list.in.to.chicago this week: 08.23.2004

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Pick of the week
Hands-down winner this time is Ozomatli, Thursday at House of Blues.

list.in.to.COZ
So it's CJ Arthur's up in Wilmette for Marigold Engine on Friday night. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that marigoldengine.com will have, if not directions, at least an address you can plug into MapQuest. And, as usual, Vaughan's on Thursday.

Recap
I forget the name of the band that went on after Abi Cruz on Thursday at Elbo Room, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a Medeski Martin and Wood CD that they don't own. Which isn't a bad thing. The biggest surprise of the evening was still learning that Mick used to be a gymnast. The Abi set was solid, but not quite as funky as the previous night's rehearsal, which is a little unfortunate.

Totally lamed out on Saturday's Los Lobos show. Maybe I should start soliciting short reviews of shows you guys went to see.

8.23   monday
Bebel Gilberto with DJ Warp (Park West)
Lots and lots of big press for Gilberto recently, who combines Brazilian music with electronica for some seriously sultry ambience.

Brother Jon Hosts The Jam (Buddy Guy's Legends)
There's a whole subculture of blues jams in this city, and maybe it doesn't get enough attention. The one time I went to this one, I was struck by (a) all the badass bass players who came up from the south side and (b) how hard it was to play a really, really slow blues.

8.24   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Anto swears he's going to start learning new songs. We'll see what happens.

8.25   wednesday
Sancocho with Shara (Subterranean)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is, I think, a Cuban band, which includes Marigold Engine bassist Brian Garibaldi.

8.26   thursday
Ozomatli with Kinky, Del Castillo (House of Blues)
I'm going to keep hyping these guys until I finally convince myself to actually go to a show. Last time they were here, there was some story about how one of the band members actually got arrested for some altercation surrounding their normal procession through the crowd to the stage. Or something like that. So if you go to this show, and there's suddenly some guy next to you with a trumpet, don't freak out.

The Spazmatics (Cubby Bear)
Because apparently the Afrodisiacs don't get enough work already, they've gone on and done for the 80s what they've already done for the 70s, and that is, go with heavy schtick and play new wave from the era while dressing up like extras from Revenge of the Nerds.

Alex Skolnick Trio (The Abbey)
What, no Testament fans out there? I just remember always reading about this guy, along with the likes of Tony MacAlpine and the rest of the Schrapnel Records shredders, back in my wheedly-wheedly guitarist phase.

8.27   friday
Marigold Engine (CJ Arthur's, Wilmette)   SEE COZ LIVE!
I'd give you directions to get to this one, which will be two full sets of Marigold music and then some, but I'm not entirely sure I know where Wilmette is. I think it's somewhere near Evanston, but I might be thinking of Skokie. I'll try to send out an e-mail midweek for those of you who might brave the 'burbs.

Malachi Thompson Freebop Band (Green Mill)
Thompson is one of those guys you see playing jazz clubs for years and years, so just on that count, he deserves a shout. The trumpeter and longtime AACM member's band features Billy Harper, who has played with a who's who of great jazz drummers including Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Max Roach and grumpy traditionalist Mel Lewis, and also plays Saturday.

Yesmen with Jump (Little Children) (Martyr's)
Okay, so J(LC) sorta messed up my formatting convention, but I haven't given a hearty plug for the Men of Yes lately, so formatting be damned.

8.28   saturday
Dremana with Terminal Bliss, Kit Kat Honeys, Air This Side of Caution
The one or two times I've seen Dremana, I've sorta seen where they're trying to go, but I'm not sure if they get there. Which isn't even a value judgement, really. My expectations might have just been entirely wrong. This is their CD release party, also featuring the "House of Frog Fashion Show," whatever that is.

Robbie Fulks with The Rattlers (Fitzgerald's, Berwyn)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
At this point, it's getting almost absurd that I haven't seen Fulks in Chicago yet, with "Friend of Coz" Gerald Dowd on drums.

The Vulgar Boatmen with Mock Orange, Catfish Haven (Schuba's)
Vulgar Boatmen at Schuba's? I think I went to that show. In 1993. Seriously. It was right around whenever you set daylight savings time, and I think they either were living in Indiana, or had a gig in Indiana that was in one of those areas that doesn't change, so they were almost really late for the gig, and talked about it a lot on stage.

Collective Soul with Bottle of Justus (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
I figured maybe these guys had a new record out, but nope, they're still trading mostly on "Shine" and a Hall of Douchebags-worthy picture. You weren't planning on getting any work done today anyway.

8.29   sunday
The Raveonettes with The Scumfrog, Baldwin Brothers (Metro)
Are the Raveonettes the ones that record entire albums in one key? I forget. Okay, a quick look at allmusic says yes. Gotta love anyone who applies Fripp-esque restrictions on punk-esque rock. Anyway, they're definitely part of a new vanguard of trashy rock bands, and are part of an "all building event" that also featured the J. Davis Trio and DJ Jesse De La Pena in Smart Bar.

The Gelheads with The Silents, Blackmaker, Drawing a Blank (House of Blues)
This is a CD release for The Gelheads, who would sneak in as a Friend of Coz if I knew how to spell their bassists name. That said, the strongest conclusion I made when I saw them for the first time was that their drummer needs to put away his Rush CDs for a while. And I say this from experience.