list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.24.2010

I started a little project where I keep closer tabs on my musical life, and have discovered that if I were to pack it in for the year, I still would have seen or played a show one out of every ten days in 2010. And I wonder why I'm still single.

Pick of the week
You may miss the opening act, but I'm hoping you get this in time for the free Besnard Lakes show at Pritzker Pavilion tonight. Bookending the week is a good-looking Sunday night show from Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin at Simon's Tavern.

list.in.to.COZ
After something like twelve straight weeks with band/weekend gigs, I've got nothing for at least a month, other than the regular office hours at Vaughan's on Tuesday and The Globe on Wednesday.

Recap
For those of you who hate the sound at the Aragon, I think I actually found the sweet spot, house right about twenty yards from stage, right in line with the speaker column. For at least the first half of the show, Them Crooked Vultures sounded fantastic from that location. That first half also contained pretty much all the best material from the supergroup, and between the more meandering songs and the failure to resist wanting to turn up the volume, the second half wasn't quite as strong. On balance, though, the show still packed a wallop. Oddly enough, it was the first time I'd seen Dave Grohl play drums, and the fourth time I'd seen John Paul Jones, who just makes this rock and roll thing look incredibly easy. Opening act Alberta Cross was surprisingly good, in a way that I think Brits living in New York playing southern rock could only make work.

And if my friends on Facebook and Twitter are any indication, I was the only person in the room not impressed with Metric on Thursday. One thing both shows had in common was that their best songs came across really well. With Metric, there were just fewer of them, and I had problems connecting to Emily Haines as a front-person. It could have been that I was exhausted, or that the effects on her voice just sounded off in a live setting, or that the drummer wasn't able to make the songs breathe well enough. Openers Bears In Heaven struck me as a slightly less weird Mew, and the drummer's non-traditional approach sort of made up for the lead singer's ironic mustache.

5.24   monday
Besnard Lakes with The Ponys (Pritzker Pavilion)
Greg Kot of the Tribune was pretty much over the moon about this band's latest record, and I have to say, it's pretty darn good. It's a bit of a throwback to somewhere on the old dreampop/shoegazer continuum, but there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, free show, if you feel like lingering downtown after the workday.

Mumford and Sons with The Middle East (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
One of the latest indie buzz bands from the UK to blow up -- XRT has been getting behind them as well. It's tough to call an English band "folky" without invoking Jethro Tull, so maybe it's more in that "chamber pop" vein. Reminds me a bit of a cross between Sufjan Stevens or Andrew Bird and Arcade Fire.

5.25   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
So, I'm trying to figure out how to build a theme around the numbers 3 (trophies this year for Inter Milan) and 4 (games to none for the Hawks over the Sharks). Or maybe songs by Hawkwind?

Maxwell with Jill Scott (United Center)
This is going to be as soulful a show as you're going to see in Chicago since at least last Friday. Maxwell was just here with Common at the same venue back in October, and I while I know he's pretty big in R&B circles, two arena shows in just over half a year seems like a lot.

Glittermouse with Lee, Ben Joseph and the Mathematics (Subterranean)
If there was any silver lining to that abysmal show we sort of almost played at Enclave, it was that we were introduced to this very fun local collective of a band in the style of an Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene. They have two bass players. I have no real idea why. They also have a little bit of choreography.

Glee Live! In Concert (Allstate Arena)   SOLD OUT!
With two sold out arena shows, I feel like I have to mention this tour from Fox's big hit show. I tried watching back when it debuted, but it never really connected. Probably because they don't blow shit up, which seems to be the number one prerequisite for non-animated TV for me.

5.26   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   COZ SINGS!
The last couple of weeks have been a bit dire, but I'm not going to beg. That would be undignified (please show up), and if I'm (please show up) about anything when it (please show up) comes to self-promotion (please show up), it's dignity. Also, I've submitted the listing to The Reader, so we'll see if that helps.

LCD Soundsystem with Holy Ghost! (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
Every music critic seemed to be tripping over themselves to praise the last "dance punk" record from James Murphy, and they're starting to do the same for the new release. I wasn't all that into Sounds of Silver, but I haven' t heard the new one yet.

Glee Live! In Concert (Allstate Arena)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing. Isn't the show actually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays? Or is it done for the season, too?

5.27   thursday
Steel Pulse with Toots and the Maytals (House of Blues)
Have there been any new reggae bands of note in the last twenty years? I think we had both of these bands play the U of C back when I was a student. Which, as I seem to keep reminding you, was a long time ago. Those shows did produce at least one memorable quote, which went something like "um, where's Toots?" I think he had blown off sound check to go shopping on Michigan Avenue or something, and didn't tell anyone.

Lucky Boys Confusion with The Scissors, Danger Is My Middle Name (Beat Kitchen)
I haven't been faced with a band that started selling shows out in the city like they had come out of nowhere when in fact they had been building up an all-ages audience in the suburbs in a while, so I don't know if I can remember this band by name when that happens. But it all comes back to me when I see them on a bill.

5.28   friday
The Tallest Man On Earth with Nathaniel Rateliff (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
I'm never sure if I'm supposed to refer to individuals who record under a band name as a "him" or a "them." Anyway, this is a Swedish folkie named Kristian Mattson who scored high on Pitchfork with his last record back in 2007, and has a new one out on a new label as of last month. Apparently, some folks have heard of him. Or them. Whatever.

Ladies & Gentlemen with Welcome to Ashley, Viaducts (Darkroom)
It's not really fair to categorize a band by the cover songs you've seen them play, but sometimes it does give you a good idea. I liked their originals when I've seen them, but covering The Soft Boys seemed to drive their point home pretty strongly. Still haven't seen a show at Darkroom.

Steel Pulse with Toots and the Maytals (House of Blues)
See Thursday's listing.

5.29   saturday
The Electric Waste Band with Rescue School, Dorian Taj, Clip Art (Double Door)
While I did like the band, I hadn't really been wondering what had happened to the surviving members of Morphine. Apparently this band has got 'em.

The Wanton Looks with Hotlips Messiah, Modern Day Rippers, Brontosauras, Class M Planets (Cole's)
Bands I've heard of tend to be a good way for me to notice venues I haven't. Cole's is on Milwaukee, just south of Fullerton. Also, it's listed twice on Metromix, with Wretched Pin-Ups in place of Hotlips Messiah in the alternate listing.

Smoking Popes with Shot Baker, Bully In The Hallway (Lincoln Hall)
I haven't heard any of the new output from Josh Caterer and company, so I don't know how much they're moving the ball forward in this second life for the band, rather than playing to their earlier success.

5.30   sunday
Jason Narducy and Dag Juhlin (Simon's Tavern)
Two longtime Chicago singer/songwriters and regular guests with Tributosaurus in as good a Sunday night acoustic gig as you're probably going to see. Narducy is just coming off that sold out Verbow reunion show.