list.in.to.chicago this week: 09.25.2006

Yeah, it's almost October already. On the one hand, where did the summer go? On the other, that means we're right in the thick of one of the busiest parts of the year, show-wise.

Pick of the week
If you haven't ever seen Tortoise (Friday, Empty Bottle), they're definitely a band worth checking out. If you have seen them, they don't really offer up anything new after repeated shows, but sometimes you're in that kind of mood. And I'd be curious to see how Harvey Danger (Saturday, Schubas) has held up as an alt-rock one-hit wonder.

list.in.to.COZ
For those of you with cars, you can get both Wingman and the three-piece version of Diver this Saturday at Cubby Bear North in Lincolnshire. Wingman will also be closing out the night at the Gigfest benefit show on Sunday at Horseshoe on Lincoln. And see below for details on this week's Vaughan's Open Jam theme.

Recap
Okay, after a long, post-summer festival hiatus, it's back into the swing of things. Tool rocked something fierce, and I liked the new material live much more than I did the Lateralus songs on that tour, particularly the epic "Blame Hoffman." And while I had heard that the band just sits on the stage between the main set and the encore, it's still really funny to watch.

I also ended up catching a thoroughly entertaining set from KT Tunstall on Friday. She seems like the type of person I would have a beer with at a local Irish bar, and quite possibly have. I can't imagine her road crew cares much for her drummer, though, as he has two kits and a cocktail set on stage.

9.25   monday
Cursive with The Thermals, Ladyfinger (Metro)
I caught most of this band's set at Lollapalooza, and was pretty intrigued. They had a certain element of eccentricity about them, and a locally-hired horn section.

Jet with The Ladies And Gentlemen (The Vic)
I guess I think of these guys as bigger than they really are on account of two different cover bands I've been in playing "Are You Going To Be My Girl?" So I was surprised they were playing The Vic to support their new record, but according to Metromix, it hasn't sold out, and that's even despite one of my new favorite local bands opening the show.

Nitzer Ebb with PTI, DJ Scary Lady Sarah (House of Blues)
While I'm not one to care much about the NFL, I do think it was kind of funny that there's a band called "PTI" playing on a Monday night during football season. I have this mental image of Monday Night Football's Tony Kornheiser and his Pardon The Interruption partner Michael Wilborn as the two guys playing keyboard in the Revenge Of The Nerds talent show or something.

The Who with moe. (United Center)
I haven't checked to see if Ringo Starr's kid is on drums again, as he was most recently sighted backing up Oasis on their last tour. Also, Mike Patton's Peeping Tom is opening up later on this tour, which I'd be really curious to see.

9.26   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
We're back to themes again, and this week's is TV show theme songs. I'm going to clarify that all the songs don't have to be TV show themes, because then we'd all probably go for the same ones. I think I've got one picked out that will be pretty non-cheesy, actually.

Sufjan Stevens with My Brightest Diamond and the Tortured Souls (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
Illinois' and indie rock's newest favorite is in town for what I think is the first time since his Illinois-themed album made the top ten list of nearly every critic and every music blogger in the country last year. This one should be a hipster's paradise.

9.27   wednesday
Jamie Cullum with Josh Ritter (The Vic)
I've only heard of this guy via Anto, but apparently his thing is jazz versions of songs from the likes of Radiohead and other pop and rock stars.

Massive Attack (Riviera Theatre)
This is the rescheduled show from the trip-hop legends that was originally on the docket about a month or so ago.

9.28   thursday
The Melvins with Big Business, ghostdigital (Double Door)
I used to get surveyed by a radio research company, and they always used to ask how I would rate my music preference on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 meant "slow and soft" and 10 meant "fast and loud." I would always reply that I preferred music that was slow and loud, like the Melvins, so what should I answer? And yet they kept calling me.

9.29   friday
Tortoise (Empty Bottle)
I think the post-rock poster boys just released some sort of compilation. I'm pretty sure it's not new material, but it does seem to warant a tour, including two shows at the Bottle.

Fareed Haque with Greg Spero Trio, The Hitmaker (Martyrs')
After quite a bit of touring with Garaj Mahal, the local -- if he is, in fact, still considered local -- guitar virtuoso is playing an increasingly rare show with his own band. I think the ratio right now is maybe three or four Garaj Mahal shows for each solo show, which is, in my mind, ass backwards.

Veruca Salt with Agent Sparks, The Strays, Cisco Pike (Double Door)
Louise Post has struggled to keep the band active after her tabloid-worthy split with bandmate Nina Gordon. While the retooled Veruca Salt has gotten some good reviews from local critics, they still haven't been able to make much a dent in the public consciousness post-Nina. Looks like the band has a brand new, Rae Dileo-produced record out that hopes to change that. Interestingly enough, it looks like it came out within weeks of Gordon's second solo record.

Poi Dog Pondering with DJ Julio Davis (Metro)
I don't think there's anything to say about Poi Dog that hasn't already been said. One of the most reliably fun bands in Chicago to see live.

Social Distortion with Supersuckers, Blackpool Lights (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
The enduring punk outfit hasn't released a record since 2004, but that hasn't stopped them from selling out three nights in Chicago.

9.30   saturday
Diver with Wingman (Cubby Bear North, Lincolnshire)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Yes, I'm double-dipping again, but this time I'm taking Avi with me, as Diver's bass player will be filling in for Randy in Wingman before a trio headlining set.

Harvey Danger with So Many Dynamos, Probably Vampires (Schubas)
You may remember them as the band that had the alternative hit "Flagpole Sitta" many, many years ago. If not, you may remember them as the band that had that song that had the line "paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get me," but you never knew the name of it.

Bobby Conn with The 1900s, DJ Shoulders (Subterranean)
I haven't seen Conn playing, at least nominally, with the Glass Gypsies in a while, and I'm not sure what to make of that, other than that I'm too lazy to see if he's got a website or a blog or something that would give me the answer.

Social Distortion with Supersuckers, Blackpool Lights (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
See Friday's listing.

Nina Hagen with Paradise Island (Metro)
It's always curious to see what sort of crowd certain cult figures from a certain era will draw, and I recall seeing a woman in the vicinity of Hagen's 51 years with acid-washed jeans and bleached, teased hair at the Metro box office buying tickets for this one back when we were picking up Art Brut tickets.

10.01   sunday
2nd Annual Gigfest (Horseshoe)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This is a benefit for Imagination Theater and Cheryl's Dreaming Big that includes friends of Coz Insignificant Others and winds up with a set from Wingman.

Nicholas Barron's Hyperactive (Long Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
It's fascinating to look at how Nicholas has evolved and yet, sort of not over the years. For the most part, he's been able to grow as a musician and a songwriter without sacrificing a lot of what has always defined his sound, although he has gotten away from the more indulgent elements of his earlier live shows back in the Elbo Room residency days.

Social Distortion with Supersuckers, Blackpool Lights (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
See Friday's listing.