list.in.to.chicago this week: 10.25.2004

This is looking like one of those weeks where you're going to wish you had planned in advance. Unless you're okay with ticket brokers.

Also, this whole Halloween show concept may eventually be the only thing going on for the holiday. At least four or five clubs have bands "dressing up" as different bands on Saturday and Sunday, including this one sorta hole-in-the-wall place that I walk by coming home from the El sometimes. I was going to assume six, but did Nevin's Live in Evanston close down without anybody telling me? I guess I haven't seen an ad in quite a while.

Elsewhere in this week's Reader, the biggest ads are typically used for upcoming concerts, so I was a little creeped out by the full-pager for the new, posthumous Elliot Smith CD.

Pick of the week
Of the shows that still actually have tickets available, I'd say ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead at Metro on Thursday on the national scale and Sunday Morning Chameleon on Friday at Beat Kitchen on the local side. And, as a general rule, the 8th Annual Halloween Bash at Double Door (Sunday) is a good bet. Not that I've ever actually been to one, but I've heard good things.

list.in.to.COZ
Back by popular demand, depending on your definition of "popular demand," it's Coz Sings! Songs from the seventies, eighties, nineties, eighties, whatever we're calling this decade and, oh yeah, the eighties. Bar Thirteen (1944 West Division) is the place to be on Thursday night for all the festivities. If you'd like to be judged on the merits of a Halloween costume, feel free, but you might be the only one.

Recap
I actually went down to The Vic to maybe check out The Musical Box, but I stumbled into a rule I didn't know I had. I'm not going to pay more than twenty bucks to see a band pretending to be another band. So forty for the Genesis thing was more than I was willing to pay. DeRogatis seemed to dig it, though. Can't be bothered to find the link.

The good news on Saturday was that, ostensibly, Anto's voice was fine. Unfortunately, he threw his back out, so it was the triumphant return of the three-piece Diver. Or, rather, one of the three-piece Diver configurations. It's a modular band, not to be confused with a mod band. And, oddly enough, nobody tripped and fell into the stage area this time.

Sunday was another mostly solid outing from The Changes, and if you happen to know the boys in the band, and one of them has a birthday coming up, let me suggest straplocks. The band before them -- who will remain nameless so as not to Googlebait -- could be described as everything that's wrong with indie rock, including but not limited to ironic facial hair, totally ripping off Franz Ferdinand, trying to do pseudo-math rock with unbearably screechy guitar tones and actually breaking into what I think was a bit of one of The Changes' songs at one point. Thank god for the front room and the World Series.

10.25   monday
LL Cool J with Funkmaster Flex (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
Did I ever tell you the story about how I shook hands with LL Cool J? And how producing his show at the U of C my junior year was one of the most painful music-related experiences of my life? No? Come by on Tuesday or Thursday and I'll give you the lowdown, which includes a band with two of everything and a can of red paint.

R.E.M. with Now It's Overhead (Auditorium Theatre)
If I heard Lin Brehmer correctly on XRT this morning, tickets are still available for both shows from the super-duper megastars. Which is to say, if you want to get tickets, you're not yet Out Of Time.

10.26   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not Anto's back is sufficiently recovered, so it might be just Tony and me handling the open jam festivities. You're gonna watch the World Series anyway, so you might as well do it in the vicinity of discounted microbrews and music, right?

Deftones with Dredg (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
As far as I can tell, the California quintet doesn't have a new album out, but can still command at least a thousand or so fans with their dark, ultra-heavy attack.

R.E.M. with Angela McCluskey (Auditorium Theatre)
I would like to apologize for the pun in Monday's listing. I understand that readers view this missive as an important Document, and that by cheapening the experience, I Reveal myself to be a laugh-hungry Monster. Okay, that was over the top, even by my Reckoning.

10.27   wednesday
Straylight Run with Hot Rod Circuit, Northstar, Say Anything (Metro)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm down with any band that names themselves after characters or situations from William Gibson novels.

Average White Band with Buddha's Belly (House of Blues)
Admit it, "Pick Up The Pieces" is one of the catchiest tunes ever. I can't tell you how happy I was when I figured out what the guitar chord was in the intro. I usually have problems hearing anything more complicated than a seventh chord.

Chad Wackerman (Durty Nellie's, Palatine)
Yeah, it's going to be a geeked-out drum clinic, but Zappa vet Wackerman is going to be performing with Allan Holdsworth and Jimmy Johnson as a part of it, and that's the "classic" Holdsworth lineup from killer albums like Metal Fatigue.

Laurie Anderson (The Vic)
Don't really have much to say about art-rock iconoclaust Anderson, other than noting that this may serve as Googlebait for someone I went to high school with of the same name.

10.28   thursday
Coz Sings! (Bar Thirteen)   SEE COZ LIVE!
After a long day-job-fueled hiatus, the craziness that is three full sets of me singing and playing guitar seems back with a vengeance. Bar Thirteen has only just started having music on Thursdays and maybe Fridays, so tell your friends! I'm not sure if the 80s Rock Opera (tentatively titled "Addicted To Love," natch) will rear it's probably mulleted head again for this one, but you're not going to know unless you show up.

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead with Forget Cassettes, IQU (Metro)
I didn't realize Dick Cheney was making a campaign stop in Illinois. No, seriously, folks, I just want to see the poor intern who has to put this one up on the marquee.

Driven To Tears with Elevation (Field Museum)
It's about freakin' time there was a Police tribute band in this town. I was almost going to start one myself. You know, in all my spare time. I hope they don't suck.

10.29   friday
The Scorpions with Tesla, Keith Emerson (Allstate Arena)
Gee, do you think this is a Loop show? For reasons I'm not yet sure of, I decided to listen to the two almost-ELP (Emerson Lake and Powell, 3) albums from the eighties on Rhapsody a few weeks ago. I'll take "obscure pseudo-prog rock albums that haven't stood the test of time" for $100, Alex.

Wilco with Deerhoof (Auditorium Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
Since bitching about it's non-existence online, I've noticed I've gotten a couple of search engine hits on "I'm a Wheel guitar tab." I'd like to think that, if someone actually found the tab, they'd tell me.

Yellowcard with Starting Line, Matches, Reeve Oliver (Riviera)   SOLD OUT!
Who the hell is Yellowcard and how did they get big enough without me hearing them to sell out 3,500 seats? I've seen the name, and that's pretty much it. While on the topic of bands with soccer-related names, I'm thinking I should get a picture of Wayne Rooney from this weekend's Manchester United vs. Arsenal match for the next Diver poster. Suffice it to say it would be appropriate.

Evil Beaver with The Beer Nuts, Atari Star (Double Door)
I can't say anything bad about the Beaver, mostly because I get the distinct impression that Evie could kick my ass if it came down to it. Not that she has the foggiest idea who I am.

Sunday Morning Chameleon (Beat Kitchen)
Haven't seen these guys again since playing on that Elbo Room bill with them, but this might give me that chance. Because I need more bands to say I'm going to see all the time and then not.

10.30   saturday
Wilco with Deerhoof (Auditorium Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
So, anyway, the Auditorium is going heavy on the music this week. Two from R.E.M. and three sold-out shows from Wilco.

Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers with Epicycle (Martyr's)
Yes, it's that Tilbrook, the one from Squeeze. No, I'm not going to comment on what a fluffer is. This is a family show. That said, I doubt any actual fluffing will occur on stage.

Clinic with Sons and Daughters, Midnight Movies (Abbey Pub)
Do these guys still dress up as doctors on stage? I'm worried that, if they do, a bunch of people will line up outside to get flu shots.

Bobby Conn and Glass Gypsies (Empty Bottle)
For somebody I hadn't even heard of until about six months ago, Conn sure did get ubiquitous fast.

Halloween Show (The Note)
This one's got Debris Inc. as Black Flag, Super Christ as Motorhead and a special Hawkwind tribute.

10.31   sunday
8th Annual Halloween Bash (Double Door)
Pretty good lineup this year, with Local H as Oasis, Woolworth as Poison, Giant Step as Elvis Costello and the Attractions, The Last Vegas as Creedance Clearwater Revival, American Motherload as Alice In Chains, Empyrean as Weezer and Blackbox as Rick James, bitch.

Halloween Show (Beat Kitchen)
With Catsplash as Radiohead, Ted Wulfers and Beggar's Bride as both ZZ Top and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Easy Tiger as Cat Stevens (if they let them in the country, I guess), Brian Sanchez as Elliott Smith and more.

Jet with The Donnas (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
This is Mancow's Halloween "Slime Ball," which means it would be really funny for me to show up in my costume. I'll leave that all mysterious for now until there are pictures.

Clinic with Sons and Daughters, Midnight Movies (Abbey Pub)
See Saturday's snarky listing.