list.in.to.chicago this week: 04.25.2005

Is it too late for me to joke that I was part of the papal conclave last week, and that's why there was no newsletter? I have this hunch that pope jokes are already pretty stale.

Elsewhere, congrats to longtime Friends of Coz The Changes for being the first local unsigned band to be announced as part of Lollapalooza. This would be a perfect opportunity to show your gratitude for the listings, if you know what I mean.

Pick of the week
Seeing the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex at the Field Museum (Thursday) just seems like too unique a combination of artist and venue to pass up. And it's good to see Ivory Wire (Friday, Elbo Room) back in action.

There's also the International Pop Overthrow (IPO) Festival going on pretty much all over town this week, but I'll defer to the official website for the details there.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, but I'm in charge, which means no one can stop the onslaught of ridiculous eighties tunes, mwahahahaha! Sorry, got a little carried away.

Recap
So, I saw Sevendust at House of Blues on Thursday. On some level, they seem to be the King's X of nu metal, but even that doesn't succeed in overcoming the inherent flaws in the genre. If the drummer did that annoying yell at the end of one more song, I was going to nominate him to lead the Democratic Party.

I think that I just like more empty space for songs to breathe, and those staccato jackhammer riffs in dropped tunings just take up too much of the sonic space. In fact, when openers Skindred opened things up a bit more, leaning more heavily on dancehall reggae than hard rock, I found myself getting into it.

4.25   monday
Gods and Governments (Schubas)
This is actually a roundtable political discussion that will be over by the time you get this, featuring what I'm assuming are divinity or religious studies professors from DePaul and Moody Bible Institute, moderated by friend of Coz and former Drive bassist Josh Shapera. What I like about it is that immediately afterwards is the "Reckless Records New Release Ping Pong Party." I'm all about juxtapositon like that.

4.26   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Tony and Anto are both out of town this week, so I'll be running the show. Be gentle.

Europe with Seventh Avenue, Slick (House of Blues)
What's important about this, according to the HOB ad, is that it's all the original members. "The Final Countdown" just wouldn't be the same otherwise, would it? Can anyone even name a single original member of Europe? I'm going to hit you if you say Spain.

4.27   wednesday
Long Count Quartet (Tryst)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
It's been a while since I gave some newsletter-love to Steve's Wednesday night jazz gig, so let me fix that right now.

Metal Shop (Hogs and Honeys)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
What I find amusing about this band, which is obviously going to be somewhat in the vein of Hairbangers Ball, is that they've got a picture of themselves in full metal regalia in the Reader ad, and I can't figure out which guy is the one I know in the band.

4.28   thursday
Jimmy Chamberlin Complex (Field Museum)
This is part of the "Playing the Field" series down at the Museum Campus, but I don't think you usually get guys who have sold millions of records playing at these sorts of things.

4.29   friday
Ivory Wire with Monkey Paw, Low Light (Elbo Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
It's been quite a while since these guys have graced us with their presence, so if Chuck and Rob haven't been focusing entirely on producing other people's music, that should mean a healthy dose of new songs. That's what I'm hoping, anyway.

Menthol with The Countdown, The Buzz Spectors (Bottom Lounge)
Chalk another one up to the "I didn't realize they were still together" file, but these guys seem to pop up every six or eight months almost like clockwork.

4.30   saturday
Anthrax (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
In what is sort of a testimonial as to how right Todd Rundgren was when he sang "time heals the wounds that noone could see" (with apologies if I got the lyric wrong), does anyone even remember how everybody was on pins and needles about this band when somebody was mailing actual anthrax to the government and the media shortly after 9/11? The band actually provided the only levity to that whole situation, by suggesting they call themselves "basket full of puppies."

Pat DiNizio with Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Decoy Prayer Meeting (Martyrs')
Gotta represent Scotch Plains, NJ, with the former Smithereens frontman in a solo appearance. This is a benefit for Bell Elementary School, which I know absolutely nothing about.

5.01   sunday
Anthrax (House of Blues)
What surprises me is that these two dates are being billed as the band's "only U.S. appearance," and yet the Sunday show doesn't seem to be sold out. Yet, anyway.

Lenny Kravitz with Nikka Costa (Congress Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
I've been critical of his penchant to glom on to other artists' vibes, but Kravitz still turns out some quality songs, and Nikka Costa's "Everybody's Got Their Something" was one of my favorite tunes back when I was playing with Foxide.

Spanish for 100 with Trashcan Sinatras (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
A former co-worker from my RollingStone.com days is in from Seattle with his band for this show, so I may go and relive the glory days of working for a company that's been acquired, seeing as how I'm living through that again right now.