list.in.to.chicago this week: 12.08.2008

A lot of strong midweek shows for mid-December.

Pick of the week
You've got 13 chances to see the Roy Hargrove Quintet at the Jazz Showcase this week. Use one of them. I'm going to see Oasis with Ryan Adams on Friday at the United Center, and there's a good chance I'll make it to CSS on Sunday night at Metro, unless I'm forgetting a previous engagement.

list.in.to.COZ
It's Grinch time at Vaughan's this week, but the Open Jam is going to pretty much be it until New Year's Eve when I sit in with Gareth Woods and Sugar Beat again.

Recap
So, I ended up going to see Smashing Pumpkins last night at the Aragon. It felt more like a "proper" Pumpkins show than I would imagine the seated affairs at the Chicago and Auditorium Theatre would be. More than anything else, the thing that struck me was how fast the band plays their songs. Between that, Jimmy Chamberlin being more of an "ahead of the beat" kind of drummer, and a bunch of anonymous band members whose sole purpose is to execute, not to contribute, a lot of the music was throttled within an inch of its life, unable to breathe at all. The byproduct of this is that the material was left to live or die on its inherent strength alone, rather than the performance, which is probably how Billy wants it.

Also, a lot of what I assume was the newer material reminded me a lot of newer Tool, only more self-indulgent.

12.08   monday
The Regal Standard with Susan Voelz (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Nothing against Larry, but I sorta wish the friend of Coz was violinist Susan Voelz in this case, 'cause she's purty. I last saw her playing alongside Alejandro Escovedo at the XRT Fourth of July concert and was somewhat smitten.

Smashing Pumpkins (Auditorium Theatre)
Since this was rescheduled, and since last night's Aragon show actually wasn't sold out, there's probably a good chance you can buy tickets at the door.

12.09   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
By popular demand, I'll be bringing my legendary rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." By somewhat less popular demand, I'll try to have my somewhat less legendary rendition of "Father Christmas" by the Kinks ready as well.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
Along with Wallace Roney, Hargrove is probably my favorite "modern" jazz trumpeter. At the Showcase all week, I'm guessing Joe Segal won't let him do any of his more genre-bending RH Factor material, but he shines in the straight-ahead mode as well. Two shows per night through Saturday, then three on Sunday.

King's X with Chaperone, Bishop Collar. Tom Fuller Band (Double Door)
It's pretty cool that this hard rock trio has been around consistently since 1987 without ever breaking through to rock stardom. That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's not. They've done a pretty admirable job of doing their thing, doing it well enough to get by for over two decades, and doing it with the same personnel. Or maybe one of them has a rich uncle.

Neil Young with Everest, Dr. John (Allstate Arena)
I'm not sure if even a legendary singer/songwriter will be able to draw on a cold Tuesday night during a recession, but they haven't taken any drastic actions like moving or canceling the show, so maybe he will.

Reverend Horton Heat with Nashville Pussy (Metro)
I may have to sneak in the box office store to see if the RHH merch table still has those t-shirts that lists Elvis' weight on every planet in the solar system. Which I hope they've revised to not include Pluto.

Priestess with Tight Phantomz, Raise the Red Lantern (Empty Bottle)
Not everything out of Montreal is jangly, textured indie rock. They've got metal, too.

12.10   wednesday
Cheap Trick with The Avatars, Cliff Johnson (The Vic)
Well, this sort of snuck up on me. Not sure what Rockford's finest is doing in town, but this time of year, with this big a band, in this small a venue, it's probably a holiday benefit of some sort. This is why relying more heavily on Metromix than The Reader is problematic, because you lose the context of print ads.

Ted Leo with Tim Kinsella (AV-aeire)
I've seen some interesting artists at this new venue, but this strikes me as one of the first artists that I'm used to seeing somewhere else. I'm going to have to get over there one of these days to see what it's like.

The Bravery (Metro)
I have a vague notion of being disappointed with everything other than "An Honest Mistake," but I don't remember how much other material that opinion is based on.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

12.11   thursday
Harry Shearer and Judith Owen's Holiday Sing-A-Long (SPACE, Evanston)
This could be interesting. You know Harry Shearer from The Simpsons, This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind and his radio show, and he's pretty consistently funny and astute in all of those venues.

Mercury Rev with The Duke Spirit (Martyrs')
There was a lot of noise over the "comeback" album from this band three years ago, but I was pretty underwhelmed with it. Mostly, I just don't like the singer's voice, and I can't get past that. And I still get them confused with either My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain in my head.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

12.12   friday
Oasis with Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, Matt Costa (United Center)
As far as pompous rock star egos go, Billy Corgan set the bar really high on Sunday night. However, if the Gallagher brothers aren't able to reach those heights on their own, Ryan Adams might just put them over the edge.

The Tossers with The Siderunners, Kevin Flynn and the Avondale Ramblers (Double Door)
I would have guessed Abbey Pub on this one. No word on whether or not they'll have special scooter parking for this one. Do ska-punk fans still all ride scooters, or am I perpetuating a stereotype? And if I am, do I care?

Fareed Haque's Flat Earth Ensemble (Green Mill)
This is only going to be funny -- maybe -- if you read the New York Times Op/Ed pages, but a good turnout for this show from the former Chicagoan and highly-regarded jazz guitarist would make it hot, flat and crowded.

Paquito D'Rivera with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble (Harris Theater/Millennium Park)
I haven't seen as much of the CJE since Bill Russo died, so it's nice to see them backing up the Latin jazz saxophone heavyweight.

Lifehouse with Sarah McLachlan, Plain White T's (Chicago Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
This has LITE-FM Christmas show written all over it.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

12.13   saturday
Chicago Afrobeat Project (Morse Theatre)
I'm a little curious to see how something that is ostensibly really danceable will work in this room, as it seems a little bit sterile.

Fareed Haque's Flat Earth Ensemble (Green Mill)
See, NYT Op-Ed columnist Tom Friedman wrote a book about globalization called The World Is Flat, which he then followed up with a book called Hot, Flat and Crowded. Get it? Never mind.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

12.14   sunday
Shawn Colvin with Garrison Starr (Park West)
If Colvin is touring to support a new record, I may have found another good idea for what to give my sister-in-law for Christmas. See, I've carved out a holiday role where I get my siblings (and siblings-in-law) music from the current calendar year that they don't know they want. This is made easier by the fact that none of my siblings really follow new music that closely.

CSS with Ssion (Metro)
I keep missing the "Brazilian electro-rock" band at festivals because there's something I'm more excited about seeing, but having caught as much as I could at Pitchfork a few years ago from outside the hot, flat and crowded (continuity!) tent they were playing, I've wanted to check them out in a proper club. I like what I've heard from their latest record, to the point where it will probably make it to an aforementioned sibling in a couple of weeks.

Roy Hargrove Quintet (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing, with the bonus matinee.