list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.16.2004

Seeing as how the unofficial subtitle to this newsletter is "Coz reads Section 3 of The Reader so you don't have to," I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a new music columnist on the front page of the music listings. No word as to what happened to Peter Margasak, although we can probably rule out moving to Canada. I think that whole country still holds an entirely uncharacteristic grudge against him for dissing The Tragically Hip many years ago.

Dead silence on last week's plea for A Perfect Circle help. Come on, people!

Pick of the week
Gee, one of my favorite local bands is releasing a CD this week. So it's sort of a no-brainer pick for Drive at Double Door on Saturday. And both Light FM (Schuba's) and Missile (Bottom Lounge) look like they're worth checking out on Friday.

list.in.to.COZ
I'll be regaling you with songs of love lost at Vaughan's on Tuesday, then accompanying my friend Patrick Hasbrook at Bird's Nest on Wednesday. And mark your calendars for next Saturday for Nitrous Foxide at Joe's, which will be our first show since the big Scorpio Party back in November.

Recap
Ivory Wire were their rockin' selves on Wednesday. Also on that bill was Bicycle, Tricycle, who probably have hipper influences than the Thompson Twins or the Human League, but child of the 80s that I am, that's who they reminded me of, with some Gary Numan thrown in for good measure.

Thursday, I ended up tracking down tickets for Bob Mould (thanks to Marci for lighting the fire under my butt and to Marlon for getting the tickets). I was there with some Mould neophytes, and I don't know that unaccompanied 12-string is the best introduction to his music. Then again, any solo singer/songwriter can be challenging to listen to live if you don't know the material. Bob was Bob. At this point, there's not much more you can say about him, is there?

Thanks to those of you who turned up at Vaughan's for the Diver show on Friday. Sort of an odd vibe, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We're back in action Saturday the 13th of March at Cullen's.

2.16   monday
Paco de Lucia (Symphony Center)
According to the Symphony's website, some additional tickets may be made available for the flamenco guitarist's sold-out show. Most of my exposure to de Lucia comes via his trio recordings with John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola, but that's enough for me to say he's quite the musician.

2.17   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
I like to consider myself on the vanguard of the backlash against the anti-Valentine's Day backlash, in that I can't get all indignant about the holiday anymore despite protracted single-ness, but that's not going to stop me from playing "Love Stinks" from the J. Geils Band this week.

The Sounds with Kill Hannah, Ima Robot (Metro)
Heard a track from The Sounds last night on Q101's TBA, a show produced and quasi-sidekicked by Ivory Wire's Chuck Gladfelter. Sounded pretty good, not unlike The Cardigans at first blush. Although the same show played something from the new Kill Hannah record as well, and it was such a blatant sop to the Disaffected Teens Of America (tm) that I'm almost embarassed for them. Then again, we're talking about a band that wears tube socks on their arms, so the shame threshold is probably pretty high.

2.18   wednesday
Patrick Hasbrook (Bird's Nest)   SEE COZ LIVE!
After making such a big deal over how the project with Patrick and Jeff is called Blue Line Transit, this show is just the two of us, so it's back under his name. It'll be a mix of Patrick's sorta James Taylor-esque originals and cover songs from all over the map. And I'll probably be persuaded to sing eighties tunes at some point.

2.19   thursday
Todd Snider with Keith Sykes (Martyr's)
With the singer/songwriter's return to Chicago, I have to wonder...how do you KaZaa/former Napster users deal with hidden, untitled tracks, like the one on Snider's Songs For the Daily Planet? I guess it does have a title of sorts ("Talkin' About the Seattle Grunge Rock Blues," I think), but it's not really published as such. If you know the answer to that question, seek out that song. It's really funny, even if I risk pigeonholing Snider as "that guy who sings that one funny song" in saying so.

Fareed Haque Group (Boulevard Cafe)
I'm not a huge fan of Haque's current jam-band project, Garaj Mahal, but his solo work is more jazz and less jam, which is one of those semantic distinctions that I can't always articulate well, but springs from an argument I had when a Grateful Dead fan told me I didn't like jazz because I didn't like the Dead. They're just not the same thing. This is the first of two nights.

Stereophonics with Howie Day (Congress Theater)
I always get these guys confused with Stereolab. And Spiritualized. I guess it would help if I had heard much of anything from any of those three. Howie Day is the headliner, which means I should probably know something about him, too, but all I've got is that I get him confused with producer Howie B. I'm going to be of no help whatsoever on this show, sorry.

2.20   friday
Henry Rollins (Congress Theater)
This is spoken-word Hank, which can be awfully entertaining, in a very, very, very roundabout way. Rollins runs the gamut from stories about rock and roll to political commentary to massive self-deprecation in the space of a few minutes. Or hours. Count on him going on tangents that are typically longer than the original story he was telling at the time.

Light FM with Midstates, The Penthouse Sweets (Schuba's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Seeing as how the room didn't seem kind to the overall mix last time I saw these guys, Schuba's is probably a good venue to remedy that lingering memory. There's something about the configuration of that stage that allows the sounds to coalesce before projecting into the crowd. Also, congrats to Lite FM keyboardist and former URT bassist Chris Frantisak for getting in on the reformed Urge Overkill. I'm assuming he didn't leave Josiah to join Nash, which was supposed to sound like "robbing Peter to pay Paul," but didn't quite work.

Missile with London Calling, Twice Pipes (Bottom Lounge)
If you were to look at the band "London Calling" and ask yourself "what, are they a Clash tribute band or something," you'd be right. Tough call tonight, as I'd like to see Missile again, but I'd also like to see Light FM in a better setting than last time, which was coincidentally at Bottom Lounge.

2.21   saturday
Drive with Premium, Shots Fired and Head On (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is the CD release party for Chris and Josh and the rest of Drive, as well as for Premium, who handed me a sampler after the American Motherload show two Saturdays ago. It's also very good, with a bit of an Incubus vibe at times, but that may just be from listening to that band's new CD immediately prior. I think I've seen Head On, maybe, but even two good local bands is reason enough to check a show out.

Escape From Earth with Burning Autumn, Chacopa, A.D.D. (Metro)
It's looking like EFE may get the award for "most successful band who once played on a bill with URT." I've heard some buzz about these guys from fairly random sources, which probably bodes well for them.

Robben Ford (Martyr's)
Ford's interpretation of the blues can be a little sterile at times for my liking. I think part of it is that his voice is almost too nice to be singing the blues, but he's still a damn fine guitarist, and typically has a stellar band in tow.

2.22   sunday
The Romantics with Chesterfield Kings, The Lust Killers (Double Door)
I couldn't be an enthusiast of eighties music and not recommend this show. I was just telling some friends yesterday how I want to do "background vocalist theater" one week at Vaughan's, where I'd play songs like "What I Like About You" from The Romantics, and only sing the backing parts. If you've got other songs suggestions for this idea, let me know.

Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies (Martyr's)
Steve Smith is one of those "drummers' drummer" guys, so expect to see lots of Zildjian t-shirts, mullets and reluctant girlfriends. Which isn't to say the show isn't going to be worthwhile. Smith's a badass drummer, and he's been delving way into American music history recently, taking some guys from the Buddy Rich band along for the ride. Plus, it's probably the closest you'll get to a member of Journey unless you come across Gregg Rolie working at a Starbucks somewhere.