list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.03.2013

In which I rattle off names of band members several times.

Pick of the week
I'm most excited about Tomahawk at the Vic on Friday, but you've also got Wayne Shorter at Symphony Center that same night. And !!! on Saturday night at Bottom Lounge should be a party.

list.in.to.COZ
It's yet another Diver show at Fado this Saturday night. We'd love to see you there. Also, Vaughan's on Tuesday.

Recap
I think what was most interesting about the Rolling Stones show on Tuesday was how it felt like a "normal" big arena rock band show until the last four or five songs of the main set, at which point they sorta flipped a switch and became THE ROLLING STONES, LONGEST-RUNNING ROCK BAND IN THE UNIVERSE. Of course, Charlie Watts was unflappable throughout. His posture and his snare sound were both impeccable.

6.03   monday
Sharon Van Etten with Speck Mountain (Pritzker Pavilion)
The second week of the free Downtown Sounds series looks like a good one with the singer/songwriter who was most recently touring with Nick Cave, although you'll want to bring a blanket or a medium-weight jacket. We're probably about due for the followup to her critically acclaimed Tramp, so there may be new songs.

The Rolling Stones (United Center)
Third of the three nights. While I felt bad for the road crew having to tear down and set up so many times to accomodate the Blackhawks, at least they get to sleep in hotels instead of on the tour bus. Tonight's special guest is Taylor Swift, by the way. Really glad we got Taj Mahal.

6.04   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Come for the Blackhawks game, stay for the music.

Hush Sound with Hockey, River City Extension, Genevieve, Lucas Carpenter (Metro)
They've been back for a few months (years?) now after a hiatus, but I can't remember if I thought the Hush Sound were better on record than live, or the other way around. I think it was the former. I do remember boy/girl vocals over jangly indie pop, though. I also seem to recall listening to Hockey once and being intrigued.

6.05   wednesday
Rhett Miller with Jon Langford (City Winery)
I'm assuming it's Langford opening for Miller, but a collaboration between the Old 97s frontman and the omnipresent Mekon and Waco Brother would be pretty epic.

6.06   thursday
The Bronx with Lasers and Fast and Shit, Black Actress (Double Door)
When you follow local venues on Twitter, you notice that they're sometimes just as excited about upcoming shows as the people buying tickets. Turbonegro was like that at Double Door, and so it is with Warped Tour veterans The Bronx. Who are naturally a hardcore punk band from...Los Angeles.

6.07   friday
Tomahawk with Buke & Gase (The Vic)
We may not have ever gotten the reunited Faith No More in Chicago, but we've got a small club show from one of Mike Patton's many other projects, namely the "supergroup" made up of him, guitarist Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard), drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Battles) and now on bass, Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle). They've put out consistently good rock records over the last decade or so.

Wayne Shorter Quartet (Symphony Center)
The legendary jazz saxophonist is touring behind a new live record featuring his current lineup of Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums.

Sting (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park)
This is being called the "Back to Bass" tour, or the "no, he's not still playing the damn lute" tour. The band looks like David Sancious on keyboards, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Peter Tickell on violin, Jo Lawry on backing vocals and Dominic Miller on guitar, who also will be playing a nightcap at the Chopin Theatre at Division and North later in the evening, by the look of it.

Baths with Houses, D33J (Metro)
This record starts out with a very Peter Garbiel-esque bit of texture, but then shifts gears into more conventional electronic music. It's a pretty pleasant listen, for sure, but that opening got my hopes up.

Steepwater Band with Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Magic Box (House of Blues)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
You've got the ever-present son of Rick Nielsen again, along with my good friend Steve Gillis on drums with the barroom blues-rock of Magic Box.

Son Volt with Colonel Ford (Park West)
Since Uncle Tupelo split in two back in 1994, Wilco has always gotten the lion's share of the attention, but Jay Farrar has been plugging away for just as long, making records that are maybe a bit truer to the original alt-country sound, for better or worse according to your tastes.

Spitalfield with Shane Henderson & the Future Perfect, Jon Walker (Bottom Lounge)
Somehow I acquired a promotional CD from Spitalfield many, many years ago. We're talking over a decade. Pretty sure it's still in the general vicinity of my desk, yet as unopened.

6.08   saturday
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)
If you had "Mike Mitchel" in the "who is playing bass with Diver this time" pool, congratulations! We'll buy you a drink if you show up at the gig.

!!! with Sinkane (Bottom Lounge)
I've heard good things about this band's new record Thr!!!ler, but it's one of those names that can be impossible to search for on online music sites.

Black Flag with Good For You (Reggie's Rock Club)
There are currently two distinct bands of Black Flag alumni touring. This is the one that is actually called Black Flag (the other is just called "Flag"), and is comprised of Greg Ginn, Ron Reyes, Gregory Moore and Screeching Weasel bassist Dave Klein.

Paper Thick Walls with Save the Clocktower, Dangerous Cans (Burlington)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
As mentioned last week, this is one of my new favorite local bands. And it's the last show for one of the guys in Save The Clocktower.

Secret Colours with E+, Lionlimb (Empty Bottle)
Still a fair amount of buzz around Secret Colours, but I wasn't terribly impressed when I saw them a year and a half ago.

Sting (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park)
See Friday's listing.

6.09   sunday
Glen Hansard with Lisa Hannigan (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
This will actually be the second time I've seen Hansard at Metro, with the first being a Lollapalooza aftershow with The Frames back before Once came out and he got huge.

Black Flag with Good For You (Reggie's Rock Club)
See Saturday's listing. This one is all-ages.