list.in.to.chicago this week: 10.15.2012

Sorry, last week got away from me.

Pick of the week
Totally down with White Rabbits at Lincoln Hall on Wednesday after a great set from them in Grant Park back in August.

list.in.to.COZ
Regular office hours at Vaughan's on Tuesday. Next full band endeavor will be the first Saturday in November.

Recap
Thanks to CHIRP Radio, I ended up seeing Robyn Hitchcock last night in Evanston. He's an odd duck, like someone put Nick Lowe and Top Gear's James May in a cloning machine that doesn't quite work properly. A large number of his songs were introduced by imagined dialogues between Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, some of which involved beaches and dub reggae. The man just enjoys words, in whatever order they happen to leave his mouth. As long as you're on board with it, he's a lot of fun to watch.

10.15   monday
Bela Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio (SPACE, Evanston)
I wonder if the Grammy-winning banjoist's ears were burning last night when Robyn Hitchcock incorporated him into one of his between-song word salads. Here, he's paired with jazz pianist Marcus Roberts, who was up-and-coming twenty years ago when I last saw him.

Calexico with Dodos (Lincoln Hall)
Not to be confused with Chicago's own Califone, which is what I just did. This band is from Tucson, and is described as "desert noir." Which, in turn, makes me think of the Gutter Twins, and if they can come anywhere near that, good for them.

Arrested Development with Serengeti, Organic Flow (Double Door)
Someone is going to go to this expecting Justin Bateman, Portia de Rossi & Will Arnett, realize it's actually the venerable hip-hop band with the positive, jazzy vibe, and say to themselves "I've made a huge mistake." If I were the band, I'd find an opening act called Los Hermanos just to rub it in.

10.16   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Sing some songs, drinks some drinks, and catch up on your Twitter feed going thermonuclear from either the U.S. soccer match against Guatemala, the presidential debate, or in my case, both. Also, I promised Monica I'd learn a Florence and the Machine tune for her to sing this week.

10.17   wednesday
White Rabbits with Save the Clocktower (Lincoln Hall)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
No, I haven't suddenly become buddies with the extra drummer in this Brooklyn band, who are sounding like a slightly less esoteric Radiohead these days. It's Chicago's own Save The Clocktower that I know from back in the Globe open mic days, and their new album has been pretty well-received, at least if their own Twitter feed is any indication.

Regina Spektor with Only Son (Chicago Theatre)
She's certainly a peculiar artist with a very unique background, but I still feel like I want to pigeonhole her as just a hipster version of Tori Amos.

Kimbra with Stepkids (Metro)
She certainly acquits herself well enough on that omnipresent Gotye tune to check out on her own, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Miike Snow (Congress Theater)
The Swedes were one of the first of the current wave of indie-dance pop, for which I may never forgive them.

10.18   thursday
Converge with Torche, Kvelertak (Metro)
I just saw Greg Kot give this band's new record three and a half out of four stars, but the thumbnail description -- metal with punk leanings, or vice versa -- didn't sound like my cup of tea.

10.19   friday
Old 97's with Salim Nourallah, Rhett Miller (The Vic)
If Rhett Miller opens for his own band, does he get paid twice? I feel like this isn't the first time I've seen that sort of double-dip recently.

Menomena with PVT (Metro)
Knowing nothing about this band other than the name, I have to wonder if they're more popular since the Muppet Movie came out last year. Du-duuu-d'du-du.

Smashing Pumpkins with Anberlin (Allstate Arena)
This show struck me as odd, because I can't ever recall Billy Corgan playing an arena in Chicago before this. To do it now seems, well, ambitious.

Trey Anastasio (Chicago Theatre)
Since the listing doesn't mention a band, I will just assume that this show consists of the Phish guitarist playing one, long guitar solo.

Chevere (Green Mill)
It's been a while since I've seen -- or at least noticed -- the latin jazz ensemble's name anywhere. Good to see them back in action, or in action if it was just that I was overlooking them.

10.20   saturday
Smoking Popes with Roll the Tanks, Green (Double Door)
Pretty sure this is another one of those "classic albums in its entirety" shows, with the local band revisiting Born To Quit. And I'm not sure if Green is the same Chicago band from twenty years ago, but that might fit with the motif.

The XX with John Talbot, 2:54 (Congress Theater)
Lots and lots of people loved this band's last album, and for the most part, I think the critical reception of the new record have lived up to the expectations. Based purely on the quiet intensity of what little I caught of their Lollapalooza set a few years back, I almost feel like I can't downshift enough to be able to give it a proper listen.

Brandi Carlile with Blitzen Trapper (Chicago Theatre)
Granted, I don't know the ethos of Blitzen Trapper all that well, but my general perception of Carlile is very, very mainstream, so being on this tour looks a bit like cashing a paycheck. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Musicians have gotta eat, too.

Chevere (Green Mill)
See Friday's listing.

10.21   sunday
Public Image Ltd (House of Blues)
One of those bands I should probably know more about, not just because of that other, somewhat important band John Lydon was in before it, but also because of that one record in the eighties that features a ton of crazy-good instrumentalists, including Tony Williams and Steve Vai. There's a rich history, to say the least.

Kurt Elling (City Winery)
Finally, there's a Chicago venue that may equal the local jazz singer in pretentiousness.