Slumgullion

Aimee Mann is coming to the Old Town School Of Folk Music on May 9.

Phil Angotti and Tommi Zender will be performing the Simon And Garfunkel albums Sounds Of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme at SPACE in Evanston tomorrow night.

Patti Smith will be dropping by Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music tomorrow at 4:00 PM for a live interview with WBEZ air personality Tony Sarabia. Chances are, the discussion will touch on her recent book M Train, as well as her career as a groundbreaking rock and roll artist.

Other shows coming up at the Old Town School Of Folk Music include Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on April 8, Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets on April 9, and Aimee Mann on May 9.

Big Paraid, a high energy trio that was very impressive at a Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival sponsored concert at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine a few years back, will headline a six-act concert tomorrow night at Metro. Revolt Coda, Blood Red Boots, Sex Therapy, Wired Minds, and Dimwaves are the other acts on the bill.

Congratulations to the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival on surpassing its IndieGoGo goal to raise $4,000 to fund this year’s late July run in the northwest suburbs. And there’s still a few more hours to add to the final total with a donation.

The Last Big Mistake, the first show from The Factory Theater in over a year, opened tonight at the ensemble’s new home at 1623 W. Howard Street. Written by Ernest Deak and directed by Manny Tamayo, the play is set on a summer night in 1975. It runs each weekend through April 30.

Beat Swap Meet No. 12 takes place from noon to 6:00 PM this Sunday at The Empty Bottle on Chicago’s north side. As in the past, it’s an opportunity to dealers and collectors of vinyl to do business and hang out together. Admission is free with a donation of a canned good for the local homeless community.

Cheap Trick will headline The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Annual Benefit Concert May 6 in Cleveland, just under a month after being inducted. Tickets range from $17.50 to $55.00, and VIP packages are available. The RRHF official site now has some 2016 Inductees related items for sale, including three different t-shirts, a mug, a magnet and a poster.

Sometimes, all I need is sea air I can breathe. Terry Sylvester, who replaced Graham Nash in The Hollies and was with them for “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother,” “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress,” and “The Air That I Breathe,” will be making waves as a performer on the 24th Annual Where The Action Is Cruise, being staged by Concerts At Sea. Other acts scheduled for the cruise include Jay And The Americans, Paul Revere’s Raiders; The Buckinghams, The Cowsills, and Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels.

Fire Hot Opera has a release party coming up next Friday at Beat Kitchen for its full-length debut Test Market Fresh. The Chicago-based six-piece band’s approach is a mix of good time 1950s rock and Motown, augmented by some furious piano playing.

Linda and Laura Good have been working on new songs for the next Twigs album.

The Sound + Vision David Bowie tribute takes place March 30 at The Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles. Dennis Davison and Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen, along with The Muffs and former Bowie collaborator Cherry Vanilla are among the participants.

Kym Brunner and Katie Sparks, two published authors from the writers group I belong to, will be on FOX23’s The Spiel tomorrow at 11:00 AM discussing “Social Media for Scaredy Cats.” Brunner’s third YA book Flip The Bird is available for pre-order on Amazon, and Sparks’ Reality Natalie Middle Grade novel is available now on Amazon.

In Concert:

Wolf Alice will be one of the thousands of bands performing at this year's Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza announced its 2016 lineup this morning, just one day after all the four-day passes immediately sold out. Single-day tickets went on sale this morning, and it’s likely those were snapped up pretty quickly as well. The festival has added an additional day this year; running from Thursday, July 28 to Sunday, July 31. Lolla founding father Perry Farrell will be bringing a Jane’s Addiction reunion with him to this year’s event, and other scheduled acts include Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Leon Bridges, Wolf Alice, Haim, Silverspun Pickups, and Houndmouth.

Dennis Davison and Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen will be part of the Sound + Vision David Bowie tribute taking place March 30 at The Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles. Kristian Hoffman will direct a house band of well-known musicians, and The Muffs and former Bowie collaborator (she was recently in Chicago as part of The Sons Of The Silent Age Age tribute at Metro) Cherry Vanilla will also be on hand. Other participants include comic actors French Stewart and Dave Foley.

Phil Angotti and Tommi Zender will be performing the Simon And Garfunkel albums Sounds Of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme at SPACE in Evanston this Saturday night. As mentioned here previously here on Broken Hearted Toy, these guys have loads of experience covering bands from the 1960s (and other decades) and always put on an entertaining show.

Listen To The Music

Mr. Dw. Dunphy

The Co-Op Communique - Volume One compilation from Introverse Media features recording artists who might otherwise have trouble grabbing some time in the spotlight. Produced in association with Down The Line magazine, it’s a genre-hopping collection of 18 tracks. Co-Op founder Dw. Dunphy, whose gritty rock song “Cut You Loose” is included on the album, hopes to establish a more direct route between musicians and the general public.

“It’s hard to get heard out there,” he explained in a handwritten note on the press release, and most people who follow the current music scene would probably agree. Future Co-Op Communique releases will arrive on a quarterly basis, and if the first one is any indication, this series will be a viable way to discover new music. Highlights on Volume One include “13” and “Mirror” from the spacey alt-rock outfit Dead Artist Syndrome; the catchy “Don’t Stare At The Sun” from The b-attitudes, the jangling pop of “Glad” from The Click Beetles, and the shuffling 1970s style rock of Eddie Parrino’s “Free My Mind.”

All of the songs are taken from albums or EPs recorded by the artists. The Co-Op Communique - Volume One is available on CDBaby and Bandcamp, although the Bandcamp link didn’t seem to be working when I tried it.

Saturday Slumgullion

The Posies’ upcoming album Solid States is now available for pre-order on the UK website Lojinx. There are some interesting bundles being offered; including t-shirt, LP, CD and download; t-shirt, LP, and download; t-shirt, CD, and download; CD and download; and just the download. The last Posies album was the very impressive Blood/Candy, released in 2010. The band will embark on a European tour on March 29.

It’s a family affair. My nephew, the world famous chef Joe Flamm, will be competing against chef Matt Troost in Ramen Battle 22 - The Ramenant at Yusho tomorrow (Sunday) from 4 to 9:00 PM. My nephew works at Spiagggia and Troost works at The Charlatan. This event is being held to benefit Pilot Light Chefs, an organization dedicated to teaching kids about healthy food choices. Admission is $35; vegetarian options and a snack menu will be available. Reservations are recommended.

Chicago area band Buzz Orchard will be back with its original lineup, including lead vocalist Davey Sippel (who also was a member of Van Go) for the first time in years when it performs at the Gallery Cabaret on June 4.

According to writer Robert Channick’s article in today’s Chicago Tribune, Chicago is about to tap into the growing trend of cat cafes. The Tree House Humane Society recently got a City Council green light to open a venue on the north side that will serve beverages while a limited number of cats are roaming around. The concept has already been working out well at a cafe called Cat Town in Oakland, CA. And yes, my wife and I will be going to the Tree House version when it opens here.

A Facebook post from You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 notes that the documentary Savage Beliefs - The Movie will be shown at Martyrs’ on April 14 as part of this year’s CIMMfest. The band Savage Beliefs, Naked Raygun, “and everyone you know from the ’84 Chicago Punk Scene” will be featured. CIMMfest runs April 13 through 17 at various venues in the Chicago area.

Slumgullion

C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) opened yesterday and runs through Sunday in the South Building at McCormick Place on Lake Shore Drive. Actor John Cusack, best known for his roles in Love And Mercy and High Fidelity, is among the guests, along with Melissa Benoist from Supergirl; Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell from Battlestar Galactica; John Ratzenberger from Toy Story and Cheers; and D.B. Sweeney from the White Sox movie Eight Men Out.

The Caudog Records Rock Show takes place tonight at the LiveWire Lounge on Milwaukee Avenue. The event’s Facebook page promises, “You’ll hear some Bowie tunes, originals, and see a spectacular rock show!!” The triple bill features The Red Plastic Buddha, Amazing Heebie Jeebies, and Ellis Clark and The Big Parade.

Record Store Day comes April 16 this year and you’ll find the full list of limited-edition releases on the official website. Some of the acts involved are Tom Petty; The Animals, David Bowie, Johnny Cash; Buddy Guy and Junior Wells; Cheap Trick; Dave Davies; Bob Dylan; The Electric Prunes; John Coltrane; Lush; The Monkees; The Move; and Graham Nash.

The very first Teenage Literary Festival will be held April 15 and 16 at Harold Washington Library and Columbia College. The event is free of charge.

Aimee Mann has a show in Chicago on May 9 show at the Old Town School Of Folk Music. Also coming up at the venue are Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on April 8, and Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets on April 9.

Tickets went on sale today for; the Graham Parker Duo (Parker and Brinsley Schwarz) at FitzGerald’s on April 20; and Alice Peacock at City Winery on June 11.

The Neverly Brothers - Magical History Tour Volumes 1 and 2

The Neverly Brothers have been bringing their unique showcase of 1950s and 1960s hits to Chicago area (and sometimes out-of-state) venues for some time now. Guitarist Kevin Giragosian, drummer Kegham Giragosian, and upright bass fiddle player Craig Gigstad deliver a good-time selection of songs, and since all three of them can sing lead, there’s an entertaining variety of vocal styles and harmonies. The band’s solid reputation on the local club and festival scene enables them to rival Beatles tribute acts like American English and BritBeat.

The Neverly Brothers have simultaneously released their Magical History Tour Volume 1 and Volume 2 CDs, which are available individually or as a set. Echoing the format of the live show, these discs feature The Neverly Brothers performing songs by rock and roll pioneers like Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, and Buddy Holly, along British Invasion stars like Manfred Mann, The Kinks and Peter and Gordon. Other songs were originally done by American rhythm and blues artists, and later reinvented by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Hollies. The CDs have a party atmosphere even if they don’t quite capture the fun of The Neverly Brothers performing live.

I’d like to see The Neverly Brothers embark on a side project—covering acts from the early 1980s rockabilly revival, like The Stray Cats, The Polecats, The Hillbillies, and The Elvis Brothers.

Record Store Day Wish List

Record Store Day arrives on April 16. The official website is counting down the days, hours, and minutes, and has already posted the full list of this year's bounty. As usual, the selection of limited-edition releases spans across every known genre of music. Here’s just a sampling of gems from the power pop, alternative, and 1960s sections:

The Animals - Animal Tracks 10-inch four-song EP
David Bowie - “TVC15” seven-inch picture disc
Cheap Trick - Found New Parts 10-inch EP including the exclusive track “Arabesque”
Dave Davies Hits seven-inch, four-song EP
The Electric Prunes - “I’ve Got A Way Of My Own” (Hollies cover)/“World Of Darkness”
Lush - Origami five-album box set; each on colored vinyl
The Monkees - “Saturday’s Child”/“You Just Might Be The One” seven-inch picture disc
The Move - Something Else seven-inch facsimile of rare 1968 recording at The Marquee Club
Graham Nash - This Path Tonight LP with bonus “Our House” and “Teach Your Children” single
Various Artists - Nuggets Hallucinations - Psychedelic Pop Nuggets double-album on purple vinyl
Warren Zevon/The Flamin’ Lips “Werewolves Of London” (Part of RSD’s Side By Side Series.)

The Second Disc website is a great resource for anything related to vinyl, and has been offering RSD-related previews and teasers for a few weeks now. Look for it to continue with its in-depth coverage. The print edition of Illinois Entertainer usually has an RSD feature in its April edition, and be sure to check Facebook for announcements about in-store appearances by local bands. And I’m hoping to post more updates as Record Store Day gets closer.