list.in.to.chicago this week: 12.02.2002

Okay, in addition to the exhortation to forward this to your friends, I'd also encourage that, in the more than likely event that you think I've missed something, click on over to the web version of the list and add your own suggestions via the comments link.

EARLY WARNING
Okay, Lindsie is playing on Wednesday, December 11th at Visions, which used to be Dome Room, above Excalibur at 640 North Dearborn. If you buy tickets that night, they're $10. If you buy tickets in advance, from me, they're only $5, so let me know ASAP if you want to go. We're on a "Ladies of Rock" bill with Emilie Autumn, Stigma Doll and Marizen. It will, in all likelihood, rock.

Pick of the week
It's fun being a "uncredentialed" music writer, because I don't get stuff sent to me. This means I'll occasionally do things like recommend bands I really haven't heard much from. This week, that means The Roots at House of Blues. I've seen some live clips on HBO's Reverb, and I know drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson by both reputation and his work on D'Angelo's Voodoo album, but that's pretty much it. That said, it's enough to make me think I'm right. On the Coz front, I'm excited about the return of Clusterfunk this Thursday night, but that's still not 100%, so read on for details.

Recap
Last week was a bit low on the music side, what with the holiday and all. Open mike was open mike, and the Lindsie show on Saturday was a bit light on the attendance side, due to the triple whammy of the holiday weekend, the cold, and the stigma of being in the suburbs, even if CTA can get you up to Evanston pretty easily. Hopefully, we got a solid recording of the proceedings, though, and I did finally catch a full and rocking set from Regal Standard.

12.02   monday
The Bomb with The Teen Idols, Woolworthy and The Rumblers (Double Door)
From the ashes of seminal Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun comes The Bomb, featuring Raygun alum Jeff Pezzati. I heard some tracks early on in the new band's run, and it was good stuff. Woolworthy are also mainstays on the Chicago pop-punk scene, and have been for at least four or five years, if my memory serves. The other two bands I wouldn't be able to pick from a police lineup.

12.03   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Last week I actually didn't play a single song from the eighties. I don't know what's wrong with me, but come out Tuesday and maybe find out.

Lyla Stone with Leftsetter, Velvet Son and Sober Dozi (Double Door)
It's one of Kevin Holland's favorite local bands again, and we all know how much he likes seeing his name in the listings.

12.04   wednesday
The Roots (House of Blues)
Invariably, the hip-hop I like the most uses live instruments, and The Roots are pretty much the cream of that particular crop. Peter Margasak gives a more informed preview in last week's Reader, so check that out. So much for this being "Coz reads The Reader so you don't have to."

12.05   thursday
Clusterfunk (Goose Island on Clybourn Avenue)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Okay, here's the deal. As mentioned a few weeks back, Goose Island has an open stage on Thursdays. At the moment, I'm about 85% sure that the reconstituted Clusterfunk will be appearing this week. If you're interested, you may want to e-mail me on Wednesday, when I should know for sure. Of course, if the band (playing late 60s/early 70s funk and soul, if you're wondering) doesn't do it, I'll probably show up and regale the crowd with some more acoustic guitar ditties anyway.

The Roots (House of Blues)
See Wednesday's entry.

12.06   friday
2 Ton Levy with Plura, Jeep   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Former Cassius Clay frontman and current Lindsie Reitz sideman Jayh Johnson hits the stage with his latest band, mining a bit of a Badmotorfinger-era Soundgarden vein this time around. It may be that I have Badmotorfinger on the brain, as that's my overall assessment of the Audioslave album as well. Fellow Cassius Clay alum Newt Cole is also on this bill in the band Plura.

Roy Haynes' Birds of a Feather with McCoy Tyner (Symphony Center)
The sad truth is that there aren't many guys still alive from jazz's be-bop era, so the opportunity to see bandmates of both Charlie Parker (Haynes) and John Coltrane (Tyner) shouldn't be passed up.

John McLean Quintet (Green Mill)
No details as of press time regarding who would be in the band, but the likely suspects include a who's who of local jazz luminaries, so you know it's going to be good. If you wanted guitar overload, you could go see Joe Satriani at the Vic earlier in the evening and then come here.

12.07   saturday
Oakenfold with Aphrodite and Hernan Catteneo (Riviera Theatre)
Electronica artist Paul Oakenfold looks to be following Moby's path in moving from pure electronics to a band concept, which is always curious. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. It will be interesting to see of Oakenfold can break into the mainstream as more of a musician than a DJ.

Light FM with Sour Deluxe, American Cosmonaut, and Sono (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I think this is Light FM's first show since they got scratched from the Chameleons bill at Metro a while ago. First one I've noticed, anyway. Double Door seems to get the prize for lots of worthwhile shows this week.

12.08   sunday
"Pleasure Trip" featuring Leddie Garcia, DJ Madrid, and Billy Dickens & Family Groove Company (The Note)
I met the woman who does PR for Poi Dog Pondering's Leddie Garcia, and she made this sound pretty interesting. A bit of a electronica/percussion hybrid, very free-form and grooving, but I haven't seen it for myself just yet.