky/Hoffman oversees a chaotic and virtually nonstop barrage of drama, comedy, music, and performance art that he jokingly concedes he shouldn’t be able to pull off. But somehow he always does. I performed there for 20 years with the Famous In The Future comedy group, and I’ve continued to go every year since. The participants develop a sense of community among themselves, as well as with the audience members who have become Abbie Fest regulars.

  

This year, Famous In The Future will present a mix of skits and songs titled Organic Free-Range Non-Genetically Modified Comedy on Saturday night. They’re the only group other than the Mary-Arrchie to have participated in every single Abbie Fest; FIF founder Frank Carr and Rich Cotovsky are the only performers who have managed that feat. Also on Saturday, Abbie Fest veterans Black Forest will present their latest original avant garde comedy piece And Now. Mary-Arrchie will perform Arlene Cook’s Gas Mask 101 and Matt Borczon’s Wild Dogs, both of which are showcases for the theatre company’s hard-edged approach.

Other performers include Rush Pearson; The Plagiarists; Dramageddon; Democracy Burlesque; Revolution Theatre; Iguana Productions; Indie Boots Theatre; and Trained Monkey Productions. The full schedule, voluntarily put together by Frank Carr, can be found on the Famous In The Future website. Also, the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Facebook page has updates and informative posts from the various acts involved in the festival. 

Tickets are $10 for an all-day pass and $25 for a weekend pass.

Arthur Nasson - The Emperor’s New Sound

Singer/multi-instrumentalist Arthur Nasson has simultaneously released a pair of EPs with the experimental That’s No Way To Treat A Piano and more accessible The Emperor’s New Sound. The latter finds Nasson, who’s also a producer, songwriter, and filmmaker, crafting original pop music that’s defiantly out of synch with the current chart-topping hits. With help from his sons Graham and Colin, Nasson gives the five songs vintage, big production values along with clever and well-honed lyrics.

Nasson has been known to tap into the British Invasion on previous efforts, but it’s harder to pinpoint what era he’s aiming for this time out. The energetic piano and guitar playing on “Multiverse” and the satiric title track evoke Elton John in his prime, while “Tiger By The Claws,” with its breezy vocal arrangement, has more of an early 1960s cocktail vibe. Nasson’s lyrics on “Purple Swan” are bit cloying, but once again the instrumentation makes it work. Graham Nasson plays a Hammond B3 organ on “Graham’s Gentlemen’s Club,” the slinky instrumental that closes this anachronistic but fun EP.

Slumgullion

I was planning to buy everybody in Chicago one of these but I ran out of money.

There’s really no reason to feel let down or bored. Sure, Lollapalooza has passed, John Stewart has left The Daily Show, and summer is more than half over, but there are still a lot of indoor and outdoor activities coming up in the next few weeks. Here’s a rundown of some of those events from the world of entertainment. As always, Slumgullion is entirely organic and free of SEO or corporate additives.

For those who want to relive the fun they had at Lollapalooza or see what the missed, radio station WXRT currently has exclusive footage of live performances, including Paul McCartney’s entire set; interviews with some of artists; and an archive of photos.

The Freemont Theater Company’s production of the hit musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying opens tonight at Cutting Hall in Palatine. It will be performed through Sunday this weekend, and then Friday through Sunday next weekend.

Rock Art Show, the online store that sells art of and by famous musicians, is offering a hand-signed piece by Ringo Starr that features his handwritten lyrics from The Beatles song “Don’t Pass Me By.” As an added incentive, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Ringo’s charity The Lotus Foundation.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Awesome August post, two must-see events on the Broken Hearted Toy calendar occur next weekend in Chicago. The 27th Annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival runs Friday through Sunday at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre, and Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago returns to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont for those same three days. Check yesterday’s post and the Mary-Arrchie Theatre and Fest For Beatles Fans websites for more information.

In two weeks, Wizard World Comic Con Chicago runs from Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, August 24 at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont. I’m hoping to post previews of Abbie Fest 27, Fest For Beatles Fans, and Wizard World here on BHT.

The Chicago Air And Water Show takes place on the lakefront at North Avenue next Saturday and Sunday, and you can see the jets flying overhead from outside the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. 

Graham Nash, whose show at The Arcada in St. Charles on July 28 was the primary reason I’ve declared this A Hollies Summer In Chicago, has posted a review of that show on his Facebook page. It was written by Ron Onesti, the owner of The Arcada, and originally ran in the Daily Herald. It’s a fun review but also kind of heartbreaking.

My wife Pam and I arrived in St. Charles a few hours before that concert in the hope of running into Nash. We talked about what would be the most likely places he’d go. In his review, Onesti says that Nash went out before the concert to a vintage car show down the street, and was talking with people there. By the time we noticed the car show, it was almost time for the concert, so we didn’t check it out. Just a reminder, anyone who wants to read my review of that same concert can check out my July 29 find it post.

The Anglo Tees company is offering a limited-edition British Invasion t-shirt that features the names of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, Donovan, Petula Clark, The Who, The Yardbirds, and several other UK acts from the 1960s. It’s available in grey or black, in a v-neck or long-sleeve style, and as a sweatshirt or a hoodie. I’m tempted to buy one for everybody in Chicago as part of my Hollies Summer celebration but that would seriously dent my BHT bank account. It’s only available for the next six more days.

Philamonjaro Studio will present an opening reception for its exhibit featuring Howard Greenblatt’s photos of Tut’s at the Blues Heaven club on August 22nd, from noon to 3:00 PM. Tut’s played host to some of alt rock’s best bands—including Los Lobos, X, The Replacements, and Missing Persons, along with Chicago’s best acts—from 1979 to 1984. The exhibit will run for about six weeks. Blues Heaven is located at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue.

Don’t be fooled by the ironically optimistic title.  The Jigsaw Seen sets an ecological warning to a thundering psychedelic arrangement on the brand new song it just released  “Have A Wonderful Day.” It’s part of a three-track single that also includes a new mix of “We Women” from The Jigsaw Scene’s recent Old Man Reverb album and a live cover of “Running To The Convent” by the English band Dry Ice. I’ll be posting a review of this single in the near future.

The New Invaders, an honorary tribute band of A Hollies Summer In Chicago due to their inclusion of Hollies songs at many of their shows, will be performing a Summer Lunchtime Concert from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Friday, August 21 at the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) in downtown Chicago.

Down by the river. Power pop band Frisbie will be performing somewhere along Chicago’s Downtown River Walk from 1:00 to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 22nd. I haven’t seen a specific location mentioned, but the Riverwalk isn’t that long, so just follow the sound of ringing guitars.

All The Wine, the Chicago-based indie rock trio whose Summer Parade EP was favorably reviewed here on Broken Hearted Toy on July 1, has a new song called “Time And Direction” that’s available for a free download on their Bandcamp page. Like the songs on Summer Parade, it features angst-ridden lyrics within a powerful guitar-driven, arrangement.  

About a week ago, my wife Pam and I had a bittersweet get-together with our long-time friend Karen at a nearby restaurant. Her husband Ross, also a good friend, couldn’t join us because he was busy finalizing their family’s move to California at the end of the month. Over dishes of ice cream, we shared memories, a lot of them centered on the days when Karen and I performed in the Famous In The Future comedy group.

She left a few years before I did but we still had a decade together. Karen is a natural at performing comedy and memorizes lines almost immediately. She didn’t write skits, but like everyone in our group, helped shape their outcome. And even though Karen never hesitated to say when she didn’t like something, she voiced her objections tactfully. It was always a joy to watch her bring a character to life.

Next Saturday, I’ll be at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre on Chicago’s north side, watching Famous In The Future perform as part of The 27th annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival. I haven’t missed an Abbie Fest or an FIF show there yet. So here’s a toast to Karen, Frank, Desiree, Michael, Tina, Pat, David, Lisa, Nathan, Guy, Bryn, Amy, Tracy, Kelly, Geneiveve, John, Susan, Cheryl, and all the many cast members who made Famous In The Future so rewarding and fun for me over 20 years. May the group continue to flourish.