list.in.to.chicago this week: 12.11.2006

I'm not saying list.in.to.chicago makes a great Christmas gift per se, but forwarding it to a friend would make you look thoughtful and not cost you a dime! Everybody wins!

Pick of the week
Well, if there were tickets available, I'm becoming increasingly fascinated with The Hush Sound (Sunday, House of Blues). Plus, you've got your pick of good local acts on Friday with Columbian Monkey Knife Fight (Schubas), NYCO (Abbey Pub) and Office (Double Door).

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, but Anto's back, if that's something you care about. Diver closes out the year with shows on the 22nd (Fado) and 29th (Cullen's).

Recap
So, to the best of my recollection, both Soma Star and Reform Euphoria rocked it out in grand style on Thursday at Subterranean. That said, I would like this to serve as a reminder that four shots of whiskey is perhaps not the best idea when all you've had to eat has been, well, about five beers. I am pretty sure they rocked, although I can't say whether or not either of them played "Into The Mystic." That last bit is only going to be funny to about three people, but they'll probably cause passersby to wonder what the hell they're laughing at.

Wingman proved that you can still rock somewhere near 100% with only 67% of personnel out in what the cool kids -- okay, just Patrick -- call "Ed Park." Rumors that Kevin was Brady Quinn's ride to the Heisman Trophy presentation were unfounded, and I can't imagine who would, oh, I don't know, say such a thing into a live microphone at said gig.

12.11   monday
Ambulette with The Race, Singleman Affair (Empty Bottle)
A blog search for "ambulette" yielded one posting somewhere that describes lead singer Maura Davis as an "uber-hot siren." Aside from the notion that I've seen the band mentioned a lot online, I've recommended bands for worse.

12.12   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Okay, I've brushed up on the Grinch chords, so we should be set to go for my last two Open Jams of the year, since I'll be out of town that final week of December. Winter -- watch out where those huskies go! -- and holiday songs will serve as a somewhat informal theme if anyone else wants to pick up on it.

The Pretenders (Riviera Theatre)
Chrissie Hynde seems to be one of those unique performers who has made it through a very long and storied career with her dignity pretty much intact. I get the impression we won't see many artists like that much anymore. This is another XRT Concert For The Kids, so visit the XRT web site for information on what you're supposed to bring.

Gayle Ritt (Elbo Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I think Gayle tends to be back in Chicago for the holidays, but I may be imagining that, as I also have a vague recollection that she's originally from Florida and not the Windy City.

Sean Lennon with Jim Noir (Park West)
Wow, it's kind of a tough week for John Lennon's son to be out on tour isn't it? Friday was the 26th anniversary of his dad's murder. Hopefully, for his sake, he doesn't dwell on it too much, because that would probably be kind of rough on both artist and audience. I have no idea how to "properly" keep that kind of an event in context, though.

12.13   wednesday
Open Mike (The Globe)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I meant to flag this last week when it debuted, but Stolie is hosting another open mike, and I want to encourage one of my favorite bars to have more music, despite a fairly dubious Diver gig there last year.

(Lone) Wolf and Cub with Loaded For Bear, My Friend Rudra, Dance Club Massacre (Beat Kitchen)
I know nothing about any of these bands, but I think it's funny that you've got both a wolf and a bear on the bill.

12.14   thursday
Disturbed with Stone Sour, Flyleaf (Aragon Ballroom)
This is, I think, the third year of Q101's multi-night format for their Twisted Christmas show, and on some level, they seem to be embracing this whole "on shuffle" concept by having fairly disparate bills each night. This would be the heavy night.

The Ladies and Gentlemen with Milk At Midnight, The Assembly, Farewell Captain (Beat Kitchen)
This Thursday engagement kicks off a bevy, a plethora, a virtual cornucopia of shows this weekend from local bands who all have a legitimate shot at being my new favorite local band.

12.15   friday
Columbian Monkey Knife Fight with Leave, Bandages, David Golan (Schubas)
I don't really even remember what they sounded like, but I remember liking this band a lot and particularly liking the singer's voice, saying at the time that it was refreshing to hear someone who wasn't in the least bit whiny.

NYCO with Hey Champ, Antioch Secret Society. Jonny Rumble (Abbey Pub)
I've given these guys the perhaps dubious honor of sounding Steely Dan-esque, but that's a good thing in my book, and it's not necessarily all there is to the band's sound, either.

Office with Mannequin Men (Double Door)
Seriously, could these bands maybe share a Google calendar or something? Every once in a while, a handful of local bands that are all worth seeing all play on the same night, in a sort of Chicago local scene syzygy, and yes, I learned that word from watching The X-Files. I caught enough of this band's set at Lollapalooza to know I'd like to hear more.

Gogol Bordello with Valient Thorr, Dan Sartain (Metro)
Something about this band seems to inspire a certain amount of passion and loyalty to the point of evangelism. People who like this New York "gypsy punk band" really like them a lot.

My Chemical Romance with Rise Against, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Aragon Ballroom)
Night two of the Q101 holiday "series" is apparently for disaffected teenagers who aren't into metal. After seeing their names all over the place, I finally cued up the new CD from Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I made it all of 15 seconds before having to stop, which beats a previous record of 29 seconds held by Winger all the way back in 1989. And, as an aside, I want to leave every conversation with the Mac-versus-PC commercial-inflected "I have to go listen to some emo" from here on out.

Wookie Hangover with Lockjaw, Pure Motorized Instinct (Horseshoe)
Best band name of the week. No contest.

12.16   saturday
Guster with Jet, Gym Class Heroes (Aragon Ballroom)
I'm not even sure how to classify the third night of the Q101 bash, as Guster is almost more of an XRT band. I don't hear much I can use to link them up to the heavily AC/DC-influenced Jet.

Scott Lucas with Musical Outfits, Stellar Road, Nice Peter, The Villains of Verona, Five Minutes In (Abbey Pub)
The Local H frontman heads up a pretty sizeable bill over on North Elston.

12.17   sunday
The Hush Sound with Murder By Death, This Providence, This Is Me Smiling (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
Every once in a while, I need to mention a sold out show from someone I've never, ever heard of, just to sort of get my bearings in full public view. Unlike previous entries in this category, The Hush Sound are not a punk-pop/emo band from the suburbs, but rather a rather sharp, song-driven local quartet that reminds me a lot of Ben Folds. Which makes the pairing with This Is Me Smiling a natural. Also, they were on the soundtrack to Snakes On A Plane.