list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.19.2007

Valentine's Day just went by, and two frequent listees get hitched. Coincidence? More importantly, what other "Friends of Coz" can we set up with each other?

Pick of the week
We'll go with my boys in Soulfix (Thursday, Double Door) as part of a pretty potent bill, and then, because we're all about the friends this week, The Changes on Saturday at Metro. And no, I don't think a Soulfix-Changes wedding would work out.

list.in.to.COZ
Next Friday, March 2nd, we'll be celebrating the day after my birthday with Diver at Blue Bayou. You want to be there. Really. In the meantime, just Vaughan's, but with a good chance someone (probably me) will try to play Rage Against The Machine on acoustic guitar.

Recap
Thursday night, Carbon Leaf did what they did well enough, but were a little too predictable for my liking that evening. Steve and Liam sounded great as openers, with a bunch of songs from the upcoming Frisbie record.

On Sunday night, I'm kind of surprised any music went on anywhere in the city, as half its musical population seemed to be at the wedding of longtime "Friends of Coz" Steve Gillis and Dana Lawrence. Dana actually beat Steve to the punch of joining the band by singing "Baby I Love You" as part of her speech/toast during dinner, but then I'd say Steve played drums more than he was on the dance floor from that point forward. At one point, there was probably a ten-piece band on stage consisting of noone in the band that was actually hired for the evening, with the wedding all-stars including Gillis, Nicholas Barron, Frank Russell, Vijay Tellis-Nayak and Wes Cichosz.

Plus, I got to see Tony from Diver dance. That was worth it right there.

2.19   monday
Under The Influence Of Giants with The New Diet, This World's Fair (Abbey Pub)
Wikipedia lists this Los Angeles band's influences as Wham!, Prince, the Bee Gees and Todd Rundgren, so I guess the comparison to Scissor Sisters isn't unfounded.

2.20   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
On the heels of last week's big Police reunion tour news, the theme for at least the next couple of weeks will be "bands reuniting in 2007." Already on that list, to my knowledge, are the Police, Van Halen, Crowded House, Rage Against The Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins, Genesis and, yes, The Spice Girls.

Bumpus (Schubas)
The band will be paying tribute to the Meters, which is entirely appropriate for Fat Tuesday.

Lord Mike's Dirty Calypsonians (The Note)
This too, seems oddly appropriate for Fat Tuesday.

2.21   wednesday
Sparklehorse with Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter (Double Door)
DeRo seemed exceptionally fond of this guy in a recent Sun-Times piece. Sometimes it's hard to tease out which of Jim's sweet spots an artist is hitting, but it may simply be that Sparklehorse zigged exactly when Jim thought they should zig.

Neil Diamond Phillips with Paper Street Co., Red Star Wrecking Co., Tautologic. (Subterranean)
On the heels of former Coz project Nitrous Foxide getting named one of the worst band names of 2006 by the Onion AV Club, this one gets my band name of the week. And I haven't seen Tautologic on a bill in quite a while.

Penthouse Sweets with The Pumps (Quenchers Saloon)
This one is kind of pushing it too far, though.

2.22   thursday
Soulfix with Evil Beaver, Phistine Verona, Hot Lips Messiah (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The 'Fix is in for the first time in quite a while. Haven't gotten an update on the full-length record that I know the band is working on, but then again, I haven't asked. And Evil Beaver -- celebrating a CD release, as is Phistine Verona -- always brings the rock.

2.23   friday
The Apples In Stereo with Casper and the Cookies, Tullycraft (Subterranean)
I've taken a cursory listen to the band's new record after reading a really enthusiastic review, but it hasn't really clicked for me yet. None of the big releases out of the gate this year have.

Liquid Soul with The Baldwin Brothers (House of Blues Back Porch Stage)
Two different generations of promising bands out of Chicago that sort of stalled out in the unforgiving major-label machine. This could make for an interesting double bill.

Frank Russell Quartet (Pop's For Champagne)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I haven't visited the new location for Pop's yet, but if you can fit a whole jazz quartet -- this one led by bassist Russell -- it's got to be a little more roomy for the musicians.

Praxis with Mat Alchemist, Chris Bender (Kinetic Playground)
Okay, I was really, really excited about this show until I checked the venue's website and learned that it was NOT the Praxis featuring Bill Laswell, Buckethead and Brain. Turns out it's some bullshit techno from San Francisco. Thanks for getting my hopes up, assholes.

Mucca Pazza with Velcro Lewis and His 100 Proof Band, Reds and Blue (Double Door)
I think I read that this band has something like fourteen people in it. That's all I've got.

2.24   saturday
The Changes with The Spinto Band, Dios Malos (Metro)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I heard a Cure song on the radio yesterday, and realized that it may have been the direct influence on the intro of one of the Changes songs that their lead guitarist sings, mostly for the heavy breathing over the opening chords. This is, I think, the band's first local show since their CD release party, and openers The Spinto Band were last here with Art Brut and We Are Scientists.

Frank Russell Quartet (Pop's For Champagne)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
See Friday's listing.

Ike Reilly (Martyrs')
One of these days I'm going to have actually see Reilly perform, or that lingering buzz from a bunch of years ago is going to dissipate completely.

Liquid Soul with The Baldwin Brothers (House of Blues Back Porch Stage)
See Friday's listing.

2.25   sunday
Bright Eyes with Maria Taylor, All Smiles (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
I vaguely remember liking what I heard from the more acoustic of Conor Oberst's twin releases from about this time last year. The new record drops in March.

Nicholas Barron's Hyperactive (Long Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I was actually sitting at the same table as the owners of the Long Room at the wedding yesterday, and true to form, the band will be back at it already this week.