The Forty Nineteens - Rebooted

With their third full-length effort Rebooted, The Forty Nineteens once again conjure the party ambience of a band rocking out in a small club. Most of these high-energy songs clock in around the two-minute mark and feature infectious melodies and the exuberant vocals of lead singer-bassist John Pozza, guitarist Chuck Gorian, and drummer Nick Zeigler. With all the fun going on, it’s still evident that this Temecula, CA-based group brings a lot of craftsmanship to its music.

“Best Days” marks a couple’s wedding anniversary with lyrics about looking forward to another trip around the sun while “Disguised” is a classic power pop tune about the dangers of being in a relationship with someone you can’t trust. Kevin McCourt’s spirited farsifa organ playing fuels the vintage feel of “Wasn’t It You” and a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “I Walked With A Zombie.” Gorian adds some twangy guitar to the latter. McCourt’s honky tonk piano augments the driving beat of “True True True,” a song about celebrating each day as if it were your last, and the high-speed “Dance With Me” advocates shaking off your troubles on the dance floor.

“I’m Free,” a recent Little Steven’s Underground Garage selection for Coolest Song Of The Week, is about breaking away from a loveless relationship, and Pozza affects a spoken word delivery on the mysterious “Stranger On The Shore.” The muscle car tribute “383 Dodge Charger” is an affectionate ripoff of Jonathan Richman’s classic “Roadrunner,” and The Forty Nineteens acknowledge this by sliding into the “radio on!” chorus from Richman’s tune. There’s also a hint of The Monkees’ “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” on the satiric “Get Myself A Selfie,” but what’s the harm is borrowing a few riffs here and there when it’s all for a good time?

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Here’s to their first music festival. Detweiler and Bergquist from Over The Rhine.

The critically acclaimed, Cincinnati-based alt rock/Americana band Over The Rhine is hosting and performing at Nowhere Else, its first music and arts festival, this weekend. Band Of Sweethearts, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and The Bluegrass All-Stars will also be performing at a barn owned by Over The Rhine founding members Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler.

The Zombies, led by original members vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboards player-vocalist Rod Argent, will be performing this Sunday night at The Arcada in St. Charles. In addition to hits like “Time Of The Season,” “Tell Her No,” and “She’s Not There,” it’s likely The Zombies will play songs from their latest effort Still Got That Hunger.

Tap House Grill, at 56 W. Wilson Street in Palatine, usually doesn't book live bands but it will have one for its Summer Kick-Off Party this Sunday night. The Messengers take the stage at 9:00 PM and there will be specially priced drinks, wings, and fries.

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.

The Bad Examples are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their debut Bad Is Beautiful with a PledgeMusic campaign. The new deluxe edition on 180 gram vinyl with a gatefold cover is available for pre-order for $30 and comes with a download card. An autographed version can be purchased for $40, and other premiums are available

Peter Asher, Louise Harrison, Joey Molland, Klaus Voormann, Mark Hudson, Mark Rivera, Billy J. Kramer, and Albert Lee will be this year’s guests at Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago on the weekend of August 12 through 14 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. The Beatles tribute album Liverpool and the The Weeklings will perform, and WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert will once again serves as the Fest’s MC. The official Fest For Beatles Fans site promises more guests will be announced soon.

Longtime Chicago music scene favorites Kevin Lee and Cliff Johnson share a double bill on June 2 at Fitz’s Spare Keys in Elmhurst. And the cover charge is only $5.00. See my May 24 post for more info on this show.

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 on June 4 at the Gallery Cabaret.

I thought I had read that The Posies’ new album Solid States would only be sold at their secretive live performances, but I see that it’s now available on Amazon.

A few weeks back, I mentioned here that Chicago independent publisher Curbside Splendor would open a record and book store within a major new venue called Revival Food Hall at some point this summer. A recent post on the Curbside Splendor Facebook page said the store will open at 125 S. Clark Street in July. Looking forward to it.

Numerous bluegrass, country, and roots music artists will be on hand when The Hideout presents its annual Day In The Country event on Sunday June 12. The Lawrence Peters Outfit, Lady Parts (Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor), Coyote Riot, Oakstreet Ramblers, Gin Palace Jesters, and Girls Of The West among the scheduled performers.

Guests won’t need to don tuxedos or fancy gowns when the Movers And Shakers Company presents Santah’s Prom-A-Llama-Boom-Boom on Friday, June 11 at 1st Ward at Chop Shop. In addition to the band Santah, The Kickback, Archie Powell and The Exports, The Congregation, and Glam Camp will be performing at this adults-only prom.

The Jangle Band - Edge Of A Dream

Australian musician Joe Algeri continues his prolific recording output with this full-length debut from The Jangle Band. Unlike his previous efforts as The JAC, this isn’t a solo album where he plays most of the instruments and does all the vocals. Ian Freeman is the lead vocalist for this group, and in addition to Algeri, guitarist Jeff Baker, bassist Dave Wallace, and drummer Mark “Sid” Eaton all sing. Their combined voices often give Edge Of A Dream those Byrds-like harmonies Algeri has always favored.

That said, the album opens with “282,” a song that evokes The Kinks with its droll lyrics and music hall arrangement. The slower and more ornate “Let Me Breathe” also taps into the earliest days of the British Invasion, and like the autobiographical “Perth,” it’s built on an appealing mix of acoustic and electric instruments. The jangling guitars this band takes its name from are front and center on “This Soul Is Not For Sale,” which was previously released as a two-song single with “Kill The Lovers.” “Another Light,” “Love You Too,” and the title track should also sound like a dream come true for fans of The Byrds and 1960s style pop.

Kevin Lee And Cliff Johnson Double Bill/The 1975 At Durty Nellie’s

There will be a mix of the familiar and the new when longtime Chicago music scene favorites Kevin Lee and Cliff Johnson share a double bill on June 2 at Fitz’s Spare Keys in Elmhurst. And the cover charge is only $5.00. Lee recently recruited bassist-backing vocalist Patti Prendergast and guitarist-backing vocalist Michael Kurtz, and each of them has plenty of expertise as musicians. I’m not sure how long drummer Erik Strommer has been with Lee, but this looks to be a potent lineup.

Johnson has been doing gigs with The Raine, a melodic power pop band that recently reunited after being away for awhile. The Cliff Johnson/Raine show I saw at Durty Nellie’s, which might have been their first time performing together, featured an energetic selection of Off Broadway classics. Between Kevin Lee and Cliff Johnson, there’s sure to be a lot of guitar-driven, melodic rock on this night.

Durty Nellie’s had a history of offering live rock and roll in the northwest suburb of Palatine even before it moved to a posh new home directly across the street from the Metra station. The stage, lights, and sound system are first rate, and the ambience is reminiscent of The House Of Blues in downtown Chicago. It would seem logical that such a venue would pursue an ambitious and adventurous booking policy similar to FitzGerald’s in Berwyn or SPACE in Evanston, but over the years Durty Nellie’s has leaned heavily on local cover bands instead. So it’s very encouraging to find the alt rock band The 1975 on the club’s marquee.

Presented as a 101WKQX No Dough Show with some added sponsorship from Coors, The 1975’s performance this Thursday night is free—on a first come, first allowed entry basis. The band hails from Manchester, England and recently released its latest album I Like It When You Sleep Because You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. The doors open at 6:00 PM on Thursday. A number of years ago, Durty Nellie’s played host to a Little Steven’s Underground Garage Showcase that included The Zombies, The Woggles, Gore Gore Girls, and three other national acts. Here’s hoping the club will schedule high profile events on a more regular basis.

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Photo from The Zombies Facebook page.

May has been designated as British Invasion Month here on Broken Hearted Toy due to a pair of significant events in the Chicago area. The first was Graham Nash’s two-night stand at City Winery on May 11 and 12, and the second comes next Sunday, May 29. That’s when The Zombies, led by original members vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboards player-vocalist Rod Argent, will be performing at The Arcada in St. Charles. In addition to hits like “Time Of The Season,” “Tell Her No,” and “She’s Not There,” it’s likely The Zombies will play songs from their latest effort Still Got That Hunger.
 
Thrift Store Halo, a Chicago power pop band that opened for The Zombies at a Chicago area gig a few years back, has reunited and will be performing on August 4 at Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove.

Congratulations to Tellin’ Tales Theatre on its 20th Anniversary. The non-profit organization’s mission has been to “shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds though the transformative power of personal story.” They’re celebrating with a gala hosted by Chicago White Sox announcer Jason Benetti tomorrow night at Roosevelt University’s Fainman Lounge. The festivities include a live retrospective performed by the Tellin’ Tales; a music/comedy revue by Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen, food, cocktails, and a silent auction.

Moby will be at City Winery Chicago next Tuesday to read from his new book Porcelain A Memoir, sign copies, and talk with host of The Interview Show Mark Bazer. Also coming up at City Winery, Mary Fahl, former vocalist with the ethereal October Project, has a gig on September 11.

I hadn’t heard anything about Terminal White in quite some time before I picked up a post card at Reckless Records advertising a May 28 show with The Gruesomes at Reggies. Apparently the band has been playing its distinctive brand of industrial, hard rock, and dance music across Europe. Terminal White released its Blind Pig album last year. When I reviewed Terminal White’s Worker EP for the Illinois Entertainer in 1998, I was particularly impressed with the title track and “Hamtramck.”

Tap House Grill, at 56 W. Wilson Street in Palatine, usually doesn’t book live bands but it will have one for its Summer Kick-Off Party on May 29. The Messengers take the stage at 9:00 PM and there will be specially priced drinks, wings, and fries. It would be great to see Tap House Grill book live bands on a regular, or at least a semi-regular basis.

The Romantics released a two-song single on iTunes today with their versions of The Monkees’ “Daydream Believer” and The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.” I remember their rollicking take on The Animals song when they played an 80s Night show at The Arcada in St. Charles in 2012, so it’s good to be able to buy it. “Daydream Beleiver” is also done in the distinctive, fun Romantics style. A post on the band’s Facebook page promises an entire album of originals and covers is on the way.

Lady Gaga and Elton John’s Love Bravery Collection, a new line of apparel designed to combat prejudice, had its official launch yesterday at Macy’s in downtown Chicago. It was a glitzy event staffed by impossibly leggy Gagaesque models and featured techno music spun by DJ Avi Sic. The Love Bravery Foundation will also benefit Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and Elton John’s AIDS Foundation.

Tickets are now on sale for the June 30 concert with James Taylor and Band with Jackson Browne at Wrigley Field.

It’s 2016. Do you know what your former Illinois Entertainer editors are up to? Michael Harris, who served as the music paper’s editor for several years, has a book out now titled What Is The Declaration Of Independence? It’s part of the Penguin/Grosset and Dunlop series What Was. . .? and is aimed 3rd to 5th graders. Also, Althea Legaspi, who served as IE editor a few years after Harris, continues to review popular music for the Chicago Tribune.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame drummer Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick will be performing songs from his new release Greetings From Bunezuela at SPACE in Evanston on July 9. He’ll be joined with Nicholas Tremulis, Rick Rizzo, and other guests.

Back when I was a young teenager, I loved reading Archie comic books, drinking RC Cola, and listening to Top 40 rock on WLS. Starting this fall, I’ll be able to relive at least part of that fun when the series Riverdale debuts on the CW network. According to the Chicago Tribune, Riverdale will be based on the Archie comic books.

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The Bangles have announced a series of August concert dates on the east coast. Stops include Philadelphia and New York. It would be great to catch them at an outdoor event in the Chicago area. The CD version of the band’s very fun vintage rarities collection Ladies And Gentlemen . . .The Bangles comes out in June.

Ramsey Lewis and Graham Elliott are among the special guests at the second annual Lake FX Summit And Expo taking place today, tomorrow, and Sunday at the Chicago Cultural Center, Gene Siskel Film Center, and Hard Rock Hotel. The event bills itself as “The Midwest’s largest free convening of artists and creative entrepreneurs,” and features panel discussions, workshops, pop-up performances, and film screenings.

Mudcrutch 2, the second album from Tom Petty’s reunited early band Mudcrutch, comes out May 20.  Eight days later, the band will be in Chicago for a concert at the Riviera Theatre, with The Shelters.

May 20 is also the release date for Eric Clapton’s I Still Do and Bob Dylan’s Fallen Angels.

X-Communicate, the debut album from Dum Dum Girls leader Dee Dee’s side project Kristin Kontrol, drops on May 27.

The Book Con, organized by ReedPOP, the company that runs Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, New York Comic Con, and other cultural events, comes to Chicago tomorrow, May 14 at McCormick Place. Actor Chris O’Dowd, who has been very funny in TV shows and movies, is one of the guests, along with Veronica Roth (Divergent series), Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen series), James Dashner (The Maze Runner series), Sarah J. Maas (Throne Of Glass) and several other authors. Admission is $40 for adults, and $5 for kids from 6 to 12.

May is British Invasion Month here at Broken Hearted Toy, and you can help celebrate by checking out The Beatle Bros. at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn tomorrow night. It’s a 30th Anniversary Show for the band, and all of the original members (Jay Goeppner, Phil Angotti, Casey McDonough, Dick Schmidt, Rich Geist, and George Krajl) will be on hand. Goeppner and Angotti will open with an acoustic set.

The Handmade Chicago Arts And Crafts Festival is being held tomorrow and Sunday outside Plumbers Hall in the west loop. Admission is free.

Gary Numan has three shows coming on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at Metro. He’ll perform a different album in its entirety each night; Replicas on Sunday, The Pleasure Principle on Monday, and Telekon on Tuesday. I Speak Machine will be the opening act on all three nights.

Roxy Swain’s new album Beneath Full Moonlight is available now in digital format, and the Chicago indie rock band has a vinyl release party coming up on June at the The Elbo Room on Lincoln Avenue.

Tickets went on sale this week for Belly’s July 7 gig at Bottom Lounge, and The Pet Shop Boys’ November 5 concert at Civic Opera House.

Steve Dawson, a founding member of the critically acclaimed Chicago band Dolly Varden, and an accomplished solo artist, has just released a collaboration with Baltimore-based singer-songwriter Ellen Cherry. They’ve posted an artistic video of the engaging title track from their EP The Thread on YouTube. 

Singer-guitarist Kevin Lee’s song “Tonight” will be featured in the upcoming movie Spaceman, due out in August. Lee and the newest lineup of his band The Kings will be performing on June 11 at The Chicago Loop Sports Bar and Grill in Streamwood.

A Fragile Tomorrow, the South Carolina band that made a strong impression when it stopped by The Red Line Tap as part of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago a few years back, recently released its Make Me Over CD. The hard-hitting title track is a cover of a Slade song, and the quartet gets some help from Joan Baez and The Indigo Girls on its version of folk singer Richard Farina’s “One Way Ticket.”

This Path Comes To Chicago

Photo of Graham Nash and Shane Fontayne by Amy Grantham from the Graham Nash Facebook page.

“You know this one, right?” Graham Nash asked, before launching into “Chicago” as his first encore at City Winery last night. He had ended a well-received show by getting the audience to vigorously sing along to “Our House.” For those of us who had seen Nash’s July 2015 concert at The Arcada in St. Charles, last night offered more evidence that his current musical alliance with guitarist-vocalist Shane Fontayne is paying off nicely. Fontaine co-wrote, produced, and performed on This Path Tonight, the first solo effort from Nash in quite some time. He’s a veteran of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tours, and has also worked with Sting and Bruce Springsteen.

It was a pleasant surprise last July when Nash introduced a couple new songs as being from an upcoming solo album, and last night’s performance found him and Fontayne tapping into the recently released This Path Tonight more extensively. The stripped-down live arrangements of “Back Home” (dedicated to Levon Helm), “Golden Days,” “Myself At Last,” “Another Broken Heart,” and the title track underscored the craftsmanship and true emotions Nash and Fontayne put into writing them. And as they harmonized perfectly on song after song, it was obvious Fontayne is a worthy successor to Nash’s highly regarded singing partners David Crosby and Hollies lead vocalist Allan Clarke.

Nash once again exuded a casual, friendly presence, and introduced several songs with funny anecdotes. The wide-ranging selection began with an appealing and acoustic take on The Hollies’ “Bus Stop,” and Nash connected “King Midas In Reverse” from the final album he recorded with the British Invasion band with “I Used To Be A King” from his solo debut Songs For Beginners. He brought the audience to its feet with “Just A Song Before I Go,” “Wind On The Water,” and “Wasted On The Way.” Nash left the audience with a spirited version of “Teach Your Children.”

Graham Nash returns to City Winery Chicago tonight, and he has just announced a batch of new concert dates in America and Europe.