list.in.to.chicago this week: 03.11.2013

You can tell we're hitting springtime in Chicago, because all of a sudden there are about a million good shows in the space of a week again.

Pick of the week
Kinda overloaded and hard to choose. Yaasin Bey at The Shrine on Friday and Nicholas Barron at Schubas on Saturday are a couple of the ones with tickets still available, at least. Tonight's show from The Specials at The Vic and Friday's Django Django show might send you to the aftermarket.

list.in.to.COZ
Regular office hours on Tuesday, and then it's into the belly of the beast on "Parade Day," with both Sugar Beat and Diver playing in River North on Saturday.

Recap
I could get used to playing at Metro. Friday was a ton of fun--good crowd, really great staff & crew at the venue, and a particularly well-received set from Andrew Fraker & Sons. Much looser than the CD release party, I think. Enjoyed what we heard from Fletcher Rockwell and Markit 8, but I was schlepping gear home for the other two bands, so I didn't really get to check them out at all.

3.11   monday
The Specials (The Vic)   SOLD OUT!
The 2 Tone ska stalwarts had seven top ten singles in the UK over a period of three years, and the reunited band has been back at it since 2008, with five members on board from back in their heyday.

Wild Belle (Hideout)
Lots and lots of buzz about this duo, to the point where I thought I had read that they were playing at South by Southwest. Except then they would have played here over the weekend, so maybe I'm wrong. Or they're catching a later flight.

Master with Fisthammer, Sacrificial Slaughter, Black September, Cardiac Arrest (Reggie's Rock Club)
Call it a hunch, but I think this one's a metal show.

3.12   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
In which we tell stories about how much fun Metro was on Friday. And maybe rehearse Irish and Irish-adjacent songs for the weekend.

Terakaft (Chicago Cultural Center)
If you like bands originating with the nomadic Tuareg people of northern Africa, but think Tinariwen is too mainstream, this may be the band for you. Actually, Tinariwen seems to have originated with this band's frontman.

3.13   wednesday
Jeff Tweedy (The Vic)
The Wilco frontman has been doing benefit shows this time of year for at least the last couple of years. Tickets ain't cheap, but they're still available for the first one.

Tyler, the Creator (Metro)
For some reason, I thought that Odd Future and it's frontman were from Chicago, but it may be that they made a big splash at Pitchfork a few years back that got me confused. Not entirely sure what the difference is between Tyler solo versus in that "alternative hip hop collective."

3.14   thursday
Veronica Falls, Cold Showers, Love of Everything (Empty Bottle)
I've heard a bit of buzz about this London band, but upon further investigation, they're just a bit too lightweight for me.

Oz Noy, Dave Weckl and Anthony Jackson with the e-mics (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The Israeli-born guitarist recorded down the street from Martyrs' a short while ago, and here he'll be performing with a couple of jazz fusion heavyweights, and some local favorites, as Wes Cichosz and Chris Siebold open the show with what may be a newly revitalized e-mics.

Jeff Tweedy (The Vic)   SOLD OUT!
See Wednesday's listing.

3.15   friday
Django Django with Night Moves (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
There's a mini-wave of sorta indie psychedelic bands from England right now, at least if you lump these guys and Alt-J together and call them a mini-wave. The record isn't earth-shattering or anything, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Lynyrd Skynyrd with Joey Hyde, The Makena Hartlin Band (Congress Theater)
Yes, that Skynyrd. I'm surprised, too. Not to be confused with longtime Chicago punk band Lynyrd's Innards, who are actually playing down the street at Ultra Lounge on the same night, which is fucking brilliant.

Yasiin Bey (The Shrine)
Formerly known as Mos Def, and continuing the impressive run of modern hip-hop and R&B at The Shrine.

Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band (Old Town School of Folk Music)
The acclaimed jazz drummer seems to be popping up in more and more different bands and different musical contexts lately, but here's he's back on his home turf with his core band. I think he's also doing a clinic at Chicago Drum Exchange while he's in town.

Helen Money with Douglas McCombs (Township)
This is the current project of the "Alison" half of Jason & Alison/Verbow, which I don't hear about nearly as much as I do the "Jason" half.

The Drovers (Abbey Pub)
Two shows from the venerable Chicago Irish outfit as they come out of the woodwork for St. Paddy's Day. The late show is already sold out.

Seconds to Serenity with Without a Sound, Duck Dodgers, Summer Runner (Bottom Lounge)
There is a band called Duck Dodgers. The only thing that would make that more awesome would be if I had thought of it first.

3.16   saturday
Sugar Beat (Harry Caray's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Something like six sets across eight hours at two River North venues with two different bands and a shit-ton of amateur drinkers. Going to be a long day.

Yes (The Venue)
Even the current trend of playing classic albums in their entirety can be subject to prog rock excess, as this show will feature that treatment for no less than three different albums in one show. I'd be more broken up over missing it if they weren't still at odds with singer Jon Anderson, who continues to be excluded from the festivities.

Nicholas Barron Band with David Anthony Marshall (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Kinda bummed I'm missing this one, too, as it's more of a "traditional" original band slot than Barron seems to play these days. A lot of his gigs are three sets with the band in more of a bar setting, or opening for someone as a solo artist.

Animal Collective with Dan Deacon (Riviera Theatre)
They released a record last year, but after giving them a chance at Pitchfork a few years ago, I haven't had much motivation to give them another one. Too much "sonic collage" and not enough songwriting for my taste, and the textures they're building with just don't interest me.

Tossers with Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers, Blind Staggers, Continental (Metro)
We don't seem to get any of the big green guns--especially since The Pogues quit touring--but we have our share of strong St. Patrick's-themed shows around town.

They Might Be Giants with Moon Hooch (The Vic)
Didn't they used to have a thing where you could dial a phone number and get a song? Does that still exist? Give them some credit for outliving the notion that they're a novelty act that just writes silly songs.

STS9 with Maserati (Congress Theater)
Good to see the post-rock of Maserati reaching a wider audience, even if it is the jam band audience. You take your audience where you find it, I guess.

3.17   sunday
Ash with California Wives (Lincoln Hall)
For as long as I've known about this rock band from Northern Ireland--going on seven years or so now--I've never seen them tour the U.S. until now.

Ike Reilly Assassination with Old Fashioned War (Schubas)
The monthlong residency continues.