list.in.to.chicago this week: 12.19.2005

A quick programming note: There almost certainly will be a list.in.to.chicago next week, but it might not go out until I get back into Chicago on Tuesday. That said, I have the technology to write it and send it out from my parents' house in Virginia, but they'll probably want to, you know, spend time together as a family or something crazy like that.

Pick of the week
If American Motherload were playing Saturday instead of Friday (Kinetic Playground), I could have run with the "not a creature was stirring" part of the poem, instead. The Waco Brothers (Thursday and Friday, Schubas) look like a good choice, too.

list.in.to.COZ
Depending on how I feel when my plane lands next Tuesday, this week at Vaughan's could be your last chance to see your humble correspondent perform in any capacity in 2005, unless I get drunk enough early enough on New Year's Eve to dance on a table or something.

Recap
While I have nothing against the Cupcakes, the fact that I heard EXO first means they're always going to sound sorta like EXO to me. Friday's muscular set at Double Door was no exception, although at times, they struck me as what the Rollins Band would sound like with real vocals. Nothing against Hank, but he'd be the first to admit he's not a "singer," in the classic sense.

On Saturday night at Elbo Room, I was impressed with the couple of tunes I caught at the end of Velvet Sun's set, so I'll be keeping an eye out in the future. Ashoka showed some potential, but knowing it was their first show, signs of that new-band uncertainty stood out -- that focus on your own parts that comes before you start working as a unit. Also, if you don't actually have any more songs to play, you should leave the stage in no uncertain terms when you finish your last song. Don't even leave that encore door open a crack. Now their friends -- out in force for the debutantes, which is normal -- are going to want them to switch instruments at the end and muddle through one of the drummer's tunes from his other band at every show, and that way lies madness.

12.19   monday
Chicago Rock Club (Elbo Room)
The open mike and local band showcase continues with Joey T. -- who I'm guessing is Joey from Your Little Ponies -- hosting, but I wanted to tease it out because I just found out that (at least one of) the owners of Elbo Room, after 15 years or so of renting, have finally bought the building that holds the club. So it looks like they'll be there for a good long time.

12.20   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I actually caught How The Grinch Stole Christmas on TV a week or so ago, and realized that the eight million verses of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" sorta sneak up on you because they break them up on TV. They're not even in the same order. The "stink, stank, stunk" verse is actually in the beginning of the song. Come to Vaughan's, I'll prove it. Or at least sing it that way.

12.21   wednesday
Blue Man Group (Briar Street Theater)
On the one hand, Blue Man! They rock! On the other, giving them a listing usually means the alternative is to go hang out on the corner of Slim and None.

12.22   thursday
Cisco Pike with Suffrajett, The Sleepers, Kevin Tihista, DJ Scott Lucas (Double Door)
I've been hearing about these guys on and off for a while now, but haven't seen them. What I didn't realize until a very recent Google search is that the band is half-made of guys from The Cells and included Local H's Scott Lucas as second guitarist, who will also be DJing for the show, nominally a CD release party for Suffrajett.

The Waco Brothers with High Hawk (Schubas)
Critics used to call the Wacos "insurgent country," but that was before "insurgent" started to work its way into the nightly news on a daily basis. Anyway, Jon Langford and crew will be taking requests at this, the first of two shows in Lakeview.

12.23   friday
The Waco Brothers with Josh Kalmus (Schubas)
Of course, as they play their Freedom and Weep album in its entirety for this show, maybe the insurgent labe is more appropriate than I initially thought?

American Motherload with Roller, Bottles of Wine (Kinetic Playground)
I hadn't been getting much of a vibe for the new Uptown club, across the street from the Aragon Ballroom. After they opened with live music, they seemed to backpedal a bit. In the last couple of weeks, though, there seems to be a renewed effort to become part of the live music scene, capped with a show from local heavyweights -- in nearly every sense of the word -- American Motherload.

Assassins with Kill Hannah, DJ Tommie Sunshine (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
I got sorta burned out on Assassins at some point last year. Heck, I got sorta burned out on all the bands I go see often. I resolve to try approaching some of these bands with fresh ears in 2006. As for Kill Hannah, do they and their fans wear Christmas stockings on their arms instead of tube socks around the holidays?

16 Candles with 40% Steve (Joe's)
A double bill of shows that Diver has played with at Cubby Bear.

12.24   saturday
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, hardly anyone was playing, not even a ditty.

12.25   sunday
Merry Christmas from list.in.to.chicago, if you're so inclined.