list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.05.2003

Okay, so I was initially thinking that, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, this week's installment would come to you entirely in Spanish. Then I realized that the only Spanish I know is "donde esta la biblioteca?" and "una cerveza, por favore," so suddenly it didn't seem like such a great idea.

I've added a short summary of where I'll be playing amidst the early part of the newsletter, mostly to prepare you for what, in my own little world, constitutes a big event next Friday, May 16th. Mark your calendars, and keep an eye out for details in next week's edition.

And, as always, forward, subscribe, repeat.

Pick of the week
If tickets are indeed still available, the Zwan show on Tuesday is sort of a no-brainer, except for the fact that it's an all-ages show and is at the notoriously crappy-sounding Aragon. That may be why tickets didn't move quite so fast. Past that, Ours at Martyr's is looking good, and you can get your jazz on with Scott Amendola or Fareed Haque.

list.in.to.COZ
This week, it's just Tuesday at Vaughan's for open mike. Meanwhile, the Lindsie demo gets closer and closer to completion. At least that's what I've heard. Drum tracks have been done for a couple of weeks now.

Recap
Saw a lot of music this weekend, and actually updated the static Chicago music part of the site to reflect that. In total, it was all about the BIG. In the case of Drive and American Motherload on Friday, and 2 Ton Levy on Saturday, it's bigness in terms of power and heavy riffs. The Assassins, on Sunday at Metro, are more about expansiveness, and Kill Hannah, also on that bill, are a bit of both. Interestingly enough, the biggest of the bunch may have been 2 Ton Levy, which was also the smallest in number with only a single guitar, bass, drums and vocals. It's not all about volume sometimes.

I didn't stay for the whole Kill Hannah set, as prolonged exposure to their fans were driving me to wear black, move to the suburbs and hate my parents. And yes, I'm going to keep using that joke for a while.

5.05   monday
Sepultura with Voivod and Full Blown Chaos (House of Blues)
This metal band has been on my radar ever since they recorded an album that had a lot of sounds incorporated from their native Brazil. That set them apart a bit in my mind, but I haven't exactly followed up on the notion, or even bought that record, so what do I know?

5.06   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Through the wonder of the capo, I think I've breathed new life into some of the solo acoustic playlist, both from the eighties and beyond. Going to the Cubs game? Come by afterwards, it's not that far away!

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists with El Guapo, Little Axe, Troubled Hubble (Fireside Bowl)
I know next to nothing about what Leo sounds like, but he seems to carry a fair amount of indie cred. Translation: I occasionally see people talking or writing about him outside of the mainstream media, so somebody clearly likes him.

Zwan with The Children's Hour (Aragon Ballroom)
As the Reader went to press, it actually looked as if this show was not sold out. If true, that's awfully interesting, considering Corgan and company moved nearly 5,000 tickets, the stated capacity of the Brawlroom, to the week of shows at Metro a few months ago.

5.07   wednesday
Tributosaurus becomes Marvin Gaye with Motion to Fix (Martyr's)
I've written about these guys before. A bunch of guys learning a bunch of songs from Steely Dan or The Cars is one thing, Marvin Gaye may be another entirely.

5.08   thursday
Johnny Marr and the Healers with Palo Alto (House of Blues)
The former Smiths guitarist has been through town quite a bit lately, although I still don't think I've heard the single from his record. I was having a conversation about him the other day, except I think the guy I was talking to thought I meant Johnny Mars, the WXRT DJ.

Scott Amendola Band with Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls (HotHouse)
I haven't heard this particular band, but Amendola's drumming with guitarist Charlie Hunter has always been top-notch. Margasak gives a decent preview of this one as well.

5.09   friday
Fareed Haque Group (Wise Fools Pub)
The good thing about guitarist Haque is that his influences are all over the place, which makes for some great music. Unfortunately, it also makes it hard to predict just what he'll be doing for this two-night stand in the heart of Lincoln Park.

Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel with Two Cow Garage, Riviera (Bottom Lounge)
Haven't seen much from Fermin recently, but I may just not be looking in the right places. And you've got to admit, "Two Cow Garage" is a great name for an alt-country band. On that note, it's interesting that Bottom Lounge is venturing into the genre.

"80s Retro Sensations" Members Only with Underwater People (Joe's)
If I ever start an 80s cover band, and the chances are good that I might at some point, I'm leaning toward "The Ghost of Martha Quinn" as the name, but this is good, too.

5.10   saturday
Suzanne Vega with Bob Hillman (House of Blues)
No earthly idea what Vega is up to these days, but I find it amusing that they felt it necessary to add the phrase "My Name is Luka" in the HOB ad. Not only do they assume noone remembers her, but they don't think the name of the song, which is just "Luka," will jog people's memory enough. I actually really liked her 1992 release, 99.9° F., which used to get me in huge arguments with a co-worker who didn't think so highly of it.

Matt Geraghty Project (Rhythm)
The near-west percussion club seems to be doing well, with shows on Saturday from both local bassist Geraghty (7pm) and West African drummers Dahui (10pm).

5.11   sunday
Ours with Red West, Adam and the Weight (Martyr's)
This band, which is primarily Jimmy Gnecco, is often mentioned in the same breath as Jeff Buckley, but if you look them up in the All-Music Guide, they list A Perfect Circle and Maynard James Keenan as similar artists. That's perhaps more intriguing than just the Buckley thing, to me, anyway.