list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.03.2003

There's a whole lot going on this week that is just off my radar, either because I only just barely know the names, or I know who they are but don't feel like digging terribly deep, or the show is sold out. That goes for Cyndi Lauper, Godsmack, Ween, the Twilight Singers and Oh My God, who seem either noteworthy, tangent-worthy or snark-worthy in some abstract sense, but I can't seem to find the motivation to follow them up.

Maybe it's because I'm very focused on bringing you quality entertainment this Saturday night at Wild Goose. You know, the one I told you to write down last week?

Pick of the week
I'll save the shameless self-promotion for, well, every other part of the newsletter. For this space, I'll go with Primus (Friday, Aragon Ballroom), as they're still one of my favorite bands despite how much my friend Steve hates them. And King Crimson (Saturday and Sunday, Park West) is always an intense experience, albeit mostly because of the accompanying paranoia that someone will take a flash photo and Fripp will quit the performance in one of his trademark petulant snits.

list.in.to.COZ
This whole notion of me as a headlining act is still a bit weird, but that said, get your butts out and see me sing this Saturday at Wild Goose (4265 North Lincoln). Come for the song selection, stay for the food and drink specials, snicker at the banter, endure the singing, perhaps aided by the drink specials. One of these days I'll be less self-deprecating about my new singing "career," but not today.

Recap
Last week was a week for laying low, so there was Vaughan's on Tuesday, then some band at a Halloween party marred only slightly by somebody else thinking the Greatest American Hero would be a cool costume, marred somewhat more heavily by far too little beer, followed by a snippet of Evil Beaver at Life's Too Short once said beer ran out, the first part of that last bit sounding much dirtier than it really is.

Run-on sentences are your friends. On to the shows.

11.03   monday
David Cross "Let America Laugh" DVD screening (Schuba's)
This is the accompanying video documentary to Cross' new CD, which Phineas lent to me but I haven't actually listened to yet. And it's free, and they'll be giving stuff away, courtesy of the good folks at The Onion.

Kevin O'Donnell with Jimmy Sutton and Joel Patterson (Schuba's)
Later that same night, it's Schuba's "Practice Space" series, this time with local jump-swing mavens O'Donnell and Sutton. I don't know Patterson from Adam, but would venture a guess he falls in similar territory.

11.04   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
If I get to practicing some more, this particular outing should include bench-testing some new stuff for Saturday's gig at Wild Goose. Did I mention Saturday's gig at Wild Goose?

11.05   wednesday
Cesaria Evora (Symphony Center)
This CD has been in my changer quite a bit, but that's my roommate's doing, not mine. Margasak has a good write-up.

Duran Duran "Greatest" DVD screening (Brew and View)
The original lineup is back and touring again, and apparently selling out rather quickly, so this might be the next best thing, again brought to you by The Onion. Can you tell I'm on their mailing list now?

Tributosaurus with Motion to Fix (Martyr's)
If you're not totally burned out on bands pretending to be other bands from the big Halloween weekend, it's that time of the month again. This time, Matt Spiegel and his intrepid band take on Paul Simon.

Patrick Hasbrook (Durkin's)
I'll likely be sitting in with Vaughan's regular Hasbrook again this week, both on percussion and maybe singing a couple tunes. And almost certainly handing out flyers for the big Saturday gig at Wild Goose. Have I mentioned...

Phantom Planet with Ben Lee (Metro)
Apparently, actor Jason Schwartman is no longer in the band, or wasn't on the latest record, or something like that. And Ben Lee is from Australia! Isn't that cool?

11.06   thursday
The Alarm (Elbo Room)
It's the Irish rockers from the 80s who aren't U2, in the first week of a month-long Thursday night residency at Elbo Room. For the record, my high school band, Chester the Jester and his Downtown Fools, covered "Strength" in a battle of the bands. Which we lost. I don't blame them, though.

11.07   friday
Primus (Aragon Ballroom)
The original lineup is back, and this show will include a front-to-back performance of the trio's landmark Sailing the Seas of Cheese album, which, if you're keeping track of these sorts of things, is a "desert island disk" for me.

Plura with Sequoia, Raised on Zenith, The Envoys (Beat Kitchen)
One of several local bands mining the Queens of the Stone Age vein, these guys rock pretty hard, with former Cassius Clay percussionist and Great Apes vocalist Newt Cole out front.

Firewater with TV On The Radio, Birdland (Empty Bottle)
I have one CD from these guys with former Soul Coughing drummer Yuvul Gabay, which is kinda cool, and one without, which is a bit less so. Sorta psychadelic, sorta world-y at times. The type of band you might expect Stephen Perkins from Jane's Addiction to be involved in, although he isn't.

Rick Springfield (Joe's)
Not one, but TWO shows from the 80s icon. I'm trying to remember the name of a song of his that isn't "Jesse's Girl," maybe the one with the weird post-apocalyptic video and the now-prescient headset mic, but it's not coming to me. I know he had at least one other tune that I liked, at least a little bit.

11.08   saturday
COZ Sings! (Wild Goose)   SEE COZ LIVE!
After those couple of successful Goldie's shows a few months ago, I've been diligently trying to find a new venue from which to regale you with songs of the eighties, and other less important decades. I found one at the end of my street. Wild Goose! Saturday! Me! Maybe some special guests!

King Crimson (Park West)
The prog rock legends are touring in support of their new live DVD, Eyes Wide Open, at one of their favorite venues in the country, maybe even the world, according to reluctant bandleader Robert Fripp. This was originally a double-bill with Living Colour, but Vernon Reid and company have dropped from the bill and will be back on their own in December. First of two shows.

Missile with Avocet, Greenscare Red Wigglers, Stewed Coots (Beat Kitchen)
Okay, this time I have an excuse for not going to see these guys. I've got a gig. At Wild Goose. If you didn't know that by now, I can't help you.

11.09   sunday
King Crimson (Park West)
See Saturday's listing. See Saturday's listing run. Run, Saturday's listing, run.

The Blind Boys of Alabama (HotHouse)
After seeing these guys captivate a room as large as the United Center when they opened for Peter Gabriel, the notion of them in the infintely more intimate HotHouse practically gives me goosebumps. Kelly Hogan is one of several guests.