list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.15.2009

There's a half-notion that you can check out some sort of "cream of the crop" of local and regional bands with MOBfest going on this weekend at multiple venues, but the reality continues to be that there's really very little difference between the bands playing this weekend and any other weekend, except the mass delusion that somebody might get "discovered." And believe me, I wish it was a bigger deal, because the local scene could use the attention, but for a whole bunch of reasons that I've ranted on and off about over the years -- mostly the inability for any of the many subscenes in Chicago to play nice with each other -- it just isn't.

Pick of the week
After discussing which big-name bands and artists I haven't ever seen with Fraker at the Springsteen show, I'm reminded this week that I've never seen Eric Clapton (Wednesday at United Center with Steve Winwood). Current cash flow being what it is, I probably won't check him off my list this time around, either, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

And the free Dusk Variations program tonight at Pritzker Pavilion looks pretty cool, although I don't know if I can make it down there in time.

list.in.to.COZ
Just Vaughan's this week, so come on by either to watch the Cubs-Sox match, or afterwards. Diver returns to Fado with a full band on Saturday the 27th of June.

Recap
I was really, really impressed with St. Vincent on Monday night in Millennium Park. Annie Clark gets a lot of comparisons to Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird, but she struck me much more as a modern Kate Bush who plays guitar a bit like Adrian Belew. Great stuff.

And the Diver show on Friday at Fado was pretty crazy, thanks to a bunch of really drunk, really enthusiastic personal trainers who were in town for a conference, although they were shown up by a guy with one leg who was totally getting into it.

6.15   monday
Dusk Variations (Pritzker Pavilion)
If you're downtown and you like avant-garde music, stick around for this free program in Millennium Park, which features local groups playing music from Frank Zappa, John Cage, and Dmitri Shotstakovich.

Patrick Wolf with Living Things, Plasticines, Jaguar Love (Bottom Lounge)
Judging from the introductory description on Wikipedia, Wolf sounds sort of like a Jamie Lidell-esque sample and loop artist, only using a wider range of instruments.

Ha Ha Tonka with Treaty Of Paris, Old Stable Hands (Schubas)
Mixing bluegrass and southern rock, this band from the Missouri Ozarks has been mentioned in the same sentence as Kings of Leon, although that sentence probably includes a clause stating that they're much less popular.

Why Intercept? with Generation of Vipers, I Need Closure, The Reveling (Beat Kitchen)
If you know me, you know I'm a math geek of the highest order, so I couldn't let this band name go by without at least nodding in approval.

6.16   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
As the Cubs-Sox series gets underway, special bonus points to anyone who takes a whack at "Crosstown Traffic" from Jimi Hendrix. Also, console Monica behind the bar as she continues to mourn her Red Wings.

Josh Berman (Museum of Contemporary Art)
As someone currently without full-time employment, I feel it's my duty to mention free shows, including this after-work jazz set on the terrace at the MCA.

Mathletes with 1997, Truman and His Trophy, No Really (Schubas)
I'm detecting a theme along with that Beat Kitchen show from Monday, but this one doesn't sound like actual nerds. More like hipsters trying to be nerdily ironic.

6.17   wednesday
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (United Center)
Didn't these two reunite for the first time in a long, long time back at the Crossroads Festival at Toyota Park, or am I misremembering that? And the Metromix listing had a subheading that read "Search TicketNetwork for available tickets to Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood," which is the first time I've seen anything like that.

6.18   thursday
X with Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts (Double Door)
The seminal L.A. punk band seems to have toured often enough with various fractions of the band that they're making a point to emphasize that this three-night stand features all four original members.

Hey Champ with Brighton MA, Jamar Bayanu (Martyrs')
I haven't seen anyone supplant Hey Champ as the "next big thing" from Chicago, in terms of buzz/hype/whatever, so this benefit show looks like a good time -- and a great venue -- to see them. It's also probably a better lineup than any of the opening night bills for MOBfest, which is par for the course.

O.A.R. with Robert Randolph and the Family Band (Charter One Pavilion)
Hey, it's time for my almost annual slagging of O.A.R.! Nothing has changed since the last time I wrote about them to mitigate my intense dislike for this lame-ass frat-rock. If someone offered me a free ticket, I'd at least check out Robert Randolph, though. That's not a request -- I'll be out of town and wouldn't be able to go anyway.

6.19   friday
The Lovehammers with The Frantic, The 2 Plus 2 (House of Blues)
I have to wonder if the boomlet of support for Marty Casey and his band has subsided now that his deep run on Rock Star: INXS is so far behind him. I'm sure the band still has enough of a following -- they did before Casey was on TV -- but there was a chance of parlaying that mainstream attention into something bigger that never quite panned out.

Lemonheads with Now Now Every Children, Green (Abbey Pub)
I think they played Double Door last time out, so the venue size seems to be slowly shrinking for Evan Dando, his band, and whoever he's dating. Although it's two nights, which makes up for it a little bit.

Ike Reilly Assassination with Moxie Motive (Martyrs')
At one point, Reilly was tagged as a midwestern version of Beck, but that never quite picked up. Good to see he's still around, though.

X with Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts (Double Door)
See Thursday's listing.

O.A.R. with The Wailers (Charter One Pavilion)
See Thursday's listing, only with a much less compelling opening act.

6.20   saturday
The Church with Adam Franklin (House of Blues)
While they're still best-known for their late 80s hit "Under The Milky Way," these guys released a remarkably good record a couple of years ago, and given that they're touring, may have another one out.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (Arie Crown Theatre)
Seems like an odd venue for the grand master of funk, mostly because I'm pretty sure it's an all-seater, and that sorta defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

The Offspring with Dropkick Murphys (Charter One Pavilion)
I'm not quite sure how well these 90s stalwarts have aged. Singing about low self-esteem after ten years seems kinda depressing.

The Waco Brothers (Martyrs')
With Hey Champ on Thursday, Ike Reilly on Friday, and Jon Langford and his band on Saturday, it almost looks like Ray and Bruce are explicitly counter-programming against MOBfest with some heavyweights. This is pure speculation, but the history of cliques and factions within the Chicago scene makes it seem at least credible.

Pansy Division with Burn Tibet (Subterranean)
Wow, there's a name I haven't seen on the Chicago scene in a long, long time. I thought they made a big deal of calling it quits years ago, so there has to be a story here somewhere.

Phish (Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI)   SOLD OUT!
Speaking of retirements, it's getting to where I don't believe anyone when they say their band is hanging it up. Although Faith No More is by far a more interesting summer reunion for me than these high-profile noodlers.

X with Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts (Double Door)
See Thursday's listing.

Lemonheads with Now Now Every Children, The Handcuffs (Abbey Pub)
See Friday's listing.

6.21   sunday
Phish (Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI)   SOLD OUT!
See Saturday's listing.