Who: Old Town School of Folk Music
What: Live reading with Joe Meno, accompanied by the Astronomer
Where: Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall :: 4544 N Lincoln Ave.
When: Saturday, August 1, 8pm. Buy tix here for $15 (but per  an Old Town insider: “We are doing a friends & fam discount – mention the code word “Squid” before 7/29 for $10 tickets (regular price is $15).”

Here’s something new: This Saturday, the OTSFM is holding an event in which a writer (the tenderly funny Literago-fave  Joe Meno)  is backed by The Astronomer, who created new songs/scores for the event. Adding to this multimedia extravaganza is poster artist Jay Ryan and shutterbug Todd Baxter; their art will be projected in the room. Oh, and upbeat, Iggy Pop-esque Canasta opens. Now, as someone who studied with a Beat writer, I’m shamelessly drawn to the whole live-reading-with- music-ouevre but even for those less inclined, this sounds spectacular. It’s my birthday weekend, so the only question left is, who’s buying my ticket and which friends are going with me?

If your experience with accompanied live readings is limited to this scene from So I Married an Axe Murderer; fear not. Meno doesn’t smoke and I’m fairly certain he has zero affinity for Josie and the Pussycats.