list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.02.2009

Hello, and welcome to the Groundhog's Day edition of list.in.to.chicago

Hello, and welcome to the Groundhog's Day edition of list.in.to.chicago

See what I did there? And great googly moogly, there are two different Zappa items this week!

Pick of the week
First off, go see South of Earth on Thursday at the Hard Rock, because it's gonna rock, and I promised Geno I'd ask you to. After that, this week is pretty stacked, with indie faves Los Campesinos! and Lykke Li both playing Saturday at Logan Square Auditorium and Metro, respectively. Then there's Galactic on Friday at the Vic and The Graduate on Sunday (at Beat Kitchen) also rising above the din just a bit.

list.in.to.COZ
On top of Vaughan's on Tuesday, you get to hear me with a band you probably haven't ever heard me with before, as I sub with Gareth Woods and Sugar Beat for only the second time this Saturday at Cullen's. Then the long-range radar has Diver next Saturday at Fado, and acoustic and electric gigs with Andrew Fraker on the 13th (Underground Lounge) and 20th (Double Door).

Recap
Went to Reggie's Music Joint for the first time, and could spend hours looking at the ticket stubs under the bar for shows I actually attended. So far, I've found at least three. I also like the big King Crimson poster over the kitchen door. The seating, however, is a little odd. As for the music, I thought that Helicopters did all they could to overcome technical and audio difficulties, which definitely took their toll on a sprawling new opening song. Some of that may be systemic to this venue and electronic music, because I thought Coltrane Motion also had a pretty rough mix in the house. The other two bands were both pretty punk -- Thunders started off way too abrasive for my tastes, but either my ears got used to them or they saved their better stuff for the end -- and the running order had the two genres alternating all night.

2.02   monday
Typhanie Monique Jam Session (Jazz Showcase)
Looks like Joe is bringing in some new local talent to fill in the off days, and I'm both surprised and impressed that he's gone with Monique, who still strikes me as both young and a bit non-traditional for the Showcase, but that's based on what she used to do many years ago with Peking Turtle.

Brighton, MA with Cast Spells (Schubas)
I seem to remember seeing some nice things said about this band, but I may be getting them confused with another band named after a location that they aren't from.

2.03   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
There's a Harp promotion going on from 7pm to 9pm, with free pints and two hockey jerseys to be won. Get there early enough to take full advantage of free booze, and I guarantee we'll sound amazing. Also, I actually hit the high note at the end of "Major Tom" last week, after Fraker yelled at me for missing it the first time it came around.

2.04   wednesday
Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This time around, it's two shows as Earth, Wind & Fire, and I believe the first one is sold out. If the reports of the time they were Chicago are to be believed, the horn sections these guys can put together are not to be missed.

Lady Sovereign (Logan Square Auditorium)
The pint-sized British rapper is back with a new album. I got her last record for my little sister two Christmases ago, and she loved it.

2.05   thursday
South of Earth with Catatonic (Hard Rock Cafe)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is the new project from Geno Lenardo, former guitarist of Filter. It has existed in various forms for the last five years or so -- one of which involved me as a roadie/impromptu tour manager -- but I think Geno got sick of the industry game and went DIY with it in this iteration. Should be some crunching riffs and a more mature flavor of hard rock than most of the crap on Q101, who I think is actually sponsoring the show.

Project/Object (Morse Theatre)
Apparently the new Rogers Park venue is staying neutral in the conflict between the Zappa family and probably the most prominent "unauthorized" Zappa repertory band by having both of them grace their stage within six months. Zappa alumni Ike Willis and Don Preston are both in tow for this one.

Tortoise (Empty Bottle)
I don't know if the local post-rock poster boys have a new album coming out, or if they're just bored and wanted a gig in the comfortable environs of the Bottle.

2.06   friday
Galactic with The Mighty Underdogs (The Vic)
For me, the strong New Orleans pedigree makes these guys more than just another jam band, but they're still working pretty heavily within that fan base.

Big Science with The Ivorys, The Laureates, Pet Lions (Metro)
This was one of the bands that reminded me of The Cure on New Year's Eve, so now that I've got a bead on a new local band or three, I need to call them out when I see them, so I can appear to still be current.

Sybris with Blueblood, Tiger Spirit, Little Brothers Band (Schubas)
And here's the other band that reminded me of The Cure on New Year's Eve, only with a bit more of a raw edge and a female frontperson. Seems they're now on the same schedule.

Cowboy Mouth with The Josh Davis Band, The August (House of Blues)
Have I mentioned lately how much I hate this band? They take lowest-common denominator rock schtick and actually make it go lower. HATE.

Gooey with Lollygag, The O'My's (Subterranean)
I still get e-mails for this band, despite the fact that the people I used to know in said band have both moved on.

2.07   saturday
Sugar Beat/Gareth Woods (Cullen's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
If you ever go to Cullen's or Fado on nights Diver isn't playing, chances are you've seen Gareth before. I'm subbing on this one, so if you catch me staring at the floor, it's because I've got charts.

Lykke Li with Wildbirds and Peacedrums (Metro)
I've heard quite a bit about this Icelandic singer, and would have likely checked her out in Wrigleyville had I not picked up the Gareth gig.

Regal Standard with The Sleeptalkers (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Ran into Larry from Regal Standard twice back about two weekends ago, where he may have been working up some good karma by going to see his friends and former bandmates play so that they'd turn around and come to see him.

Paul Green School of Rock Tribute to Frank Zappa (Kinetic Playground)
Okay, if this is a bunch of teenagers playing Zappa tunes -- and Zappa alum Mike Keneally was working with the school for a while -- I may have to check it out. And that's three Zappa-related shows in the space of about two full weeks, as I totally missed the performance of Joe's Garage down at Reggie's two Sundays ago.

Bump with Bumpus, John Eichleay (Martyrs')
When I first saw this band, I figured it was just a smaller version of Bumpus, but this blows that theory to hell. I think a co-worker of mine knows these guys, but I don't know how much I trust said co-worker's judgment.

Los Campesinos! with Titus Andronicus (Logan Square Auditorium)
Along with Lykke Li, this one falls squarely in the hipster/music blogger sweet spot, as both of those constituencies seem to really like these bands. I've gotten a recommendation on Titus Andronicus from someone whose judgment I do trust, but haven't gotten around to listening to their new album yet.

North Mississippi All-Stars with Hill Country Revue (House of Blues)
According to local music scribes, these guys were ready to revolutionize blues music about five or six years ago by bringing it back to it's rural, rustic roots. Or by adding rural and rustic flavors to its urban roots. I don't remember.

2.08   sunday
The Graduate with Swizzle Tree, The Collapsed (Beat Kitchen)
You may recall that I saw this downstate band at Lollapalooza two summers ago on one of the itty bitty stages nestled in the trees, and liked their somewhat Radiohead-influenced sound.