list.in.to.chicago this week: 05.27.2013

So, Time Out Chicago is speculating that there may be a Rolling Stones secret show-sized hole in the schedule at Bottom Lounge. They do have a lot of downtime, but I don't want to go down that rabbit hole of trying to make pseudo-educated guesses.

Although I would not think less of you if you decided to just go see whoever is playing at Buddy Guy's Legends every off night the band has between now and Monday.

Pick of the week
Lot of good stuff this week, even if you're not into the Stones. I'd be down with Robyn Hitchcock on Thursday (City Winery) and Primus on Sunday at the Riv. Twin Shadow (Saturday at Metro) has a fair amount of buzz about them, and Dispatch outdoors (Saturday at Charter One Pavilion) may be a good time if it doesn't rain.

list.in.to.COZ
Nothing this week. Next show is June 8th at Fado with Diver.

Recap
I hadn't really heard much from Laura Marling before seeing her on Thursday. Playing solo acoustic, she was kind of adorable, apologizing for the time it took to execute her alternate tunings in that way only the British can do. There's a certain hypnotizing aspect to playing lots of open tunings, and the net result was letting some of her songs wrap around you like a blanket. Sleepy, but in a good way.

It dawned on me on Saturday that the duo performance with Andrew marked pretty much the first time I've ever played guitar on stage for a proper original rock club show. So naturally I dropped into a Spinal Tap pose during one of the breakdowns. Trapper Schoepp and the Shades had a well-developed working-class bar band vibe for such a young band.

Sunday night at Double Door reinforced my initial reaction to Paper Thick Walls. This is a local band to keep an eye on. Of the other two bands that we stuck around for, I thought God & The Architects need to take more time dialing in their sounds, and while the 90s Britpop base Bright White was building from sounded really solid, the vocal melodies were problematic, particularly on the choruses. I get what they were thinking, but the execution just didn't work for me song after song.

5.28   tuesday
Rolling Stones (United Center)
My original thought when I saw the spacing of the three shows from the rock icons in Chicago was that they're old and can't play consecutive nights anymore. Then the Blackhawks won last night and I realized they had to keep nights open for the primary tenants of the venue, who now play Wednesday and then between the second and third shows if they win that one.

Open Jam (Vaughan's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I can neither confirm nor deny that Mick, Keith, Ron and/or Charlie might stop by the long-running open mic night in Lakeview after finishing up on the west side. I can however, completely make it up. And I can confirm that I won't be making it up north after taking in said show.

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog (Constellation)
Guitarist Ribot is kind of a big name to be playing at a venue so close to my house that I've never heard of before.

Macy Gray (City Winery)
Everyone's favorite scratchy-voiced female R&B singer from the 90s, mostly on account that she's the only one everyone knows. She released an album of covers last year.

Cannibal Corpse with Napalm Death, Immolation (Bottom Lounge)
This could make for some interesting post-show crowd mixing with the Stones just a few blocks away. Serious metal shows tend to be early in the week for some reason.

5.29   wednesday
The Rolling Stones Project (Martyrs')
Ever wonder what all the supporting musicians touring with the Stones do on their nights off? Gigs like this, featuring several of those backup musicians along with the DePaul University Big Band and "special guests."

Hood Smoke with Peninsula (Whistler)
This week's edition of "where is guitarist Chris Siebold playing?" Starting to think he should wear red horizontal stripes when he's on stage with Hood Smoke this week.

Macy Gray (City Winery)
See Tuesday's listing.

5.30   thursday
Robyn Hitchcock (City Winery)
Another good intimate venue for Hitchcock's peculiar songs and even more peculiar storytelling between those songs. He's like Nick Lowe's crazy cousin.

Drivin' 'N' Cryin' with Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts (Schubas)
Absolutely the most apostrophes for your entertainment dollar from the Georgia rockers.

5.31   friday
Disappears with Torche, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and others (Do Division Street Fest)
With music programming from Empty Bottle and Subterranean, this festival has quickly established itself as the alternative to the heavy cover band programming at a lot of the Star Events fests. On Division between Damen and Leavitt.

Torche with KEN Mode, Tight Phantomz, Lo-Pan (Empty Bottle)
Of course, with Empty Bottle and Subterranean booking the stages at Do Division, you can bet there will be late shows at both clubs from many of the same bands.

Glittermouse with Nice Bison, Dead Parade (Subterranean)
It's our indie-rock buddies from the ill-fated Enclave show, headlining a Friday down in Wicker Park.

Paul Wertico & Frank Catalano (Andy's)
Two heavyweights of the local jazz scene playing two nights in River North.

Howard Levy and Chris Siebold (SPACE, Evanston)
Seriously, I can't list three days of shows without coming across Siebold, who is playing with harmonica player and multi-instumentalist Levy. The two most recently toured Russia, I think.

Rolling Stones (United Center)
See Tuesday's listing. I assume the key to enjoying this shows is to not, for example, calculate how much money you paid per song played.

6.01   saturday
Twin Shadow with Elliphant (Metro)
I've had my issues with the notion of "retro for retro's sake" with this band, but the same thin overprocessed guitar sound that I don't really like from them live sounds a lot more Adrian Belew-esque on record, so I may have to give them another chance.

Dispatch with Guster (Charter One Pavilion)
As much as I enjoyed their breakthrough album, something about Dispatch bugs me just a bit. I've wondered for a while about who's bankrolling them, as they point to their independence from the major label system often enough to make me suspicious. Hopefully the weather cooperates as the outdoor concert season gets started in earnest.

Ariel Pink with Inc., Tilly & the Wall, He's My Brother She's My Sister, Night Moves, and others (Do Division Fest)
This is the part where I'm going to not recognize a single one of the bands and wonder just how out of touch I am with the local and low-level indie scene.

Paul Wertico & Frank Catalano (Andy's)
See Friday's listing.

6.02   sunday
Primus (Riviera Theatre)
This is billed as "Primus 3D," which scares me. The band just released an anniversay/deluxe version of Sailing The Seas of Cheese, although I think Jay Lane is still drumming in the band, rather than Tim "Herb" Alexander, who played on that record.

Liquid Soul (Abbey Pub)
Slowly but surely, they acid-jazz collective is working its way back into the scene.

Gaslight Killer with Jeff the Brotherhood, Beat Connection, Indians, Ex Cops, and others (Do Division Street Fest)
Okay, I know one of the bands on the third day of the festival--Jeff the Brotherhood--but I don't actually like them very much. So, yeah, get off my lawn.