list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.04.2008

I would remind you to vote tomorrow, but that might make me a hypocrite. Last time I voted in a primary, I felt like I had snuck into someone else's party and started eating their food. It was a little disconcerting.

Pick of the week
Well, the Yeasayer and MGMT shows (Friday at Schubas) are sold out, so they must be good.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, but a new Diver date is on the schedule for next Saturday, February 16th at Cubby Bear Wrigleyville, opening for a band called Rock Candy.

Recap
I was working late a lot and the weather sucked, so other than Tony and I messing around with an acoustic "Spirit of Radio" and "And You And I" -- which were darned amusing to us, anyway -- I got nothin'.

2.04   monday
Indigo Girls with Michelle Malone (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend adding Wordplay to your Netflix queues, as it features the Indigo Girls as crossword puzzle fans. And do they ever tour with a band? I ask because one of the Marotta brothers tends to lay down some pretty interesting tracks on some of their songs.

2.05   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
It's Super Tuesday, so if there's going to be a theme, the obvious one would be "change." Other election-related songs would work, too. I may take another stab at "Freedom of Choice" from Devo.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is a first, I think, in that they'll be paying tribute to two artists in one night. Being Fat Tuesday, those two artists are The Neville Brothers and The Meters, which is kind of a cool touch.

Lord Mike's Dirty Calypsonians with Half-Pint Jones, Chi-Town Kids (The Note)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Another Fat Tuesday special, if I remember the display ad correctly, and there's really no guarantee that I do.

Marilyn Manson with Ours (Aragon Ballroom)
Now, I didn't really think Manson did anything incredibly interesting back when he was actually popular, so now I don't see much of a point at all. Ours is supposed to be good, though, even if the whole "guitar tech for Jeff Buckley" thing was just an Internet rumor. I think.

Tim Finn with Eileen Rose (Double Door)
This is the brother from Split Enz who did not go on to front Crowded House, although he spent some time in the band. Which make him the uncle of Liam Finn, who will be coming through town at the end of the month.

Liars with No Age (Metro)
You've got to love Wikipedia for bits like "Although initially lumped into the New York dance-punk scene of the early 21st century, they have come to be categorized by their dramatic stylistic shifts between albums, while retaining a consistent interest in rhythm and sound texture." The early 21st century? What, did someone from the future come back and edit the page?

2.06   wednesday
Office with Daniel Johnston (Metro)
You may have noticed that sometimes I list the band I'm interested in ahead of the actual headliner in these listings. This is one of those times.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
See (Fat) Tuesday's listing.

2.07   thursday
Open Mic Night (Murphy's Bleachers)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Ubiquitous open mic host Stolie just released a new CD, so go check her and her merry band of open mic regulars out. They're kind of different than our open jam regulars at Vaughan's, which I find kind of fascinating, from a sociological standpoint.

2.08   friday
Yeasayer with MGMT (Schubas)   SOLD OUT!
Again, sold out shows from bands you've never heard of at Schubas demand notice. Here we've got two Brooklyn bands who have picked up some South By Southwest buzz (Yeasayer) and "ones to watch" status from Rolling Stone (MGMT). And I think it's a forgone conclusion that MGMT should sign to RCRD LBL.

Will Hoge with Jason Isbell, Dawn Landes (Double Door)
He's one of them sensitive singer/songwriter types, but works pretty hard at it, and there's a really nice YouTube video that combines one of his songs with his version of "The Times They Are a'Changin'".

Tall Dark Stranger with The New Affair, The Great Influence Machine, The Riverbilly Cousin Touchers (The Note)
I haven't instituted a "friends of friends of Coz" tag, but if I did, these guys would get it, as they're friends with a co-worker of mine, had their record produced by Steve Gillis, and had Dario fill in on drums for them once.

2.09   saturday
Vast with White Light Riot, Project .44 (Double Door)
Jon Crosby got pegged as a Trent Reznor-in-training years ago, mostly on account of being a one-man band of sorts with electronic textures and a propensity to say "fuck" in radio singles. Crosby apparently still has a pretty active, if someone small, fanbase, which would explain why no one cares enough to either tighten up or rebut some of his Wikipedia entry.

Butterfly Assassins with Hot As Hell, The Midnight Shows (Subterranean)
I'll admit that, before I saw them about a month ago, I had assumed this was some sort of side project from Joe Cassidy and Merritt Lear, who had been in Butterfly Child together and went on to form Assassins. They're not, and as I mentioned after I saw them, have achieved the unlikely cross-pollination of The Decemberists and Muse.

Deal's Gone Bad with The Rebel Angels, Lockstep (Beat Kitchen)
Lord Mike plays on Tuesday, and then his former band, Deal's Gone Bad, plays that same week? Coincidence? Yeah, probably.

The Whigs with Tulsa, The Rikters (Schubas)
Hmmm, a "tuneful" rock band from Athens, GA? Where have I heard that before? And The Rikters popped up on my radar sometime last year, only I don't recall why.

Isotope 217 with Manual and Abstract Giants (Millennium Park)
I remember going to see these guys the night the Bulls won their sixth NBA title, and that I was too exhausted and perhaps a little too intoxicated to appreciate their experimental jazz and, I think, electronica.

2.10   sunday
Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues with Appaloosa (The Vic)
I've seen enough written about Chan Marshall to be intrigued, but not enough to actually seek out any of her music as Cat Power, including this new covers record. Doesn't mean you shouldn't.