Slumgullion

Susanna Hoffs has just released a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” that’s available on various streaming sites. Hoffs posted a fun black and white video on Facebook that superimposes her swinging ‘60s dance moves over a vintage Stones performance. “I LOVE the Rolling Stones,” she commented, along with a winking emoji below the clip, “but thought this little number was due for an update.” There’s also a remix version with a techno beat that’s even more fun. Hoffs is set to release a full album of covers in April.

Look for a few Irish songs to find their way into the mix when WXRT air personality Emma Mac spins tunes at House Of Blues in downtown Chicago tomorrow (Saturday) from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. A limited supply of WXRT t-shirts will be given away.

Following on the heels of her well-received If These Walls Could Sing documentary about Abbey Road Studios, Paul and Linda McCartney’s daughter has a photography exhibition titled Mary McCartney: Can We Have A Moment? at Sotheby’s London. It runs through April 2. The Women’s Wear Daily website describes the 30-year selection of photos as “intimate, and comical, . . . while others are more styled and dramatic . . .”

Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, the husband and wife team that leads Dolly Varden, will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their Duets album with a show tomorrow night (Saturday) at the Chicago venue Judson And Moore Distillery.

 

Graham Nash, Nancy Wilson from Heart, Lyle Lovett, Bettye LaVette, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Glen Hansard, Ingrid Michaelson, and Peter Asher will perform at the Michael Dorf Presents The Music Of Paul McCartney at Carnegie Hall on March 15.

The alt tock band whitewolfsonicprincess will host a fundraising gig at its Evanston recording studio at 826 Custer Avenue in Evanston tomorrow (Saturday). Proceeds will go toward an upcoming album titled Seeds Of Light. It’s always fascinating to hear how this group, founded by Carla Hayden and James Moeller, blends musicianship and mysticism. The music starts at 6:45 pm, with a suggested donation of $20 or $25.

As noted by publisher Ira Robbins on Instagram, this week marked the 49th anniversary of the first edition of his Trouser Press magazine. The Who were on the cover. Trouser Press is still available, in online format. I have a few vintage printed copies (not the premiere) in my collection.

Congratulations to Michael McDermott on selling out all three of his upcoming March gigs at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. Next Tuesday, March 14 brings the Classical Blast In Kilts show to Hey Nonny.

The Cure’s 2023 tour will bring them to the United Center in Chicago on June 10. Other dates include New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

So, don’t go expecting to see Richie Cunningham. KB Productions will perform Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play Happy Days from March 17 through April 2 at City Lit Theater in Chicago. The nifty promo card I picked up at the information desk in the Block 37 mall downtown offers this description of Happy Days from The New York Times: “One of the most unsettling and unforgettable plays in the modern canon.” Jon Dambacher is the director of KB Productions’ version, and Kayla Boye is its star. City Lit is located at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr.

Michael Rikfors, former lead vocalist for the late 1960s Swedish band Bamboo, and for a short time, The Hollies, has a live CD with some new songs coming out in April. He’ll embark on a short local tour to promote it.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago will once again take place at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. The annual festival, which features power pop and indie rock, will run from April 21 through 29. Each night offers a showcase of at least five (more often six) acts, and there are additional afternoon showcases on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to a showcase is $10, which is definitely reasonable for that amount of live music.

John Blaney, boss of the adventurous U.K. indie label Mega Dodo, is also an author and has a book titled A Howlin' Wind - Pub Rock And The Birth Of New Wave coming out on the label’s book imprint Paper Jukebox. In a press release, Blaney notes that pub rock fell out of favor “in an extinction caused by the meteor strike of punk in 1976.” But he adds, “Pub Rock had laid a lot of the groundwork for punk, however, and Stiff Records, formed to capture the sound of the punk and new wave bands, emerged from the Pub.”

Describe The Night, a new time traveling thriller written by Rajiv Joseph opened this past Thursday at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and will run through April 9. It’s being directed by Austin Pendleton, who like Joseph, is a Steppenwolf ensemble member.

The Ugly Things fanzine will celebrate four decades of supporting indie music with a 40th Anniversary Weekender at Casbah and Whistle Stop venues in San Diego on August 25 and 26. An Instagram posts promises bands, DJs,special guests, exhibitions, and a record swap.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical runs through April 2 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in  downtown Chicago. Naomi Rodgers and Zurin Villanueva will alternate in the lead role.

Paisley Underground fans will be glad to hear The Three O’Clock is releasing a 40th Anniversary remastered, expanded edition of its debut EP Baroque Hoedown on May 12. It features the five original songs and four bonus tracks.

Stompin’ Grounds Cafe in Lake Zurich has a St. Patty’s Day Music Night coming up on March 14 with live music by the Face N Time band. The performance will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Tickets are available on the cafe’s website.

The 60th Anniversary Celebration of The Kinks kicks off March 24 with the release of the Kinks - The Journey Part 1 album. The songs were chosen by Ray and Dave Davies and Mick Avory. The package includes a two-sided poster and three art cards with all 2-CD purchases pre-order from official Kinks store.

XTC fans who’ve longed to hear the eccentric English group’s masterpieces performed live can come close to that experience when EXTC performs at City Winery on March 23. The band features XTC drummer Terry Chambers backed by veteran musicians vocalist-guitarist Steve Hampton and bass player-vocalist Matt Hughes. Tickets are now on sale.

The Linda Retrospective, an exhibit of Linda McCartney’s photography, opened at The Center For Creative Photography in Tucson, AZ last Saturday and will run through August 5. Paul McCartney’s 1964: Eyes Of The Storm book of photographs is coming out in June. Its publication coincides with an exhibit running from June 28 through October 1 at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Tony Richards will be doing some masterful strumming at his Solo Jazz Guitar event coming Thursday, March 27 at the Savannah Supper Club. Check out some of his posts of Facebook for a preview of his work. Savannah Supper Club is located at 2116 W. Roscoe St. in Chicago.

The February issue of MOJO notes that author Bob Stanley has book titled Bee Gees: Children Of The World coming out in June. “It’s an extraordinary story of one of the most successful pop groups in history, and I didn’t feel it had been told properly,” Stanley is quoted as saying.

A Night For Tina, a benefit to help Tina Juhlin cope with costs while she undergoes cancer treatment, will be held at Simon’s Tavern on March 15. The evening will feature performances by EXPO ’76, The Webstirs, Gerald Dowd, Phil Angotti, and Sunshine Boys (featuring Gerald Dowd). The event will run from 7:30 to 10:00 pm.  

Sunday Papers

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago will once again take place at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. The annual festival, which features power pop and indie rock, will run from April 21 through 29. Each night offers a showcase of at least five (more often six) acts, and there are additional afternoon showcases on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to a showcase is $10, which is definitely reasonable for that amount of live music.

Founder/CEO David Bash just announced the lineup and a quick glance at the participating acts reveals several IPO veterans/favorites. To name a few: Phil Angotti, The Spindles. Magnaphonic, The Red Wigglers, Penthouse Sweets, and The Unswept. After Chicago, International Pop Overthrow moves on to Liverpool, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Diego, Vancouver, Arlington, and Boston. The schedule is different for each location, with the majority of performers being from the host city.

Director Balin Schneider’s documentary Out Of Time: The Material Issue Story, which honors the band whose debut album was titled International Pop Overthrow, will be distributed by Factory 25 on blu-ray this summer. It’s currently being screened in movie theaters around the country.

Graham Nash, Nancy Wilson from Heart, Lyle Lovett, Bettye LaVette, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Glen Hansard, Ingrid Michaelson, and Peter Asher will perform at the Michael Dorf Presents The Music Of Paul McCartney event at Carnegie Hall on March 15.

Veteran music journalist Mark Caro has added another dimension to his expertise, with a series of celebrity interviews on his Caropop podcasts. The latest, with drummer Debbi Peterson, explores the ups and downs of The Bangles’ entire career within 75 fun and interesting minutes of conversation. Peterson relates the early days of harmonizing with her big sister Vicki, the 1980s Paisley Underground scene in L.A., and the industry pressures that scuttled The Bangles for a number of years. At the end of the interview, Peterson says she wouldn’t rule out The Bangles performing together again but there are no immediate plans.

Paisley Underground fans will be glad to hear The Three O’Clock is releasing a 40th Anniversary remastered, expanded edition of its debut EP Baroque Hoedown on May 12. It features the five original songs and four bonus tracks.

Tickets are now on sale for Bryan Adams and Joan Jett And The Blackhearts at Allstate Arena on July 2; Depeche Mode at United Center on November 13; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Garbage, and Metric at Huntingdon Bank Pavilion on June 27; Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at Wrigley Field on August 9 and August 11; and Waco Brothers at The Hideout on March 29 and March 30.

A 60th Anniversary Celebration of The Kinks kicks off March 24 with the release of The Kinks - The Journey Part 1 album. The songs were chosen by Ray and Dave Davies and Mick Avory. The package includes a two-sided poster and three art cards with all 2-CD purchases pre-order from official Kinks store.

Describe The Night, a new time traveling thriller written by Rajiv Joseph opened this past Thursday at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and will run through April 9. It’s being directed by Austin Pendleton, who like Joseph, is a Steppenwolf ensemble member.

XTC fans who’ve longed to hear the eccentric English group’s masterpieces performed live can come close to that experience when EXTC performs at City Winery on March 23. The band features XTC drummer Terry Chambers backed by veteran musicians vocalist-guitarist Steve Hampton and bass player-vocalist Matt Hughes. Tickets are now on sale.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will have a March 14 – April 2 run at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in  downtown Chicago. Naomi Rodgers and Zurin Villanueva will alternate in the lead role.

Stompin’ Grounds Cafe in Lake Zurich has a St. Patty’s Day Music Night coming up on March 14 with live music by the Face N Time band. The performance will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Tickets are available on the cafe’s website.

Tony Richards will be doing some masterful strumming at his Solo Jazz Guitar event coming Thursday, March 27 at the Savannah Supper Club. Check out some of his posts of Facebook for a preview of his work. Savannah Supper Club is located at 2116 W. Roscoe St. in Chicago.

The alt tock band whitewolfsonicprincess will host a fundraising gig at its Evanston recording studio on March 11. Proceeds will go toward an upcoming album titled Seeds Of Light. It’s always fascinating to hear how this group, founded by Carla Hayden and James Moeller, blend musicianship and mysticism.

A Night For Tina, a benefit to help Tina Juhlin cope with costs while she undergoes cancer treatment, will be held at Simon’s Tavern on March 15. The evening will feature performances by EXPO ’76, The Webstirs, Gerald Dowd, Phil Angotti, and Sunshine Boys (featuring Gerald Dowd). The event will run from 7:30 to 10:00 pm.  

Incoming

Photo from the Official Bee Gees Facebook page.

The Essential Preview - Books section in the February issue of MOJO notes that author Bob Stanley has book titled Bee Gees: Children Of The World coming out in June. “It’s an extraordinary story of one of the most successful pop groups in history, and I didn’t feel it had been told properly,” Stanley is quoted as saying.

A Night For Tina, a benefit to help Tina Juhlin cope with costs while she undergoes cancer treatment, will be held at Simon’s Tavern on Chicago’s north side on March 15. The evening will feature performances by EXPO ’76, The Webstirs, Gerald Dowd, Phil Angotti, and Sunshine Boys (featuring Gerald Dowd). The event will run from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. 

 

The Linda Retrospective, an exhibit of Linda McCartney’s photography, opened at The Center For Creative Photography in Tucson, AZ this past Saturday and will run through August 5. Paul McCartney’s 1964: Eyes Of The Storm book of photographs is coming out in June. Its publication coincides with an exhibit running from June 28 through October 1 at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Golden Years Whop Whop Whop. Congratulations to Chicago’s David Bowie tribute band Sons Of The Silent Age on a decade of performing terrific shows around town and elsewhere. They’ll celebrate that milestone with a 10th Anniversary Show on May 13 at Metro. Tickets go on sale this Friday. Sons Of The Silent Age are among the acts that will be performing at the David Bowie World Fan Convention in New York City taking place on the weekend of June 17 and 18

.

Abbey Road Studios in London is holding its fourth annual Equalise - Driving Balance In The Music Industry event in its Studio Three this Saturday. The festival aims to help women succeed in music-related careers by presenting various panel talks and workshops. Free tickets are available through the website, and Equalise will be live streamed on Abbey Road’s YouTube channel.

The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum’s second annual Women Who Rock Illinois event will be held this Friday, March 3, at the 115 Bourbon Street venue in Merrionette Park. Radio personality Hannah Brummer will serve as host, and Cathy Richardson and Anne Harris will be the headliners.

The Flat Five have a gig with Lincoln Barr this Saturday at SPACE in Evanston.

Power pop bands Go Time!, The Spindles, and Vinto Van Go (no relation to the Van Go band fronted by Davey Sippel) will perform at Q Bar in Darien, IL this Saturday night.

Congratulations to Lucy Holloway for winning the Chicago Sun-Times “Bringing Chicago’s Voices Together" art contest with her colorful piece “All In Harmony.” And thanks to the Sun-Times for showing so many of the entries in this past Sunday’s edition. Holloway’s winner will be enlarged and printed on an exterior wall of the Salt Shed music venue. Among the other entries shown in the paper, I particularly liked the one by Carmen C. showing the Morton Salt girl carrying a guitar and keyboards.

March Around The Corner

Next month looks to be a busy one on the local and national entertainment scene. Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights—I’m sure I’ve missed at least a few—regarding events and releases coming our way. Hopefully, I’ll be covering all of these in greater detail throughout the month.

There will be a memorial celebration for Dave Roberts this Saturday, March 4, at Metro on Chicago’s north side. As noted in staff reporter Mitch Dudek’s recent piece in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roberts was well known for decades on Chicago’s punk and new wave scene for his adventurous DJ work at La Mere Vipere, Smart Bar, Metro and other venues. The free event will take place from 7:00 to 11:00 and be open to the public.

The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum’s second annual Women Who Rock Illinois event will be held this Friday, March 3, at the 115 Bourbon Street venue in Merrionette Park. Radio personality Hannah Brummer will serve as host, and Cathy Richardson and Anne Harris will be the headliners.

SPACE in Evanston will present an eclectic selection of performers, including The Flat Five with Lincoln Barr on March 4; Leo Kottke on March 9 and 10; John Mead’s True Believers with Steve Dawson, Chris Greene and Alton Smith playing Van Morrison on March 12; Shemekia Copeland on March 16; and Robin Hitchcock on March 29.

Power pop bands Go Time!, The Spindles, and Vinto Van Go (no relation to the Van Go band fronted by Davey Sippel) will perform at Q Bar in Darien, IL this Saturday night.

City Winery Chicago continues its monthly Beatles Brunch with Phil Angotti And Friends this Sunday. In addition to performing the entire Please Please Me album, the band will include various Beatles favorites. Other upcoming shows at the West Loop venue include Nicholas Tremulis And The Prodigals on March 20; and EXTC, featuring XTC drummer Terry Chambers on March 23.

NRBQ will rock FitzGerald’s in Berwyn on March 16.

U2’s Songs Of Surrender - The Reimagined Album, is due out March 17. The song names will be familiar, but every track will sport a completely different arrangement from the original recording.

 

The Tedeschi Trucks Band will be kicking off four-night stand on March 17 at the Chicago Theatre.

Wilco promises “Three Nights, No Repeats!” for a trio of concerts at The Riviera Theatre that opens on March 23.

The 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon being released on March 24 will include a CD, gatefold vinyl, a 76-page book, two seven-inch singles, posters, and other memorabilia.

Yo Lo Tengo will no doubt be showcasing songs such as “Fallout” from their new This Stupid World album during their March 24 concert at Metro.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform on March 25 at The Old Town School Of Folk Music.

Power pop legends The Spongetones have a gig coming up at Smokey Joe’s in their hometown of Charlotte, NC on March 25.

Joni Mitchell will receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a tribute concert in Washington, D.C. on March 31. PBS stations will air the event. 

The Who have a limited-edition 3-LP, 1-CD album titled Live At Wembley With Orchestra (recorded in 2019) coming out March 31.

Cutting edge band The No Ones have a new album coming out for the first time in years on March 31. It’s titled My Best Evil Friend and features Bangles drummer-vocalist Debbie Peterson on the single “Phil Ochs Is Dead”  

Saturday Slumgullion

Paul McCartney’s 1964: Eyes Of The Storm photography book is coming out in June. Its publication coincides with an exhibit running from June 28 through October 1 at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Meanwhile, People and Rolling Stone have reported that McCartney and Ringo Starr will be joining The Rolling Stones in the recording studio for a yet-to-be-announced new album.

WSSR Star 96.7 on-air personality Hannah Brummer will host the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum’s second annual Women Who Rock Illinois event on Friday March 3 at the 115 Bourbon Street venue in on Merrionette Park. Chicago natives Cathy Richardson, who fronts her own band as well as  Jefferson Starship, and vocalist/violinist recording artist Anne Harris are the headliners. There will also be performances by Serendipity, Beyond The Blonde, Lindsay Kent with GenFuze, and The PriSSillas. The doors open at 6:30 and the music kicks off at 7:00 pm. The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum On Route 66 is hoping to open to the public this spring.

Abbey Road Studios in London has announced several speakers for its fourth annual Equalise - Driving Balance In The Music Industry event, taking place in its Studio Three on March 4. The festival aims to help women succeed in music-related careers by presenting various panel talks and workshops. Free tickets are available through the website, and Equalise will be live streamed on Abbey Road’s YouTube channel.

I came across Equalise while researching the Abbey Road Studios Pink Floyd 1973 Collection, which is an exclusive collaboration with the band that gave us the iconic Dark Side Of The Moon album. Pink Floyd fans can choose from a pair of t-shirts, a hoodie, a hat and a tote bag.

Northwestern University’s student-run radio station WNUR 89.3 FM is in the midst of its Phoneathon 2023. Donations will be rewarded with special gifts designed by WNUR staff and the university’s art students.

Graham Nash has a new album titled Now coming out on May 19. It can be pre-ordered in CD and vinyl formats on his official website, and the first track, “Right Now,” is available for streaming on various sites. Nash’s upcoming tour includes five shows at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago, starting on April 25.

 

EXPO CHGO - The International Exposition Of Contemporary and Modern Art returns to Navy Pier on April 13 and will run through April 16. This year’s event will feature 170 galleries from 90 cities around the world.  

 

The 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition CD of Marshall Crenshaw’s debut album is now available from Yep Roc Records. It’s also available to download and can be streamed on various sites.

Critically acclaimed theatre Steppenwolf has a pair of Chicago premieres coming up in the next two months. Describe The Night, written by and directed by ensemble members Rajiv Joseph and Austin Pendleton respectively, runs from March 2 through April 9; Last Night And The Night Before, written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays and directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, runs from April 6 through May 14.

The recently released graphic novel Blondie - Against The Odds from Z2 Comics offers an eye-popping, colorful depiction of the band’s history and about a dozen Blondie songs. Definitely a hit.

Maybe we’ll finally find out what love’s got to do with it. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will have a March 14 – April 2 run at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in downtown Chicago. Naomi Rodgers and Zurin Villanueva will alternate in the lead role.

XTC fans who’ve longed to hear the eccentric English group’s masterpieces performed live can come close to that experience when EXTC performs at City Winery Chicago on March 23. The band features XTC drummer Terry Chambers backed by veteran musicians vocalist-guitarist Steve Hampton and bass player-vocalist Matt Hughes. Tickets are now on sale.

Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band will return to Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 9.

Ian Hunter, a founding member of glam rock pioneers Mott The Hoople, as well as a successful solo artist, has released another song from his upcoming album Defiance Part 1. Following on the heels of “Bed Of Roses,” which features Ringo Starr and Mike Campbell, fans can now hear “I Hate Hate,” featuring Dennis Dibrizzi, on various streaming sites. Other well-known musicians, including the late Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins, were involved with recording the album. Defiance Part 1 coming out on April 21.

Former Illinois Entertainer editor Steve Forstneger, one of a series of talented and fair-minded editors I learned a great deal from while freelancing for that local publication, is keeping busy on a few music journalism fronts. His own ESS-FO website is dedicated to reviewing recently released singles, and he also contributes to the Beats Per Minute and The Line Of Best Fits websites. Plus, he still shows up in Illinois Entertainer from time to time.

It’s been 60 years since The Kinks performed in public for the first time. The band’s official social media pages have proclaimed, “In honour of this legacy, The Kinks are launching a 60th Anniversary Celebration of their illustrious musical career, confirming their vital importance to popular music.” The first step is the release of the Kinks: The Journey Part 1 album, which will is due our on March 24.

Musician/director Questlove has a new documentary about Sly Stone coming to Hulu. The date of the yet to be titled effort’s arrival hasn’t been announced yet.

Picture This

Even as someone who collected mountains of comic books when I was a kid, I’ve been hesitant to fully embrace graphic novels. The concept is enticing but based on my limited experience of glancing at them on shelves in stores or paging through the monthly preview publication I buy, many graphic novels revel in extreme violence and a twisted view of women. No doubt there are exceptions. The bulk of my graphic novel purchases honor famous musicians rather than super heroes. Rock stars seem particularly well-suited to being brought to life via this adventurous medium. 

The recently released Blondie - Against The Odds from Z2 Comics offers an eye-popping, colorful depiction of the band’s history. It briefly explores Debby Harry and Chris Stein’s childhood days, as well as the bands they performed in before striking gold with Blondie. The rest of the book offers about a dozen well-known Blondie songs recreated by various artists and writers.

Z2 Comics took a similar approach with its graphic novel treatment of The Doors, although Morrison Hotel was written by Leah Moore, with various artists illustrating her words. In both books, some vignettes get pretty violent, but Against The Odds is much more cohesive and fun. “Dreaming,” “Rapture,” “Sunday Girl,” and “Hanging On The Telephone” are particularly imaginative. I’d love to see Z2 take on Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, with back stories on The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies. 

One of the best alternative rock graphic novels is Bowie - Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams by Michael Allred, Steve Horton, and Laura Allred. Published by Insight Comics, it not only depicts Bowie’s multifaceted career with fabulous art, it includes snippets of Pink Floyd, Freddie Mercury, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, The Rolling Stones and Monty Python. Also highly recommended are The Fifth Beatle - The Brian Epstein Story by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker Bill and Bill Morrison’s The Beatles - Yellow Submarine. Of course, meeting Klaus Voorman at Fest For Beatles - Chicago a few years back and buying an autographed copy of his terrific Birth Of An Icon - Revolver 50 makes it my favorite graphic novel.

Incoming

Graham Nash will likely perform some new songs on his 2023 spring and summer tour. In recent social media posts, he describes the upcoming full-length release Now as “the most personal album I’ve recorded.” That’s quite a statement considering most of his work has been of a personal nature. Now is due out on May 19, and can be pre-ordered in CD and vinyl formats on Nash’s official website . 

The first track, “Right Now,” has a guitar-driven Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young vibe, and is available for streaming on various sites. The autobiographical song “Buddy’s Back” will appear on Now as well as the upcoming I’ll Never Forget album from Allan Clarke. The two former Hollies members recorded it together, and have posted a fun video of it on YouTube. Graham Nash’s tour includes five shows at The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago, starting on April 25. 

Chicago-based band Van Go, whose hard-hitting songs often pack a satirical wallop thanks to songwriter-vocalist Davey Sippel, will return to the local club scene this Friday, February 24 at Montrose Saloon. This is likely the first Van Go gig since bassist-vocalist Lou Galassini passed away. A post on the band’s Facebook page reveals the band debated changing its name but eventually decided to keep it. “So, you get the 4 Van Go guys sticking together, and carrying the spirit of Lou G with us wherever we go.” I think Lou, a terrific showman and one of the friendliest musicians I ever met, would agree.

Tickets are now on sale for EXTC at City Winery Chicago on March 23. The band features former XTC drummer Terry Chambers backed by veteran musicians. 

Ralph Covert and Steve Gerlach from The Bad Examples will join Michael Hartigan for a concert at The Venue in Aurora this Saturday, February 25. They’ll be backed by a string quartet.

The Record Store Day people have chosen Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires as their 2023 Ambassadors. The pair has put together a special RSD release titled The Sound Emporium EP. This year’s Record Store Day takes place on April 22, and the full list of limited edition vinyl releases is now available on the official website.

Around these parts, Record Store Day usually comes around the same time as International Pop Overthrow - Chicago. This year’s IPO - Chicago Bash (pun intended) runs from April 21 through April 29. The schedules haven’t been posted yet on the official website. 

Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti will be performing songs from his latest album of catchy power pop songs Once Around Again this Saturday, February 25 at FitzGerald’s Side bar in Berwyn. It’s one of his best efforts.

Congratulations to Elvis Costello on selling out his 100 Songs And More Over 10 Nights concert series at the Gramercy Theater in New York, NY this month. I mentioned this ambitious quest long before it started, but forgot about it until now. Looks like he did okay without me continuing to promote it.

The Chicago Independent Venue League’s CIVL Fest is wrapping up its 2023 run with the Roscoe Mitchell Trio with Junius Paul and Vincent Davis at the Promontory tomorrow; Keiyaa, Kara Jackson and Jada-Amina at Sleeping Village Friday; Moontype and Quinn Tsan at Hungry Brain Friday; Willie Fultz and Skinny Williams at the Quarry Event Center on Saturday; M.A.A.D. Rhythms: Tribute To Nina Simone, XTORMY and Cinnamon Spice at the Harold Washington Cultural Center on Sunday; and Dakhabrakha at Patio Theatre on Sunday. The event helps fund Venue Staff and Artist Mental Health Programs; Venue Safety Initiatives; and Equal Access And Equity Campaigns. See the official website for a full list of venues and performers.