Thrift Store Halo - Pop-Rocket

It’s been almost two decades since Thrift Store Halo released its full-length debut World Gone Mad, which was an impressive collection of power pop tunes. The world has gone on during that time, and the Chicago-based trio seems to have made a conscious move toward what’s currently topping the charts. The six-song EP Pop-Rocket accomplishes that goal, although fans who still fondly remember World Gone Mad may be surprised by the alt-rock feel this time around.

There’s more of an edge to lead vocalist-bassist Frank Gradishar’s singing, and new guitarist Lance Tawzer adds some appealing backup vocals. Gradishar conveys an emotional frustration on “Get Over You” and “(Love By) Misadventure,” which depict crumbling relationships. Particularly on lines like, “I was never sentimental/My love for you was accidental.”

He’s just as believable on “Let’s Not Wait,” a celebration of discovering a new romance. The song’s more playful instrumentation is also a welcome change from the mid-tempo pace the dominates Pop-Rocket elsewhere. “Stay Away” also stands out; matching jabs like “Every time I’m near you I’m reminded you’re insane” with a guitar-driven, energetic arrangement.

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Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs on winning their division for the second year in row and making the playoffs for the third year in a row. That kind of thing happens to this team about, oh, once in a century.

According to various reports in the media, actor Bill Murray is hoping to portray manager Joe Maddon in a movie about the Cubs’ 2016 championship season. In the meantime, Murray has a gig with acclaimed cello player Jan Vogler at the Chicago Symphony Center on October 10. The full-page ad in this week’s Chicago Reader notes the show will offer a “spirited evening of music and literature” and “readings of classic American poetry and prose.”

The music documentary Let’s Play Two! Pearl Jam Live At Wrigley Field is now showing at Arclight Chicago on Clybourn Avenue. Sun-Times movie critic Ricard Roeper gave it 4 stars, while Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot gave it 2 and a half stars.

The third annual Irish American Movie Hooley kicked off tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center and will run through this Sunday. The films The Dunning Man, Emerald City, and The Young Offenders will be screened.

Chicago Book Expo takes place this Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Avenue. The free event promises 20 programs and over 80 exhibitors.

Local alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess will host a night of rock and roll at The Store venue at 2002 N. Halsted in Chicago tomorrow. Parallelicopter and The Remember Knots will also be performing. Earlier in the day, whitewolfsonicprincess will do a 3:00 p.m. show as part of Project Adoptable’s The Doggone Music Festival at IO Theater on Kingsbury in Chicago. Admission is $20, which includes a drink. Project Adoptable is celebrating its first year of saving dogs through adoption.

Chris Hillman, an original member of The Byrds, will be performing along with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgensen next Friday, October 6, at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on Lincoln Avenue.

The Fab Faux will be performing A Hard Day’s Night in its entirety, along with other Beatles tunes next Saturday, October 7 at The Vic Theatre.

Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue has an eclectic four-act event coming up next Saturday. October 7 with the sci-fi, high energy music of Tomorrow The Moon, the catchy, coed indie rock of The Handcuffs, the rockabilly sound of The Amazing Heeby Jeebies, and the hard rock/punk of Samson The Aviator.

The Dayna Clay Project will host the Unplugged: A Survivor’s Story In Scenes And Songs Book And Album Release - Benefit Show on Sunday, October 22 at City Winery Chicago. The event starts at 1:00 p.m. According to the Chicago Tribune, the book was inspired Kurt Cobain.

Cheap Trick plans to release a holiday album titled Christmas Christmas on October 20. The 12 songs will be a mix of original music and covers, including “Silent Night” with an arrangement by Robin Zander and Julian Raymond.

This Is This, a local band that took its name from The Deer Hunter and who recorded a couple of albums of catchy originals, will be doing its final show on October 21 at Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove.

The 53rd Chicago International Film Festival runs from October 12 to 26 at AMC River East 21, just north and east of the downtown area. In addition to screening movies from every imaginable genre and location, the event will offer tributes to Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation and X-Men fame, and iconic English actress Vanessa Redgrave. Regular screenings are $15; special presentations are $20; there are discounts for seniors or students; and multiple-show passes.

Tickets went on sale today for the Celebrating David Bowie concert with Mike Garson, Adrian Belew, Gerry Leonard and others on February 23 at The Vic. Also available: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Chicago Theatre on February 24; Rhett Miller and Matthew Ryan at City Winery Chicago November 30; Badfinger’s Straight Up performed live with Joey Molland at City Winery Chicago on November 20; Morrissey at the Riviera Theatre on November 25; and Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters on February 20 at The Riviera Theatre.

Congratulations to the organizers of Minstrelpalooza on a successful third installment of celebrating the Minstrels music store. The crowd at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine last Saturday was in a festive mood for a series of 30-minute sets by The Gus Adonis Band; Cracked Actor; Cliff Johnson With The Raine; Van Go; and others.

There’s a new expanded edition of XTC’s Black Sea album on the way, according to writer Mike Duquette on The Second Disc website. The bonus material will include seven additional songs, including the previously unreleased “Let’s Ban The Bomb” and the non-LP single “Take This Town,” as well as videos for “Towers Of London,” “Generals And Majors,” and “Respectable Street.” Duquette also notes that people in the U.K. will be able to watch a new XTC documentary called This Is Pop on October 7.

As noted by staff writer Nina Metz in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago performers Chris Redd and Luke Null have been added to the cast of Saturday Night Live. Writer Gary Richardson will also be joining the show, which has its season premiere tomorrow night.

As listed in the new issue of the Illinois Entertainer, new albums are due out in October from Liam Gallagher on the 6th; and from Beck, Robert Plant, St. Vincent, and Tegan and Sara on the 13th. The October issue of I.E. also has Tom Lanham’s interview with Little Steven Van Zandt; a positive review of the new Sticks and Stones album by Kevin Lee And The Kings; and a full-page ad for the 4th Annual Chicagoland Vintage Guitar Show, which takes place November 19 at the Copernicus Center. Admission is $5.

I’ve been wondering what Matt Smith has been up to since his successful take on The Doctor on Doctor Who, so I was glad to see he’s now portraying Philip, Duke Of Edinburg in the Sony Pictures television series The Crown.

Music On Stage will present Little Shop Of Horrors, featuring Broadway actress and Tony Award nominee Felicia P. Fields as the voice of Audrey II, at Cutting Hall in Palatine starting October 14. The play will be directed and choreographed by Frank Roberts, with musical direction by Bobby Dietz.

Benefits And Other Music News

As on previous occasions dating back to George Harrison and The Concert For Bangladesh, musicians are coming to the aid of those affected by a natural disaster. Several entertainers are gathering at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, CA this evening to help the SAG/AFTRA Hurricane Relief Fund. Hosted by Wendy Liebman and Fritz Coleman, Deep In The Heart will offer music and comedy for a good cause.

Performers include Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Vicki Peterson of The Bangles, Jeff Alan Ross from Badfinger, Marcy Levy, The Nasty Housewives, Rockabilly Hall Of Fame inductee Bobby Cochran, Rebecca Holden, Alex Sherman, Chris Olsen, country singer Chely Wright, and Denny Seiwell from Paul McCartney’s former band Wings. Laurence Juber, who was also a member of Wings, will serve as musical director.

Comedians Carol Leifer, Orny Adams, Brian Kiley, Chris Fonseca, John Mendoza, Jared Sandler, and Karen Rontkpwski will also be on hand. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices for Deep In The Heart range from $25 to $100, with all proceeds going to help the victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. I couldn’t find any mention of how people not at the event could donate money, but hopefully that’s an option.

Regular listeners of WXRT are accustomed to hearing Terri Hemmert’s Breakfast With The Beatles program each Sunday, but this week, the fab four will also get the Friday Featured Artist treatment. That means songs by The Beatles or from their solo efforts will be mixed in with tomorrow’s regular programming. It’s not as intensive as when Hemmert used to host the marathon Rampant Beatlemania, but it’s still more John, Paul, George, and Ringo to enjoy.

In other WXRT news, the station’s Local Anesthetic program will wrap up its decades-long run with the annual holiday broadcast in December. Richard Milne deserves a great deal of praise for serving as the host over the years and showcasing Chicago’s vibrant, multifaceted music scene. He will continue his other on-air work at WXRT.

Local alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess will host a night of rock and roll at The Store venue at 2002 N. Halsted in Chicago this Saturday, September 30. Parallelicopter and The Remember Knots will also be performing that night. Earlier that day, whitewolfsonicprincess will do a 3:00 p.m. show as part of Project Adoptable’s The Doggone Music Festival  at IO Theater on Kingsbury in Chicago. Admission is $20, which includes a drink. Project Adoptable is celebrating its first year of saving dogs through adoption.

Congratulations to Sunshine Boys, the recently formed trio of Freda Love Smith, Jacqueline Schimmel, and Dag Juhlin, on selling out its show with Utah Carol at Daly Barn this Saturday, September 30 in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

Green Circles – No Room For Squares

Green Circles aren’t well known outside their homeland of Australia, but the recently released No Room For Squares (available on Kool Kat Musik) shows it’s definitely worth getting to know them. The compilation reaches back to the band’s birth in 1998, includes tracks from various artists tribute albums they’ve been invited to contribute to, as well as some live performances recorded in 2013. Various lineups have come and gone over the years while Mark Gilbert remained at the helm.

Gilbert and company are so proficient at psychedelic and garage rock, it would be easy to assume No Room For Squares dates back to the late 1960s. A rampaging take on The Stooges’ “1969” reinforces that impression. “Let Me Through” has a Beatles Revolver era allure and “Long Live Sivanandi”—originally recorded by the Adelaide band Inside Looking Out—vibrates with a hippie spirituality. “Stephanie Comes” is a prime example of what Gilbert calls “pastoral psyche tunes,” and “Flown” is an exotic fable.

Green Circles, who took their name from a Small Faces song, are especially fun on the high-speed garage rock tracks. “Girl In A Morris Minor,” their official first release, and “Elevator Operator” set goofy metaphors to catchy, 1960s style arrangements, while “Tomorrow Will Be Fine,” a cover of a 1981 song originally released by fellow Aussies Sunny Boys, explodes with the feeling of losing control. The live renditions of “Kneejerk Reaction,” “Dirty Taste,” and “Five Blue Moons” prove Green Circles has remained at full power over the years.

Sidewalk Society - Strange Roads (The Songs Of Rolled Gold By The Action)

Sidewalk Society’s fascination with The Action first surfaced on a seven-inch single they recorded for the U.K. vinyl-only label Fruits de Mer in 2016. That record offered four splendid cover versions—two originally done by David Bowie and two from The Action. Bowie, of course is famous around the world, but The Action was a short-lived Mod band in 1960s England that dissolved before it could release what might have been its masterpiece.

The Long Beach, CA-based Sidewalk Society delves even deeper into its Action obsession with a new Fruits de Mer release driven by vintage demos of that lost album. Strange Roads (The Songs of Rolled Gold by The Action) is a well-crafted tribute, although a few tracks, like “Brain” and “Little Boy,” fall prey to the more quaint or self-absorbed aspects of 1968. Listening to the peppy vocals on “Things You Cannot See,” it’s easy to imagine the band members in matching blazers and turtleneck sweaters.

Fortunately, the rest of Strange Roads demonstrates the timeless power of psychedelic rock when it’s done right. “Look At The View,” which was also on Sidewalk Society’s earlier four-song single, is a celebration of nature set to a catchy, guitar and piano arrangement, while the extended instrumental passage on “Love Is All” evokes the Who. The band also cuts loose on the galloping fable “Follow Me.” Sidewalk Society likewise succeeds with its lighter material, adding gorgeous harmonies to “Really Doesn’t Matter” and combining powerful rock with a spiritual message to “Come Around.”

To see how well Sidewalk Society can do with its own material, check out my August 24, 2016 review of their Venus, Saturn And The Crescent Moon LP.

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Photo from the Sons of the Silent Age Facebook page.

Depending on what time you read this, you might still be able to catch some impressive covers of David Bowie tunes by the Sons Of The Silent Age tribute act at Wire in Berwyn tonight. This time out, they’ll be concentrating on the years 1969-1974. New, a tribute a tribute act honoring the 1970s German electronic rock outfit Neu!, will also be on the bill; music starts at 9:00 p.m. Sons of the Silent Age guitarist Steve Gerlach (he’s also in sci-fi rockers Tomorrow The Moon) will be a guest on WNUR-FM 89.3 in Evanston on October 12, at 11:00 a.m. 

The Brooklyn Brewery MASH is promising “a wind-in-your-hair, seat-of-your-pants, highwire-act of a beer bash” called Beer Mansion tonight and tomorrow night at Morgan’s on Fulton. In addition to lots of craft beer, food vendors, games, art, tech, and mysteries, Beer Mansion will have live music by Deeper Connections, Negative Scanner, and Peter Stringer-Hye.

Durty Nellie’s in Palatine will rocking in the daytime tomorrow with a seven-hour event titled Minstrelpalooza. Subtitled The Very Best of ’81, this celebration of the Minstrels music store in Niles will feature the bands Cracked Actor; Cliff Johnson And The Raine; Van Go; The Adonis Experience; and probably a few other bands. Admission is free.

I should have posted the three bits above earlier in the week, but I had to finish a new chapter of my YA/paranormal/romance/rock and roll novel for a monthly meeting of the writers group I belong to last night. You read it here first: If I ever do get this book published, I’ll be the most famous rock and roll novelist in a retirement home.

Durty Nellie’s has booked the critically acclaimed alt rock/Americana band Old 97s for an 8:00 p.m. show on October 21. Admission is $25. This is a particularly ambitious move for the club, so I hope it draws a big crowd.

Classic Album Sundays Chicago presents Bjork’s Homogenic this Sunday at the Saturday Audio Exchange on Belmont. A pre-album playlist kicks things off at 5:30 p.m. and then the Bjork business starts at 6:45. It’s a BYOB event.

Some rock critics actually do get books published. Long-time journalist Bill Paige has published a book titled Everything I Know I Learned From Rock Stars - Conversations 1975 – 1995. It’s a compilation of interviews and articles that includes coverage of Queen, Cheap Trick, ELO, and other acts. Paige was the editor when I had some reviews and articles published in the midwest publication The Prairie Sun back in the early 1980s.

Congratulations to long-time Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot on his biography of Mavis Staples being chosen by the city of Chicago for its One Book, One Chicago reading series. Kot’s 2014 work I’ll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers and the March Up Freedom’s Highway celebrates the life of the iconic soul singer and her family. 

Local alt rock band whitewolfsonicprincess will host a night of rock and roll at The Store venue at 2002 N. Halsted in Chicago on September 30. Parallelicopter and The Remember Knots will also be performing that night.

The Laureates, a local band that has released a pair of full-length albums and recorded a number of interesting cover versions for a series of downloads on their website, will be at The Empty Bottle on October 12.

Cross Country and Innkeepers will share a double bill with Sunshine Boys, the recently formed and volatile trio of rock veterans Freda Love Smith, Jacqueline Schimmel, and Dag Juhlin at Daly Barn next  Saturday, September 30 in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Utah Carol will also be on the bill; music starts at 7:30.

Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue has an eclectic four-act event coming up on October 7 with the sci-fi, high energy music of Tomorrow The Moon, the catchy, coed indie rock of The Handcuffs, the rockabilly sound of The Amazing Heeby Jeebies, and the hard rock/punk of Samson The Aviator.

The Collectors have a show coming up at the Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville on October 20. Erica Loftus of the band The Right Tidys, will be helping out on backup vocals. The Ars Nova and Superbig will also be on the bill that night.

Just a reminder that the Bill Graham Rock And Roll Revolution continues its run at the Illinois Holocaust Museum And Education Center at 9603 Woods Drive. Graham was an iconic music promoter who brought big names bands to the Fillmore concert venue in San Francisco, and later to the Fillmore East in New York. He is credited with helping the careers of Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. The exhibition runs through Nov. 12.

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Photo from the Official Smthereens Facebook page.

A hearty welcome to all who have come to Chicago for Riot Fest this weekend. It’s probably the city’s last major outdoor rock festival of 2017, and one that still enjoys a good deal of cred among true indie rock fans. This year’s lineup includes New Order; X; The Cribs; Buzzcocks; The Regrettes; and The Orwells. You can find loads of information on the various acts performing in today’s Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, as well as in the Redeye and Reader free papers. Innerview magazine devoted an entire issue to Riot Fest, but there may not be any copies still around. And, as revealed in a article by Ed Blair in this week’s Reader, Riot Fest has its own online magazine. You’ll find the link at the top of the official website. 

On a related note, the Buzzcocks have an Official Riot Fest Late Night Show at The Cobra Lounge at 235 N. Ashland tomorrow night. Doors open at 10:00 p.m.; the music starts at 11:00.

EXPO Chicago opened at Navy Pier earlier this week and will run through Sunday. This is the sixth year for the international art event, and over 3,500 artists and 135 galleries will be involved. In addition to art and sculpture, there will panel discussions, films, and videos.

There will be a double dose of high-energy power pop at The Arcada in St. Charles tomorrow night when Cliff Johnson and The Raine open for The Smithereens. Johnson was the lead vocalist and driving force of Off Broadway, a Chicago-based band whose debut On remains a classic of the genre to this day. Off Broadway enjoyed several successful years on the club scene, but Johnson is now backed by The Raine, who also got their start in the 80s. I saw The Smithereens not too long ago in Schaumburg and they’re a top-notch live act. In addition to their own hits like “Blood And Roses” and “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” they cover The Beatles and The Who. 

West Loop Art Fest is back for its third year but has a new location. It’s now on Fulton Street, from Morgan to Racine. Over 120 artists will be showcasing their work, and there will also be live entertainment and food trucks.

Tickets are now on sale for a concert by The Posies on January 31, 2018 at City Winery Chicago. In the less distant future, Fastball will be playing that same venue on October 8 of this year.

Congratulations to Park West on its 40th Anniversary. The Lincoln Park venue took out a back page ad for this week’s Reader, listing some of the artists it has hosted over the years, and it’s quite impressive. Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band; Adele; Talking Heads; R.E.M.; U2; Patti Smith; INXS; B.B.King; Prince; Carly Simon; Bob Dylan; Stray Cats; Mavis Staples; The B-52’s; The Jam; The Strokes; OMD; Tina Turner; Roy Orbison; Iggy Pop; Steve Winwood; Tom Waits; Liam Gallagher; Genesis; The Go-Go’s; The Police; Todd Rundgren; The Pretenders; The Psychedelic Furs; Frank Zappa; and Cheap Trick make up less than half of the list. Some first-rate acts I’ve seen at Park West that weren’t included in the ad are The Smithereens; Matthew Sweet, Fountains Of Wayne; Jon Auer; Graham Nash; Material Reissue; Let’s Active; and Aimee Mann.

Sons Of The Silent Age, a highly polished David Bowie tribute band that comprises veterans of the Chicago rock scene, has a gig coming next Friday, September 22 at Wire in Berwyn. New, a tribute a tribute act honoring the 1970s German electronic rock outfit Neu!, will also be on the bill.

Sunshine Boys, the recently formed trio of Freda Love Smith, Jacqueline Schimmel, and Dag Juhlin, will be performing at Daly Barn on Saturday, September 30 in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Utah Carol will also be on the bill; music starts at 7:30. This is the first official headlining show for Sunshine Boys, although they did an impressive short set of politically charged, energetic tunes as part of the Power Pop Shoppe Showcase at Elbo Room a while back.

Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue has an eclectic four-act event coming up on October 7 with the sci-fi, high energy music of Tomorrow The Moon, the catchy, coed indie rock of The Handcuffs, the rockabilly sound of The Amazing Heeby Jeebies, and the hard rock/punk of Samson The Aviator. The show starts at 8:30 p.m.