list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.05.2012

Yeah, so this week's edition is late because I didn't want reading it to get in the way of voting. Or something.

Pick of the week
The big standout is The Sword at Double Door on Wednesday.

list.in.to.COZ
So, Vaughan's is an Ohio bar, and Ohio is a swing state, so obviously, that's the place to be on election night, right?

Recap
I liked what little I heard from April Henry and Aryk Crowder when we shared the bill with them at Subterranean on Saturday. That's still the best way for me to learn about new local bands.

11.05   monday
Lee DeWyze with Jennifer Hall (Lincoln Hall)
You may remember DeWyze as the winner of the ninth season of American Idol who hails from Mount Prospect. I think someone once told me I looked like him.

Indigo Girls with Shadowboxers (Old Town School of Folk Music)   SOLD OUT!
This is a benefit for the Lincoln Square music school, and even at $125 per ticket, would probably be worth it to see the band in such a great, intimate space.

Misfits (House of Blues)
According to Wikipedia, the "horror punk" band has five times as many former members (including, of course, Glenn Danzig) as current members. So, if this show goes on long enough, they may replace a bass player halfway through or something.

11.06   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Help us celebrate as we say goodbye to an integral part of the Vaughan's Open Jam experience. I just can't tell you who, because it's supposed to be a surprise. Also, election coverage will almost certainly be better with the sound off and live music being played.

Susanna Hoffs (City Winery)
If I say "the former Bangles singer in an intimate environment," some of you might take that straight to the gutter. So would I, actually.

11.07   wednesday
The Sword with Eagle Claw, Gypsy Hawk (Double Door)
Probably the highest-profile, straight-up metal band to break out nationally in a while. At least since Mastodon?

Sharon Van Etten with Damien Jurado (Metro)
Lo-fi, female indie singer/songwriter rock, which might make you think early Liz Phair, but it's a bit less pretentious and a bit less hook-laden than that. Also gets heavier-sounding at times, which surprised me a bit at Lollapalooza.

Cameron McGill with Paper Thick Walls (The Whistler)
Haven't seen much of McGill lately, but with the record release earlier in the year, he may have been touring.

11.08   thursday
Cave with Tyvek, Running (Hideout)
Going to keep listing these guys until I actually get off my ass and see them, because most of the descriptions I've seen have sounded promising.

Electric Six with Little Hurricane, Black Actress (Double Door)
Either the garage-glam band has settled into a modestly-sized local audience, or they really like playing the Double Door.

Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Jazz Showcase)
Still one of the best jazz organists in the game today.

Grouplove with Papa (Riviera Theatre)
Along with fun., who is here next week, and maybe Foster the People, there seems to be a sub-genre of indie-party-rock bands that are gaining some level of popularity right now. If I'm associating this band correctly with what I think is one of their songs, Grouplove fits that bill.

MXPX with Unwritten Law, Versus the World, FLF (Bottom Lounge)
Kinda surprised to see Warped Tour-esque bands in Chicago in the winter, to be honest.

11.09   friday
Bob Dylan & His Band with Mark Knopfler (United Center)
Mixed reviews for the new Dylan record, I think, but then again, that can be said about a lot of his catalog, with a few notable exceptions.

Scott Lucas & the Married Men with Black Jake & the Carnies, Many Places (Township)
I would have figured on Lucas focusing a bit more on Local H since they have a new record out, but apparently his artistic muse is restless enough to keep both bands active at the same time.

Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

11.10   saturday
Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra with Jherek Bischoff (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
In case you're wondering where I stand on Palmer being "proof" that crowdfunding can "replace" the major labels and upend the music business, I think it's a total crock of bullshit. Nearly every high-profile instance of an artist eschewing the label system and being successful is exactly that--high profile. I have seen no evidence that anything like this can scale down to the level of bands who are currently slugging it out in clubs to attain even 1/1000th of the audience someone like Amanda Palmer has.

Action Blast with Madina Lake, Daylight Dawns, Fist to the Sky, Cool Cats (Bottom Lounge)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
So, is one of the first local Madina Lake shows I can recall since Matthew Leone's good Samaritan turn went horribly wrong and landed him in the hospital, so it might be kind of a big deal for the band.

Matt & Kim with Oberhofer (Congress Theater)
One of my least favorite of the guitar/drum duo bands. Lots and lots of enthusiasm, but really not much else going on. I'm surprised they're playing somewhere as big as the Congress, to be honest.

Melissa Etheridge (Chicago Theatre)
Oh, there's a joke about the Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge both being here this week, but I'm not going to make it.

Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

11.11   sunday
The Musical Box (The Vic)
The Genesis tribute--which often includes original costumes and sets from the band's more theatrical days--always intrigues me right up until the point when I look at ticket prices. Tends to be a lot for not the real thing.

Maserati with Majeure, Psychic Twin (Empty Bottle)
So at first it looked like this post-rock band might not have survived the death of their drummer, but they've come through that period and kept going.

Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.