list.in.to.chicago this week: 08.18.2008

Pressed for time today, so I'll try to keep this short. Lollapalooza reviews are up, but I've only just started uploading pictures, and there are some long-form comments I wanted to make about Rage Against The Machine and how they fit in to the socio-political landscape in 2008 (no, really!), but that may be a while.

Pick of the week
I'm intrigued by this Will Blades/Scott Amendola Organ Quartet at the Green Mill on Friday and Saturday. And at least half of Andrew Fraker & Sons endorses the Counting Crows show on Friday out in Tinley Park. At least I would assume so, since half the band is going.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, with the next Diver show not until Saturday, September 6th at Fado.

Recap
I think I finally recovered from Lollapalooza and the subsequent overscheduling somewhere in the middle of last week. As part of that recovery, I didn't see any shows. Unless you count the triumphant return of Free Winona at Vaughan's on Tuesday, and I know at least one or two of you reading does just that.

8.18   monday
Ryan Powers with Friends Like These (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
So last week's show was apparently the first in a series of shows that are sort of "curated" by Powers. Regal Standard is on the bill again this week, and it looks like Larry is playing with Jason Narducy. Don't know if that means Narducy is now a member of the reconstituted Standard, but if so, that's pretty cool.

Young Jeezy (House of Blues)
I thought I heard this Southern rapper's name mentioned on the Today Show this morning, which was on in the locker room of my gym. Not my gym, technically, but another location of the gym to which I belong, since my location closed, and then the other location I tried to go to this morning after biking to work was also closed. It was kind of a rough morning.

8.19   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I might throw in a different tune from Once than the one that's been performed by various folks at Vaughan's previously.

Peter Himmelman with Rachel Sage (Schubas)
Despite being mentioned on WXRT about once every hour, I don't think I've ever actually seen him perform. Seriously, there's a cadre of artists that have this weird, symbiotic relationship with that radio station that makes you think their mutual existence pretty much depends on it. I'm talking about Himmelman, Michael McDermott, The BoDeans and John Hiatt, among others, although Hiatt might be a bit high-profile to lump in with some of the other guys.

8.20   wednesday
Michael Bolton (The Venue, Hammond, IN)
If you want the number one reason why I don't want to include the new room down at the Horseshoe Casino in these listings, this is it. I did learn that AEG Live is running the booking, which fits with the notion that the only way to break into the Chicago market is to actually build a venue, since everything else is locked up by either JAM or Live Nation.

Tyler Hilton with Andy Davis (Schubas)   SOLD OUT!
Sold out weeknight at Schubas from someone I've never heard of, so some research is in order. Hilton is also an actor who has appeared as a young Elvis in the movie Walk The Line as well as on the TV show One Tree Hill. He has also had songs featured on the CW show, which probably goes the farthest to explain first, why the show is sold out and second, why I haven't heard of him. The only show I watch on CW is Reaper.

On We with Ghosty, Nouns, Civic Servant (Bottom Lounge)
Clever band name of the week, unless they really, truly wanted to name the band Ennui but figured no one would know how to spell it.

8.21   thursday
Eddie Vedder with Liam Finn (Auditorium Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
On the other hand, I know who this is and why this show sold out. The Pearl Jam frontman in a rare solo performance. I'm not entirely sure what he'll play by himself, to be honest. How much actual solo material does he have, outside of the soundtrack material he's done on and off over the years?

Tall Dark Stranger with Dollar Store, Rusty Pipes, For All The Sweet Children (Bottom Lounge)
As longtime readers know, I have about as many connections as you can have with these guys without really knowing anyone in the band all that well. I work with a friend of theirs, a friend of mine produced their record, and another friend has subbed on drums for them.

Edward Wilkerson and 8 Bold Souls (Velvet Lounge)
Looks like this might be a weekly show down on the near South Side. That, or Time Out Chicago flubbed their listings.

8.22   friday
Counting Crows with Maroon 5 (First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, Tinley Park)
I normally don't include Tinley Park shows -- mostly because I can never keep track of what that particular shed is called from year to year -- but thought I'd throw it in this week because I know a few friends who are going, and can maybe goad them into playing the part of l.i.t.c. operatives and reporting back.

Will Blades/Scott Amendola Organ Quartet (Green Mill)
I haven't been listening to nearly as much modern jazz as I should, but one think I do know is that Scott Amendola is one of the best modern jazz drummers out there, so this should be good.

The Faint with Jaguar Love, Genghis Tron (The Vic)
A dance-punk band from Omaha that used to feature Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. That pretty much covers all your bases right there.

Ben Weasel with Jetty Boys, The Chinese Telephones, The Repellents (Reggie's Rock Club)
I know I've seen the local punk luminary's name here and there in the past year or so, which makes me think he's gotten restless since Screeching Weasel exited the scene.

J. Davis Trio (Abbey Pub)
Last week's EXO show made me think a bit about all the players from the local scene from, say, ten years ago, and how they're all pretty much still around. How does a local scene grow old? We don't seem to cast aside older artists for the newest, hottest thing around here, which I find to be kind of awesome. Anyway, J. Davis and the Trio seems to have been at this for at least ten years -- from back when acid jazz was the "next big thing" -- so they're definitely part of this fabric.

Smash Mouth (Cubby Bear)
Yeah, I didn't know they were still around, either.

Eddie Vedder with Liam Finn (Auditorium Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing.

8.23   saturday
George Thorogood and the Destroyers (House of Blues)
Then again, some national acts have survived long past what popular culture would expect as their expiration date as well. This whole notion of being "too old to rock and roll" was a crock in the first place, since rock and roll hasn't really been around long enough to make that case. If it sounds like I'm reflecting on getting older, I'm not getting older, my brother is. He turns 40 on Thursday. Happy Birthday, Fran-o!

Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, Yak Ballz, LuckyIam (Abbey Pub)
I think the thumbnail sketch for Aesop Rock is that it's hip-hop for intellectuals, but I may be wrong or that may be an outdated summary.

Indiginous with Danny Burns Defectors (Martyrs)
A friend of mine was all about these guys when they first emerged about five years or go. I think it might be roots rock from Native Americans, but in keeping with the theme, I may be totally wrong.

Kill Hannah with The Medic Droid, Innerpartysystem, The White Tie Affair (Metro)
I got in a bit of an argument with the guy standing next to me at the Nine Inch Nails set for Lollapalooza, because I said I had seen these guys ten or twelve years ago, and he said they hadn't existed for nearly that long. But I'm pretty sure they have. Anyway, it came up because apparently the band's guitarist was offered a spot in Trent's band for this tour and turned it down. Apparently wearing a tube sock on your arm affects cognitive functioning.

Pat Boones Farm with Vile Display of Humanity, Animal Party (Cal's Liquors)
I may be the only person who considers these guys for clever band name of the week, but I like puns, so there.

Ben Weasel with Jetty Boys, The Chinese Telephones, The Repellents (Reggie's Rock Club)
See Friday's listing.

Will Blades/Scott Amendola Organ Quartet (Green Mill)
See Friday's listing.

8.24   sunday
Jonas Brothers (First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, Tinley Park)
I thought their abysmal performance on some reality show a few months ago was supposed to ruin their careers? I was promised a ruined tween band, dammit!