list.in.to.chicago this week: 01.26.2009

So last week I posted a link to the newsletter on Facebook, to see if maybe I could drive a few more subscriptions to the e-mail version. I got exactly four pageviews and no subscriptions.

So Facebook, you're on notice. And I must once again rely on you guys to spread the word.

Pick of the week
Last chance for Buddy Guy at Legends this week, and for me, a better than even chance I'll go see Helicopters at Reggie's Music Joint on Friday. That's the north door of the building, which I keep getting wrong when I go see shows at Reggie's Rock Club, which is the 18 and over venue.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, and probably just for the opening Diver set and my turn in the order, as I've got an early flight to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Joy.

Recap
I will concede that I may have been in a bad mood going in, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with most of the bill on Friday night at Metro. Metrovox had a good lead singer, but the songs didn't do much for me, and their tones (i.e., the particular sounds they had dialed in on their guitar amps) needed a lot of work. Tonight The Prom were a paint-by-numbers Q101 wannabe "active rock" band, probably from the suburbs, and probably given their Les Pauls by their parents. I'm wondering if I have actually seen The Assembly before, and if I commented at the time on how the vocals weren't really able to puncture through the instrumentation. They did have a trombone for their set-closing cover of "Beds Are Burning," though (with Chris Frantisak guesting on cowbell, keyboards and backing vocals), which was fun.

As for The MDR, they were definitely the high point of the evening. The music was pretty powerful, but could have maybe used a bit more punch from the guitars, instead of the mid-80s Alex Lifeson tones. All told, I don't think there was a single song all night that I'll actually remember having heard if I were to hear it again.

Saturday was a better night across the board. Working backwards, Matt from Holding Mercury seems to have solved the problem he (and The Assembly) had, which is getting his vocals up on top of all the guitars, and it made a huge difference for me. Without going into too much detail Makeshift Prodigy and Late April both impressed me as promising young bands I had never heard before, so keeping an eye out for them in the future might help me re-acquaint myself with what's going on in the local scene.

1.26   monday
Metallica with Machine Head, The Sword (Allstate Arena)
Just when it seemed like Metallica might regain some of their reputation by having Rick Rubin help them connect with their classic sound, they go and blow it with bad mastering of their latest album. Meanwhile, Jim DeRogatis thinks opening act The Sword is a better metal band than Metallica, so you can expect him to mention that in every single review he writes for the next month or two. Even reviews of hip-hop.

1.27   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
In which we welcome back our newly married compatriot.

Metallica with Machine Head, The Sword (Allstate Arena)
In fact, I could probably write DeRo's review of these shows now if I put my mind to it. As for The Sword, I haven't run them up against Mastodon yet, so I can't say whether or not they're the best new metal band out there.

1.28   wednesday
Buddy Guy with Nick Moss and the Flip Tops (Buddy Guy's Legends)
Apparently there's a Wednesday night show as well in the final week of the homestand, possibly to keep it at four nights each week, since there's no show on Sunday.

1.29   thursday
Buddy Guy with Jimmy Burns (Buddy Guy's Legends)
Assuming that reports of Friday and Saturday sellouts are true -- and a friend said people were actually buying tickets at the door this past weekend, so they may not be -- this is your last shot to see Guy in his own club this year.

Jonny Lang with Jason Eskidge (House of Blues)
I would think a young bluesman like Lang would want to avoid Chicago during Buddy Guy's January stretch, but then again, the local scene and the national scene may not really cross paths that much.

1.30   friday
Helicopters with Coltrane Motion, Thunders, replica republic (Reggie's Music Joint)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I only know about this night of indie electro-pop because I was at Reggie's over the weekend. These guys need to get their info over to Metromix.

Surrender Dorothy with Honeyglass, Absolutely Perfect, Silent Sirens (Reggie's Rock Club)
Of course, had I not gone to Reggie's web site to get the details on the Helicopters show in one half of the building, I would never have read the bios of the bands on this bill on the other side. Sorry, Honeyglass, but I have to call out "the music is dynamic and CJ's sultry vocals are as powerful as they are pretty. The band writes with purpose and CJ's lyrics are insightful as they are passionate." Sultry, powerful, pretty, insightful AND passionate?

Ultra Sonic Edukators with Horse in the Sea, Loyal Divide (Schubas)
Again, these guys showed some promise with a bit of an Oasis vibe when I saw them a while back, but better use of two guitars and better vocal melodies will help them take the next step.

Slipknot with Coheed and Cambria, Trivium (Allstate Arena)
I'll take "shows I won't be caught anywhere near" for $100, Alex. That said, Slipknot may truly be the heir apparent to KISS purely from a marketing sense, in that they built a rabid grass roots following that empowers their fans to evangelize for them, and rode it to arena-filling success.

Buddy Guy with John Primer (Buddy Guy's Legends)   SOLD OUT!
Again, might not actually be sold out, but I'd call first to check.

1.31   saturday
Baby Teeth with JT and the Clouds, The Wiitala Brothers (Empty Bottle)
Every once in a while, a band comes through town that is just barely on my radar and I don't know why. Baby Teeth is one of those bands. I know I've heard of them, but I have no earthly idea from where. Then again, I forgot that I drove to the grocery store the other day, and walked home, leaving my car in the parking lot of the Jewel. So it might be me.

Buddy Guy with Li'l Ed and the Blues Imperials (Buddy Guy's Legends)   SOLD OUT!
See all those other listings.

Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band (Rosa's Lounge)
Of course, if you're dying for some blues and can't get tickets for Buddy Guy, you could do a lot worse than Melvin Taylor.

2.01   sunday
Paul Green School of Rock (Metro)
An afternoon show with kids who are learning how to rock, which might be a nice warm-up to "the big game." Have you noticed how there seem to be limitations on how you can use the phrase "Super Bowl Sunday" or "The Super Bowl"? That seems wrong, somehow.