list.in.to.chicago this week: 07.12.2010

There was a time when I would meticulously run down a bunch of the bands playing at a festival like Pitchfork. That time has passed. I blame the hipsters. Or, in the spirit of the weekend, did I mean that ironically?

Pick of the week
If you can't scrounge up tickets to Pitchfork, there are a handful of festival bands playing aftershows around town, including Bear In Heaven and Here We Go Magic at Lincoln Hall and Schubas, respectively, and both on Saturday night. As for me, I may go see Holding Mercury at Metro on Friday night.

list.in.to.COZ
Regular office hours Tuesday (Vaughan's) and Wednesday (The Globe), followed by another episode in the continuing series of Diver at Fado on Saturday night.

Recap
To be honest, I don't think I enjoyed Monday's Rush as much as the last one I saw at the United Center, mostly because it wasn't that different, save for the start-to-finish performance of Moving Pictures. Charter One Pavilion rendered about five sections on either side totally unable to see the video screen behind the band, and the wind made the sound a bit problematic from farther back, which degraded the experience a bit.

The unifying factor at Martyrs' on Thursday night seemed to be vocal harmonies, although all three bands came at them a bit differently. The Powwows have Tony's power pop sensibilities layering on top of Lauretta's songs, while Your 33 Black Angels had a sort of hipster overload on frequencies in the midrange both from vocals and guitars, which was a big contrast to the sparse sound and incisive female vocals of The Maybenauts.

Friday night at Fado morphed once from three-piece acoustic Diver to the three-piece electric version, and then into Andrew Fraker & Sons for the final set. Which really seemed to impress this cute blonde right at the front, at least until I had to pack up the drums and she was set upon by three guys downstairs. This is why the drummers actually don't get the chicks, contrary to popular belief. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

7.12   monday
Caribou with Budos Band (Pritzker Pavilion)
This is the performing name of one Daniel Victor Snaith from Canada, and I can't tell from Wikipedia if he plays live with a band or not. Openers the Budos Band are coming off a headlining slot at the Old Town festival up in Welles Park over the weekend.

We Were Promised Jetpacks with Bear Hands, MillionYoung (Empty Bottle)
I had originally pegged this band as being from Brooklyn, given the name, but apparently they're Scottish. Also, you may recall Bear Hands from earlier this year, where I recalled having seen -- and enjoyed -- them just over a year earlier than that. Lot's of straight-up indie rock, I suspect.

7.13   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I will make a concerted effort to join Tony this week. And maybe I'll find a few minutes tonight to add songs to the book, which I haven't been doing much of lately.

Sublime with Rome, Matisyahu, The Dirty Heads (Charter One Pavilion)
So, apparently they can't call themselves Sublime, after the family of the late Bradley Nowell sued the remaining members of the alternative ska/reggae/punk band for using the name at a festival back in 2009.

7.14   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   COZ SINGS!
Okay, so last week we had the guy who occasionally shows up at Vaughan's and plays his guitar behind his head. With his friend, who tells 10-minute stories about Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in between songs. We also had Patrick the bar back "singing" some songs after what appeared to be a long night of adult beverages. And we learned that you shouldn't try to drink while your friends is intentionally lighting themselves on fire. Come out this week and I'll explain. I really couldn't make this stuff up.

Helicopters with The King and the Thief, Dignan, Evening Bells (Subterranean)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I think I can say with a fair degree of certainty that this is my favorite band that does not have a drummer. Which isn't to say they wouldn't be better with one...

Hole with Foxy Shazam (The Vic)
Courtney Love has lowered the expectations so much by this point that if she stays dressed and remembers at least most of the words and chords to her songs, it'll be considered a success. And, according to a review of a show in D.C., sometimes she doesn't even do that.

7.15   thursday
Widespread Panic (Chicago Theatre)
To me, this seems to be possibly the least compelling, most inessential jam band there is. There just seem to be jam bands that are better at most of the key elements of jam bandage, to the point where these guys just seem redundant. But maybe they have a little of what fans of the genre like about a bunch of other bands, wrapped into one. Hell if I know.

John Moulder Quartet (Andy's)
This is more a reminder for myself, since I've got a rehearsal later on and probably won't go home, and the jazz guitarist is playing an after-work set right near my office.

Hole with Foxy Shazam (The Vic)
See Wednesday's listing.

7.16   friday
Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)
I'm not 100% sure, but I think there are some tickets still available for the first night of the indie rock blowout, which is probably the night I'd be most interested in. Acts include Broken Social Scene, Modest Mouse, Robyn and Liars, with Wyatt Cenac of the Daily Show in the new comedy tent, among others.

Holding Mercury with Urbanites, Glasko, Bitter Wigs (Metro)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I haven't seen as much chatter on Facebook from Matt Hoffer about his band, but I know they've been carrying a fair amount of momentum and have been touring and recording quite a bit as well. And I don't know that I've seen them in this big of a room before -- I mean me, personally, as I think they've done a couple other Metro shows here and there.

Titus Andronicus with Hallelujah the Hills (Subterranean)
I was surprised that the New Jersey band -- tabbed by Rolling Stone as one of the best new bands of the year -- was playing a venue this small after playing Bottom Lounge back in April, but they're also on the Saturday bill for Pitchfork.

Widespread Panic (Chicago Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing.

7.17   saturday
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This week, it's myself, Tony and guess bassist Sue Zindle. Anto is a maybe due to family commitments. At least that's what it's supposed to be right now. The way things went last week, anything could happen.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Drive-By Truckers (United Center)
There was a period right around the absolute radio dominance of "Free Fallin'" when I really wanted to hate Tom Petty, but mostly everything else he's done has ranged from solid to pretty damn good, so it never quite took. He's back with the Heartbreakers to support a more traditional blues record.

Bear In Heaven with Twin Sister, Mountain Man (Lincoln Hall)
Here We Go Magic with Sharon Van Etten, A Lull (Schubas)
It's a good week for bands I've seen opening for other bands earlier this year, as Bear In Heaven shared a bill with Metric a few months back, while Here We Go Magic opened for White Rabbits. Both bands are also playing Pitchfork.

Cap'n Jazz with Gauge; Plague Bringer (Bottom Lounge)   SOLD OUT!
I just learned a lot from Wikipedia about how important this band was to Chicago punk and emo, which would explain the pair of sold out shows. The name rang a bit of a bell, as did the name of some of the band members, but I suspect they were proper punks about it and didn't venture out into those more mainstream venues I was playing in the early 90s. They did release their first single on Underdog Records, and I knew those guys from way back in Step Zero.

J. Davis Trio with Sean Haefeli, Bryan Forrd and Goulet (Double Door)
Since the band is under his name, I'm assuming J. Davis is still in it, but if it's the same three guys that were playing together ten years ago, that's especially impressive.

Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)   SOLD OUT!
I'm not really that into either LCD Soundsystem or The John Spencer Blues Explosion, who seem to bookend an evening program on the fest's second day that just doesn't do much for me.

Widespread Panic (Chicago Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing.

7.18   sunday
Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)   SOLD OUT!
With the big names of Pavement and Big Boi at the top of the third night's dance card, you've also got some of the buzz bands I've actually heard of, like Beach House, Surfer Blood and Neon Indian, along with one of my favorites from last year in St. Vincent.

Cap'n Jazz with Tongues (Bottom Lounge)   SOLD OUT!
See Saturday's listing.