list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.07.2011

I think the uptick in quality shows is a better indicator that spring isn't too far off than any subterranean rodent. Current weather notwithstanding.

Pick of the week
I don't even know where to start this week. You almost can't miss on Thursday night, with the likes of Justin Townes Earle (Metro), Rooney and Eisley (Lincoln Hall), Don Preston and Bunk Gardner (Reggie's Music Joint) and Tomorrow The Moon (Beat Kitchen) covering all sorts of stylistic bases. Friday has The Church (Park West) and P-Funk (Congress Theater), while Saturday boasts Interpol (Riviera Theatre) and Sunday sees the return of the weekly gig for Nicholas Barron and Band.

list.in.to.COZ
Tony and I will be doing the acoustic thing on Saturday night at Celtic Crossings. For those of you who like advance notice, Andrew Fraker & Sons will be at Cubby Bear next Friday. Check our Facebook page for more info on that, including how to get in for free.

Recap
Lots of shows canceled because of the Snowpocalypse last week. I will claim that I was totally going to go to one of those, and none of you will believe me.

2.07   monday
Tin Lynott (Martyrs')
With Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore passing away yesterday, there's certainly the potential for an intense, even magical evening from Chicago's Thin Lizzy tribute band.

Nia Quartet (Morseland)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I see this one almost every week, but sometimes forget that former Underwater People bassist Patrick Williams anchors this jazz group up at the often-overlooked Rogers Park venue. At least I'm assuming Underwater People is no longer an ongoing concern, seeing as how I haven't seen their name anywhere in years.

2.08   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Still trying to keep time out of the thumb splint down to a minimum, so I'm more than likely taking another week off. I'm starting to worry that I've been gone so long that they're going to make me start paying for drinks again when I come back. Tony is still holding down the fort, of course.

Wavves with Best Coast, No Joy (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
So, based on recent history, I'm pretty sure I know exactly which of my friends on Facebook are going to post status updates from this one. Both bands are at roughly the same point of their indie buzz band trajectory, so they're flipping who's headlining from night to night. I feel like I gave Wavves a listen when they were tearing up the eMusic charts last year, and they didn't stick. I would say the same goes for Best Coast, but I'm pretty sure I'm confusing them with Beach House.

2.09   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   COZ SINGS!
Sing some songs, win a prize! Namely, the opportunity to play in the front bar on a Sunday night! I haven't added anything new in about a month, and I'm getting antsy, so I may learn something tonight or tomorrow night.

Best Coast with Wavves, No Joy (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing.

2.10   thursday
Rooney with Eisley, The Chapin Sisters (Lincoln Hall)
For whatever reason, I seem to have fallen into the trap of thinking Rooney is a UK band, when they're actually from L.A., but with heavy Britpop influences. And out of the four mentions I could find in previous newsletters for Eisley, only one of them said anything about how they sounded, which I described about three years ago as similar to Sixpence None The Richer. Perhaps more surprisingly, none of those mentions brought up the obvious Star Wars reference.

Justin Townes Earle with Jessica Lea Mayfield, Tom Schraeder (Metro)
Steve Earle's kid has been through town a number of times since releasing Harlem River Blues last fall to some critical acclaim. Maybe this time I'll actually make it out to see him.

Don Preston and Bunk Gardner with Moist Guitars, Electric Medicine (Reggie's Music Joint)
Reggie's seems to be turning into the alternative venue for Zappa-related projects, as I've seen Ugly Radio Rebellion listed there, and now a couple of Zappa alumn from the early Mothers of Invention days.

Tomorrow The Moon with The Handcuffs, We Repel Each Other, Penthouse Sweets, Organ Wolf (Beat Kitchen)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Another day, another musician with inadequate health insurance, as near as I can figure, seeing as how the Facebook event states that "proceeds will go towards the great Lou Hallwas' [of Penthouse Sweets] recent hospital bill."

Bobby Conn and Band with Cave (Schubas)
Conn is one of those local artists who exists in so many contexts, it's sometimes hard to keep track. I'm not sure how "and band" falls into that spectrum, or if it's all just minor variations on the core glam-rock persona he's most known for.

2.11   friday
The Church (Park West)
Not content with just doing one record in its entirety, the Australian band -- without whom you have to figure bands like Travis simply wouldn't exist -- will be playing three full albums from three different points in their recording career, including their most recent Untitled #23 and Starfish, better knows as "the one with 'Under The Milky Way' on it."

Robyn with Diamond Rings, Natalia Kills (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
The Swedish pop singer is on a mission to prove that modern, dance-heavy pop music doesn't have to suck, and she's doing an admirable job of it. Now, if only other pop singers would follow her lead, we wouldn't have to endure crap like yesterday's Super Bowl halftime show.

George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic with Spare Parts, Mos Scocious (Congress Theater)
Of all the places I've seen P-Funk play in Chicago, this one seems the most likely sucker for them to tear the roof off of.

Rebirth Brass Band with Booty Movement Coalition (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
A rare non-Monday night opportunity to see the BMC, opening here for the New Orleans-based jazz ensemble. There's a joke in here about "horny" and "booty," but I'm not going to make it.

2.12   saturday
Tony and Coz (Celtic Crossings)   SEE COZ LIVE!
They finally billed us more accurately (than just Tony's name misspelled) last time, only to have us show up as a trio. We'll see if the guys at the end of the room match the chalkboard this time around. The fireplace may be a big draw this weekend, although I've heard it's supposed to get warmer than the subzero temps we're hitting tonight and/or tomorrow.

Interpol with School of Seven Bells (Riviera Theatre)
Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines is currently playing keyboards for Interpol. Brother Ben Curtis left Secret Machines to form School of Seven Bells. So this is a reunion of sorts. Let the Secret Machines original lineup rumors commence!

Lovehammers with Strain Busy Sky, Simple Simon, Athel, Midnight Outlaw (Metro)
Wait, what year is it? To be fair, Lovehammers never really went away, and Simple Simon have, by their own admission, gotten back into the game after spawning "the next generation of Chicago musicians" or some such. Strain Busy Sky brings back some memories, though, even if they're memories of when I was playing in two particularly high-maintenance bands on both the covers and the originals front. I'll be nice and not name names.

Tortoise with Spookey Ruben, Cheer-Accident (Empty Bottle)
I took a break from seeing the local post-rock luminaries, as the experience started getting a bit monotonous. It may be that they opened with the same song once too often for me and seem to feel obligated to play "Djed" every single show, but they've got at least two more albums to draw from now since I last checked them out. Two shows, with Spookey Ruben opening the early show and Cheer-Accident on the nightcap.

Dot Dot Dot with Par Avion, Murley Shertz (Bottom Lounge)
This is a pretty good cross-section of local bands, to be honest. You've got the over-the-top energetic pop-rock of Dot Dot Dot, the more minimalist electronics of Par Avion (if I'm remembering them correctly) and the Umphrey's-esque prog/jam sound of Murley Shertz. Something for everybody.

Gear Daddies with Flame Shark (Double Door)
Their Wikipedia page says that this Minnesota band -- sort of a younger sibling to the indie rock movement of the mid-80s that spawned Soul Asylum, Husker Du and The Replacements -- has reunited every summer since 1998 after breaking up in 1992, but that doesn't explain why they're here in the dead of winter.

Rebirth Brass Band with The Revivalists (Martyrs')
See Friday's listing.

2.13   sunday
Nicholas Barron and "Band" (Temple Bar)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
It's been a while since Barron had a weekly residency with a band, so I'm happy to report that Sunday nights at Temple Bar will be a recurring phenomenon. I know Steve Gillis is back on drums, but I don't know who will round out the ensemble. Putting "band" in quotes is an inside joke for no one in particular, as that's how it's written on the schedule at the bar. No word at press time whether all magicians are welcome.

Wes John Cichosz (Globe Pub)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
While we wait for the Wednesday night open mic to start producing the Sunday night stars of tomorrow, I'm taking advantage of some connections to get the ball rolling, starting with Wes John Cichosz, who you may recall from The E-Mics, and Swimmer before that.

Slash with the Fabulous Miss Wendy (House of Blues)
I would make another snarky comment about the "Sweet Child O'Mine" bit of the Super Bowl halftime show, but I'm not a glutton for punishment, so I didn't actually watch any of it.