A Few Tricks But Plenty Of Treats

John San Juan (left) joins Phil Angotti (center) and Friends for a Squeeze number.

Photo by Ari Shagal on John San Juan’s Facebook page.

It would have been possible in Chicago this past weekend to go from bar to bar checking out rock band tribute shows, much like kids trick or treating in their neighborhood. The Montrose Saloon, Live Wire, Martyrs’, and Subterranean were just a few of the venues presenting local musicians covering famous ones. It would have been great to go to them all, but due to a hectic schedule, I was only able to drop by Martyrs last Saturday night.

In keeping with the holiday, a few of the acts had tricks up their sleeves. John San Juan and his band’s set was listed as an Eddie Money tribute but anyone hoping for “Two Tickets To Paradise” would have been waiting so long to hear that or any other Money material. That’s because San Juan instead performed songs by the less commercial but catchy and engaging Teenage Fanclub.

Phil Angotti and Friends delivered a set of Squeeze hits as promised, and captured the sophisticated pop of “Black Coffee In Bed,” “Take Me I’m Yours,” “Tempted,” and “Up The Junction.” Still, the biggest treat from his set might have been the lesser known but irresistible “Messed Around.” Angotti also brought up guest musicians to augment the first-rate ensemble he had already hand-picked.

Like John San Juan, The Differents were in prank mode that night, but their idea was well-executed and clever enough to ensure nobody would complain. They promised a.m. radio hits, which for most people would mean the 1950s and 60s. Instead, they covered alt rock songs that were released long after the a.m. dial became infested with talk radio. An onstage announcer claimed the show was being broadcast live, and used the distinct patter of an old time disk jockey to describe the proceedings (“That was The Differents covering The Jam on ‘Start’”).

Comprising singer-guitarist Lou Hallwas (who had been one of Angotti’s guests) vocalist bassist Gary Stier, and drummer Dan Garrity, the band also covered The Pretenders’ version of “Stop Your Sobbing” and also roughed up Freda Payne’s “Band Of Gold.” Angotti climbed onboard to sing lead  and play guitar on Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” and by the time The Differents blasted through Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire” and Cheap Trick’s “Southern Girls,” there were a number of guest musicians joining in on the fun.

Sadly, that was as much of the party I caught at Martyrs’ since it was almost midnight and I had to make the long public transportation trek back to Palatine.

Halloween Song: The Flat Five - The Raven

The Flat Five has been called a Chicago super group due to members Casey McDonough, Kelly Hogan, Scott Ligon, Nora O’Connor, and Alex Hall being veterans of the local music scene and beyond. There’s a vintage quality to their music that includes silly lyrics, smooth-as-silk crooning, jazz beats, and occasional Latin rhythms. After years of performing together on an irregular basis, The Flat Five surprised its fans with a full-length debut last year.

That entertaining vibe of It’s A World Of Love And Hope continues on the band’s recent 45 rpm, colored vinyl single “The Raven.” The members sing Edgar Allan Poe’s words verbatim to finger-snapping arrangement with keyboards and percussion. It’s tempting to think the melody crafted by The Flat Five could be more adventurous, but that approach might have obscured the fun of turning one of the most chilling poems ever written into an irresistible Halloween party song. “The Raven” can be ordered on vinyl or downloaded via the Bloodshot Records site.

Slumgullion

A warm Broken Hearted Toy welcome to the iconic Bob Dylan, who’s in town for a WXRT concert tonight at the brand new Wintrust Arena on the lakefront. Chicago’s own legend Mavis Staples will also be performing, which makes this a potent double bill.

Dylan is on the cover of a new Heritage Auctions catalog I just received in the mail. I’m only familiar with Heritage because the company usually has reps at Fest For Beatles Fans, and they’re very friendly. Their Music and Entertainment Memorabilia Signature Auction coming up live in Dallas and online on November 11 includes a “Bob Dylan owned and stage-played 1963 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar used on stage at George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh and the Rolling Thunder Review Tour.” There are also items related to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Billie Holiday, Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Marilyn Monroe. The opening bid on the Dylan guitar is $300,000.

Halloweekend, the annual two-night tribute event that offers at least four bands doing short sets each night, kicks off at Montrose Saloon tonight. Depending on what time you read this, you could catch part of tonight’s like up of Shoeless Joe Jackson as Joe Jackson; Statutes Of Libery as Grand Funk Railroad, Phil Angotti as The Animals; Rachel Drew covering The Pixies; and The Big Parade & Ary Jeebie as Alice Cooper. Tomorrow night, Decoy Prayer Meeting pays homage to Tom Petty; The Webstirs will be The Guess Who; Androgynous Moustache performs as Crowded House; and Charlie Short will be Robert Palmer. Montrose Saloon is located 2933 W. Montrose.

There’s also a tribute show going on at Subterranean tonight, as part of a benefit/tribute fest for the Intonation Music charity. The Handcuffs will be playing George Harrison tunes; Dayton will play The Rolling Stones; The Good will perform as Queen; Kid Million will do Jane’s Addiction; The Cell Phones will play Lesley Gore; and Que Rico will perform as Toto.

There are five bands doing tributes tomorrow night Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. The Cells will be performing as The Smithereens; Craftwerc will be doing a Kraftwerk tribute; Phil Angotti and Friends will perform as Squeeze, The Differents will be playing AM Radio Hits; and John San Juan will be doing the songs of Eddy Money

If you’d rather be the one belting out tunes by famous (albeit no-longer-with-us) musicians, then FitzGerald’s in Berwyn would be the place for you tomorrow night. That’s when the venue is holding a Ghosts Of Rock Stars Past Halloween Costume Party – Lip Sync Battle And Dance Party.

The Safes, a Chicago-based band whose punk-inflected indie rock albums have been favorably reviewed here on BHT, have a record release party for their new release Tasty Waves coming up at Beat Kitchen on November 22. The Differents, Little Boy, Jr., and The Hustle are are also on the bill that night.

The Bangles, The Romantics, A Flock Of Seagulls, Violent Femmes, Nick Heyward, Boy George And Culture Club, Salt N Peppa and Adam Ant will all be on the bill at the Totally 80s Live Show coming up on January 26 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

Congratulations to my nephew Joe Flamm on being chosen as one of the contestants for the upcoming season of the Bravo Channel’s Top Chef  program. Joe is currently the chef at critically acclaimed Spiaggia on Michigan Avenue. Our family is extremely proud of him.

A tip of the cap to Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on proving once again that he’s first-class guy. Rizzo, who has battled cancer himself, had already sent 12-year-old Abby Schrage an autographed picture to help her cope with her treatment for brain cancer. When the news broke that Schrage was devasted after the photo was stolen from her hospital room, Rizzo sent another signed photo, a signed jersey, and some tickets so she and her family can go to the Cubs’ 2018 season opener.

Just when you thought they might be dead (pronounced ‘did’ with A New Zealand accent) The Flight Of The Conchords have announced upcoming concerts in Ireland and the U.K. According to posts on Facebook, the March/April 2018 shows sold out almost immediately.

A super hectic schedule last week decimated my blogging output, resulting in missed opportunities for promoting some worthwhile events. I even neglected to mention Elgin’s annual Nightmare On Chicago Street Halloween Festival, which was held in the city’s downtown area last Saturday. Jeff Kelley and Dave Metzger once again created a zombie-related comedy/thriller to be screened as part of the festivities. I have a small part in their new The Elgin Dead film, which makes my failure to mention it here even more glaring. At least I can mention that The Elgin Dead can be seen on YouTube.

The Fall issue of Inspirer came out before the 2018 nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were announced but the magazine and the Hall seem to be somewhat on the same wavelength. Inspirer, which is dedicated to covering women in music and entertainment, ran a feature titled Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Induct These Women. Three of their suggestions—Nina Simone, Kate Bush, and Chaka Khan are among this year’s nominees. Inspirer’s RRHOF recommendations also included The Runaways, Janet Jackson, The Go-Go’s, PJ Harvey, Pat Benatar, Lucinda Williams, and Carole King.

Belly, of “Feed The Tree” fame, has launched a Pledge Music campaign to help with the release of its long-awaited third album. Those who sign up for the yet-to-be-titled effort will have access to exclusive merchandise like signed vinyl, posters, and special show passes.

Interesting Rock Formations

Dating back to the days of Crosby, Stills and Nash and Blind Faith, it’s always been fascinating to discover the chemistry that happens when members of various bands join together to start a new project. In Chicago, the recently formed trio Sunshine Boys comprises Freda Love Smith from Blake Babies; Dag Juhlin from The Slugs; and Jacqueline Schimmel from Big Hello. Blue Music, their debut release of hard-hitting but consistently melodic songs is due out early next year and they open for Poi Dog Pondering (another band Juhlin is part of) on December 30 at City Winery Chicago. Back in 2015, members from the Love Me Nots and Wooly Bandits joined forces for an impressive and fun new garage rock band called Motobunny.

More recently, Vicki Peterson from The Bangles; John Cowsill from The Cowsills; and actor/producer/musician Billy Mummy forged Action Skulls. Their debut album Angels Hear is now available and it’s filled with sparse, roots and garage rock tunes with twangy guitars and an adventurous mix of vocals from all three members. Highlights include the catchy “Mainstream” and gospel influenced “Feed My Hungry Heart.”

The Small Square combines Paul Chastain, who co-founded The Velvet Crush with Ric Menck, with John Louis Richardson who currently performs with Shoes. The resumes for both musicians include time spent with Matthew Sweet, Tommy Keene, Susanna Hoffs, Joey Molland, Ric Menck, Roger McGuinn, and Mitch Easter. The Small Square’s new single “Open Up”  is a power pop gem gleaming with the unmistakable presence of guest musicians Jeff Murphy, John Murphy, and Gary Klebe from Shoes.

Scaring Up Some More Fun

The Scary Ferry  - A Maritime Masquerade On The Chicago River and Lake Michigan will feature Archie Powell And The Exports, who’ve racked up some rave album reviews here on Broken Hearted Toy, along with Family Of Geniuses, and Band From The Back Porch this Friday night. In addition to live music, there will be costumes and prizes. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m.

Here’s an addition to yesterday’s You Be Me For A While post about upcoming tribute band shows: The Fab Four will be performing Beatles songs this Friday, October 27 at Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, IN. It’s not related to Halloween, these guys do this stuff all the time.

A super hectic schedule last week decimated my blogging output, resulting in missed opportunities for promoting some worthwhile events. I even neglected to mention Elgin’s annual Nightmare On Chicago Street Halloween Festival, which was held in the city’s downtown area on Saturday, October 21. Jeff Kelley and Dave Metzger once again created a zombie-related comedy/thriller to be screened as part of the festivities. I have a small part in their new The Elgin Dead film, which makes my failure to mention it here even more glaring. At least I can say that The Elgin Dead can now be seen on YouTube.

You Be Me For A While

Halloween will soon be upon us, and along with costumes, trick or treating, and apple bobbing, that means several local bands will be doing tributes to rock stars in local clubs. At least in Chicago. Here’s a quick look at who’s becoming who this weekend and through All Hallows Eve. I’m pretty sure there are more tribute shows than I’m listing below, and if I find out about them (or someone contacts me), I’ll be sure to post them.

Halloweekend, a two-night event with at least four bands doing short sets each night, lands at Montrose Saloon this year, after having been staged at Martyrs’, The Abbey Pub, Quenchers Saloon, and other locations in the past. On Friday, October 27, Shoeless Joe Jackson will perform as Joe Jackson; Statutes Of Liberty rock out as Grand Funk Railroad, Phil Angotti will lead a pack of musicians performing as The Animals; Rachel Drew will cover The Pixies; and The Big Parade & Ary Jeebie wrap up the evening as Alice Cooper. On the Saturday night, Decoy Prayer Meeting pays homage to Tom Petty; The Webstirs will be The Guess Who; Androgynous Moustache performs as Crowded House; and you might as well face, Charlie Short will be Robert Palmer. Montrose Saloon is located 2933 W. Montrose.

The Martyrs’ venue, at 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue, has five bands doing tributes on Saturday, October 28. The Cells will be performing as The Smithereens; Craftwerc will have fun fun fun on the autobahn doing a Kraftwerk tribute; Phil Angotti and Friends will perform as Squeeze, The Differents will be playing AM Radio Hits; and John San Juan will be doing the songs of Eddy Money. On Halloween night at Martyrs, Creampuff Warriors will perform as The Grateful Dead, and Murley will be The Allman Brothers.

On Friday night, Subterranean (2011 W. North Avenue) is hosting a benefit/tribute fest for the Intonation Music charity. The Handcuffs will be playing George Harrison tunes; Dayton will play The Rolling Stones; The Good will perform as Queen; Kid Million will do Jane’s Addiction; The Cell Phones will play Lesley Gore; and Que Rico will perform as Toto.

If you’d rather be the one belting out tunes by famous (albeit no-longer-with-us) musicians, then FitzGerald’s in Berwyn would be the place for you on Saturday. That’s when the venue is holding a Ghosts Of Rock Stars Past Halloween Costume Party – Lip Sync Battle And Dance Party.

The Old 97s At Durty Nellie's

The Old 97s have visited the Chicago area several times over the years, but this past Saturday night’s performance at Durty Nellie’s was their first in suburban Palatine. Likewise, Durty Nellie’s doesn’t often book nationally known, critically acclaimed acts like The Old 97s. This rare occurrence worked well for both parties, as a packed house enjoyed 90 minutes of rollicking country flavored alternative and garage rock.

Hearing audience members singing along to the fun and catchy “Barrier Reef,” it seemed likely long-time fans had traveled from afar to catch this show. Newcomers were no doubt easily converted as The Old 97s tore through a mix of high-speed rock songs and boozy ballads drawn from their latest effort Graveyard Laughing and 11 previous albums. Lead vocalist-guitarist Rhett Miller was a charismatic frontman who consistently fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm, while guitarist Ken Bethea provided plenty of firepower and twang.

Opening act Lily Hiatt, daughter of John Hiatt, joined the quartet (bassist Murry Hammond and drummer Philip Peeples are the rhythm section) for “Good With God” from Graveyard Laughing, swapping vocals with Miller. (Brandi Carlile sings on the recorded version.) The set also included “Champaign, Illinois,” a funny tune that has received a lot of airplay on Chicago station WXRT. The Old 97s returned for a trio of encores that kicked off with the touchingly romantic “Question” before blazing away on “Let’s Get Drunk And Get It On” and “Time Bomb.” After The Old 97s had finished, a guy standing nearby turned to me, and with a childlike sense of urgency said, “I want more!” Exactly.

P.S. Due a dinner engagement, I didn’t arrive at Durty Nellie’s until after Lily Hiatt’s opening set, but I did talk to her at the merch table and she was very friendly and cool.