list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.24.2003

I'm a day late with the newsletter this week, and boy, is my editor pissed. Of course, that has more to do with said editor getting his car broken into, flying out to Los Angeles only to have his soccer team of choice lose a championship match, and resorting to refering to himself in the third person as if he were someone else.

But life goes on, as does music, and the week of Thanksgiving always seems to bring out some good shows, so let's get down to it.

Pick of the week
Two shows jump out at me this week, both at the Abbey Pub. First, it's OK Go on Wednesday night, then the benefit show on Friday with Tortoise. If you want to rock a bit heavier than that, there's also the Deftones on Sunday.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, but keep that second week of December clear, 'cause there's a lot going on.

Recap
Unless you're my car insurance company, my renters insurance company, my mechanic, or a commiserating Fire fan, the less said about last week, the better.

11.25   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Two things may make this interesting. First, my voice hasn't entirely come back from two solid hours of screaming my lungs out at the MLS Cup on Sunday. Second, my big book of lyrics was in the bag that was stolen from my car. So we'll see what I have time to print out, what I can remember, and what I can actually sing. Probably a fair amount of Everlast. Maybe I can learn a Tom Waits tune real quick.

Kick the Cat   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Tom just got a new drumkit that he's very, very happy about, and will likely put to good use with one of Chicago's premier fusion bands. Yes, there's more than one. I didn't know that either until recently.

11.26   wednesday
OK Go with The Like Young, Thunderbirds Are Now! (Abbey Pub)
They were all the rage less than a year ago, but seem to currently live in that gray area between a much-heralded debut and a followup album that could either make them or break them on a national scale, as overrated as that fate might be.

Seal with Wilshire (Vic Theatre)
I think Seal maybe got caught up too much in a huge marketing push for his previous album, Human Being, which had him booked in arenas before anyone knew if he could fill them. He couldn't, and the tour was scaled down considerably in the middle of it. Now it looks like he'll start small and build, and a small venue like the Vic could make for a great show for a singer with his emotion and power.

11.27   thursday
Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
Happy Thanksgiving! One of few venues offering up music on the holiday, the Showcase has a weeklong stint from one of the best trumpeters of our generation. I'm dying to hear Hargrove's Hard Groove record, as it seems like he and some of his peers (most notably altoist Kenny Garrett, if I remember correctly) are starting to hit this more electric, quasi-Bitches Brew stage of their careers. That said, I would expect a more traditional show at the Showcase, as I suspect owner Joe Segal wouldn't even put power outlets on stage if he thought he could get away with it. He's not so fond of the electric jazz.

11.28   friday
Tortoise with The Eternals, Hypnotic, DJ Matt Fields (Abbey Pub)
This is a benefit for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which raises money for musicians facing illness, disability or age-related health challenges. Even if it wasn't for a worth cause, post-rock poster boys Tortoise would be worth the price of admission.

John Mayer with The Thorns (Allstate Arena)
It's kind of fashionable among some more committed music fans to slam Mayer as the third coming of Hootie and the Blowfish (with the second being Dave Matthews), but the young songwriter is much better than that. Even so, what I like about his music the most is it's nuance, and you can be reasonably sure that'll be lost in the cavernous sound out in Rosemont.

11.29   saturday
Poi Dog Pondering (Double Door)
This should be a great way to sweat off some of those holiday dinner-induced pounds, as PDP inspires people to get up and move just as much as turkey inspires them to take a nap. Too bad it's already sold out.

Vulgar Boatmen with Sour Deluxe, Sounddrifter (Beat Kitchen)
I seem to remember, years ago, a story one of the Boatmen told about being an hour late for a gig because they're from a part of Indiana that doesn't change it's clocks for Daylight Savings Time. This was maybe 1993 or so. They've been around a while.

11.30   sunday
Deftones with Thrice, Thursday (Aragon)
This is the hard rock band that other hard rock bands dig. The sound is thick and complex, which means their latest, self-titled album didn't get all that much airplay. From what I've heard, singer Chino Moreno is a man possessed on stage, to the point where you might doubt his sanity.