Slumgullion

This Sunday at 7:00 PM CST, The Bad Examples will launch a PledgeMusic campaign to release their 1991 debut CD Bad Is Beautiful on vinyl with a live broadcast via lead vocalist-guitarist Ralph Covert’s Facebook page.

As mentioned earlier this week, the annual Chicago Zine Fest runs from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM tomorrow at Plumbers Hall, just west of downtown. The event will feature over 250 exhibitors displaying magazines, self-published books, and comics.

Since May in Chicago will include two Graham Nash shows at City Winery, and The Zombies at The Arcada in St. Charles, I’m designating it as British Invasion Month. I’ll be looking for other events that fit this theme in the coming weeks, and if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to send them to me.

Aimee Mann will be at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on May 10; and Gary Numan has shows at Metro on May 16 and 17.

Tickets went on sale today for Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins at Chicago Theatre on September 8; Tegan and Sara at The Riviera on October 21; KT Tunstall at Beat Kitchen on July 7; and Mudcrutch (the recently revived early Tom Petty outfit) at The Riviera on May 28.

Looks like I’m not the only one who’d like a Mary Arrchie t-shirt to honor the theatre’s 30 years of staging in-your-face productions. According to the Booster fundraising site, Mary-Arrchie has secured enough orders to print a run of shirts with its classic white logo on black t-shirt. The campaign runs for another 26 days, and all funds will go directly to Mary-Arrchie. Meanwhile, Stephen Walker’s work in Mary-Archie’s production of American Buffalo earned a nomination for a Jeff Award for Best Actor In A Principal Role - Play.

Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s will present its final Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival on the weekend of August 19 - 21 at The Den Theatre on Milwaukee Avenue.

The second annual Lake FX Summit And Expo takes place on May 13 and 14 at the Chicago Cultural Center, Gene Siskel Film Center, and Hard Rock Hotel. The event will feature panel discussions, workshops, pop-up performances, and film screenings geared toward the performing arts.

Thrift Store Halo, a Chicago-based trio whose 1998 CD World Gone Mad featured power pop gems like “Put Me Down” and “Fly Me Away,” is back in business again. The band has played a few shows in recent years, including opening for The Zombies. Hopefully, Thrift Store Halo will have some live shows and new music in the near future.

Back in November 2014 when The Bangles released their download-only Ladies And Gentlemen . . . The Bangles, fans wanted a CD version of the rarities collection. According to the band’s website, and a nicely written piece by Mike Duquette on The Second Disc website, those requests have been honored. Ladies And Gentlemen has a June 24 release date and is now available for preorder on the Omnivore Records site.

The Mighty Con Toys, Comics, and Gaming Convention will be held June 25 and 26 at the Dupage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. The event will feature over 100 vendors, artists and guests. Admission is $8 for a day pass, and $12 for a weekend pass; kids under 12 get in free.

Today’s issue of Redeye included the Chicago free paper’s annual outdoor fest guide, with listings for music fest, art fairs, biking events, and all kinds of other outdoor fun things coming up in the next six months. It’s well worth saving if you can still pick up a copy of Redeye.

Pearl Mackie, a critically acclaimed veteran of the UK theatre scene, has been named as Peter Capaldi’s new companion for the next series of Doctor Who. She'll replace Jenna Coleman, who portrayed Clara Oswald in the long-running sci-fi series.

Taste Of Chicago Has A Touch Of Finest Rock

WXRT, which bills itself as Chicago’s Finest Rock, has presented a concert as part of the annual Taste Of Chicago festival for several years now. Possibly their most famous (notorious?) Taste concert was the one where The Replacements disintegrated on stage in the midst of a live broadcast. The 2016 lineup was recently announced, and this year, WXRT is offering The Decemberists on July 8. The Portland-based alt-rock band has racked up plenty of airtime on the FM station, although I can’t say I’m familiar with the opening act Shakey Graves.

What’s noticeable about this year’s five-day schedule is that most of the acts look like they could have been chosen by WXRT. Kongos and Elle King (July 7) are also regulars, although that show is being presented with support from 101WKQX. WXRT was one of the first U.S. stations to play Billy Idol, and he’s the headliner on July 9, along with the first-rate David Bowie tribute band Sons Of The Silent Age. The Isley Brothers (July 10, with Sheila E.) and The Roots (July 6, with Donnie Trumpet) have never been in heavy rotation on Chicago’s Finest Rock, but they they’re not total strangers either.

General admission for Taste Of Chicago is free unless you want to be in the seated area. Tickets for the seated area go on sale tomorrow.

And They Couldn’t Stop Jack From Being Classic

When the Classic Album Night series returns to the Music Joint at Reggies tomorrow night, it will have a definite English accent. Phil Angotti, joined by various other local musicians, will cover Happy Jack by The Who and Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones. Later, The Dirty Pigeons will be tackling Muswell Hillbillies by The Kinks.

Angotti and The Dirty Pigeons have also been part of the annual Halloweekend tribute events, so they’re well versed in this sort of thing. I’m not saying it’s Angotti’s fault, but I’ve had “Craise Finton Cook” stuck in my head since he covered The Bee Gees’ 1st album at Laurie’s Planet Of Sound as part of Record Store Day. In past tribute shows, he has honored The Zombies and The Monkees.

Bass player Charlie Short and drummer/Keith Moon fancier Brad Elvis (from The Handcuffs and The Romantics) will be joining Angotti for Happy Jack. For Beggars Banquet, he’ll be working with guitarist-vocalist John Meade, keyboards player Dan Ingenthron; and drummers John Blaha and Frank Corpus. Reggies is located at 2105 S. State Street. Admission is just $10 and the British Invasion begins at 9:00 PM.

Also at Reggies tomorrow night, Houndmouth, of “Sedona” fame, will be performing in the Rock Club.

Chicago Zine Fest

With all the recent speculation about the death of print media, it’s a pleasure to see that the annual Chicago Zine Fest will take place this weekend at Plumbers Hall, just west of downtown. That’s the same building where the CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights was held a few weeks back. Over 250 exhibitors will be on hand; displaying magazines, self-published books, and comics that cover a wide range of subject matter. There will be workshops and activities for kids as well as adults.

The actual exhibition runs from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, and there are two panel discussions on Friday night. At 6:30 PM, Monika Harris will moderate the 90-minute Permission Not Granted: Women Of Color and the Politics of Zines featuring Leila Abdelrazaq, Sarah Gonzalez, and Monika Harris. From 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, Andi Santagata, JC, Jonas, Marnie Galloway, Rachel and Sara, Taryn Hipp, Tanja Jagernauth, and Vicky Lim will take part in a CZF Exhibitor Reading. Admission is free for Chicago Zine Fest and Plumbers Hall is wheelchair accessible.

The Smiling Eyes - Self-titled

The Smiling Eyes (not to be confused with a Canadian alt rock trio with the same name) hark back to the 1960s throughout a self-titled debut album that’s been around a few years now. Their ringing guitars and highly polished three-part harmonies are especially impressive when the arrangements are energetic and the lyrics have some bite to them. Which makes it easier to overlook the occasional detour into cheesy sentimentality.

“Coloring Book,” a well-intentioned call for universal harmony, is just too cornball to get its message across; and even though the cloying “Man’s Best Friend” is a bonus track, it still doesn’t belong here. It should be noted that lead vocalist-rhythm guitarist Todd Oliver is also a professional comedian, so maybe I’m just not getting the joke. “Only God Knows,” a salute to America’s military men and women, works better, and the believable optimism of “Sunshine”grooves to a catchy melody.

The exhilarating “Love In Motion” is a power pop gem reminiscent of The Romantics, while “Kamila” sports clever wordplay and an energetic arrangement. The satirical, hard-edged “Mr. Man” takes on corporate greed, and the boys loosen their ties on the sexy dance club romp “Shake It.” The jangling “Vision Of Her” and “Mother Nature” should appeal to fans of The Byrds. 

Slumgullion

The Romeros will once again be the final act of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago.

Graham Parker and Brinsley Schwarz, two of England’s most influential musicians, will be sharing the stage together tonight at SPACE in Evanston. The duo performed at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn two days ago.

Tonight’s International Pop Overthrow lineup at Red Line Tap features Milwaukee power pop masters Trolley; Phil Angotti; Tommi Zender; Rich Miller from Waiflike; Too Much Saturn; and Rollo. I won’t be able to make it, but I did catch Angotti and Zender’s sets last Saturday at Laurie’s Planet Of Sound as part of its Record Store Day entertainment.

Angotti, working with Casey McDonough and John San Juan, did a fine job of performing the entire 1st album by The Bee Gees, including the more challenging tracks like “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Tell You.” Zender, joined by vocalist Dina DiCostanzo and musicians Dave Sills, Matt Kerste, and Jim Barclay, paid tribute to the music of Michael Penn and Aimee Mann. One of the highlights was a haunting take on Mann’s Til Tuesday hit “Voices Carry” on which DiCostanzo sang beautifully while the atmospheric keyboards of the original were replaced by acoustic piano. I’d love to have a recording of this version.

International Pop Overthrow will wrap up its 2016 stay in Chicago with two separate showcases tomorrow. Liam Kelley; The Shake Ups; Deco Auto; Fine Subterraneans, Freetoed, and horrible/beaut will perform throughout the afternoon. The Romeros again have the honor of being the last act of the festival, preceded tomorrow night by Rob Schulz Band; The Bon Mots; Bob’s Yer Uncle; The Unswept; and Jupiter In Velvet. See the official IPO sight for times and band bios.

Johnny Marr, whose album The Messenger topped the Broken Hearted Toy Favorite Releases of 2013 list, and whose album Playland came in at number two a year later, will surely mention those achievements in his upcoming autobiography Set The Boy Free. Well, probably not. Marr will have plenty of experiences to draw upon, having formed The Smiths with Morrissey and later collaborating with some of rock’s best-known musicians. Set The Boy Free is coming out via Dey Street Books in November.

Former Chicago Tribune writer Mark Caro’s Is It Still Funny? series continues next Tuesday night, April 26 at the Music Box Theatre with a screening of The Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup. The idea behind the series is to determine if classic comedies from the past still hold up. I’m betting Groucho and the boys will get a passing grade.


Houndmouth has a gig next Thursday, April 28 at Reggies Rock Club on State Street. The band is best known for "Sedona," an infectious song with Hollies-style harmonies.

Luke, I am your librarian. The Joliet Public Library’s 7th Annual Star Wars Day will be held from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on June 4 at the library and Joliet Area Historical Museum. The event will offer prizes; games; lots of adults and kids in Star Wars costumes; music; artists; exhibitors; and movie props. Admission is free.

Get Crazy, a 1983 low-budget rock and roll comedy, will be screened on May 4 as part of the ongoing Northwest Chicago Film Society festival running through May at Northeastern Illinois University on Bryn Mawr Avenue in Chicago. Directed by Allan Arkush and featuring cameos by Lou Reed and other cult figures, Get Crazy centers on the ambitious efforts of the rambunctious staff of an L.A. concert promoter to save his business while he recovers from a heart attack.

Mary-Archie’s April 17 performance of David Mamet’s American Buffalo was the final production from the critically acclaimed storefront theatre. As for Mary-Archie’s annual Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival, in the words of a song by The Bad Examples, it’s not dead yet. One more Abbie Fest will take place on the weekend of August 19-21 at The Den Theatre on Milwaukee Avenue. Mary-Archie previously utilized The Den Theatre to stage Abbie Fest 25. Having performed in the first 20 Abbie Fests (starting in 1989) It would be great to see this freewheeling, three-day celebration of drama, comedy, music, and performance art go out with a bang.

Final Days Of IPO - Chicago 2016

International Pop Overthrow continues its 2016 swing through Chicago at Red Line Tap tonight with a five-act showcase that kicked of with one of the traveling festival’s all-stars, Dave Rave. Depending on when you see this, you might still have time to catch the Aaron Williams Band at 10:15 and Jennifer Fletcher and The Reckoning at 11:00. IPO - Chicago wraps up with three shows over the weekend.

Tomorrow night’s lineup features Trolley, a power pop band from Milwaukee that just released another impressive album with along with Caught In The Darkness. Two of the Chicago music scene’s more entertaining veterans, Phil Angotti and Tommi Zender, are also on the bill, along with tried-and-true IPO regulars Rich Miller from Waiflike; Too Much Saturn; and Rollo.

The official IPO site offers loads of helpful information about its Chicago run, as well as upcoming visits to Nashville, Liverpool, and Stockholm. Founder/CFO David Bash has created profiles of most of the acts involved, along with links to their websites or Facebook pages. So even those who can’t make it over to Europe (or even the far north side of Chicago) can use this site to discover some amazing new power pop and indie rock acts.