Potpourri of Events Recently Past and Coming Up Soon

By Reno Lovison

February has started out with a mix of interesting one-off events which I did not include as a podcast episode because I try to reserve those for events that run awhile, giving listeners a chance to see them based on my comments.

However, there are often times when one-off events deserve a mention so that performers can get recognition for their efforts and alert others – – not to what they’ve missed – but to artists they should be paying attention to and looking out for in the future.

Old Town School

To begin – – thanks to Paul Sailor for alerting us to a concert at the Old Town School on Lincoln that took place Friday, 2/6/2026. Paul is my wife’s cousin and is based in Central Illinois. He’s a devotee of 80s power-pop rock band “Modern Drugs.”  The band includes Ryan Groff (vocals & guitar), Cara Maurizi (vocals & keys), Alan Honeycutt (bass & vocals), Mallory Simonds (guitar & vocals), Jim Standerfer, (drums).

“Modern Drugs” was the opening act for “A Congress of Starlings,” an indie folk group performing in the venue’s Myron R. Szold Music & Dance Hall, to kick off their new LP “Orphans.”  

“Orphans” is a collection of songs composed by front performer, Aerin Tedesco a passionate birder, with several solo albums including Birthmark, Faun Songs, and Albedo (recorded with Congress of Starlings).

Tedesco apparently has a large flock of fellow bird lovers, no doubt attributable to their name and the number of songs devoted to birds in their repertoire. She is joined on stage by Andrea Bunch (guitar and vocals) as well as Greg Nergaard (bass), Janet Cramer (drums) and Lindsay Weinberg (keys, guitar, and vocals). Interestingly Tedesco plays a four-string tenor guitar that offers a slightly more unusual sound and nice vibe. Ryan Groff and his band mates joined “Starlings” on guitar and vocals for a few numbers.

Blues at Fitzgerald’s

Another cousin, Saint Louis based, Luke Sailor will be playing keyboards with GA-20 featuring Tony Holiday at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn Thursday, February 12, 2026.

GA‑20 is known for raw, vintage‑leaning electric blues. Tony Holiday has been described as soul‑inflected, groove‑forward, modern blues.

Luke is a natural fit for Holiday —stylistically aligned, tonally appropriate, and already connected to that scene. His St. Louis soul‑jazz background aligns perfectly with Holiday’s Memphis‑leaning blues. His organ/piano versatility gives Holiday more dynamic options—swampy organ pads, gospel‑leaning fills, or punchy R&B comping. His credits with Dylan Triplett and other blues/soul artists show he’s already fluent in this lane.

Candlemas Home Concert

My wife Julie Lovison presented a candlelight home concert lit by over fifty candles (safe LED bulbs, in our living room) featuring five piano works of Claude Debussy plus a few impromptu performances by guest pianists.

The event was inspired by Candlemas celebrated in France and throughout Europe. Based originally on an ancient Roman festival it was modified to fit Catholic traditions and used to welcome the coming of spring including longer hours of daylight. Eventually in the United States it morphed into Groundhog Day.

Julie was looking for a good excuse to do a French inspired home recital and this seemed like as good a reason as any. The event was enjoyed by family and friends of The Lake Shore Music Studio where she is director – – providing piano lessons for all ages.

Music Box

It’s nice to be appreciated even more than 50 years after the fact. A short 8mm film that my brother Dave Powell and I created when we were teens was “featured” in a showing of home movies curated by Agata Zborowska presented at the Music Box Theater in Chicago.

Our film was part of a small collection of 8mm films that I contributed to an archive as part of a project Agata is working on in conjunction with the University of Warsaw preserving the legacy of Chicagoans with Polish Heritage. The archive digitized the films and preserved the originals for posterity.

Agata explained that she included our “Moon Landing” re-creation in the offering as it stood out as a creative effort rather than a traditional documentary film. Admittedly it was oddly satisfying seeing it projected on a big screen in front of a live audience and hear their chuckles.

Chicago International Puppet Festival Bonus Review

The puppet festival has concluded but contributor Kim Campbell has written a bonus review of “The Left Hand of Darkness” produced by Untitled Theater Company No. 61 (with additional support by Yara Arts Group) based on a popular book of the same name. I’ve added that review to the Puppet Festival page on our website for your enjoyment.

Upcoming Podcast Theater Reviews

In February I will be reviewing the following plays. Subscribers will be alerted via email when the podcasts are available. If you’re not a subscriber please consider subscribing now.

Company by Madkap Productions at Skokie Theater

Holiday at The Goodman Theatre

Dance of Death at Steppenwolf

Confederates at Redtwist

The Irish and How They Got That Way at Ruth Page

Harvey at St. Sebastian Church

Cats at Music Theatre Works in Skokie

Special Lunar New Year Announcement

South-East Asia Center is having a Lunar New Year Celebration at Furama Restaurant in Uptown on February 21, 2026. $40 includes entertainment and family style luncheon.