list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.21.2010

I'm trying to keep it brief this week, as I'm actually writing this from my parents' dining room in Williamsburg, VA, and have a plane to catch in a couple of hours.

Pick of the week
I like this Wood Brothers show tomorrow night at SPACE in Evanston.

list.in.to.COZ
Big, big show for Andrew Fraker & Sons on Thursday night at Lincoln Hall, and we'd love to see you there.

Recap
I managed to make it ten minutes from leaving the office on Monday night before I learned the score of the Italy match. That didn't dampen my enjoyment of Tony Allen, though. Afropop just makes me happy, and the dynamic range on the drums that Allen displayed just within each hand on its own is completely devastating. Openers Great Lake Swimmers had a bit of that Okkervil River vibe going, with violin, jazz-affected drumming, the occasional banjo and sweet vocal harmonies.

6.21   monday
Max Weinberg Big Band (SPACE, Evanston)
I'm not sure if the "I'm With COCO" movement extends to his soon-to-be-former bandleader, but it should.

6.22   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I think we may have the full "house band" this week for the first time in a long time. Unless I chicken out because I have work to do.

The Wood Brothers with Carsie Blanton (SPACE, Evanston)
One other upside to this list is that it occasionally reminds me to look for new albums from artists I like. In this case, it's one-third of Medeski Martin & Wood (guess which third!) with his typically excellent folk duo.

6.23   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   COZ SINGS!
Just a hunch, but I'm going to be at least the fourth or fifth most important event going on at The Globe on Wednesday, with the final matches of the first round for Group C -- which includes the U.S. and England -- and Group D in the World Cup. Maybe we'll get a special appearance by the vuvuzela orchestra.

Mucca Pazza with Canasta (Lincoln Hall)
Our own indie rock marching band tends to play outdoor gigs this time of year, but they still find time to play under a roof.

Amy Cook with Susan Voelz, Benyaro (Schubas)
She's from Austin, and her latest album was produced by Alejandro Escovedo, so it's not at all surprising that Cook is sharing a bill with violinist Susan Voelz. You may also recognize her songs from a whole bunch of TV shows.

Kris Myers and My Boy Elroy (Alive One)
I'm guessing this is the same Kris Myers who plays drums in Umphrey's McGee, so a side project at Alive One should be a good one for jam band fans and other musician types.

6.24   thursday
Andrew Fraker & Sons with Murley Shertz, Weber Band, SunFallen (Lincoln Hall)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Headlining a gig at the new Lincoln Park venue almost makes up for that last debacle in River North. We'd love to see you for this one, and will be debuting the two new songs we had prepared for the last show.

Doc Severinsen and El Ritmo de la Vida with Sones de Mexico Ensemble (Priztker Pavilion)
It's a good week for former late night talk show bandleaders, but I'm almost afraid to point out that Doc ran the Tonight Show band back before Jay Leno, because I'm not entirely sure who still remembers that there was a Tonight Show before Jay Leno.

Helicopters with Darling (Whistler)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Apparently it's a good night for bands from that ill-fated Enclave show. The electropop trio plays the Logan Square venue at Milwaukee and Fullerton, and may know by this point if they've advanced in the freecreditreport.com unsigned band contest.

Classic Albums Night (Reggie's Rock Club)
They do this on the last Thursday of every month, and this time around, it'll be Couldn't Stand The Weather from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Blow By Blow from Jeff Beck. Not sure who's doing the playing, though.

6.25   friday
Makeshift Prodigy with Treaty of Paris, A Hero Named Hope, Just the Kid!, Chimera Twilight (Metro)
I haven't seen this band in about a year and a half, but I didn't have any issues with them then, and Metro is reasonably close to my apartment. So it's a possibility.

The Melvins with Totimoshi (Double Door)
It's that time of year where I usually give MOBfest a lot of stick, but with a show or two from a well-known band -- if someone after their time -- at a high-profile venue, it's a step in the right direction. Ten years too late, but still...

Wang Chung with Too White Crew (Cans Music Fest)
There was actually one single before "Dance Hall Days" and "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" that I remember really liking. I want to say it was called "Don't Let Go," and had one of those videos that featured Simmons electronic drums very prominently. So it was cool on that front as well. Also, Wang frickin' Chung?

The Nick Bisesi Quartet (Club BluJazz)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I don't know saxophonist Bisesi, but he's got Patrick Williams on bass, Vijay Tellis-Nayak on keys and Eric Montzka on drums, so I know he keeps good company. Looks like this is a regular late-night Friday gig.

6.26   saturday
Crossroads Festival (Toyota Park)   SOLD OUT!
It's another installment of Eric Clapton's destination concert out in Bridgeview, with performances from Clapton, Steve Winwood, The Allman Brothers Band, John Mayer, Jeff Beck, ZZ Top, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, BB King, Sheryl Crow and others.

Public Enemy (Congress Theater)
Most of my memories regarding Public Enemy revolve around the long day we had putting on their show at the University of Chicago all the way back in 1989. It did not go smoothly, but probably wasn't quite as difficult as LL Cool J a few years later.

6.27   sunday
Jon Spiegel's Birthday Concert (Martyrs')
This could be interesting, because Jon and his brother Matt know a lot of really great local musicians.