list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.10.2004

This weekend marks the first annual MECA Conference here in Chicago. The history of major music conferences in Chicago is not working in their favor, as the Midwest Music Conference, the Independent Label Festival and MOBFest all have left a lot to be desired. On the one hand, ChicagoGigs.com, who is sponsoring the festival, seems to have good relationships with lots of local clubs. While this expands the reach of the fest, it's still not enough, as too many big names (Metro, Martyr's) are sitting it out completely while others (Double Door, Abbey Pub) only have conference showcases when it suits them.

Geography is another issue, with showcases as far-flung as the Abbey on the far Northwest Side and Nevin's Live in Evanston. So the deck is sorta stacked against success, although I'd love for MECA to prove me wrong.

Pick of the week
Although none of the MECA shows really stand out, there's a lot more going on. Paul Wertico is at HotHouse on Friday night, debuting his new CD, followed by King's X way the hell out in the southwest suburbs on Saturday, and then The Cardigans at Double Door on Sunday night.

list.in.to.COZ
I'll be accompanying Patrick Hasbrook again this week, Wednesday at Bird's Nest, playing percussion and maybe doing some eighties tunes by request if it comes to that. Diver will be back soon, I promise.

Recap
Tributosaurus overcame the absence of singer and spiritual leader Matt Spiegel to turn in a solid set of Fleetwood Mac tunes on Wednesday, although it dawned on me that they didn't actually play the song they teased at the end of the Bowie set the previous month. They did, however, bring on about twenty horns or so for "Tusk," which was way cool.

Back at Vaughan's, I found out that while I can do a very respectable Tom Waits when I've lost my voice, that's about it. Although a different Everlast song might have worked.

5.10   monday
Joni Mitchell Night from Ladies of the Canyon (Schuba's)
This is sort of an offshoot of Tributosaurus' Joni Mitchell show from a couple months back, with many of the same cast of characters contributing.

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (Durty Nellie's, Palatine)
There's just something odd about someone with the rock and roll pedigree of Mayall playing out in the northwest 'burbs, but then again, I've heard that the new Nellie's is on par with some city venues in a lot of ways. So who knows?

5.11   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I'm not normally this giddy about stuff that I write, but amidst watching baseball and basketball on Sunday afternoon, I came up with a nice little instrumental piece on acoustic guitar (tentatively titled "To Myself," if you're wondering) that may make its debut tonight. We also claim to be learning new songs for Diver, and may use the Open Jam to try 'em out.

Fuel with Magna Fi (House of Blues)
Peter Frampton will not be performing at House of Blues tonight. I know, you're crushed. Instead, it's Fuel, one of those faceless 101.9-ish bands with songs that are both catchy and totally anonymous at the same time.

5.12   wednesday
Patrick Hasbrook (Bird's Nest)   SEE COZ LIVE!
I think this one is just Pat and not Blue Line Transit, but one way or the other, it's the next to last gig on the Hasbrook farewell tour.

Cheer Accident with Ex-girl, Loraxx (Abbey Pub)
This is going to be a noisy night. Cheer Accident is way the hell out there, and Loraxx is pretty brash themselves.

5.13   thursday
Kelly Hogan and the Wooden Leg (Hideout)
I've read that Hogan lends her voice to the new Tortoise record, but I haven't heard it yet.

5.14   friday
Paul Wertico with Somwhere In Between (HotHouse)
This is a CD release party for Wertico, and seeing as how his last solo CD was one of the best electric jazz records I had heard in years, I expect good things from the new one.

Clinic with Ratatat (Abbey Pub)
Clinic sort of set the stage for Interpol, and while the latter sound like they've got a bit of British affectation in their sound, Clinic actually hails from Liverpool. That said, I've heard maybe two songs from Clinic, so I might be completely and utterly wrong. Except about the Liverpool thing, 'cause I looked it up.

The Changes with The Reputation (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Last time I saw them, Darren and the boys were talking about retiring some old songs and incorporating some new ones. And there's something decidedly ironic about the fact that I know absolutely nothing about The Reputation, who are celebrating a CD release with this show.

Andrew W.K. with The Locust, No Motiv, Fireball Ministry (Bottom Lounge)
This show was moved from the Vic. It would be kind of funny if a bunch of Fire fans showed up decked in Fire gear, singing AWK's "Don't Stop Living In The Red," which we've sort of appropriated for use in Section 8. Have I mentioned I'm on a Fire billboard?

5.15   saturday
Brides of Destruction with Amen, Living Things (Metro)
If you've been wondering what ever happened to Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue and Traci Guns from L.A. Guns, then (a) here's your answer and (b) seek professional help.

Vinx (HotHouse, early show)
The former world-class sprinter turned singer/songwriter/percussionist is back in town again. Don't know if it's solo or with a band, but given his low profile, I'm guessing solo. My favorite Vinx lyric is still "I ain't go nobody to come home to but you" in a song called "My TV."

Escape from Earth with Liftpoint, Reforma, Inept, Shapes of Fiction (Bottom Lounge, early show)
See, this would be a great show to be part of MECA, as it's got a nice flavor of a bunch of younger hard rock bands, but it's not, and that's a problem.

Holger Czukay and U-She with Defender (Subterranean)
I get the feeling that Can, of which Czukay was a member, was one of those prog rock bands that was somehow deemed "safe" for indie and punk rockers to like, because I seem to hear more about them from fans of those genres than from prog guys. That, or they were just obscure, period.

King's X with NDX, Ion Vein (Oasis One-Sixty, Chicago Heights)
Around 1989 or so, a lot of people were absolutely convinced, on the strength of their second record Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, that King's X was going to be really, really big. For whatever reason, that didn't exactly happen, but the band has been undeterred, releasing an album about every two years since then.

5.16   sunday
The Offspring with Auf der Mar, The Start
I'm assuming that Auf der Mar is the new band from former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Mar. If not, she's going to be really pissed. And I continue to get The Offspring confused with Everclear. Which one sings about the Volvo-driving soccer moms again?

Cardigans with Jonathan Rice (Double Door)
There's something infectious about the unabashed happiness of this Swedish band. It's sugary, but with some substance behind it. Not to belabor the point, but seeing as how the band was originally signed to Chicago's Minty Fresh label, this would be a nice higher-profile show to be part of the MECA conference, but again, it's not.

Eleventh Dream Day with Antietam (Empty Bottle)
Somewhere, I have a "Chicago Beat Club" t-shirt from college that's signed by the members of Eleventh Dream Day, who at the time were poised for rock and roll stardom. Naturally, the drummer signed the armpit. Because us drummers are funny like that.