Puddles Pity Party will play three shows at SPACE on Oct. 25, 27 and 28. Credit: Emily Butler PhotographyThere are many musical treats on offer in Evanston as we approach Halloween.
Evanston SPACE will be invaded by a giant clown for three shows, but have no fear — Puddles Pity Party is a funny/sad clown, not an evil/scary clown. Two all-female a cappella groups will hit town — one local and non-professional (the Harmonizers) and the other fully professional and world-famous (Sweet Honey in the Rock). Legendary songwriters Richard Thompson and Rickie Lee Jones will fill Cahn Auditorium. Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music is presenting several low-cost classical and jazz concerts this week. Last but not least, we get to experience the return of Chicago’s prodigal son of the blues, Johnny Burgin (aka Rockin’ Johnny)!
The E-Town music scene at Halloween will have us all singing Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Thursday, Oct. 24Chicago Jazz Dads, 6:30 p.m. at Evanston Pour, 528 Dempster St. Evanston’s local group of jazz-loving dads hit Evanston Pour as part of their ongoing residency at this coffee shop/cocktail bar. Free.
Ben Paterson Organ Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Downbeat Magazine said Paterson is “as soulful a pianist/organist as exists anywhere.” He played for several years with the great Chicago tenor player Von Freeman. Paterson also has a wonderful singing voice. LePiano has a Hammond B3 organ performance every Thursday evening. $15.
Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. at Pick Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive. The Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra performs works from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as contemporary pieces written expressly for the chamber orchestra. Harvey Felder will be conducting the ensemble. NUCO’s program will include Bizet’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Jessie Montgomery’s Records from a Vanishing City, and Johann Christian Bach’s Symphony in B Flat Major. Johann Christian Bach is the son of Johann Sebastian Bach (the famous Bach). Johann Christian did make history in a different way – in 1777, he won a landmark court case in England that established that copyright law applied to musical scores. J.C. Bach died penniless despite his successful litigation. Dang. $6/$4 students.
Steep Canyon Rangers, 7:30 p.m. at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Most of us know the Steep Canyon Rangers as the band that backs up comedian Steve Martin when he wants to get serious and play banjo. I’m sure they welcome the recognition Martin brings them, but this group has been pumping out terrific bluegrass for 10 years prior to collaborating with Martin in 2009. The musicians that formed the core of the quintet — Woody Platt (guitar), Graham Sharp (banjo) and Charles R. Humphrey III (upright bass) — met at the University of North Carolina in 1999. The current group is made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar and vocals. These gents are outstanding purveyors of that wonderful, butt-shaking type of Americana music that makes you love your country! $35/$55.
Steve Poltz, 7:30 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. Poltz is an indie rock singer/songwriter/guitarist. He was born in Halifax, Canada, and moved to the United States as a youngster. His family settled in Southern California and Poltz eventually attended college in San Diego, where he connected with guitarist Robert Driscoll. The two college friends formed The Rugburns, a band that made some interesting music – they remind me of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. Poltz was close to the singer/songwriter Jewel, and he co-wrote her mega-hit (he was also in the music video). He began his solo career0 in the late 1990s and still likes to write crazy, funny songs. This show is going to be hilarious! $20.
Richard Thompson, 8 p.m. at Cahn Auditorium, 900 Emerson St. Thompson is a low-key superstar. His career launched with a bang in 1967 when he co-founded Fairport Convention, the British folk-rock group that started out as a Bob Dylan cover band. When he was 17 Thompson wrote a song, Meet on the Ledge, which became a hit for the group in Britain in 1968 and is now staple at funerals in England and elsewhere. It is one of those songs that keeps getting covered by a broad variety of artists. Thompson left Fairport Convention to launch a solo career in 1971, and his talent has grown and deepened over the years. His songwriting is poetic and authentic (and sometimes very dark) his voice is rough and compelling and he is a guitar virtuoso — he isn’t a three-chord folkie, and will come up with some surprising covers. The folks at SPACE managed to get a slot during Thompson’s Ship to Shore album release tour. Fun fact: Thompson’s grandson is in his grandpa’s band. SOLD OUT online, but some tickets might be available directly from SPACE.Friday, Oct. 25Simply Sound, 7 p.m. at Village Inn, 8050 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. This is the most enthusiastic cover group I’ve heard in quite a while. Katie Somers sings her heart out and Rod Guico can also sing with gusto. The duo performs with backing tracks, with Guico on keyboards and a funky little drum kit to augment the electronic band. Simply Sound works the suburban restaurant and bar circuit, and they are busy. They are also available for wedding receptions, bar mitzvas and probably funerals. These two bring the party! Free.
Santiago Cañon Valencia (cello) and Victor Santiago Asunción (piano), Evanston Chamber Music Society, 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1427 Chicago Ave. Valencia is a phenomenal young cellist. He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and made his orchestral debut at the age of 6 with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. Valencia is one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation, and he has been touring the world as a featured soloist for several years. Filipino-American pianist Asuncion has appeared in concert halls in Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey and the U.S. as a recitalist and concerto soloist. He is also the founder of the FilAm Music Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting Filipino classical musicians. The two virtuosos will perform a program that includes works by Debussy and Stravinsky. $40/$20 students.
Chad Willetts Quartet, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Willetts is a drummer, pianist and owner/operator of this excellent East Rogers Park jazz club/restaurant. His jazz quartet features a guest artist every Friday night. $15.
Hurricane Reggae Band, Reggae Music Night, 7 p.m. at Good To Go Jamaican Cuisine, 711 Howard St. Evanston’s awesome Jamaican restaurant and music venue has brought back the Hurricane Reggae Band. This veteran group evokes the yearning and joy of reggae. Free.
Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. at Pick Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive. This will be the NUSWE’s first concert under the baton of its new conductor, Robert Taylor, who joined the faculty on Sept. 1. Taylor will lead the NUSWE through an ambitious and eclectic program. $8/$5 students.
Apollo’s Fire: Brandenburg Concertos, 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave. Apollo’s Fire is “the USA’s hottest baroque band” according to the U.K.’s Classical Music Magazine. Artistic director, harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell leads this enthusiastic group of dedicated musicians. Apollo’s Fire started in Cleveland and expanded to Chicago in recent years. This concert will feature several of Bach’s Brandenburg concertos. Soloists include violinist Alan Choo and guest trumpeter Caleb Hudson of the Canadian Brass. $10-$80.
Puddles Pity Party, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. Puddles Pity Party is the Pagliacci-inspired clown alter ego of Michael Geier, a 6 ft. 8 in. singer and entertainer based in Atlanta. He started out in the 1990s in a swing band, shifted to an Elvis tribute band and started messing around with the singing clown idea in 1998. He first performed as a solo act in the Puddles persona in 2010, and the rest is history. He is known as the “Sad Clown with the Golden Voice” and he covers all sorts of pop tunes in his melodramatic operatic baritone voice while radiating melancholy. Puddles Pity Party is a YouTube superstar, and he is weirdly wonderful. SOLD OUT, though there may be a few tickets available at the door right before showtime.
Devon Sandridge: Tribute to Johnny Hartman, 8 p.m. at Studio 5, 1938 Dempster St. Sandbridge’s life story is fascinating. He has a mellow baritone voice and sang in his church choir. As a teenager, Sandridge discovered the late, great vocalist Johnny Hartman and realized that his voice sounded a lot like Hartman’s voice. He spent nine years in the U.S. Air Force, where he started his career as a vocalist. Sandridge also has a college degree in biochemistry. He has been singing around Chicago for a few years now, and boy, he is talented! $27/$37.
Mikaela Brielle, 8:30 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 Devon Ave., Chicago. Brielle is a singer/songwriter/guitarist originally from Georgia. She has a college degree in musical theater and her vocal delivery reflects this training – it is expressive and a bit bluesy. Free.
Christy Bennett, 11 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Bennett is a busy jazz vocalist who performs a late-night set at Le Piano every Friday night. She is accompanied by Kevin Fort on piano. $15.Saturday, Oct. 26Nikki O’Neill Duo with Rich Lackowski, 4 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 Devon Ave., Chicago. O’Neill is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who’s into soul and blues music (she cites Pops Staples as an influence). She can rock out. The duo is joined by drummer Lackowski for this gig. Free.
Chad Willetts Quartet, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Willetts is a drummer, pianist and owner/operator of this excellent East Rogers Park jazz club/restaurant. His Saturday night quartet features Dez Desormeaux on tenor sax. Desormeaux has that full-throated Chicago tenor sax tone! $15.
Johnny Burgin’s Chicago Homecoming Blues Review, 7:30 p.m. at Skokie Theater, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. Burgin is a guitar-slinging veteran of the Chicago blues scene who left town to hit the road – he played 200 gigs in 2023, roaming all over the U.S. and overseas to Japan, Europe and Mexico. Burgin was living in the San Francisco Bay Area for a while, but rumor has it that he now lives in Memphis. While in Chicago, he held a Monday night residency for seven years at Smoke Daddy in Wicker Park. That barbecue joint became the Monday night hang for musicians, blues fans and hipsters in the 1990s. Burgin comes back to Chicago frequently, and this will be his 3rd annual homecoming concert at the Skokie Theater. Blues diva Katherine Davis and harmonica ace Big Al Dorn will join Burgin for the show. $30.
Bad Bad Hats with Max Subar, 8 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. Bad Bad Hats plays indie-pop music. Their songs are full of melodic and lyric hooks – quite pleasant. Rolling Stone said that their music goes well with a latte at Starbucks. The band was launched in 2012. Kerry Alexander (guitar/vocals/ songwriter) and Chris Hoge (bass and various other instruments) formed Bad Bad Hats at Macalester College in Minnesota after discovering each other’s music demos on MySpace. Alexander and Hoge became a married couple in 2017. The band is named after an extremely naughty character from the children’s book, Madeline. Opening act Subar is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter with a light, pleasant voice and a languid approach to introspective subjects. $30.
JazzFuzz, 8:30 p.m. at Cary’s Lounge, 2251 Devon Ave., Chicago. Clark Nelson and Aaron Landsman are the two gents that make up JazzFuzz. Nelson is a multi-faceted, creative DJ and producer; Landsman is a solid guitarist and a computer whiz. JazzFuzz’s music leans into stream-of-consciousness psychedelia – very trippy stuff. Free.
Petra Van Nuis, 11 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Van Nuis is a jazz vocalist with a light, delicate voice who performs the late-night set at Le Piano every Saturday. She’s very active in Chicago and often works with her husband, jazz guitarist Andy Brown. Pianist Dennis “Deluxe” Luxon accompanies Van Nuis during the late-night set at Le Piano. $15.Sunday, Oct. 27The Harmonizers – Sisters in Song, 3 p.m. at Lake Street Church, 607 Lake St. The Harmonizers are a women’s chorus dedicated to the art of singing four-part a cappella harmony. Members include Chicagoland women from all walks of life with a variety of musical backgrounds. This is a community chorus that was established in 1952. The group is directed by Paul Langford. These women are having a lot of fun. $20.
Northwestern University Symphonic Band, 3 p.m. at Pick Staiger Concert Hall, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive. This is a large wind ensemble – 65 musicians! Shawn Vondran will conduct the band in a program that includes Gustav Holst’s First Suite in E Flat (a classic of the symphonic band repertoire) and several other more modern works. $6/$4 students.
Pierce Crask, 4 p.m. at Sketchbook Brewing, 4901 Main St., Skokie. Crask is a singer/songwriter who usually performs as a solo act. He’s an old-school folkie: acoustic guitar, harmonica in a neck rack, sincere songs. Free.
A Concert for Hope, 5 p.m. at Alice Millar Chapel,1870 Sheridan Road. This concert is dedicated to highlighting the scourge of gun violence in America and will attempt to uplift hope for a brighter future. The Alice Millar Chapel Choir will be led by Stephen Alltop and Eric Budzynski will be the organist. Free, but offerings will be accepted.
Steve Knight Trio with Vivian Garcia, 6 p.m. at Art Makers Outpost, 609 South Blvd. This is part of the Outpost After Dark concert series. Downbeat Magazine described Knight’s music as “just plain, clean, rootsy guitar playing.” Knight moved to Chicago in 2016 and has been playing and teaching guitar here since then. Garcia is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter who has studied rumba and flamenco music in Spain. She covers other Latin genres as well. In addition to her solo work, Garcia has sung with several Chicago area bands. The ticket price for this event includes beer from Sketchbook Brewing and appetizers from La Principal! $30.
Amr Fahmy Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Fahmy is the pianist for the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, a hard-grooving group of top-notch musicians who often perform with the marvelous vocalist Dee Alexander. He brings his trio to Le Piano every Sunday. $15.
Puddles Pity Party, 7 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. See listing for Friday, Oct. 25. SOLD OUT, though there may be a few tickets available at the door right before showtime.
Music of the Baroque: The Elements, 7:30 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Music of the Baroque’s professional chorus and orchestra are among the leading ensembles in the country devoted to the performance of 18th century works. This Chicago group will be led by Laurence Cummings and the program will include works by Vivaldi and Telemann. $48/$65.Monday, Oct. 28Vannia Phillips, viola, 12 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1509 Ridge Ave. This is part of St. Mark’s fall concert series. Phillips is an outstanding violist and a long-time Evanston resident. She has performed at St. Mark’s before and was well-received. She also is an excellent violinist. Free.
Manouche Mondays with Christy Bennett’s Fumee’ Gypsy-Swing Jazz, 7 p.m. at Rogers Park Social, 6920 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Vocalist Bennett has a clear and strong voice and is also a relentless musical researcher. She has uncovered the works of songwriter Irene Higgenbottom, a woman best known for her song, Good Morning Heartache, which became one of Billie Holiday’s signature tunes. Bennett has assembled a marvelous group of Chicago jazz veterans (including Art Davis on trumpet, Don Stiernberg on mandolin, Christian Dillingham on bass and Don Stille on accordion. The Fumee’ project focuses on the pre-WWII gypsy jazz world that introduced the great guitarist Django Reinhardt to the world. The word “Manouche” refers to a French subgroup of the Roma (aka gypsy) – the word means “human being” in the Romani language. Reinhardt was a Manouche. Free.
Small Jazz Ensembles, 7:30 p.m. at McClintock Choral and Recital Room, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, 70 Arts Circle Drive. Two of Bienen’s small jazz ensembles will perform, conducted by Joe Clark and Darius Hampton. The program will focus on the music of pianist Thelonius Monk and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. These two musicians are giant figures in jazz history. Parker invented bebop, a form of jazz characterized by blazing tempos, instrumental virtuosity and harmonic complexity. Bebop still rules the jazz world in many respects, and it has influenced many other genres as well. Monk’s spare, arresting compositions like ‘Round Midnight and Straight No Chaser are jazz standards. $6/$4 students.
Puddles Pity Party, 7 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. See listing for Oct. 25 for further details. Standing room only. $30.Tuesday, Oct. 29Irish Music Session, 7 p.m. at Sketchbook Brewing Evanston, 821 Chicago Ave. Traditional Irish music session with a shifting cast of players; Sketchbook owner Shawn Decker usually brings his fiddle and joins in the session. Folks who can play Irish music can join in! Free admission.
Cabaret Night featuring Nitz and Friends North, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Daryl Nitz has been performing and producing cabaret shows in Chicago for years while teaching for 30 years in Chicago area public schools. He retired last year from his teaching career and is devoting his full efforts to his art. This is a recurring show every Tuesday night. $15.
Open blues jam, 8 p.m. at Fritzy’s Tavern, 6156 Clark St., Chicago. We have no open blues jams in Evanston — the Tuesday night jam at the defunct Bill’s Blues Bar was epic, but it’s gone. This jam is a 10-minute drive from Evanston’s southern border, and it’s worth the trip. The jam is hosted by the Edgewater Rhythm and Blues Experience. Fritzy’s is owned by Karen King. She is a tenacious small businesswoman who managed to keep her bar from dying during COVID. The drinks are reasonably priced, and the jammers are often talented. Free.Rickie Lee Jones will perform at Cahn Auditorium on Oct. 30. Credit: Astor MorganWednesday, Oct. 30The Imperial Boxmen, 11 a.m. at the Ravinia Farmers Market, 540 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park. This is a bit of a drive, but Imperial Boxmen should be worth the trip. This acid jazz/funk group evokes Herbie Hancock’s jazz-funk period (Mwandishsi and Headhunters), but add hip-hop influences to freshen things up. The band includes Kevin Ford on keyboards, Alex Austin on bass, Noah Plotkin on drums and Danjuma Gaskin on percussion. Free.
The Tim Fitzgerald Guitar Trio, 7 p.m. at Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Fitzgerald is a skilled guitarist heavily influenced by jazz great Wes Montgomery. Organist Tom Vaitsas often joins Fitzgerald. This is a recurring show on Wednesday nights. $15
Rickie Lee Jones and Sweet Honey in the Rock, 8 p.m. at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St. Jones was born on Chicago’s North Side almost 70 years ago. She was named after her father, Richard, who was a singer, songwriter, painter and trumpet player. Jones lived in Phoenix as a child and ended up in Los Angeles by the time she was 19. She waited tables. She dated Tom Waits. She wrote songs. Jones released her first album in 1979 and it included the hit, Chuck E’s in Love. Named the “premier song-stylist and songwriter of her generation” by The New Yorker and “The Duchess of Coolsville” by Time magazine, Jones has released 15 studio albums over the course of a career that has spanned five decades and has won two Grammys. She even sang a duet with Dr. John. After a break in the late 1990s to raise her daughter, she re-emerged and has released records regularly since 2000 (her most recent is 2023’s Pieces of Treasure). Jones is a unique treasure. Sweet Honey in the Rock (SHR) is an acapella group made up of Black women. The group sings gospel, blues and other genres in four-part harmony. SHR was launched in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon (she retired in 2004). About 20 singers have been part of the group through the years. Their voices blend beautifully. $55/$70.
Rufus Parenti 4, 9 p.m. at Prairie Moon, 1635 Chicago Ave. Parenti is an up-and-coming tenor saxophonist. He is also an active musician in Chicago’s improvised music scene. Parenti leads this quartet and other groups, and he is a sideman with other ensembles around the Chicago area. $7.Thursday, Oct. 31whitewolfsonicprincess with Baba Yaga’s Stew, 7 p.m. at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. WWSP is a psychedelic, orchestral rock band led by vocalist/percussionist Carla Hayden and guitarist/vocalist James Moeller. The band began in 2006 out of a theater project that Hayden and Moeller anchored. The bass player is Michael Hovanian, former principal double bass player for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Baba Yaga’s Stew is a band that performs traditional dance music from around the world. The band’s mission is to educate audiences about the social context of the songs and to make traditional music more accessible. The band members are Dianna Davis on accordion, clarinet, piano and vocals; Lucia Thomas on fiddle, oud, banjo and vocals; and Mehtab Kirtan on percussion. $15/$25.
Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 7:30 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The OMDs was launched in 1972 in Springfield, Missouri. The band helped to popularize the Southern Rock sound and they had some hits in the 1970s. The OMDs merged rock, bluegrass, country and pop, a combination that’s still a big part of the Americana music scene. The band released 15 records and soldiered through the 1980s and ’90s, but downshifted in the past 20 years, emerging only to play a limited number of shows. This is OMDs final tour — the band will retire once this 2024-25 schedule is completed. $59/$89.
Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. at Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Drive. The NU Jazz Orchestra will be featuring the music of piano virtuoso and jazz fusion pioneer Chick Corea. The concert will feature Ghanaian guest pianist Victor De, Jr. Dey has performed with artists including Stevie Wonder, Hugh Masekela, Mike Phillips and Ebo Taylor. $8/$5 students.
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Chris Gillock is a blues harmonica player, vocalist, non-profit board member and retired investment banker. He is also an occasional blogger – you can find his blog at https://g-freethoughts.blogspot.com/….
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