Slumgullion

Riot Fest will celebrate 15 years of bringing counter-culture and alt rock music to Chicago on the weekend of September 13 – 15. The recently announced schedule includes The Raconteurs; Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets; The Selector; The Flaming Lips; Patti Smith and her band; Violent Femmes; The B-52’s; Bob Mould; Guided By Voices; and The Beaches. Tickets went on sale earlier today.

The Graham Crackers Comics location at 3162 N. Broadway is presenting CHIDRINK AND CADRAWGO tomorrow night from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. It’s being billed as Chicago’s Highest Rated Drink and Draw, and supplies will be provided.

Tickets went on sale today for Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen at Old Town Scholl of Folk Music on October 13; Ladytron at Metro on December 11; Ingrid Michaelson at The Vic on October 19; Archie Powell and The Exports, with Mutts, Lung, and Vamos at Cobra Lounge on June 29; Willie Nile at SPACE on October 18; and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, Shaggy, and Steel Pulse at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater on September 18.

CAKE - The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo comes to the Center on Halsted for a celebration and marketplace of independent comics tomorrow and Sunday.

According to the June issue of the Illinois Entertainer, new albums we’ll see this month include Neil Young’s TUSCALOOSA, Perry Farrell’s Kind Heaven, and Santana’s Africa Speak on June 7; Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ Black Star on June 14; and The Raconteurs’ Help Us Stranger on June 21.

Barak Goodman’s new documentary Woodstock - Three Days That Defined A Generation is having its Chicago premiere tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center and run through June 6.

Van Go Red Wigglers, MOULTON, and M. Winfield McEwen from Black Cat Heart Attack are slated to perform at the Porchfest Lakeview Chicago festival being held next Sunday, June 2 at 1309 W. Wolfram Street in Chicago. All ages are invited, and it’s suggested that you bring a cooler and lawn chairs. The event last from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Al Stewart returns to City Winery Chicago next Monday, with The Empty Pockets as his opening act. 

Black Ensemble Theatre continues its popular series of shows honoring legendary African American performers with its production of Style And Grace: In Tribute To Lena Horne and Nancy Wilson. It runs through June 30.

Ghostlight Ensemble will perform The Selfish Giant at Otherworld Theatre June 8 through June 30 on Saturdays and Sundays. Maria Burnham’s play is based on the Oscar Wilde short story of that same name, and is meant to warn audiences of all ages of the pitfalls of selfishness.

Music On Stage wraps up its production of The Producers – A Mel Brooks Musical at Cutting Hall in Palatine this weekend.

Four Chords and a Gun, actor John Ross Bowie’s drama about The Ramones recording their End Of The Century album under the guidance (influence?) of Phil Spector, continues its run at The Broadway Playhouse in Chicago.

The Joliet Library’s 10th Annual Star Wars Day takes place tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festivities will include a parade, games, costumes, live music, and food vendors.

Everything But Breakfast For Four Hundred Thousand People

The new documentary Woodstock – Three Days That Defined A Generation has its Chicago premiere tomorrow night at the Gene Siskel Film Center on State Street. Director Barak Goodman’s film features footage that’s never been seen before, and serves as a fitting way to start a summer that’s bringing a number of ways to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the iconic rock festival. There will be tribute concerts in addition to screenings of Goodman’s film, and a multi-CD box set for people who want to get their hippie on in the privacy of their living rooms.

As reported on The Second Disc website, Rhino plans to release Woodstock - Back To The Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive. It’s a 38-CD box set that captures the Woodstock experience from start to finish, including 267 previously unreleased songs and several announcements. It comes with a hardbound book by Michael Lang, a replica of the original program, Henry Diltz photo prints, and a life-size hologram of Wavy Gravy serving breakfast. Just kidding about that last part.

At the Metropolis Performing Centre in Arlington Heights, Soundtracks Of A Generation will present its 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Woodstcok Era on July 12. The live performances of songs by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and other acts will be augmented by a “documentary style narrative that recalls and explains the time frame.”

For a Woodstock-related experience, check out the Louder Than Words – Rock Power Politics exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. It’s just down the street from the Gene Siskel Center, and runs through the end of August. Echo In The Canyon, Andrew Slater’s new documentary about L.A.’s Laurel Canyon scene in the 1960s, comes to the Music Box Theatre on Chicago’s north side on June 21. Jakob Dylan, who appears in the film, will be on hand for opening night.

From L.A. To Chicago With Speed

The original lineup of X, one of first, most influential, and enduring bands from the original L.A. punk scene, comes to the House Of Blues in Chicago tomorrow night. I still have fond memories of blasting Wild Gift on my record player back in 1981, and recording high speed, off-kilter gems like “The Once Over Twice” and “In This House That I Call Home” for my mixed cassettes. According to writer Jeff Elbel’s interview with vocalist-bassist John Doe in last Friday’s Chicago Sun-Times, Doe and vocalist Exene Cervenka have been writing new material, with five songs already recorded. The bands Damned and Detroit Cobras are also on the bill at House Of Blues tomorrow night; the doors open at 8:00 p.m.

The Go-Go’s emerged from that same frantic Los Angeles scene, although the effervescent songs on their Beauty and The Beat debut would bring them much more mainstream success than X. I first encountered them via the Stiff Records 45 single “We Got The Beat” I bought at Wax Trax!and soon after saw them on the rock stage at ChicagoFest on Navy Pier. The Go-Go’s aren’t coming to town that I know of, but Head Over Heels, the musical inspired by their music, opens at Theater Wit in a Kokandy Productions staging on August 1. It previously enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in New York. Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont.

Incoming

Photo from The Bishop’s Dare Devil Stunt Club Facebook page.

The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club’s show this Friday night at the GMan Tavern on Clark Street is a celebration for the band’s latest album as well as the launch of the indie label releasing it. End Over End is due out soon on Big Blast Records, the revived indie label run by WNUR radio’s Power Pop Shoppe host Kirk Fox and local musician Mark Watson. In a review of The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club’s 2017 album Don’t Buy This Record, I described it as “a ten-song effort that mostly follows in the tradition of fellow Midwestern acts like Wilco and The Webstirs, but also explores 1980s style synth rock.” The Mark Watson Band’s Beautiful EP has also come out on Big Blast, and they’ll be at GMan this Friday as well. The power pop quartet Gal Gun is also on the bill. GMan Tavern is located at 3740 N. Clark, the music starts at 7:30 p.m.

The triple bill of Go Time, The Spindles, and 45 Souls coming up this Thursday at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue has a special bonus. Drummer Brad Elvis, currently with The Handcuffs and The Romantics, is going to join The Spindles for a few songs by his former (and still beloved) band The Elvis Brothers. The Spindles covered the Elvis Brothers song “Santa Fe” on their most recent album Past and Present. Showtime is 8:00 p.m.

On the following night at Martyrs’, EXPO ’76 will mark a career milestone with its 10 Years Of Musical Triumph event. They’ll be joined by their frequent cohorts The Total Pro Horns, along with special guest vocalists Kelly Hogan and Robert Cornelius.

Slumgullion

Summerfest, Milwaukee’s annual outdoor music bash, has announced its 2019 schedule, which once again showcases several genres of music. Willie Nelson; Death Cab For Cutie; Brandi Carlile; Chvrches; Courtney Barnett; Rodrigo Y Gabriela; Catfish And The Bottlemen; Liz Phair; The Roots; Steve Earle And The Dukes; Robert Randolph and The Family Band; X; Guided By Voices; 10,000 Maniacs; The Spinners; and Willy Porter are among the scheduled acts. SummerFest runs from June 26 to June 30, takes a breather, and then continues July 2 to July 7.

There are four major art fairs coming up in Chicago in the next two weeks. The 57th Street Art Fair and the Gold Coast Art Fair take place next Saturday and Sunday, and The Old Town Art Fair and the Wells Street Art Festival will be held on Saturday, June 8 and 9. Other art fairs on the horizon include Millennium Art Festival on June 28 through June 30 and Artfest Michigan Avenue on July 19 and 20.

Filmmaker Balin Schneider is working on a documentary titled Material Issue And The Power Pop Renaissance. The band’s drummer Mike Zelenko recently posted about the project on Facebook and suggested people contact Schneider with any MI anecdotes or info they might have.

The Belmont/Sheffield Festival runs tomorrow and Sunday, with the highlight being a 4:15 p.m. show by The Handcuffs. On Monday, you can catch The Handcuffs at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side.

Van Go, Red Wigglers, MOULTON, and M. Winfield McEwen from Black Cat Heart Attack are slated to perform at the Porchfest Lakeview Chicago festival being held next Sunday, June 2 at 1309 W. Wolfram Street in Chicago. All ages are invited, and it’s suggested that you bring a cooler and lawn chairs. The event last from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Comic Con Revolution will be held next Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont. The event promises comics, creators, toys, panels, a cosplay contest and special guests.

There’s a triple bill of Go Time, The Spindles, and 45 Souls coming up on May 30 at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue. Showtime is 8:00 p.m.

Music On Stage’s production of The Producers – A Mel Brooks Musical opened tonight at Cutting Hall in Palatine and will this weekend and next.

The Chicago Underground Film Festival will run from June 5 to June 9, primarily at the Logan Theatre. It’s billed as the longest running underground film festival in the world.

Louder Than Words: Rock Politics Power opened today and will run through the end of August at the Museum Of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The multimedia exhibit employs videos, photos, newspapers, and other memorabilia to explore how rock music has influenced and has been influenced by society from its earliest days. General admission is $18.

This year’s Nowhere Else Festival kicked off today in Martinsville, Ohio and runs through Sunday. Founded by Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist of the Cincinnati-based Over The Rhine band, it’s being billed as, “A Weekend Overflowing With Music, Art, Earth and Sky.” In addition to Over The Rhine, the other acts scheduled include Band Of Sweethearts; James McMurtry; Birds Of Chicago; John Paul White; Leigh Nash; Joan Shelley; and Carrie Newcomer.

EXPO ’76 will mark a career milestone with its 10 Years Of Musical Triumph event next Friday night at Martyrs’. They’ll be joined by their frequent cohorts The Total Pro Horns, along with special guest vocalists Kelly Hogan and Robert Cornelius. Tradition dictates that a 10th anniversary be celebrated with tin or aluminum, and at least one website notes the daffodil is the official flower of the 10th wedding anniversary. Plan your gifts for EXPO ’76 accordingly.

The fun and cleverly named power pop band The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club has a record release show coming up next Friday, May 31 at the GMan Tavern. Gal Gun and the Mark Watson Band will also be on the bill that night.

Barak Goodman’s new documentary Woodstock - Three Days That Defined A Generation will have its Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center next Friday, May 31, and run through June 6.

Four Chords and a Gun, actor John Ross Bowie’s drama about The Ramones recording their End Of The Century album under the guidance (influence?) of Phil Spector, continues its run at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place in Chicago through June 2.

CAKE - The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo comes to the Center on Halsted for a two-day celebration and marketplace of independent comics next Saturday, June 1 and 2. Special guests include Ezra Claytan Daniels, Nicholas Gurewitch, and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Admission is free.

The Joliet Library’s 10th Annual Star Wars Day takes place next Saturday, June 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The festivities will include a parade, games, costumes, live music, and food vendors.

Signs Of Summer

Memorial Day weekend is often seen as the unofficial start of summer, and this year, Chicagoans have a street festival with one of the city’s best bands to help us celebrate. The Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, with the highlight being a 4:15 p.m. show by The Handcuffs on Saturday. Led by vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis (who’s also a member of The Romantics) the band has recorded three impressive albums filled with catchy indie rock songs. They’re currently wrapping up a new album, so there’s a good chance we’ll be hearing some new songs at the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival. Two days later, you can catch The Handcuffs at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side.

This year’s lineup for Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago (August 10 – 12) has been announced, and while it’s disappointing The Zombies aren’t among the guests—they were at the NY Fest edition—there’s still plenty to like. Alan White, who was a member of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Yes, will be making his Fest - Chicago debut. White was also among the noted musicians who joined John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the 1969 Toronto Rock And Roll Festival, and helped out on George Harrison’s All Thing Must Pass album.

Jeremy Clyde has performed at The Fest with Chad and Jeremy partner Chad Stuart, as well as Peter Asher. This year, he’s going solo, backed a guitarist, cellist, and violinist. Other celebrity guests include former Wings members Steve Holley, Laurence Juber, and Denny Laine, and former Apple Records manager Ken Mansfield. The Beatles tribute band Liverpool will be back again, along with The Weeklings, who mix obscure Beatles songs with catchy, British Invasion-flavored originals.

You Can Read It In The Sunday Papers

Pretend it's the graphic for the Hollywood Casino show in Tinley Park.

The Who’s Moving On tour comes to the Chicago area tomorrow night for a concert at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. According to an article by Jeff Elbel in last Friday’s Chicago Sun-Times, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry will likely perform bits from Tommy and Quadrophenia, along with a selection of deep album tracks. A new album—The Who’s Tommy Orchestral—is due out next month, and these guys have also been working on songs for the first new Who album in over 10 years.

I mentioned last Friday that critically acclaimed singer-guitarist Courtney Barnett will be one of the headliners at this year’s Taste Of Chicago, which runs July 10 – 14. There will also be a full schedule of local acts rocking on the Goose Island Stage, according to Chicago Tribune writer Jessi Roti. Another highlight for those who don’t bother with the food at Taste but enjoy the entertainment will be the debut of a Theatre Garden garden featuring shows by Second City and other Chicago-based theatre groups.

Yesterday’s edition of the ChicagoSun-Times included a 63-page special magazine titled Walk This Way - Straight ahead: Your guide to the perfect Chicago summer. It lists several art shows and concerts coming up in the next few (hopefully warmer) months.

Knock, knock, knocking down shots of Heaven’s Door. There’s a full-page ad in this month’s edition of Michigan Avenue for Bob Dylan’s new line of whiskeys, Heaven’s Door. It sounds like a National Lampoon bit, but this posh magazine isn’t known for satire. “We wanted to create a collection of whiskeys, that in their own way, tell a story,” Dylan is quoted in the ad copy. The tag is, HANDCRAFTED, AWARD-WINNING. UNCOMPROMISING. Not sure if that refers to the alcohol or Bob.