list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.16.2005

This week, an unprecendented number of reader-submitted reviews. Or brief summaries of reader-submitted reviews. It's a start.

Also, feel free to forward this to friends, even if you think they already get it. I'm relentlessly opt-in, so I don't assume everyone I know wants to put up with all of this every week. Subscription info at the bottom.

Pick of the week
If you can find tickets for The Mars Volta tomorrow (since the first show will be over by the time you read this), go for it and report back. On Wednesday, there's the reunited New York Dolls at Metro, and then British Sea Power (Thursday, Logan Square Auditorium) looks kind of interesting.

list.in.to.COZ
Another busy week, with Diver at Blue Bayou on Friday, then another pre-game Fire set on Saturday followed immediately by Diver out at the Cubby Bear North in Lincolnshire. If you're in the northwest 'burbs, this is your chance! Don't pass it up! Keep reading for a discount ticket.

Recap
Got one 'yeah' and one 'nay' on U2 last week from friends, along with Lenny Kravitz being sexy and Nikka Costa being great, and a thumbs up on the Killers, which was apparently also taken in by Mr. Bono. Oh, and I'm told Soulfix rocked Emergenza, but was criminally denied a spot in the next round. As always, feel free to send me comments on shows you've seen, and I'll try to incorporate them.

As for me, The Changes were nice and all on Friday, and Okkervil River had remarkable congruity for so many slightly less traditional intstruments. But we need to talk about the Diver show on Saturday. By my count, there were at least four, and probably five bachelorette parties on the premises while we were on, and I'm told one bachelor party, too.

First off, if anyone tells you we know how to play the South Side Irish song, don't believe them. They're lying. And that doesn't disqualify us from playing Irish bars, either. Second, it was only a matter of time before all the brides-to-be stormed the stage, and we indulged them up until one of them spilled over a monitor and nearly took out Tony's head with a mic stand. This kind of thing happens to other bands, too, right?

5.16   monday
The Mars Volta (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
I'm not digging their latest epic retro-prog opus as much as I did the first one, but I'd still be curious to see how they pull off the intricacies and the bombast of their sound live.

Dick Dale with Frank Bang's Secret Stash, Deadstring Brothers (Double Door)
A few weeks ago, I saw Ben Folds recreate Dale's classic "Miserlou" -- you know, the surf guitar song from Pulp Fiction -- on piano. This week, a chance for the real deal.

Thievery Corporation (Vic Theatre)
The name of this electronica duo's record label is "Eighteenth Street Lounge Music." That's pretty much all you need to know right there.

5.17   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
After what looked to be a slow start, last week picked up and turned into a good night overall, despite one guy totally crossing the line when it comes to lyrical content. I've got a couple other eighties tunes up my sleeve this week, but I don't know how well they'll work acoustically. Not that it's ever stopped me before.

New York Dolls with The Living Blue (Metro)
With bands like The Killers so popular right now, it's only fitting that these glam-punk pioneers are back together and touring. Whether the new crowd recognizes the history and checks it out is another matter altogether.

The Mars Volta (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
Robert Fripp called, and he wants his guitar tone back.

5.18   wednesday
Gooey with KissnRide, Thomas Pace (Schubas)
I used to think a guy I work with was in this band. He's not, but as it turns out, I met the drummer at House of Blues a few weeks ago. This is a benefit for what is nominally a radio station in Seattle, but is apparently somewhat of a pioneer in Internet broadcasting, as well as a college-radio aesthetic that's gone pro.

Tributosaurus (Park West)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Looks like the band is revisiting their Pink Floyd set from early in the band's evolution in a bigger venue.

5.19   thursday
British Sea Power with Feist, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (Logan Square Auditorium)
I know it's hard to keep track of all the new bands from the UK. This is one of the good ones.

Keane with Brendan Benson (Aragon Ballroom)
Snow Patrol last week, Keane this week. Pretty soon everything's going to be moving in slow motion. And minor.

M.I.A. with Diplo, LCD Soundsystem (Metro)
LCD Soundsystem is the nominal headliner here, but M.I.A. got a lot of press earlier in the year for being somewhat unique as a foreign female political rapper. Unfortunately, that combination makes her pretty impossible to listen to passively while I'm at work, so I can't speak much to the music itself.

Electricon (Underground Lounge)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Matt and company are apparently being filmed at this gig for some sort of local cable access show, so look nice for the cameras.

5.20   friday
Diver (Blue Bayou)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Home sweet Southport. Without Blue Bayou and Cullen's, I think this band would cease to exist.

Riviera with Gold Coast Refuse, Dutch Courage, The Gunshy (Beat Kitchen)
Still getting more of a hum than a buzz on these guys right now, but haven't gotten around to checking them out. Think of the confusion if they got big enough to play the Riv. Riviera at the Riviera? Maybe that's the whole point.

Bobby McFerrin and Jack DeJohnette (Symphony Center)
Knowing McFerrin for just "Don't Worry, Be Happy" seems akin to just knowing Herbie Hancock for "Rockit." Then again, it took me quite a while to discover the latter's legendary piano playing, so you're off the hook.

5.21   saturday
Coz Sings! (Soldier Field)   SEE COZ LIVE!
There's something very Spinal Tap-ish about having a guy in a dog suit (the Fire mascot formerly known as Sparky) heckling you while you're playing a set.

Diver with Kong Fuzi (Cubby Bear North, Lincolnshire)   SEE COZ LIVE IN THE SUBURBS!
Just checked the contract, and it's an 8pm load-in for a 10:15 start. My Fireside set ends just short of 7:30. Should be fun. Also, you can download a discount ticket worth $3 off admission -- despite the fact that it says $2 -- if you visit notabbott.com/diver.

Boredoms with Soft Circle (Logan Square Auditorium)
When I see "Japanese noise-pop," I tend to think abrasive guitars and Yoko Ono-esque vocals, but listening to a recent 20-minute cut from this band was actually pretty pleasant, with lots of almost Afro-Cuban textures.

5.22   sunday
Pigface (Abbey Pub)
The industrial collective is back, but a quick look at their discography makes it look like they've been back in some form since 2003 after about five years off.