list.in.to.chicago this week: 08.18.2003

I feel like a bona fide (foreign phrases always need to be in italics, you know) music writer this week. Not only did I have a prominent local band send me their new CD for review, I had someone give me grief over comments made in this space last week. Check the web version of the newsletter for details. And I still think Cauterize is a silly name for a band, unless someone in the band had their leg amputated, in which case I'm going to burn in hell. Again.

And you know the drill. Forward. Subscribe. Repeat.

Pick of the week
It's a good week for "Friends of Coz," with Regal Standard and The Changes sharing a Double Door bill on Thursday. Then there's a ton of good local bands playing at different venues on Friday, but EXO at Elbo Room is where you'll most likely find me, seeing as how that's sort of my home away from home.

And Saturday has been transformed into list.in.to.wisconsin, with Radiohead at Alpine Valley and Jeff Beck in Madison both looking pretty darn good.

list.in.to.COZ
The open mike on Sunday (Duffy's, on Diversey) may actually be important, so it would be great to see some people come out for that. Vaughan's, on the other hand, is just fun.

Also, mark your calendars for next week, as Lindsie Reitz is playing Friday at Elbo Room, and Nitrous Foxide hits the stage at Goose Island Wrigleyville on Saturday.

Recap
Tortoise is now two for two on blowing me away live. You listen to the records, and you almost implicitly assume that there are lots of overdubs and studio tricks, but then the band recreates everything brilliantly. They were even able to transcend the guy behind me vomiting on my shoes right at the end of their set. At first, I thought someone was spilling a beer, but no. Vomit. Then he stood up and started bouncing to the music again.

After that, I was mildly disappointed with Medeski Martin & Wood. I've got a couple of the trio's CDs, and they have actual songs with actual melodies, but they chose not to focus on that in the live show, instead meandering into an improvisation of mostly just sounds. It wasn't bad, but I wanted more melodic content.

8.18   monday
30 Odd Foot of Grunts (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT
I honestly think I've only ever seen one Russell Crowe movie by choice (I saw Proof of Life on a bus trip), and that was L.A. Confidential. This is the second of about five shows comprising the only North American appearance of his band, which I could probably research a bit to figure out why it's called 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, but I won't. Some of those shows are not sold out, but this one is.

Long Count Quartet (Joy Blue)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I've seen Steve Gillis "act" in a Filter video, and while he's certainly no Russell Crowe, he had me totally believing he was waiting to use the bathroom at a house party. His jazz quartet is no act, though, and is always a good choice for a Monday night.

8.19   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
If you have half as much fun watching me sing as I have singing, then I'm having twice as much fun as you. I've got some new tricks up my sleeve that may or may not make it into however long of a set I get this week, and you just might get to meet my little sister.

8.20   wednesday
Patricia Barber Quartet (Green Mill)
What's mildly amusing about this show is that Barber apparently has the Wednesday gig because Kurt Elling is on tour. Except that her normal Monday spot is being filled by Terry Callier, because she is on tour. On Wednesday.

8.21   thursday
The Changes, Regal Standard with Dorian Taj, Faux Jean   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This show might as well be billed as "Advanced Rock Chords" class, as Darren and Larry and their respective bands have a tendency to get away from your more standard progressions, to great effect. And I'm a big, big fan of multiple friends' bands playing on the same night at the same place, because then both of those friends feel obligated to come see you, and you only had to go out one night!

Liz Phair with Wheat (Metro)   VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF COZ, JUST DOESN'T KNOW IT YET!
Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

8.22   friday
EXO with Second Seed, The Pimps, Promenade (Elbo Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The band just released their second full-length CD, called The Safety Primer Justice, but this does not appear to a CD release party. Maybe it's more of a "soft launch."

Missile with Supermint, Gidgets Ga Ga, Ten With Strangers (Beat Kitchen)
If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you know exactly what I'm going to say next. I still haven't seen Missile since that first time URT played with them, which now has to be nearly two years ago, and I really should.

Blue Nova with Rockit Girl, Bitch Be Cool (The Note)
Saw Blue Nova for the first time back in February, and now they're on that interminable list of "bands I've seen once and would like to, someday, see again" that I just alluded to.

8.23   saturday
Radiohead with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Alpine Valley)
The band seems to have split the difference of their rock and electronic sides with Hail to the Thief, although the result is still pretty out there. One of the most fun things about seeing them live is how singer Thom Yorke can flail the rest of his body while keeping his mouth right up on the microphone.

Jeff Beck (Madison Blue Fest; Madison, WI)
Unfortunately, I haven't been keeping up with the former Yardbird's recorded output, as recent albums seem to have been generally well-received. His guitar tone and silky lead lines are definitely more fluid that, say, Punky Meadows. And I think maybe two of you reading this will get that reference, but that's never stopped me before.

8.24   sunday
Open Mike (Duffy's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This is sort of an audition for playing at the Bar1 bars, and I don't know if they just want to hear people play, or if they want to see how well they can draw. So come on out just in case. Festivities allegedly get rolling at 7pm, so it being a school night shouldn't matter too much.

Lewis Black (Skyline Stage)
The Daily Show's resident curmudgeon is touring again, and with everything going on right now, he should have plenty of good new material.

Glenn Tilbrook, Jeffrey Gaines, Jill Sobule (The Abbey)
As with any half of a songwriting team, it will be interesting to see how and what Tilbrook does without Chris Difford, especially so far removed from Squeeze's heyday. Jeffrey Gaines saw a brief flash of popularity for his lukewarm rendition of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" back in 2001, and Sobule made a splash in the early nineties with a single called "I Kissed a Girl."