list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.14.2004

Seeing as how I was kind of hard on the MECA Conference a few weeks ago, it's only fair that I take a long, hard look at MOBfest as well, even if it gets me in massive Googlebaiting trouble.

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Pick of the week
Lots to choose from both in and out of the festival, and an especially active Tuesday night, with Femi Kuti at House of Blues and EXO at Metro for two bones. Assassins still have that post-record deal glow about them, so expect a big crowd at Double Door on Friday.

Saturday's Taste of Randolph lineup is pretty much a can't-miss, and if you like the crazy jazz music, Long Count Quintet on Wednesday at Bad Dog up in my neighborhood.

list.in.to.COZ
How many times are you going to get to see me play at a Puerto Rican Heritage Festival? Not often. That's Abi Cruz Sunday in Humboldt Park, after a leisurely three-hour stint at the Navy Pier Beer Garden on Saturday with The Ripleys.

Recap
I have to apologize for not bringing up Roy Hargrove's RH Factor last week. They played Ravinia with Medeski Martin & Wood. I had made a mental note of it, and even picked up the CD last week, which is fantastic, but I guess I just spaced it.

Anyway, I also neglected to mention the gig with Jeff Goldford and No Lessons at Castaways, which was the first with that band, sort of, seeing as how I'm played with Jeff and Joe before, but never with a full kit and a bass player. In what's almost more surprising to me than playing with a Puerto Rican hip-hop singer, it sorta bordered on being a jam band. That's going to be tough to wrap my head around. Marigold Engine on Friday was solid, and their fans seemed to accept the new guy. The headliner, whose name I can't recall and can't be bothered to look up, were very, very suburban, in that "let's play hard rock and punk and funk badly and at the same time with expensive equipment that our parents bought us" kind of way.

I also saw Elevation at Ribfest on Saturday, and honestly, I liked U-Toons, who exist almost exclusively to make fun of Elevation, better.

6.14   monday
The Beach Boys (Ravinia)
I don't know if it's just too much exposure to the rock intelligentsia, if that isn't an oxymoron, but I get the feeling that any Beach Boys show without Brian Wilson needs some sort of disclaimer attached to it.

Anthony Molinaro/Howard Levy Project (Green Mill)
Because you can never have too many piano/harmonica duos.

6.15   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)
I'll be out for sure this week, as in out of the state, not out at Vaughan's, but feel free to come by and enjoy your Tuesday night without me.

Femi Kuti with Angelique Kidjo, DJ Kennedy Octane (House of Blues)
Son of Afropop legend Fela Kuti, Femi has been carving out his own territory in the world music spectrum, mostly in the West African high life vein, and it's good, infectiously bouncy stuff.

EXO with The Detholz!, Baby Teeth, Chalet Chalet (Metro)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
It's the latest installment of Metro's "Night School" series, which means cheap tickets, cheap beer, and good bands. This time, it's l.i.t.c. favorite EXO, and I'd totally be there if I weren't in New Jersey.

Katie Melua (Park West)
With a big picture in the record store ad and one of the random Reader promo pics, I have to say, I don't really care what she sounds like. The important thing is that she's not trading on her looks at all. Nuh uh.

6.16   wednesday
Long Count Quintet (Bad Dog Tavern)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
After a brief hiatus, they're back and playing the new-ish Lincoln Square spot every Wednesday this month. Long Count is, starting from the back and working forward, Steve Gillis on drums, Shawn Sommer on bass, Vijay Tellis-Nayek on keys, Dale Prasco on guitar, and Doug Rosenberg on sax. There's a certain deference toward late-60s Miles with the band, although I wouldn't say that they sound like late-60s Miles, really. A bit more modern than that.

6.17   thursday
Drive with Premium, Rock Star Club, Devil May Care, Downtown Tripper Mind (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Even if I'm not a big fan of MOBfest, they have got at least a couple of good bills. But, and this has always been the objection of guys like Jim DeRogatis, I saw Drive and Premium on a double bill at Double Door three months ago. What makes this any different than that?

David Byrne and the Tosca Strings (Navy Pier Skyline Stage)
Heard lot of good things about Byrne's new record, and also that he sings opera on it. I'd have to actually hear that before deciding if it's a good thing or not. While I'm sometimes inclined to give the former Talking Head the benefit of the doubt, I can't quite square this one in my head.

Montrose (Durty Nellie's)
That's right, Ronnie Fucking Montrose. In Palatine. Where else?

6.18   friday
Assassins with Matthew, The Adored, Suffrajett, Racer Mason (Double Door)
Continuing on the "ragging on MOBfest" theme, this is one of those bills that confounds the whole issue. If the festival is, as I seem to remember founder Roger Jansen once claiming, just a low-key matchmaking event for bands he liked and A&R reps he knew, why put the already-signed Assassins in such a prominent spot? If it's a celebration of Chicago's music scene, why is so much of the scene (again, looking at vital and vibrant places like the Hideout, the Empty Bottle and even the Green Mill) not a part of it?

The Shins with The Glands, Rogue Wave (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
One of the major movements in indie rock is that sorta thin, whiny vocal thing, and it's really hit or miss with me. I think I like Dashboard Confessional, but despite all the buzz, I can't really get into Chutes Too Narrow, last year's big record from The Shins. It just doesn't speak to me, at least not in a voice I want to listen to. Obviously, about 2,000 other Chicagoans disagree with me, as this is the first of two sold-out shows.

Ivory Wire with Lovehammers, Stripping the Pistol (Metro)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Having bands I genuinely like playing a conference I sorta don't puts me in a strange place, diplomatically. Nowhere is that more evident than with Ivory Wire, and that's all I'm going to say about it.

Dave Matthews Band with O.A.R. (Tweeter Center)   SOLD OUT!
Just have to take this opportunity to beat some old drums. Boyd Tinsley and Leroi Moore have to be put out of our misery. And O.A.R. is worthless, bland frat-boy noodle rock.

6.19   saturday
The Ripleys (Navy Pier Beer Garden)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Yeah, Navy Pier can be almost unbearably touristy sometimes, but a nice afternoon (we go on at 3pm) in the beer garden can actually be a good, relaxing time, looking out over the lake and the skyline. This incarnation of The Ripleys is closer to being Diver, actually, with both myself and Avi filling in on drums and bass. Afterwards, head down to Soldier Field for the Fire game. Make a day out of it.

Taste of Randolph Street (between Peoria and Racine)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is one of the more stacked lineups I've seen at a street festival so far this year, with power popsters Fountains of Wayne, indie favorites Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and l.i.t.c. mainstays The Changes all on the bill.

The Shins with The Glands, Rogue Wave (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
See Friday's listing, although I can't imagine that convinced you to try to find a ticket broker. This is more of a "if you like them already, I'm at least telling you they're here" kind of thing.

6.20   sunday
Abi Cruz (Puerto Rican Heritage Festival, Humboldt Park)   SEE COZ LIVE!
I just really like the look I get from people when I tell them prog-boy is playing behind a Puerto Rican hip-hop singer, but I'm funkier than I let on. Really. We hit around 5:30 for a short set.