list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.16.2008

Search for "mobfest chicago" on the Google, and the content under the natural search link contains a bunch of stylesheet gobbledygook instead of the useful information about the site that you usually see. That's just lazy on the website developer's part, but then again, the website is exactly one HTML page, two PDFs and a link to MySpace, so I guess they didn't spend much time (or bands' application fees) on it.

Also, there probably won't be a list next week, although I may have some time to kill in the airport in Virginia on my way up to New York City, so it's up in the air. Get it? I'll be in an airport...

Pick of the week
No question, it's Mike Doughty with Frisbie and the J. Davis Trio on Friday night at Taste of Randolph. I'm also excited about Dethklok tonight at House of Blues for the Keneally quotient, but that looks like it's sold out.

list.in.to.COZ
Not only will I be at Vaughan's on Tuesday, but I may be accompanying Anto on guitar during the opening set of Diver classics -- with "classics" defined as "whatever tunes I can learn by tomorrow" -- as Tony is on vacation with the family.

Recap
Last week, I was thinking mostly about how long it had been since I had seen Rush in concert. At the show, I realized that it will be 25 years this September since I first saw the band at Radio City Music Hall -- my first rock concert ever. Opening that show was Marillion, so it became something of a moral imperative for me to see Fish last night at Park West. It's not often that an artist will so thoroughly scratch that nostalgia itch, and Fish did it by playing a half-dozen songs from his final album with Marillion, Clutching at Straws, with the band playing them down pretty much by the book. His newer stuff bore enough of a resemblance to Porcupine Tree that I should probably give it a listen.

Balancing old and new songs was a bit more problematic with Rush last Monday at the United Center, as they opened the second set with about five songs from their last two albums. It brought the energy down significantly until they pulled "Subdivisions" out of their bag of tricks. The newer stuff isn't nearly as compelling, melodically, but I liked the acoustic guitar tones and backing vocals from the irrepressible and perennially underrated Alex Lifeson. Overall, though, the sound was great and the song selection as good as you can ask for, going really heavy on Moving Pictures (5 out of 7 songs) and Permanent Waves (3 out of 6, including "Natural Science").

Mixed in there was the Nicholas Barron Trio at the Navy Pier Beer Garden on Friday, and I think I said last year around this time that it's nice to hear those guys through a full P.A. system every once in a while.

6.16   monday
Dethklok with Chimaira, Soilent Green (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT?
I'm actually not sure how this tour works, as the band comes by way of Metalocalypse on the Cartoon Network, but I don't think it's a live band playing behind a cartoon the way Gorillaz does it. However they do it, the band boasts Mike Keneally and Brian Beller from Keneally's band, along with Gene Hoglan on drums. Metromix doesn't say it's sold out, but that runs contrary to the Reader's "Early Warnings" e-mails.

6.17   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I may try to get the word out for a theme this week of songs for Fathers' Day, but with Tony off on vacation at a certain Orlando amusement park, bonus points for anyone playing "Dizz Knee Land" from Dada. Yes, Tony will be out and I will be in charge, ruling as benevolent dictator and cramming to learn Diver tunes on guitar.

The Swell Season with Damien Dempsey (Chicago Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
I have some friends that questioned my enthusiasm about the movie Once, and I don't know what to make of that, except maybe that not everyone likes outcasts-as-unlikely-stars like I tend to. I typically don't want to see movies about, let's say, a well-scrubbed ambitious TV producer (I bailed on Knocked Up after at most, ten minutes). I need characters with rough edges. You should recall from earlier editions that The Swell Season is Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from said movie.

Ladytron with Datarock (The Vic)
I'm hearing just enough buzz about Ladytron's new record to add it to the big Rhapsody playlist of this year's releases, even though I'm typically not a fan of electropop.

Peter Murphy with Ali Eskandarian (House of Blues)
The former Bauhaus frontman continues on as a solo artist, but can you really be goth at 51? Pictures I've seen online of the recent Cure tour don't make that strong of a case.

6.18   wednesday
Tennis Courts with Vitallight, On We, Fair Herald (Bottom Lounge)
I've read a first-hand account that confirms the club is now open. I saw this band a couple of weeks ago, and I think I remember liking them. Or not disliking them.

The Swell Season with Damien Dempsey (Chicago Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing.

6.19   thursday
Mucca Pazza with Baby Teeth (The Mansion)
The Sun-Times had an interesting story over the weekend about some of the lesser-known venues for music across Chicago, including this Logan Square spot booked by the folks over at Empty Bottle. And you'd need a mansion to fit the indie rock marching band that is Mucca Pazza.

Cries Tiger with Percolator, Band of Annuals, Bicycle Tricycle (South Union Arts)
This is another of those venues, called "a brilliant exercise in ironic indie minimalism" in the article, and run by the emerging empire of MP Shows, which by my count, runs this venue, Reggie's Rock Club, Bottom Lounge, Subterranean and Beat Kitchen. I may be wrong. Of these bands, I saw Bicycle Tricycle a while ago, and don't know if they're still going after a sort of updated version of Gary Numan (and I mean that in a good way).

Ultra Sonic Edukators with Inspector Owl, The Gunshy, The Laureates (Metro)
These guys are now becoming my new version of Sunday Morning Chameleon -- a band that I liked quite a bit on that initial listen, then became a bit more critical of the more I heard from them. With Ultra Sonic Edukators, I'd like to hear more melodic range from their singer and more complementary guitar parts between the two guitarists rather than just having them play the same chords.

Sunday Morning Chameleon with The Get Go, Status Green, The Silents, Victoria (Double Door)
Almost as if summoned, here's Sunday Morning Chameleon kicking off a five-band bill at Double Door. When we last left these guys, they were evolving past the overt Coldplay influence, but I don't know where they ended up.

Edwin McCain with Brian Vander Ark (House of Blues)
They had one of those American Idol recap shows on one of the TVs at the gym a couple of weeks ago, and it featured a bit from McCain where he begged potential contestants to not brutalize his songs.

T.I. (Congress Theater)
There was a point about three years ago when this rapper was on the verge of something really big, but he seems to have backed down from that since.

6.20   friday
Mike Doughty's Band with Frisbie, J. Davis Trio (Taste of Randolph)
Remarkably solid and undeniably catchy triple-bill at one of the better-booked street festivals. I've seen both Doughty and Frisbie in the past six months, and both of them were great.

Return to Forever (Chicago Theatre)
I thought about adding this to my nostalgic summer tour -- as the natural progression from prog rock is to jazz fusion -- but the ticket prices were too high for me to be able to justify going to see Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al Di Meola.

Simplistic Urge with Heavy the Fall, Lucid Ground, A Birdsong Valentine, Lunic, The Real Jane Martin, Root Cause (Elbo Room)
I'll assume this is a MOBfest show, because seven bands in one night is excessive even for the new-look Elbo Room. As a MOBfest show, you can rest assured that there probably won't be any A&R reps there.

Dot Dot Dot with Verona Grove, Par Avion, Hey Mister (Cubby Bear Wrigleyville)
There's always one band playing one showcase at MOBfest that's going to draw whatever industry folks do make it into town, and I'm guessing this one is it. I would tell you why I think that, but it would probably lead to another comically angry e-mail.

Chicago with The Doobie Brothers (Charter One Pavilion)
I own a greatest hits compilation from one of these bands. I'm not going to tell you which one.

6.21   saturday
Miss Alex White and The Red Orchestra with Simply Saucer, Plastic Crimewave Sound, The Submarine Races (Subterranean)
Her label's website explains that "Miss Alex White hails from the backyards, gutters and smoke-filled hideouts of Chicago." Or they could have just said the Hideout, which is what that sort of sounds like. This is not a MOBfest show -- it looks like none of the MP Shows venues are involved.

The Detroit Cobras with Les Sans Culottes, Streetwisemen (Double Door)
Okay, bear with me here. Les Sans Culottes is Soma Star's singer's brother's jug band's singer's other band.

Yakuza with Nachtmystium, Minsk, (Lone) Wolf and Cub (Reggie's Rock Club)
This is an early show for all those underage underground metal fans.

6.22   sunday
Local H with Norwood Park All-Stars, DJ Barry Hessler (Metro)
For those of you who couldn't make any of the sold-out Beat Kitchen shows, it looks like the band is mounting a proper tour in support of their new record.

Deals Gone Bad with Adam Fitz (Bottom Lounge)
I seem to remember the local ska-punk faves playing the old Bottom Lounge quite a bit, but I may be making that up.