list.in.to.chicago this week: 07.29.2013

We continue to experience perfect Lollapalooza weather in the days leading up to Lollapalooza. Which is totally going to jinx us, I'm afraid.

Pick of the week
Well, tonight's Heart show at Ravinia should be pretty bad-ass if you can get yourself on a train, like, immediately. The Lolla aftershows are good if you're not going to the festival itself, and if you were dialed in way back when tickets first went on sale, assuming you're not independently wealthy. I'm really intrigued by The Fixx at SPACE in Evanston on Wednesday. Veteran drummer Tony Allen sitting in with the Chicago Afrobeat Project at Reggie's on Thursday should be pretty cool.

And then that big thing going on in the park this weekend.

list.in.to.COZ
Maybe Tuesday night this week, but that's it. Gotta consume music this week rather than produce it.

Recap
Thursday's show with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell was at least as entertaining as expected, and my expectations were pretty high. Many of his jokes were the same as the last time I saw them, but I still laughed hard. The music was great, and Edie Brickell seems to still have that natural effervescence that marked her persona back when she first appeared on the scene.

I was surprised to learn last night that I actually remember five Loverboy songs. I couldn't come up with more than three until they started playing the other two. Nostalgia acts can sometimes surprise you by being more timeless than you expected. This was not one of those, but that didn't mean it wasn't entertaining, even if most of that entertainment was making up backstories for the people in the crowd singing along with some of the deeper cuts. And it was all the original members, I think, which is impressive for bands who are that long in the tooth.

Oh, and towards the end of Saturday night's final Diver set, a bunch of people walked in dressed as elves and snowmen. So that happened.

7.29   monday
Heart with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park)
The show is broken into three parts, with Jason Bonham, then Heart, then Jason Bonham and Heart playing Led Zeppelin. Not sure if the first bit is still Led Zep, or if the Bonham is playing with Heart for the non-Zep bit. Or if there are any holograms involved.

Ben Nichols with Corporal, The Blind Staggers, Steely Danish (Metro)
This is the 20th Anniversary party for the Red Orchid Theatre. I know for a fact that the Metro staff is trying to convince host (and member of Corporal) Michael Shannon to reprise his dramatic reading of that sorority sister e-mail that I'm sure you saw on social media.

7.30   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
With everything going on this week, I might only be able to afford a brief cameo appearance. But you should go anyway.

Baby Teeth with Abraham Levitan (Hideout)
One of several local bands I've been hearing about lately and have subsequently been meaning to check out. And then haven't.

7.31   wednesday
Stick Men with Grood (Martyrs')
I've been wanting to see this project for a while now. The band is Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson, along with another Chapman Stick player named Markus Reuter. Plus, my favorite local band Grood is opening the show.

The Fixx (SPACE, Evanston)
Curious to see what the band sounds like after all of these years, because I thought their songs were really good, but their sounds were definitely of the 80s.

World Party (Park West)
Listening to XRT promote this show, I actually had no idea that Karl Wallinger, the primary creative force behind this band since 1986, used to be in the Waterboys. Then again, I don't consider myself as a comprehensive source of information for either World Party or the Waterboys. That's what I have Wikipedia for.

8.01   thursday
Queens of the Stone Age (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
Okay, so I'm not going to list all the Lollapalooza aftershows, because there are just too many, and most of them are sold out. But I'm going to mention this one, as I'm excited to see Josh Homme once again visit Metro on Lolla weekend after debuting Them Crooked Vultures there a few years ago.

Chicago Afrobeat Project featuring Tony Allen (Reggie's Rock Club)
The local world music group gets s huge shot in the arm as they're joined by the drummer for the late Fela Kuti. I've seen him play once, and I'm still trying to process how to approach the drums like he does.

Adam Ant (Concord Music Hall)
The 80s icon plays the inaugural show at a brand new venue on Milwaukee just north of Armitage. With Riot Fest as one of the forces behind the room, and seeing that they had previously promoted a lot of their non-festival shows at the Congress, lots of folks are seeing this as the beginning end of the dilapidated Logan Square space.

Paper Thick Walls with Fatty Acids (Hideout)
The local indie-folk/pop band has been hitting the street festivals a bit lately, but with everything else doing on this week, this may not be a good barometer for whether or not that's building them an audience.

Steely Dan with Bobby Broom & the Deep Blue Organ Trio (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park)
So, I saw this on Facebook a week or two ago. The answer? Ronald Reagan. The question? What do you get if you ask Scooby Doo who sings and plays keyboards in Steely Dan?

8.02   friday
Lollapalooza (Grant Park)   SOLD OUT!
Some of the bands I'm hoping to check out on day one are Emeli Sande, Ghost B.C., Theophilius London, Frightened Rabbit and Nine Inch Nails. Although I was disappointed to find out that Adrian Belew bailed on Trent Reznor's touring band.

Backstreet Boys with Jesse McCartney (FirstMerit Bank Pavilion)
Wait, Backstreet Boys are going to be on at Northerly Island at roughly the same time as Nine Inch Nails (and The Killers) go on in Grant Park? The airspace over the lake is going to be really weird.

Chris McBride Quintet (Andy's)
Gotta wonder how often this guy gets mistaken for jazz bassist Christian McBride, at least in printed listings.

Steely Dan with Bobby Broom & the Deep Blue Organ Trio (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park)
See Thursday's listing.

8.03   saturday
Lollapalooza (Grant Park)   SOLD OUT!
Day two artists piquing my interest are Ben Howard, Charles Bradley, Local Natives, Foals, and then really a tossup between The Postal Service and Mumford & Sons. For the most part, Saturday looks to have the most shuttling back and forth between the two ends of the park.

Chris McBride Quintet (Andy's)
See Friday's listing.

8.04   sunday
Lollapalooza (Grant Park)   SOLD OUT!
The "Grove" stage seems to be where it's at on Sunday, with MS MR, Wavves and DIIV performaning in the afternoon. Then it's on to the south end of the park for Grizzly Bear, Beach House and finally, The Cure.

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals with Warbeast, Author & Punisher (House of Blues)
If the name Phil Anselmo sounds familiar, it's because he used to front Pantera.

The Postal Service with Mates of State (Metro)   SOLD OUT!
Okay, one more aftershow, if only because this one from Ben Gibbard and friends will be streamed live on WXRT. And because this was never really a live band when the record came out ten years ago.

Miles Nielsen with Steve Frisbie, Ed Anderson, and Emily Hurd (SPACE, Evanston)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The latest in the "Word and Music" series, hosted by Ingrid Graudins. Haven't been to one of these, but the talent has always been top-notch.

Liquid Soul (Abbey Pub)
First Sunday of the month means acid jazz on Elston & Grace, Lolla be damned.