list.in.to.chicago this week: 01.19.2009

I could say this is the "Inaugural Edition" of l.i.t.c., meaning it's the edition that's happening concurrent with what's-his-name's inauguration, and thus confuse people into thinking it's actually the first edition of the newsletter, when in actuality I've been doing this for a truly absurd amount of time.

But I won't.

Pick of the week
For mid-January, there's quite a bit to choose from. Of buzz bands, I'd say Annuals (Thursday) and Frightened Rabbit (Saturday) at Empty Bottle, but you're more likely to catch me at The MDR (Friday at Metro) and/or Holding Mercury (Saturday at Reggie's Rock Club). And that Dave Holland Quintet (Sunday at Mandel Hall) show down in Hyde Park is pretty appealing as well.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week. The long-range calendar now also has Gareth Woods and Sugar Beat on February 7th at Cullen's, along with Diver on the 14th of that month (Fado) and Andrew Fraker and Sons on the 20th (Double Door).

Recap
There was a lot more to recap than I thought, because I ended up winning tickets to Wednesday and Saturday night's installments of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival at Schubas. On Wednesday, I caught exactly one song from Lost In The Trees, which alternately reminded me, in the space of that one song, of The Polyphonic Spree, Arcade Fire and maybe a bit of The Decemberists, with strings and horns and lots of shouted vocals. Bear Hands was really, really good despite their archetypal hipster lead singer, mostly because their drummer laid down some fantastic and inventive drum parts. No straight 2 and 4 for this guy, and the bass player was right with him. The University Tigers were okay, but not great -- fairly conventional psychedelic-influenced pop, but not enough of the "pop" for me.

Saturday night was kind of weird, because I've never seen Schubas blown out as almost a dance club. It was a little jarring, and I think I actually missed one act because it was DJ-based and I thought it was just the pre-show DJ. And no, I don't ever consider the DJ to be an actual part of the programming. At least not without a singer of some sort, which was what Thunderheist was. Once they got the bass properly thumping, the duo put in a pretty propulsive, and very well-received, set of dance and electronica. Headliners Hey Champ were a more conventional band, and apparently have a wave of hype developing beneath them. Musically, they sounded like a cross between We Are Scientists and Battles -- very 80s retro new wave, but with maniacal drumming that was too integral to the sound to really consider as "overplaying."

1.19   monday
Umphrey's McGee (The Vic)
This is a release party for the local jam band's new CD, and I'm actually a little surprised that they're not having it in a bigger room.

Adele with James Morrison (Park West)   SOLD OUT!
Yet another young, female English soul singer who sounds more mature than her age would have you believe. There seems to be one every four or five years, if I'm correctly remembering when Joss Stone showed up on the scene.

1.20   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
If we were to do a theme this week, I guess the most appropriate would be strong debuts -- the first hit single from a band or artist. Then you can pick one-hit wonders if you're a Republican, or really successful acts if you're a Democrat. All that being said, I'm probably going to play a bunch of songs from some of my favorite albums of 2009, because that's what I learned over the weekend.

The Killers with M83 (UIC Pavilion)   SOLD OUT!
Obviously, The Killers are a bit of a big deal, but I came across a lot of really good reviews for openers M83 last year. I think. Might be confusing them with someone else.

1.21   wednesday
Dexter with Keith and the Complications (Bottom Lounge)
I swear, I read something about this band in the last two weeks, but I can't remember what it was. Helpful, right? Not much else to choose from tonight, unless I just gratuitously make fun of someone's name.

1.22   thursday
Animal Collective (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
Greg Kot called Merriweather Post Pavilion the first great album of 2009, but for me, it's more the first critically-acclaimed album that I absolutely do not get. And this isn't like The National or The Hold Steady, where's they're good, but maybe just a bit overrated. This record was nails-on-a-chalkboard painful to listen to. If you're going to this show, or wanted to but weren't able to get tickets before it sold out, please try to explain it to me.

Low vs. Diamond with Nickel Eye, The Silents (Beat Kitchen)
I don't know much about this band, other than the fact that something I read about them piqued my interest last year, and that I never got around to following up and actually listening to them.

Opposite of Pants with House Of Normandie, Truman and His Trophy, Once A Pawn (Abbey Pub)
Band name of the week, no question.

Annuals with Jessica Lea Mayfield, What Laura Says (Empty Bottle)
I still feel a little bit bad about dismissing the North Carolina band's Bonnaroo performance when they were the victims of really, really bad front of house sound. Lots of people are talking about this band this year, though, so they probably warrant a second chance.

Buddy Guy with Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues (Buddy Guy's Legends)
Halfway through the January run, and I have to wonder if Guy did his traditional mid-set walk outside on the sidewalk with his guitar last week in that cold.

1.23   friday
The MDR with The Assembly, Tonight the Prom, Metrovox (Metro)
They used to be called The Most Dangerous Race, but I don't know if that's been abandoned entirely for the shorter version or what. I also don't know who's in the band other than Matt Walker on drums, but an earlier version had former Phantom Helmsman Steve Gerlach and Regal Standard's Larry Schroeder in it. I'm pretty sure Larry would have promoted it by now if he were still involved.

Buddy Guy with NuBlue Band (Buddy Guy's Legends)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing, only with no tickets available.

The Prairie Cartel with The Mpls Henrys, The New Loud (Bottom Lounge)
I know I'm getting this band confused with Farewell Captain, but I think that's because Tankboy over at Chicagoist likes both of them.

1.24   saturday
Kings of Leon with The Whigs (House of Blues)
This is a benefit show from a band that made lots of top ten lists last year with their straight-up, southern-inflected rock. Because of the charity angle, ticket prices were abnormally high, but I think it did end up selling out anyway, despite Metromix suggesting otherwise. A former co-worker is taking bets that Kings of Leon is going to headline Lollapalooza. If you want on in on that pure nonsense -- play, sure, but headline? -- let me know and I'll see what he's actually wagering.

Frightened Rabbit with Arc In Round (Empty Bottle)
Frightened Rabbit with Right On Dynamite (Empty Bottle)
And early and a late show from the Scottish indie rock band. I recall being somewhat unimpressed with their record from last year, but I may be willing to revisit that judgment, because I think I may have expected either too much or something completely different based on something I had read somewhere, or just because I was of a mindset that all young bands coming out of the U.K. should sound like Arctic Monkeys when I listened to it.

Holding Mercury with Makeshift Prodigy, Late Aprill, The Moves (Reggie's Rock Club)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I still haven't seen Matt Hoffer's band since he reshuffled the lineup again, and have probably only seen him once or twice since the ill-fated Rock Star: Supernova appearance.

Buddy Guy with Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm (Buddy Guy's Legends)   SOLD OUT!
I keep saying I'm going to go to one of these shows, but in my defense, I have actually seen Buddy Guy three or four times, including once during the January homestand. So just because I'm not walking the walk now, it doesn't mean I have not walked said walk in the past. On this one, anyway.

1.25   sunday
Dave Holland Quintet (Mandel Hall)
I haven't been down to the 985-capacity theater on the campus of the University of Chicago since I saw Living Colour there in, oh, 1993 or so. Winter always seemed like a good time to book big jazz acts when I was part of the concert-booking organization there, and apparently that hasn't changed. Of the venerable bassist's stable of young lions, I think Chris Potter is still on tenor sax, but drummer Billy Kilson has moved on.

Buddy Guy with Lurrie Bell (Buddy Guy's Legends)
So, from a practical point of view, this is the next-to-last chance to see the blues legend on his home turf, along with next Thursday, because Friday and Saturday are sold out. Unless the January run actually includes February 1. Which it might.