More New Year’s Eve Suggestions

Ring in the new year with The Zombies

Every time I cruise Facebook, I find more worthwhile things to promote for New Year’s Eve. Please note, I listed some on yesterday’s post as well. Wish I could travel around with a film crew and broadcast all of these fun celebrations on national TV.

The Zombies have a fun suggestion for New Year’s Eve. If you start playing “This Will Be Our Year”  from their classic Odessey and Oracle album at 11:58:16, the final “this will be our year” will play exactly at midnight. Unfortunately, it wasn’t their year to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame but they’re going to be on tour in 2018, so you can tell them in person how well their New Year’s Eve idea worked.

EXPO ’76, a cover band comprising veterans of the Chicago rock scene, will be performing selections from their massive and amazingly eclectic repertoire at the Sidebar Room at FitzGerald’s.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, is offering its annual Wonderland Express through January 7. The indoor exhibit features model trains, miniature Chicago landmarks, and carolers.

It’ll be a bit past New Year’s Eve, but there’s some retro-inspired good times coming up at Martyrs’ on Thursday, January 4 when Rosie And The Rivets, Amazing Heeby Jeebies, and Tiny Miles Trio share a triple bill.

Champagne!

Photo from the Over The Rhine Facebook page.

New Year’s Eve is only two days away, so here are some suggestions for people in the Chicago area who haven’t made plans yet.

The Cincinnati-based alt rock/roots band Over The Rhine will be playing songs from their critically acclaimed albums at The Old Town School Of Folk Music. Founding members/spouses Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist craft inventive arrangements and Bergquist’s amazing vocals bring the provocative lyrics to life. Journalist Jef Elbel has an interesting interview with Detweiler in the Agenda section of today’s Chicago Sun-Times.

From RSD to NYE. There’ll be no cover charge when Laurie’s Planet Of Sound holds its annual New Year’s Eve party at Ricochets Tavern on Lincoln Avenue. The record store throws great Record Store Day bashes every April, so why not check out how they’ll ring in 2018. DJ Samorama is in charge of the music and there’s free champagne at midnight. The party starts at 9:00 p.m.

The BoDeans perform the first of two gigs at City Winery Chicago on New Year’s Eve, with the second one coming on January 1. The Wisconsin-based band has lots of catchy, fun material to draw from, including “Closer To Free,” “Fadeaway,” and “She’s A Runaway.”

Guided By Voices, whose distinctive brand of alt rock/power pop has attracted a devoted following for several years now, will be performing at The Empty Bottle on Western Avenue on the north side.

WXRT (93.1 FM) overnight air personality Emma Mac, who usually holds down the oversight shift, will switch hours in order to host the station’s commercial-free 93 Best Party Songs programming. It kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and runs through midnight.

And in other entertainment news:

If you got money or a gift card for the holiday and are looking for a rock and roll way to spend it, how about On Air, a new two-CD release of live recordings by The Rolling Stones at the BBC between 1963 and 1965. It includes eight tracks that were never released or recorded commercially.

Cliff Johnson and The Raine and The Jay Geoppner Band will be performing at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on Saturday, January 6. Later next month at FitzGerald’s, Classic Tribute Night on January 18 will feature Phil Angotti performing The Rolling Stones’ Out Of Our Heads; Rachel Drew performing Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black; and North Berwyn Rhythm And Soul Organization performing as a mystery guest.

Sons Of The Silent Age, the David Bowie tribute act composed of several Chicago music scene veterans, will have acclaimed actor Michael Shannon as their special guest when they perform The Berlin Years on January 6 at Metro.

Upcoming new albums include Wrong Creatures by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on January 12; Marble Skies by Django Django on January 26; and Always Ascending by Franz Ferdinand on February 9.

The official trailer for Metric’s 2018 Dreams So Real concert film can now be seen on YouTube. Fans can preorder Dreams So Real on DVD and Blu Ray or as a three-LP set on the band’s PledgeMusic site.  Various bundles featuring a t-shirt, signed items, liner notes, etc. are also available. Metro vocalist Emily Haines released her third solo effort, Choir Of The Mind, earlier this year and plans to tour in support of it.

The January issue of the Illinois Entertainer is out, with staff members listing their choices for best albums and concerts. Over the twenty-some years I wrote for them, I.E. invited me to participate in this annual ritual a whopping one time. Anyway, it’s nice to see Curt Baran name The Regrettes’ Feel Your Feelings Fool among his top albums and their show at Schubas among his top concerts. Baran and publisher John Vernon both picked Visions Of A Life by Wolf Alice as one of their favorite albums, which increases my interest in buying it.

Meet the new Doc, definitely not the same as the old Doc. Actress Jodie Whittaker officially arrived as the 13th incarnation of The Doctor when the Doctor Who annual Christmas Special aired this past Monday. Whittaker is the first woman to portray the iconic sci-fi character who is able to regenerate and take on an entirely appearance and, to a less degree, persona. Imagine the suspense and surprise among the show’s loyal fans if there was no way of knowing what the new Doctor will look like until the episode aired. Of course, that kind of secrecy would be pretty much impossible these days.

After surviving a tough round in the fourth installment, my nephew Joe Flamm will be among the remaining contestants on the Bravo Channel’s Top Chef as it moves into 2018.

Coke Belda - (3) Gs - A Tribute To The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees weren’t exaggerating when they named one of their early records Rare, Precious And Beautiful, although they would later court a different following with funky dance-oriented material. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Coke Belda covers that full spectrum on his recent release (3) Gs - A Tribute To The Bee Gees. A native of Spain who now lives in Pittsburgh, Belda gives each track the easy-going allure of the band’s baroque pop era, even when he’s performing something from as late as 1987. This mix of singles and deep album cuts avoids the biggest hits (thankfully, there’s no “Jive Talking”) while concentrating on the exquisite melodies and eccentric lyrics that were Brothers Gibb trademarks.

“Claustrophobia,” a song from The Bee Gees’ early days in Australia, doesn’t so much kick off the album as float in like a feather. It’s a light, very British Invasion type song about a guy who feels the woman he’s dating has too many boyfriends. “You Win Again,” the track from 1987, also deals with too much competition in a relationship, and sports a mid-tempo arrangement with masterfully layered vocals. “Edge Of The Universe,” from the mid 70s Main Course album, finds Belda working with a soulful beat, and proves that regardless of the era, The Bee Gees loved crafting silly lyrics.

There’s plenty of clever wordplay on vintage gems like “Indian Gin And Whiskey Dry,” “Cucumber Castle,” and “Sir Geoffrey Save The World,” which has its title character, “Talking with lambs who came out of the skies.” Belda also effectively channels the different brothers’ vocal styles, particularly on the singles “First Of May,” “Gotta Get A Message To You” and “Run To Me.” But the highlight of (3) Gs - A Tribute To The Bee Gees is Belda’s breathless, power pop take on the energetic title track from Idea, the band’s million-selling third album.

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays to all who visit this blog.

Here are three edited versions of reviews I’ve done in the past of classic rock and roll Christmas albums.

Yuletunes

Released in 1991 on Shoes’ Black Vinyl label, Yuletunes was an ambitious collection of original Christmas songs created by various power pop artists. Shoes led the way with “This Christmas,” a catchy rock song with a monster drum beat, chiming guitars, and the band’s lush harmony vocals. Material Issue’s “Merry Christmas Will Do” features Jim Ellison’s rugged guitar playing, and as a vocalist, he’s a master at selling the pain of unrequited love. The Idea, fronted by vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, contribute the fetching “It’s About That Time,” while Leroy checks in with the fun and mid-tempo “Santa Stole My Baby.”

Matthew Sweet contributed the reverent “Baby Jesus,” Marti Jones and Don Dixon created a joyous duet on “Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday,” and “The Saddest Time Of The Year” by Spooner reflected on disappointment and loneliness at Christmas. The Spongetones describe a tranquil paradise with their acoustic-based, innocent fantasy “Christmasland,” while “A God Of My Own” by 92 Degrees takes a complex look at religious beliefs.

Bill Lloyd’s deliriously happy “Underneath The Christmas Tree” depicts a guy and his girlfriend sharing an evening of holiday decorating, but Kelly Ryan is inconsolable on the ballad, “It’s Not Christmas,” as she spends the holiday alone “for the first time in years.” Singer-guitarist Herb Eimerman’s gorgeous ballad “You Gave Me” celebrates family traditions at Christmas, as well as the way love and values are passed on from one generation to another. The Critics uncork an irresistible energy on their romantic “She Feels Like Christmas Day.” It’s the one song on this memorable collection that could conceivably be played at any time of year.

Christmas A-Go-Go

Guitarist/actor/radio show host Little Steven Van Zandt morphed into a crazed Santa for this ambitious 2008 holiday compilation, determined to find just the right gift for everyone on his list. Fortunately, he didn’t care if the recipients are naughty or nice, just as long as they listened to his syndicated weekly program, Underground Garage. An ultra rare recording of Keith Richards romping through the Chuck Berry chestnut “Run Rudolph Run” kicks things off in a blues-rock vein.

The Ramones bring their instantly identifiable revved-up sound to “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight).” “All Alone On Christmas” features vocalist Darlene Love, (one of the acts on the Phil Spector produced album A Christmas Gift For You) backed by The E Street Band. Ringing guitars and great harmonies help Brit rockers The Len Price 3 hark back to the original British Invasion on “It’s Christmas Time Ebenezer.”

On the relentlessly cheerful “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” Roy Wood’s Wizzard uses a Wall Of Sound influenced approach to build an entire palace. Tina Sugandh’s beautifully sung “White Christmas” begins with the standard arrangement, but soon drifts off to India via exotic sitars and tablas. The Chesterfield Kings’ knack for tapping into Aftermath era Rolling Stones is readily apparent on “Hey, Santa Claus.” Former Stray Cats vocalist-guitarist Brian Setzer’s “Santa’s Got A Hot Rod,” rocks with a highly energetic swinging arrangement. “Santa Claus Is Surfin’ To Town,” delivered by 1950s kids show host Soupy Sales, is another one of those fun rarities Van Zandt was obviously delighted to offer. Swedish band The Cocktail Slippers deliver “Santa’s Coming Home,” a catchy number that laments the amount of time Santa’s work keeps him away from his girlfriend.

The Seattle-based Boss Martians give Charles Dickens a psychedelic spin with their high speed rock song, “3 Ghosts (A Modern X-mas Carol).” Aussie garage rockers The Chevelles unleash a spirited take on a treasured hymn with the mostly instrumental “Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls,” and The Electric Prunes’ psychedelic and slightly unsettling version of “Jingle Bells” has a spoken word intro that includes a special holiday greeting for Underground Garage listeners. Ray Davies of The Kinks has always been a master of satire, and on “Father Christmas,” he leads the band through a funny tale of a retail store Santa being pummeled by destitute children.

Christmas With The Smithereens

In 2007, The Smithereens, which by then featured new bassist Severo Jornacion, really showed its holiday spirit by releasing the full-length Christmas With The Smithereens. It’s a fun party from start to finish, as The Smithereens bring their engaging power pop approach to a mix of originals and cover versions. “Waking Up On Christmas Morning” is a catchy tune penned by guitarist Jim Babjak. The fast-paced “Christmas Time All Over The World,” written by Babjak, singer Pat DiNizio, drummer Dennis Diken, and original bassist Mike Mesaros, celebrates hugging and kissing under the mistletoe, and compares the holiday to a big rock show. The other Smithereens original, “Christmas (I Remember)” takes a melodic look back and notes, “The kid inside my heart won’t die.”

There are also guitar-driven interpretations of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” and The Beach Boys’ “Merry Christmas, Baby.” The Smithereens also do well with “Christmas Time Is Here Again,” one of the rare songs The Beatles recorded for their fan club members. The Smithereens set Clement Clark Moore’s classic poem, “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” to a jazzy percussion-led arrangement, and open “Auld Lang Syne” with acappella vocals before launching into a rollicking instrumental jam session.

Holiday Punch

The Posies have big plans for 2018

You’d think having this past Friday off from work would have given me enough time to post a proper Slumgullion, but I spent most of that day roaming around downtown Chicago looking for various Christmas presents. What follows is an odds and sods mix of holiday sentiment, family memories, charity events, and entertainment news. And as Clarence the wingless angel said to St. Joseph in It’s A Wonderful Life, “No, I didn’t have a drink.”

My family celebrated Christmas yesterday at my brother’s house on the south side. His oldest son, my nephew, Joe Flamm has now made it through three rounds of this season’s Top Chef program on the Bravo Channel. Joe was at the gathering yesterday and we gave each other a bottle of wine as a gift. (He’s also my godson.) This is the first Christmas I’ve been able to say I received a present from a contestant on a reality TV show.

It’s always fun when Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday because many of the newspaper comics—or the funnies as some people call them—are about celebrating the holiday. Back when I was a kid, we called the comics “the jokes,” although I haven’t come across any other families that did that. During the past few years, I’ve been clipping some of the better Christmas-related comics and putting them in the same box as our decorations.

My Friday travels around downtown brought me to Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue, and an exhibit called The Great Fermentation on one of the upper floors. According to a woman I spoke with there who called herself Dr. Shiraz, it’s a preview of a multi-media celebration of wine that might be coming to Chicago (other cities are still in the running) in 2019.

Congratulations to Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro venue on Chicago’s north side, on already raising over $1,000 via his Facebook fundraiser for the Chicago Children Choir. The CCC is a nonprofit organization that helps kids ages 8 through 18, “become global citizens through music.” It has choral programs in 80 Chicago schools.

Sons Of The Silent Age, the David Bowie tribute act composed of several Chicago music scene veterans, will have acclaimed actor Michael Shannon as their special guest when they perform The Berlin Years on January 6 at Metro. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit cancer patients at Northshore University Healthsystem’s Integrative Medicine Program.

A winning team. According to reporter Annie Sweeney’s recent article in the Chicago Tribune, five Chicago sports franchises have joined together to help stop street violence in the city. The Chicago Sports Alliance comprises the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls, and has raised $1 million so far to fund mentoring programs for youths in the Englewood neighborhood.

The Posies plan to celebrate their 30th anniversary in style during 2018 with live performances around the the USA, as well as offering some enticing opportunities via the PledgeMusic site. Depending on how much money you’re willing to shell out, you can choose anything from spending a day with founding members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow in Paris to acquiring new deluxe versions of Dear 23, Frosting On The Beater, and Amazing Disgrace for $18 each. Other options include a yet-to-be-designed t-shirt; socks; handwritten lyric sheets; a signed CD box set; a signed LP box set; signed albums and CDs; a signed setlist; a concert in your house with either one or both of the founding members; or having a coffee date with one or both of them. Various packages involve a mix of the above items, and every package includes an access pass.

Auer and Stringfellow will tour as a duo starting in January, and and at some point, as a full band. Upcoming dates include New York, Boston, Memphis, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Nashville. They’ll hit City Winery Chicago for a duo show on January 31. VIP packages involving a meet and greet are available.

The rebooted Jumanji movie opened at movie theaters recently. To be the honest, the only reason I’m interested is that the cast includes Karen Gillan, whose Amy Pond was among the most interesting companions to hang out with The Doctor on the long-running English sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Well, I’m off to watch the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol, and if it doesn't get too late, It’s A Wonderful Life. Best holiday wishes to all who visit this blog, along with the hope that we’ll all be successful in our creative projects in the coming year. 

Last-Minute Christmas Rocking

It may be too late to run out to a record store, but here are some options for holiday rock tunes you can find on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, other sites, or on the radio.

The Minus Five’s Dear December finds band leader Scott McCaughey and guest musicians The Posies, Benjamin Gibbard, Mike Mills, Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Tammy Ealom, Colin Meloy, M. Ward, and Chuck Prophet performing fun, off kilter original songs about Christmas and Hanukkah. Highlights include the clever holiday romance “Yule Tide Me Over,” the chiming “I  See Angels,” and “Merry Christmas Mr. Gulp-Gulp,” a lounge tune about battling alcoholism.

Australian vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Joe Algeri, AKA The JAC, continues his annual tradition of creating an original Christmas song for free download with “A Petty Xmas (Parts 1 and 2).” This year’s edition is a bit more serious, as Algeri honors not only the late Tom Petty but also George Young, who played rhythm guitar for The Easybeats and later produced AC/DC albums. George and his brother/AC/DC co-fonder Malcolm both passed away this year. “A Petty Xmas (Parts 1 and 2)” has a catchy mid-tempo arrangement that features Algeri on lead vocals and guitars, along with fellow Britannicas members Herb Eimerman on jazz bass and backing vocals; and Stefan Johansson on drums. Five other musicians are involved with this worthy project.

Christmas With The Smithereens is one of the best rock holiday albums ever recorded, featuring an energetic mix of originals and cover tunes. Sadly, lead vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio also left us this year. The band is asking fans who would like to express their condolences to DiNizio’s mother to send their cards or messages to: The Smithereens P.O. Box 307 Tennent, NJ 07763.

Cheap Trick covers The Ramones, Roy Wood, Harry Nilsson, Ray Davies, and Chuck Berry on its recent Christmas Christmas album, and offers three originals tunes as well. The performances are consistently energetic, and there’s also a faithful rendition of “Silent Night.”

WXRT’s final Local Anesthetic Holiday Spectacular will be rebroadcast on Christmas Eve at 10:00 p.m. Several short seasonal messages and songs from area musicians comprise the show and it’s always fun to hear what the participants come up with. Just to clear up any confusion, Local Anesthetic host Richard Milne has not left the station, and will continue in his regular time slots. Milne recently became part of the rotating trio of hosts for XRT’s Saturday Morning Flashback.

Kevin Lee And The Kings - Sticks And Stones

Kevin Lee is a guitar-slinger with an unerring sense of melody, which has resulted in a series of impressive albums over the years. Like fellow Chicagoans Cheap Trick, his songs are an enticing blend of power pop and hard rock, and he’s a strong vocalist as well. The recently released Kevin Lee And The Kings album Sticks And Stones finds Chicago rock veterans guitarist-backing vocalist Michael Kurtz and bassist-backing vocalist Patti Prendergast joining Lee and drummer Erik Strommer for the first time on a recording, but this lineup has been gigging together for a while now.

Lee and Kurtz provide plenty of firepower as the band zips through 10 songs, with “Tell The Truth”—a tale of a troubled relationship—being the only slow one. The well-crafted arrangements are consistently catchy and Lee gets solid vocal support from Kurtz And Prendergast. “Slip Of The Tongue” takes aim at loose talk and gossip, while “Sticks And Stones” is about trying to get along with someone who constantly criticizes and complains.

Lee strikes a more inspirational tone with the rollicking “On Top Of The World,” and on “One Day At A Time,” a guy tells his commitment-seeking girlfriend it’s better to just take life as it comes. That sentiment also shows up on “All We Have Is Now,” which has more of a garage rock feel. The defiant “Nothing To Lose,” with its high-speed instrumental intro and lush harmonies, serves as the best cut on an album filled with good rock tunes.