list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.31.2010

In which I supply a nearly endless amount of rope with which to hang myself, but at least I will have died using proper grammar.

Pick of the week
Topping the list this week are Erykah Badu on Wednesday and Thursday at the Chicago Theatre, Tortoise on Thursday at Lincoln Hall, and Pelican on Sunday at Empty Bottle.

list.in.to.COZ
I will not be playing anywhere at all this week. So I'm sure this is the week you've got nothing to do and have finally decided to come to a show.

Recap
Yeah, got a bit of the bronchitis, I think, which isn't terribly conducive to going to shows.

5.31   monday
Hum with Volcano! (Pritzker Pavilion)
The worst of the rain seems to be past us, so as long as you bring something dry on which to sit, the free show from the Champaign band might be a viable option.

Broken Bells with The Morning Benders (The Vic)   SOLD OUT!
When Danger Mouse collaborates with other artists, people listen. In this case, it's the singer of The Shins, and the two of them have put together a pretty solid record that softens some of the extreme earnestness of The Shins with more electronic textures. Seriously, it seems that almost everything Danger Mouse touches turns to gold these days.

6.01   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I'm out this week, but it's still fun for a Tuesday night. There might even be professional sporting events to watch, depending on when the NBA Finals tip off. And out-of-market MLB baseball while we wait for the pro game to come back to Chicago eventually.

Fuel with One Less Reason, Jimi Falls (Cubby Bear)
This is actually just the original lead singer of the band and three new guys. Except that he had been replaced for about three years for another guy, and apparently the band offered the frontman gig to Chris Daughtry whenever it was that he was on American Idol. Seriously, the Wikipedia page reads like a Behind The Music waiting to happen, except that I'm not convinced anyone would watch it. Cue angry e-mails from Fuel fans in 3...2...1...

Gilby Clarke with Hessler, Calvary, Bad City (Reggie's Rock Club)
Speaking of minor characters in the rock pantheon, it's the guy who replaced Izzy Stradlin in Guns 'N' Roses for a couple of years! I kid, of course. He's had more success than I have, at least until you all go buy the 10-year old URT album on iTunes en masse.

6.02   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (Globe Pub)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Okay, so this week's edition is actually "Sing Along With Andy," as in Andy Perostianis from the Good Mondays, who is graciously covering for me while I'm off on a business trip. Make him feel welcome while I'm gone, will ya?

Erykah Badu with N.E.R.D., Janelle Monae (Chicago Theatre)
There's been quite a bit of buzz about the current arc of "New Amerykah" albums Badu has been working on, along with a music video where she takes all her clothes off at the site of the Kennedy assassination. I'm sort of a fan of hers in principle -- good neo-soul is a wonderful antidote for all the crap that passes as R&B these days -- but I haven't really heard much of her output.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
They've upped the pace of the Beatles catalog to every six months instead of one show a year. This edition will feature A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, as well as the Long Tall Sally EP, and the surrounding singles. Early show is sold out, late show said to be going fast. They're repeating at Fitzgerald's on Thursday, too.

Garaj Mahal with Black Bear Combo, Environmental Encroachment (Reggie's Rock Club)
Not the typical venue for the jazz-fusion jam band, but they should have known Martyrs' would be booked up on the first Wednesday of the month.

Evelyn Evelyn with Sxip Shirey (Park West)
This is a different cabaret pop due from former Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer, which also features Jason Webley and has a whole backstory about conjoined twins and whatnot.

6.03   thursday
Tortoise with D. Rider (Lincoln Hall)
The post-rock band has always had a cinematic quality to their sound, so I guess it was just a matter of time before they played a show in what used to be a movie theater. Actually, this should be a great setting for the band, even if the stage is just a bit on the small side for all their instruments.

Erykah Badu with N.E.R.D., Janelle Monae (Chicago Theatre)
See Wednesday's listing.

6.04   friday
Jewel with Kip Moore (The Vic)
Wow, the Alaskan singer/songwriter is playing a venue as small as the Vic on a Friday night, and it's not sold out? Who is going to save your career may be more like it. Hey-o!

Iris DeMent (SPACE, Evanston)   SOLD OUT!
I'm sure the Evanston venue is smaller than the Vic, but I don't know that DeMent was ever as big a Jewel. I do remember she was a bit of a rising start with a lot of obvious potential when she first came on the scene way back in the early nineties, although I haven't really heard much from her since then.

New Kids On The Block (The Venue, Hammond, IN)   SOLD OUT!
I couldn't go to this even if I wanted to because of the business trip, and I worded that deliberately so certain Sunday soccer teammates can willfully ignore the fact that I wouldn't want to. The boy band thing has become a bit of a running gag.

6.05   saturday
Do-Division Street Festival (Division between Damen & Leavitt)
One of the good ones, musically speaking, in that it's not the same half a dozen cover bands that aren't Diver. Pelican and Sybris are two of the standouts for me on the first day.

Save the Clocktower with Toro y Moi, Glitter Bones (Empty Bottle)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Ran into Jimmy from Save the Clocktower the other night, and he was really happy about how the band is doing, including this show opening for South Carolinian electropop artist Chazwick Bundick, aka Toro y Moi. His Wikipedia page says he graduated from college last year with a degree in graphic design. Raise your hand if you're at all surprised by that.

Dot Dot Dot with The Insecurities, The Lifeline (Metro)
So after I listed them last time, I got a nice e-mail from one of the band members, which means I was more diplomatic than I thought, I wasn't as hard on them as I thought, or she was biting her tongue until it bled while writing. The long and short of it is that it's gotta be tough to maintain two separate but related identities as a cover band and as an original band, and they've been working their asses off at it a lot more than I ever have, so they get full credit for the effort.

Styx with Foreigner, Kansas (Charter One Pavilion)
If I were to be a Renegade and say that I've Been Waiting For A Show Like This, it would probably put me past the Point Of Know Return. And Domo Arigato, Mr. Juke Box Hero, for reminding us we are only Dust In The Wind. I can keep going if you want.

New Kids On The Block (The Venue, Hammond, IN)   SOLD OUT!
Okay, two nights sorta kills the joke from Fridday, but I can't make it Saturday night, either. And, again, wouldn't want to. Also, sold out, not that it matters when you've got the connections that I have. With The Venue. Not with New Kids On The Block.

6.06   sunday
Do-Division Street Festival (Division between Damen & Leavitt)
Day 2 features YACHT, Ponys and Scott Lucas, among others.

w00tstock (Park West)
It's billed as "3 Hours of Geeks & Music," and features Wil Wheaton, Paul & Storm and Adam Savage. Yes, Wil Wheaton. Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He's really big on the Internet. Looks like some of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 folks will be along for the ride as well.

Pelican with Miracle Condition, Medusa (Empty Bottle)
The mostly instrumental hard rock/metal band put out one of the more underrated albums of last year, although I think I saw it on a couple of year-end lists.

New Kids On The Block (The Venue, Hammond, IN)
Oh, good lord. Three shows? Well, I probably could go to this one if I wanted to. But I don't want to. So there.