list.in.to.chicago this week: 07.11.2011

I want to start a competing website and/or music festival to Pitchfork that's called Torches, forcing all the angry villagers to decide.

Pick of the week
I really like the Friday lineup for the Pitchfork Music Festival, and went for the three-day pass on the strength of that, plus TV On The Radio on Sunday night. That may or may not mean missing Savvy on Friday night at Martyrs' and Soundgarden and The Mars Volta on Saturday night at UIC Pavilion, which is where I'd be otherwise.

list.in.to.COZ
If I make it to Vaughan's on Tuesday, that'll be it.

Recap
Every time I see The Smithereens -- this time at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest on Saturday -- I'm reminded that Jim Babjak is a massively underrated guitarist. And that the band likes their amps loud. Babjak and bassist Severo "The Thrilla from Manila" Jornacion jumped down into the crowd right next to me to close out "Blood and Roses," at which point I think I saved a festival-goer from getting their eye poked out by the headstock of a swinging bass guitar.

7.11   monday
King Khan featuring Gris Gris with Outer Minds, Shane Shane (Empty Bottle)
If you missed Khan's set at West Fest over the weekend, or if you saw it and want more, you've got your chance tonight.

7.12   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Sometimes I wish the setup here was more conducive to being able to read charts off of a music stand, because I keep wanting to try out new stuff, but it's really tough.

Gerald Dowd and Greg Schultz with The Alberts Folk Revival (The Grafton)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
While I've never heard Gerald play a guitar, it would not surprise me if he's better at it than I am. This is part of Mike Alberts' "One Mike Stand" series at the Grafton, which is apparently a thing.

In Tall Buildings (Welles Park)
I think this free outdoor show up in the Lincoln Square neighborhood -- south of the square itself -- is being put on by the folks at Metro. Not knowing much about the band, I'll leave it to you to decide if that confers quality for your (lack of) money.

Jolie Holland with Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside (Lincoln Hall)
I really want the Houston-based singer/songwriter to be the daughter of Jools Holland, one of the founding members of Squeeze, but she's not.

7.13   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Apparently I've become suddenly popular in our New York office, so Oakley will be covering the open mic again this week.

Kevin O’Donnell's Bastille Day Spectacular (Martyrs')
Now, I don't know why, exactly, this has become an annual tradition for the local drummer/percussionist and whoever he's working with these days, but it has.

7.14   thursday
311 with Sublime (Charter One Pavilion)
Insert obligatory story about how someone in the band's mom used to post to the USENET group alt.music.alternative back in the days before the Internet had graphics. I've always interpreted the varying aspects of this band's sound as a byproduct of being from such a small market, so they had to be the rock band from Omaha, and the reggae band from Omaha, and the hippie band from Omaha all at the same time, making them sort of the rock band equivalent of those multi-level nightclubs in suburban New Jersey, perhaps with all the connotations that implies.

Steve Turre Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
Twenty years later, I have to wonder if Turre is still doing his "blowing into conch shells" schtick, or if that was just a temporary flight of fancy, and he's back to just being a trombonist. Also from Omaha, coincidentally, which may be why 311 doesn't play jazz, because they already had one of those.

7.15   friday
Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)
This is my first time at the festival in probably five years. Is there something I can spray on me to keep the hipsters away? Seriously, though, Friday's lineup is pretty stacked, with EMA, Battles, Thurston Moore, Guided By Voices, Neko Case and Animal Collective on the two main stages. I'm especially curious about EMA, as her new record has been kicking my ass for about a month now.

The Hue with Savvy, Empty Space Orchestra, Crazy Scorsese (Martyrs')
Savvy is, hands down, my new favorite local band, as they manage to throw electropop and prog rock into a blender and somehow make it work. The Hue is more straight-up prog. If my current opinion of Animal Collective holds -- I'm not a fan, but I'm giving them a chance to change my mind -- I may make it up here in time to hear both of them.

Astra Kelly with Andy Metz and the Crooks, Waldermere Revival, The Bomb Sawyers, Fools For Rowan (Elbo Room)
No, this listing is not from 1997. The prodigal daughter and former Sumo singer returns to the stage she played probably hundreds of times with both her band and the improv acid-jazz collective over a decade ago. I'm assuming this is just a one-off, and she hasn't actually moved back to Chicago, but I could be wrong.

Steve Turre Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

7.16   saturday
Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)
Day 2 is going to be more about finding new music, as I don't really care in advance about anyone other than Fleet Foxes.

Soundgarden with The Mars Volta (UIC Pavilion)
Of course, I could bag on Fleet Foxes at Pitchfork and replace them with some bruising alternative and alterna-prog for another eighty bucks or so. Looks like lots of seats are still available, so if Jam does some sort of last-minute discount, it's not that crazy of an idea. Even more so when you consider that it's a seated show, although the floor doesn't seem sold out, either.

Goo Goo Dolls with Michelle Branch, Parachute (Charter One Pavilion)
A little something for everybody this weekend, between the indie rock of Pitchfork, the hard rock of Soundgarden, and the middle-of-the-road adult alternative rock stylings of Johnny Rzeznik and his band.

Steve Turre Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

7.17   sunday
Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park)
This has the potential to be a long day, as the bands I probably care most about are on first (Yuck, who are reminding me a lot of Dinosaur Jr on first listen) and last (TV On The Radio). There are some interesting bands (Superchunk, Deerhunter) in the middle, too, but it's just a lot of hours to be out at the festival.

Yuck with Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Schubas)
In case you missed them at Pitchfork, or want to hear more.

Saskrotch with Disasterpeace, Br1ght Pr1mate, Nom Star, I Am Noun (Elbo Room)
Band name of the week, because, while it's really juvenile, I still laughed.

Steve Turre Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.