list.in.to.chicago this week: 09.01.2008

Does anyone else find it odd that we don't work on Labor Day? No? Never mind. Make me feel better and forward this to a friend. Not that I measure my self-worth in number of subscribers and page views, but it still counts for something...

Pick of the week
Three really solid options on Saturday night for those of you who don't read this list primarily to find out where I'm playing, and those are Sons & Daughters (Double Door), The Graduate (Subterranean) and Everlast (Guinness Oyster Fest). And Wednesday's free show from Andrew Bird (Pritzker Pavilion) is pretty much a no-brainer.

list.in.to.COZ
Hey, look! A Diver show! At Fado on Saturday!

Recap
Didn't go to see any shows this week. This may or may not be the beginning of a mid-life crisis, but all the shows for which I've got advance tickets sort of flies in the face of that. I hope. And I've got one extra for Beck on Friday, October 3rd, so let me know if you're interested.

9.01   monday
Poi Dog Pondering (Pritzker Pavilion)
Free show from Frank Orrall and friends, and you can still make the 3pm start time if you hurry (e-mail readers and vigilant RSS feed watchers only).

Let's Get Out Of This Terrible Sandwich Shop with Hidden Mittens, Dojo Cloud (Empty Bottle)
I caught this band soundchecking at the Apple Store the other day when I bought yet another crappy iPod adapter for my car. That's all I've got, other than they have a very unwieldy name, but I've listed bands here for much, much less.

9.02   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Last week's Democratic Convention selections were "Blue" from A Perfect Circle, "Blue Jean" from David Bowie and "Lightning Blue Eyes" from Secret Machines. With the pick of Sarah Palin for Vice President, I think the Eskimo tale that is "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" is an obvious choice, as is something from Simply Red. Any other suggestions?

N*E*R*D with Bad Brains (House of Blues)   SOLD OUT!
I have the first album from the Neptunes-as-real-band, and I like it well enough, but the subsequent releases haven't done quite as much for me. A little too much of the overhyped side of hip-hop for me, I think.

9.03   wednesday
Andrew Bird with Occidental Brothers Dance Band International (Pritzker Pavilion)
A free show from one of Chicago's more recent favorite suns. I don't know if he'll have a band or will be doing his solo tricks, looping his violin into big layers of texture.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I know at least one other friend of this band who is a huge fan of Hall & Oates, which I take as an indicator that this month's homage will dig a bit deeper than the MTV hits of the early and middle 80s.

9.04   thursday
Holding Mercury with Josh Davis, Ash Avenue, Urbanites (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I'm trying to remember if I've seen Hoffer's band since the last lineup change, let alone the latest one. Soccer playoffs, as odd a concept as that is for a team that hasn't won all season other than by forfeit, may preclude me from attending this one.

Dear and the Headlights with What Laura Says, Northpilot, Dorsey (Bottom Lounge)
A band from last year's Lollapalooza that I had heard good things about, but never got to see. And I finally made it to the new Bottom Lounge last week, but only in the front room for after-work drinks. Still, it's a pretty impressive space.

9.05   friday
Shudder To Think with Cheer Accident (Park West)
A handful of U.S. dates this year is described as a "quasi-reunion" of the D.C. post-hardcore band, with a more substantial reunion allegedly in the works.

Damien Dempsey (Schubas)
I think I inherited a copy of a CD from this guy when a friend and I raided Tower Records' going-out-of-business sale, but I don't know that I've ever actually listened to it. If you were to make a guess that he's an Irish singer/songwriter purely by his name, you'd be exactly right.

9.06   saturday
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Whether you're coming from the Red Bull Flugtag or the Fire game, finish off your evening with us! It's been a while since we played the River North spot, and the crowds there tend to be pretty good.

Sons & Daughters with Apteka (Double Door)
One of the better male/female-vocal indie pop bands that I've heard in a while, and there do seem to be a lot of them, so I feel like that's saying something. This is almost certainly where I'd be if I didn't have a gig.

The Graduate with Holiday Parade, Thieves and Villians, Never Shout Never (Subterranean)
Apparently I'm not the only one who was impressed with this downstate band when I saw them last year at Lollapalooza, as they got some prominent advertising for this show in this weekend's Reader.

Everlast (Guinness Oyster Fest)
I was just wondering what happened to the rootsy, acoustic rapper. The Guinness Oyster Fest takes place at Roscoe and Damen, and the bill also features Hello Dave, Carolina Liar, The Hue and Trippin' Billies.

Wombats with Telenovela, Kid, You'll Move Mountains (Empty Bottle)
I remember a heck of a lot of advertising for this band when their latest record came out, but I can't recall if that was here or if it was in the subway stations when I was in London. I seem to recall giving said record a spin, but finding it mostly undifferentiated among all the "angular, post-punk" offerings coming out of the UK these days.

A Birdsong Valentine with Swizzle Tree, Heavy the Fall, Killing Karma, Heart-Set Self-Destruct, Stunato, Red City, Dr. V. (Elbo Room)
The venerable Lakeview venue seems to be going for quantity in its booking lately, and while that may maximize the number of friends of band members across a given night, I have to wonder what it does for the quality of the overall experience. Then again, if you're relying on bands bringing friends to see just one set and maybe a bit of the band before and after, you might not care so much.

9.07   sunday
Benevento/Russo Duo with Everthus the Deadbeats (Martyrs')
These guys, along with Umphrey's McGee, seem to be the new standard-bearers for jam bands, having gotten the official seal of approval from no less than Phish. And with names like Benevento and Russo, I was not the least bit surprised that these guys grew up in New Jersey.