Sound check: Tony Ocean and 30 years of the Rat Pack
30-year anniversary
Over the last 30 years, Chicago-area native Tony Ocean has delighted audiences throughout the city and the suburbs with his twist on Rat Pack classics after rebranding his act after Frank Sinatra's character in the original "Ocean's 11." Channeling the larger-than-life personalities of the era - Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and others - Ocean's dedication to entertainment lived on even during the pandemic, when he would perform outdoor neighborhood shows. He celebrates the last three decades of performing with his Tony Ocean's 30th Anniversary Extravaganza in Des Plaines this weekend.
3 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at the Des Plaines Theatre, 1476 Miner St., Des Plaines. $15. (630) 962-7000 or desplainestheatre.com.
Bitter Jester week 2
Bitter Jester, the Highland Park summer concert series putting rising young artists in the spotlight, returns to its usual outdoor home at Port Clinton Square for the second weekend of the contest. Catch the competitors - Chainsaw Boyz, David's House, F!REWORKS, Imperial Orange, Scorched Waves and You Got The Message - as they perform for the crowds and a panel of judges. Guest artist Claire-McKenna and featured showcase bands Flannel Folk and Vegan Steakhouse round out the night. Judy's Pizza and Sweet Home Gelato will be on hand, too.
Also, congratulations to Keep the Eleven for their win on night 1 of the competition last weekend.
6:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, at Port Clinton Square, 600 Central Ave., Highland Park. Free. bitterjesterfoundation.org.
The Road to Homegrown
Friday night, The Road to Homegrown starts with a concert and competition to fill the remaining two slots on the Homegrown Arts & Music Festival's lineup. Host and fest founder Aaron Williams will warm up the stage followed by performances from Distant Haze, Brad Redlich, Commit This to Memory, SunnDog and ARREIS. A panel of judges will weigh in along with crowd votes.
7 p.m. Friday, May 27, at BaseCamp Pub, 5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle. $8. homegrownartsandmusicfestival.com.
Side Street's battle begins
Side Street Studio Arts launches its summerlong 2022 Battle of the Bands competition Saturday, putting Whuzy, Our Century in Pictures and Alleys and Gangways in the spotlight for the first night of the first round. Catch some new music, support your friends and vote on your favorite act each weekend.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. $10. sidestreetstudioarts.org.
Hold Your Appaws
Gman Tavern gathers three great Chicago pop-punk bands Saturday night for the Hold Your Appaws show to benefit the Anti-Cruelty Society in its mission to help rescue and advocate for animals in Chicago. Fluorescents, Dreadwolf and Wolf Rd take the stage to raise funds for the organization through ticket sales and merch. (Check out Wolf Rd's new Woof Rd T-shirt designed exclusively for the event on the band's Instagram.)
8 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at Gman Tavern, 3740 N. Clark St., Chicago. $15-$20. (773) 549-2050 or gmantavern.com.
In other news ...
• In advance of his June 3 show at the Arcada Theatre, original Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler hits the airwaves Friday for an interview with Rikki Lee Travolta. "It's Showtime With Rikki Lee" will be broadcast at 3 p.m. Friday, May 27, at 101.5 FM WHRU. The show can be streamed anytime at huntleyradio.com.
• Brian Shamie is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor and local music junkie. Email him at bshamie@dailyherald.com, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter (@thatshamieguy) or Instagram (@chicagosoundcheck). He also keeps tabs on the Chicago music scene at chicagosoundcheck.com.