list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.06.2005

Wow, a year from now will be 06/06/06. Make up your own doomsday prophecy, although didn't they recently figure out that 666 isn't actually the number of the beast? Iron Maiden is going to be so disappointed.

Pick of the week
If you don't know what I'm going to go with this week, you don't know me very well. The Mike Keneally Band makes a very rare appearance at somewhere other than Martyrs' this week (Tuesday, Schubas), and saves me a trip to Milwaukee on Wednesday. And put me down for The Futureheads on Friday at Metro as well. That should be fun, although it will probably be a pretty short set, seeing as how their debut record clocks in at about 35 minutes long.

list.in.to.COZ
For the first week in a long time, you may actually have no opportunities to see me perform this week. There's an outside chance I'll hit Vaughan's after the Keneally show, but I wouldn't wager any money on it. Of course, if you're wagering money on whether or not I go out to a bar on a Tuesday, one of us has a problem.

Recap
Despite an unforgiving soundboard recording, the Small Creatures debut on Tuesday went swimmingly. Elsewhere on that bill, Helicopter was awfully interesting for a band with no drummer, and Biirdie shot out of the gate with huge harmonies.

The rest of the week was quiet, musically, as I had my parents visiting. We did go see Red Scare at Second City, and it was really good.

5.06   monday
The Mitch Corso Band with Acoustic Minds, Jaik Willis (Subterranean)
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this guy used to be part of Cane Corso, who you may -- or, let's be honest, may not -- recall as the band that was much different than I expected based on former Phantom Helmsman Steve Gerlach's participation.

Patricia Barber Quartet (Green Mill)
Just off a brief tour, Barber is back in her regular Monday night slot, this time with Chris Siebold from Kick the Cat and the E-Mics, among others, joining the group on guitar. Chris will also be playing with the band next Monday, in the likely event that you don't see this until Tuesday morning.

5.07   tuesday
Mike Keneally Band with Happy Apple (Schubas)
Speaking of Siebold, the odds are pretty good he'll be at this show if he doesn't have a gig, as he's the only person I know other than, well, me, who actually owns a Keneally t-shirt.

Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS! MAYBE!
I'll be around the corner for the MKB show, so it's not out of the question that I might swing by afterwards, but I don't know if that might wreck the musical mood. Feel free to drop by and visit Tony, though, as he's on his own with hosting duties again this week. Which means it's just like Anto was here!

5.08   wednesday
Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
So what we learned this month is that they don't actually play the first Wednesday of the month, but the Wednesday after either the first Tuesday or even the first Monday of the month. The latter makes a little more sense, since they could then say their one rehearsal is the first Monday of the month. Oh, and they're Van Morrison this time out, with shows at 8pm and 10pm.

5.09   thursday
The Exies with Ten Years (Elbo Room)
Dig out that old flannel shirt and relive the mid-90s, as these guys pick up where Stone Temple Pilots' first two records left off. Which is interesting, because STP even got bored with that formula.

Microchimp with Sunday Morning Chameleon, Quiver Limp (Subterranean)
Okay, these guys get points for having a funny name. For those of you URT historians out there, you might recall that we were briefly called Monkeysoft, which is largely why this caught my attention. Frequent listee Sunday Morning Chameleon is also on the bill.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Wow, bonus Tributosaurus this month. The thing I like about these guys is that I have a hunch that no one in the band is going to suggest playing "Brown-Eyed Girl."

5.10   friday
The Futureheads with High Speed Scene (Metro)
I don't know if just singing with a British accent imparts a certain brattiness, but I guess Bloc Party proves that theory wrong. Anyway, you've gotta love a lyric that goes "you eat s**t 'cause you're stupid and shallow." Edited for the benefit of spam filters.

Gooey with Chinchilla Fury (Elbo Room)
Okay, so Gooey is now in that queue of "bands I'm going to mention as a reminder that I want to go see what they're on about."

Ivory Wire with Aberdeen City, Modena Vox (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
With frontman Chuck Gladfelter becoming increasingly busy as a songwriter, Ivory Wire shows are getting more scarce, and should be treasured accordingly, like your favorite baseball card. Or something.

Darren Spitzer with Josh Seib, Justin Sconza, The Good Looks, Josh Kalmus (Hideout)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Looks like the Changes' mini-tour is over and Darren's back doing his quiet, acoustic thing. I have to wonder if he plays the Bee Gees on this kind of gig, or if he saves that for open mikes?

Poi Acoustronic (Martyrs')
Frank Orrall and his cohorts seem to be trying out another new sound for the band, to the point where they're monkeying with the name to set it apart again.

Seth Horan with Scottish McMillan (Abbey Pub)
This is going to be a night full of solo acts that sound like more than just one person, in the front bar of the Abbey.

5.11   saturday
Spoon with The Clientele (The Vic)
The thing I'm starting to appreciate about this Texas trio is that they don't seem to fit in any currently well-defined and overpopulated genre. They're not overly heavy, they're certainly not emo, they're unequivocally not British, and the songs are pretty solid.

Alanis Morissette (Auditorium Theatre)
I think this is being billed as the acoustic "Jagged Little Pill" tour, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Morissette's breakthrough album, but any sort of advertising for the not-yet-sold-out show is conspicuously absent from this week's Reader, and Alanis' website is no help whatsoever.

Marah with Nick Hornby (Schubas)   SOLD OUT!
I'm not exactly sure what the acclaimed writer (High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, etc.) is doing on a bill with a roots-rock, Springsteen-influenced band from Philadelphia, but unless you got tickets in advance, you're not going to find out, either.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks with Paik, The Changes (Metro)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Yet another high-profile opening slot for Chicago up-and-comers The Changes, just one night after a band they opened for last year played the same room.

5.12   sunday
Nicholas Barron's Hyperactive (Long Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Haven't pimped these guys in a while. Go see 'em.