list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.09.2009

Do you think Chris Martin of Coldplay is at all miffed that his wife used her time on live national TV to gush over how great Radiohead is?

Pick of the week
I'm digging the idea of The Pretenders at The Riv on Sunday night. With a bunch of performances on the docket, along with a detour to Columbus, OH for the USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier along the way, that's all I even have a chance of attending.

list.in.to.COZ
Lots and lots of djembe this week, as I'll be doing the regular Vaughan's thing on Tuesday, then playing acoustic gigs with both Andrew Fraker on Friday (Underground Lounge) and then Diver on Saturday (Fado). By the end of the night on Saturday, I suspect my hands are going to be screaming at me. I have no idea how those guys in Santana do it.

Recap
Full apologies to Geno and South of Earth. I had every intention of heading down to the Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday night, but just couldn't muster the energy for a late Thursday night all the way back downtown.

The Sugarbeat gig at Cullen's on Saturday was pretty fun. It featured a song I've never, ever even heard before, a chance to dig in on a serious blues shuffle, and a surprisingly decent impromptu drum solo over the "Baby Please Don't Go" changes. Some of it may be that I've been playing drums often enough over the last two weeks to get some of my fine motor control back, which bodes well for the Fraker gig next Friday.

2.09   monday
Brighton, MA with Lacona, Bailiff (Schubas)
I forgot to mention last week that this is this month's Monday night residency, which -- among other things -- means it's free.

2.10   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Bonus points if you play something with accompaniment by a marching band. I'm still in awe of that Radiohead Grammy performance. Fewer bonus points (Jonas points?) if you screw up the words to "Superstition."

Murder By Death with The Builders and the Butchers, Fake Problems (Schubas)
The Bloomington, Indiana band is playing three shows in three nights at three different clubs, and I'm not entirely sure why. It doesn't seem to be a proper CD release, although maybe they were expecting their latest 7" to drop this week.

2.11   wednesday
Holding Mercury with Shrock, Lights Resolve (Reggie's Rock Club)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Hoffer and his merry band went from headlining on a Saturday to opening on a Wednesday at the same club, which makes me think this is demonstrating the kind of flexibility that makes club owner more likely to give you weekend dates. It's worth repeating that I think the band has taken a big step forward with their material.

Semi Precious Weapons with Von Iva, The Joans, I Live Rich (Bottom Lounge)
I know nothing of this band, other than the undeniable fact that they totally should be touring with Shiny Toy Guns.

Murder By Death with Catfish Haven, The Gunshy (Beat Kitchen)
See Tuesday's listing, noting the venue change.

2.12   thursday
School of Seven Bells with Fujiya and Miyagi (Bottom Lounge)
This is the sort of ambient-psychedelic project from Ben Curtis, formerly of Secret Machines. They seem to be touring pretty relentlessly, opening here for Fujiya and Miyagi, another band I seem to see come through town pretty often recently.

Antony and the Johnstons with Matteah Baim (The Vic)
I only know this band by reputation, and the reputation strikes me as performance art that found an unlikely mainstream audience, in that Antony Hegarty tends to be described for his eccentricities than for, say, his singing voice, which is described generously as an "acquired taste" when I've seen it mentioned.

Murder By Death with The Builders and the Butchers, Fake Problems (Reggie's Rock Club)
The third installment of the mini-tour of Chicago, down on the near South Side.

2.13   friday
Andrew Fraker & Son with The Future Laureates, Certain Company (Underground Lounge)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This one is just Andrew and me playing an acoustic set, hence it's only one "son" of the normal Fraker & Sons configuration. Full band is back in action next Friday at Double Door, but more on that one next week.

Jeff Tweedy (The Vic)
The Wilco singer is doing two solo shows for charity. No, I don't know what the charity is, and the band's site doesn't say either, at least on the "tour" pages.

Unbound Stems with Serengeti, The Dollar Store (Beat Kitchen)
Just going out on a limb here and guessing that this is some subset of Bound Stems doing something a little different.

Marah (Schubas)
I remember this Philly band being described as carrying on the tradition of Bruce Springsteen's working-man ethos, along with being described as destined for big things by local rock critics. I'm not sure headlining a room that might fit 150 people is really delivering on the latter, but that doesn't mean they're not worth seeing.

Paper Airplane Pilots with Mega Super Ultra (Quenchers)
I'm wondering if either the band doesn't have the stature it once did, or if Quenchers is upping its game on local music. I'm actually learning towards the latter.

2.14   saturday
DIVER (Fado)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This is just the acoustic trio, which means its like a Tuesday night at Vaughan's, except no one from the crowd will be getting up on stage. It's also our first show since I became the only single guy in the band, which happens to be on Valentine's Day. Not entirely sure what to make of that, although "nothing" is the likeliest option. And outcome.

The Ladies and Gentlemen with Lovers (Quenchers)
This is a big part of why I think the bar is stepping up, as these guys have headlined all sorts of venues around the city in the last two years or so.

Owl City with Swimming With Dolphins (Schubas)   SOLD OUT!
Textured electronic pop, and I can't figure out which "band I've never heard of selling out a venue" camp they fall into. The music sounds well-suited for inclusion on TV soundtracks, but I can't find any citations, and I haven't seen any blog chatter about them either. No Wikipedia page to speak of.

State and Madison with Lifeinjersey, SIlent Sirens, Albatross (Subterranean)
While I'm normally somewhat critical of location-based band names, I've give this one the benefit of the doubt, since the reference is to the "origin" of the Chicago street grid system.

Von Freeman (Andy's Jazz Club)
The venerable Chicago saxophonist plays at the River North club. That I really should get over to more often.

Buckwheat Zydeco with Abstract Giants (House of Blues)
This pairing has me scratching my head just a little, as I thought Abstract Giants were a local live hip-hop collective. Not sure how that meshes with, you know, zydeco.

Jeff Tweedy (The Vic)
See Friday's listing.

2.15   sunday
The Pretenders with American Bang (Riviera Theatre)
I'm actually kind of intrigued at the notion of Chrissie Hynde and company playing the relatively intimate confines of the Uptown venue. If it's not sold out, I'm pretty likely to go. Especially with the holiday on Monday.

Meshuggah with Cynic, The Faceless (House of Blues)
House of Blues continues to be one of the most reliable venues for modern metal.