list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.21.2005

When my parents still lived in New Jersey, you could find about half my graduating class at the TGIFriday's up at Blue Star Shopping Center the Friday after Thanksgiving. This week feels sorta like that in Chicago music, with many prodigal sons returning.

Although I'm a little surprised at how light Wednesday night is. Usually that's one of the better nights to see music all year.

Pick of the week
I'm going to go with Roy Hargrove at the Jazz Showcase (Tuesday through Sunday) as the one to see if you're only seeing one. Past that, there's Assassins on Friday (Logan Square Auditorium) and Disturbed on Turkey Day itself, if there are still tickets. Poi Dog Pondering (Friday and Saturday at Double Door) is also a pretty safe bet.

list.in.to.COZ
I'll be singing my three or four songs at Vaughan's on Tuesday, and then it's a Diver trio set on Friday at Cubby Bear.

Recap
Thursday's Pontiac Cafe show with SomaStar went much better than it would have had I not remembered Lisa's guitar was in an open tuning when she went to pick it up late in the set. But it was that kind of night, with Ronnie Criss using the wrong harmonica on his first song. I was tempted to walk up to Rebecca Wickens and tell her I had read on the Internet that she sounds like Indigo Girls, but I value my life. One of those bootheels in the eye would have hurt. She was much more in her self-described "Leonard Cohen meets Lucinda Williams" zone, but did that thing that bugs me about female singer/songwriters where I don't think she played anything but open chords through the first five or so songs that I stayed for.

11.21   monday
Laurie Anderson (Art Institute)
I mentioned the first of these two shows last week, but it dawns on me that, if you were to pick somewhere for Anderson to play out of all the venues in Chicago, you couldn't do much better than the Art Institute, could you?

11.22   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I don't know if it's a subtle shift in the amount of free time, or what, but I've been adding new songs at a torrid pace. This time it's looking like Snow Patrol and Foo Fighters, with a likely reprise of Peter Gabriel from last week. With the short week, this could be a popular destination.

Kick The Cat with The Renegades, Edgar Gabriel's String Fusion (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I learned after deadline that KTC bassist Chris Clemente was playing with the band that was playing with Fareed Haque last week, so I don't know if he'll be on hand for this month's night of local fusion at Martyrs'. And that's fusion the music, not fusion the cuisine. The cuisine at Martyrs' is good though. Particularly the pizzas.

Sevendust with Mudvayne, 10 Years, Bobaflex (Congress Theatre)
Sorry Kev, they just don't do much for me. Mostly because the drummer does that stupid-ass yell at the end of every song. Although it may inspire me to reprise "Rockin' the Suburbs" at Vaughan's this week if I get four songs.

11.23   wednesday
Lovehammers with Blackout, Blackmaker, Red Shirt (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
Depending on how you look at it, this is the triumphant return home of Marty Casey after just barely getting the INXS gig that will launch him to superstardom, or the beginning of a long slide back into obscurity. Either way, it's tough to look away, right?

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
Since it's at the Showcase, I'm guessing Hargrove will be going straight-up with a more acoustic, more traditional jazz set, as opposed to the more electric sounds of his wonderful RH Factor/Hard Groove record from a few years back. Tuesday through Sunday at the River North spot.

Jon Anderson (House of Blues)
I had heard at some point that somewhat legendary Yes vocalist Anderson travels with some sort of tent that he sets up in his dressing room, or maybe when he's playing outdoor venues, that allows him to keep some of his surroundings more constant and, you know, center his energy or somesuch. Don't know if that'll fit on the elevator at HOB.

11.24   thursday
Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
While the actual Thanksgiving options can be slim, even if you're not after that extra helping of stuffing, you can always count on the Showcase for never, ever modifying the Tuesday to Sunday stand for anything.

Disturbed with Corrosion of Conformity, Soil (House of Blues)
The local band is probably one of the best things to happen to mainstream heavy metal in a long time, and they'll be home for the holidays for a three-night stand. At press time, Thursday's show was the only one not sold out.

11.25   friday
Diver with 16 Candles (Cubby Bear)   SEE COZ LIVE!
I misspoke last week when I said the Cullen's gig was our two-year anniversary. Actually, that will be in early December. In the meantime, it's another trio gig, this time opening for a band I know nothing about called 16 Candles. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess they do 80s covers, which means I'll be a happy camper, as long as they do them well.

Marigold Engine with Halo Stereo, Soundrifter, Richard Bacchus and Reverend Timmy James (Elbo Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I was going to say it's been a while since these guys -- whose drum chair I covered last year for a stretch -- have played in the city, but I think that's because I sorta missed the last one. It will be guitarist and fellow Wingman Patrick Barrett's first show with the band in some time. I'm trying to figure out what you would call a band mate in SomaStar...a SomaStarrer? Special Guest SomaStar?

Assassins with Adult, Gender (Logan Square Auditorium)
Watch all the local scenesters try to look ironic, aloof and disinterested enough to get guitarist and vocalist Merritt Lear to talk to them. And a quick search to make sure I'm at least mildly Google-proofed in case she searches on her own name yields the fact that she used to be in The Drovers, replacing original violinist Sean Cleland. I did not know that.

Deals Gone Bad with The Stranger (The Note)
I think these guys set the record for most former members I'm friends with, or at least that I'm friendly with. I don't ring them up -- as the Brits like to say, I think -- on a regular basis or anything.

Disturbed with Corrosion of Conformity, Soil (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing, but not Friday's show, unless you got tickets a while ago.

Echo and the Bunnymen with Innaway (Metro)
It would have been a funny coinkydink had Echo and the Bunnymen followed shortly on the heels of Bauhaus -- who were just in town a few weeks ago -- back when both bands debuted in the eighties, but it would seem that Ian McCulloch beat out Peter Murphy by a couple of months back in 1980, at least with regard to stateside releases.

Poi Dog Pondering (Double Door)
Nothing to add that you don't already know about Poi Dog, really, other than that this is the WXRT-FM 93.1 Holiday Concert for the Kids, and they ask that you please bring a new, unwrapped toy or book.

11.26   saturday
Andrew Bird with (early show) Sam Prekop, (late show) Head of Femur (Logan Square Auditorium)
I think violinist, songwriter and indie heartthrob Bird has relocated from his native (okay, I don't know about native, but he spent his "formative" musical years here) Chicago, which makes this another part of the whole "prodigal son" theme.

Bottle Rockets with The Siderunners (Beat Kitchen)
I already mentioned once in this space how I remembered these guys when they were the standard-bearers of the alt-country movement, way back before Uncle Tupelo split into Wilco and Sun Volt. Two points making a line and all that, I'm guessing that they're back for good, or at least for more than just one tour for old times' sake.

Disturbed with Corrosion of Conformity, Soil (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
I think the only time I actually saw Disturbed live was many, many years ago at Martyrs', of all places. You could tell they weren't just another local band, but they may have already been signed at the time.

The Psychodots with JT and the Clouds (Martyrs')
Also known as The Bears without Adrian Belew. I'd be awfully impressed if any of you were actually at Otis' in Lincoln Park ten years ago when Oncle Julien played with these guys.

Ladies and Gentlemen with The Assembly, The Effects (Elbo Room)
I need to check these guys out just so I can solidify in my mind what band they evolved from. I think it's Box-o-Car, but I'm not sure, and can't be bothered to, you know, look it up.

Pegboy with Mojica (Metro)
There's a name I haven't seen in a long, long while. Is everybody back in town for mom's turkey dinner or something?

Poi Dog Pondering (Double Door)
Same deal as Friday. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy or book.

Willy Porter (Old Town School of Folk Music)
The Wisconsin native brings his folk-rock to, appropriately enough, the Old Town School of Folk Music. While I like what I've heard from Porter, I can't say I'm worried about finding parking up by my place.

11.27   sunday
Paper Airplane Pilots with Poison Control Center, Cars Can Be Blue (Subterranean)
Say it with me: I need to see these guys so I can revise my opinion after a brief encounter many moons ago. Something about the road to hell and good intentions springs to mind.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
Last night of the six-night stand. One of these days, when I'm blessed with infinite free time and disposable income, I'd like to see every performance from somebody at the Showcase, to see how it evolves over the course of the week.