list.in.to.chicago this week: 08.28.2008

In which our humble correspondent mentions the state of Anto's hair, or lack thereof, several times and then skips out to Seattle for the long weekend.

Speaking of which, next week's edition will probably be out on Tuesday.

Pick of the week
I have to say, I'm a little intrigued by VAST on Wednesday at Martyrs', because I do remember at least one pretty good single from the first record. Paul Wertico (Wednesday, HotHouse) and Charlie Hunter (Friday, Petrillo Music Shell) are good jazz choices, too.

list.in.to.COZ
Come out to Vaughan's on Tuesday, and not only will you see me sing, you'll see Anto with his head shaved! What more do you want? Technically, Diver plays Saturday at Blue Bayou, but I won't be playing the gig.

Recap
If you missed the Open Jam last week, you missed a rendition of "Take a Picture" from Filter that began with the line "snakes on my airplane" instead of "awake on my airplane." Because I'm all topical like that. Also, I got to witness Anto losing his hair on Saturday after the Fire game. I've never seen him as nervous as he was before he went under the clippers. All kidding aside, it's for a good cause, but he's BALD!

8.28   monday
Wes John Trio (Navy Pier Beer Garden)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I've enjoyed the times I've gotten to play out on Navy Pier, but there's always that chance you could end up with a day like today, with sheets of rain that give no indication they're ever going to stop.

8.29   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Last week, Adam, Andrew and I agreed on a "theme" for our open jam songs this week. It'll be days of the week, although I may have to throw in a version of "I Think I'm Going Bald" from Rush's third album for Anto, if he makes an appearance and we can steal whatever hat he'll be inevitably wearing.

Chris Gilmartin with Alice Peacock (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I haven't seen my former co-worker, the esteemed Mr. Gilmartin, on a bill in quite some time. I think he plays with the same drummer that Wes does, now that I think about it.

Ian Gillan (House of Blues)
A friend who hosts another open mike gave away tickets to see Gillan a few weeks ago, and I have to say it was a little disappointing that so few people at Murphy's Bleachers on a Thursday night could correctly identify Gillan as the frontman of Deep Purple. Then again, I'm old.

The Nicholas Payton Sextet (Millenium Park)
The former "young lion" brings his trumpet to the Harris Theater in the park, with a tribute to Miles Davis.

8.30   wednesday
VAST with Cross Culture, Mardo (Martyrs')
This band was pegged as the next Nine Inch Nails about five or six years ago, but I think that's only because it was a single artist's brainchild, crossed electronics with rock, and said "fuck" a lot. Which isn't to say the songs were all that bad, which makes this look like a good chance to see someone who is, whether aspirationally or musically, bigger than the room they're playing.

Clientele with Great Lakes, Canasta (Abbey Pub)
Staring at band names for years makes your brain do funny things. For instance, I may have heard of these guys and actually know this, but I feel like I don't know a thing about them but will assume they live somewhere among all those British, hipster-fueled, Joy Division-influenced bands. I will then figure I'm doing that because their name looks like a cross between Clinic and Interpol.

Paul Wertico Trio with Goran Ivanovic Group (HotHouse)
It's Jazz Fest week, so everybody's coming out of the woodwork, including Chicago's highest-profile jazz drummer.

56 Hope Rd. (Wise Fools Pub)
I commented on this one last week, so I'm guessing that it's a Wednesday night residency of some sort. Which, given their Grateful Dead influence, makes sense so close to the college-and-shortly-thereafter vibe of Lincoln Park.

8.31   thursday
Kick The Cat with Kyle Mann Combo (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The monthly Tuesday show from these fusioneers seems to be no longer monthly and no longer on a Tuesday, but that may be in part to capitalize on the Jazz Fest crowd milling about the city.

Thax Douglas Farewell Show (Hideout)
I've never really had any strong feelings one way or the other about the self-appointed poet laureate of the Chicago music scene, and maybe that's part of why he's leaving. Featuring Sybris, Tight Phantomz, Dick Prall and Daniel Knox.

9.01   friday
The Ladies and Gentlemen with Brad Peterson, The Its!, Matt Focht (Subterranean)
These guys are still one of my favorites as of late, so until someone knocks them off that perch, I'll continue to tag most of their shows here.

Mudhoney with The Cynics, Bible of the Devil, DJ Mike Miller (Double Door)
When you consider that grunge burst onto the scene in the early nineties, it's amazing that these guys are still even around, as they were even considered forefathers -- or at least pioneers -- of the genre. But they never really became a part of the meteoric rise of the genre and its subsequent self-immolation, so maybe it's not such a surprise.

Charlie Hunter Trio with Ray Anderson (Petrillo Music Shell)
One of the most innovative jazz guitarists to make a legitmate national name for himself since Stanley Jordan, Hunter has been consistently on his game for at least a decade now. It looks like his trio will be augmented here by trombonist Ray Anderson.

9.02   saturday
Lord Mike's Dirty Calypsonians (Gunther Murphy's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The former member of Deals Gone Bad scores style points on the name, and apparently truly play some variation of calypso.

Diver (Blue Bayou)   SEE COZ CHRIS PETERSON LIVE!
I'll be out of town, so Ripleys drummer Chris Peterson will be filling in for what may be the last time we play this particular venue as a full-on electric band. No, the band isn't going anywhere, and Tony and Anto -- did I mention he shaved his head? -- will likely still play here acoustically. They're just not doing the big, loud rock anymore, from what I hear.

9.03   sunday
Joey DeFrancesco Trio with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Ron Blake (Petrillo Music Shell)
Jazz Fest comes to a close with this organ trio. As the Metromix listing reminds me at every turn, this is the 28th festival, which makes it the longest-running of the outdoor Chicago fests. You would think that would be Blues Fest, but that one actually spun off from the Jazz Festival, as did the Latin Fest, the Gospel Fest, and probably even the Country Music Fest.