Mojo & the Bayou Gypsies to play in Palatine

Mojo & the Bayou Gypsies bring their ripsnorting Cajun-zydeco party music to Palatine this weekend, and with admission free who can say no? Just pack a picnic and a lawn chair - but check the weather first.

Mojo & the Bayou Gypsies play at 8 p.m. today, July 24, at the Fred P. Hall Amphitheater, 262 E. Palatine Road, Palatine. Call (847) 705-5123 extension 274 for details and any last-minute weather cancellations.

Still runnin' on empty

Jackson Browne comes to Ravinia next week, still chunking away behind his '70s hits like "Doctor My Eyes" and "Running on Empty," even if his later material doesn't prompt the same excitement. Still, it makes for a mellow evening in the park - especially on the lawn.

Jackson Browne plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at Ravinia, 418 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. Tickets are $80 for seats, $22 for the lawn (plus $5 the day of the show), available by calling (847) 266-5000 or visiting ravinia.org.

Transplanted punks

The Mekons get together for what seems to have become their annual summer reunion at Schubas next week. The second-wave British punks, who made the transition to raw country music in the '80s, long ago saw Jon Langford and Sally Timms transplant to Chicago, so occasions when the rest of the band comes to town are to be celebrated. Here's hoping Steve Goulding is behind the drum kit as well.

The Mekons play at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30, with Mar Caribe opening, at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, Chicago. Tickets are $20, available at schubas.com. Call (773) 525-2508 for details.