list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.11.2013

[Editor's Note -- got stuck in draft mode. Sorry.]

Correction from last week. Apparently, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are not from the south, unless you live in Canada. They are actually from Seattle, but I still feel like they go for that redneck vibe just a bit.

check out list.in.to.chicago (and leave comments!) on the web at notabbott.com/litc

Pick of the week
Lots of metal coming through town this week, but the best of that bunch for me would be Pelican on Wednesday night at Bottom Lounge.

list.in.to.COZ
Combination Vaughan's Open Jam/Tony's Birthday Extravaganza on Tuesday night, and that's it for this week. Diver is back a week from Saturday at Fado.

Recap
Ended up grabbing a friend's extra ticket for Living Colour on Tuesday, and those guys can still play. And they still seem to be having fun, despite Vernon Reid and Will Calhoun looking really serious throughout most of the proceedings. As for my wondering how a hard rock band would work in such a small space, it was pretty damn loud.

On Wednesday, I was pretty pleased that The Fratellis mostly eschewed their second record, concentrating on their debut and their most recent effort. What was maybe most surprising was the lack of bandwagon jumpers in Hawks sweaters who only knew "Chelsea Dagger." That was kind of refreshing, actually. Seeing that song played in a packed Chicago venue was admittedly pretty cool.

We got to Bottom Lounge in time for most of the set from Ambassadors To Earth who played some eclectic, almost prog-blues. And since we last left Stuttgart, it sounds like guitarist Scott Tallarida has been making more of a mark on the songwriting, which is a positive development. Now if they could only do something about the lyrics, we'd have something truly dangerous.

11.11   monday
Colin Meloy with Eleanor Friedberger (Park West)
If The Decemberists are what NPR would sound like if NPR were a band, that means Colin Meloy is what Ira Glass would sound like if he were a singer/songwriter.

Sepultura with Unearth (House of Blues)
The Brazilian band kicks off what strikes me as one of the most metal weeks I've seen in Chicago in a long time.

11.12   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
IT'S TONY'S BIRTHDAY! Come celebrate with possibly the only person who's been a part of Vaughan's (and the Vaughan's Open Jam) longer than Eamonn Vaughan himself!

J. Roddy Walston & the Business with Griswolds (House of Blues)
These guys were just at Double Door about a month and a half ago, so the piano-based rock quartet seem to be in the "relentless touring" stage of their development.

11.13   wednesday
Pelican with Bongripper, Enabler (Bottom Lounge)
What I think I like most about the Chicago "post-metal" band is that their music is so hypnotically heavy, you sort of expect them to all have long beards, sleeveless t-shirts and wallet chains, when in reality, they're a remarkably clean-cut bunch. Unless they haven't cut their hair since the last time I saw them.

Old 97's with Trapper Schoepp & the Shades (Metro)
After sharing a bill with Schoepp earlier this year, the pairing with Rhett Miller and his Old 97's is pretty obviously a good match. The two may actually have some history of playing together, if I remember right.

Tim Kasher with Laura Stevenson, The New Trust (Empty Bottle)
This is the frontman from Omaha's Cursive, who is a band I really liked when I first heard a while back, and then couldn't find much in the way of recorded output.

Mazzy Star with Psychic Ills (The Vic)
I keep wanting to say Mazzy Star was part of the trip-hop thing in the mid-90s, but I think I'm confusing them with Massive Attack. This band was active around the same time, but while they had a certain laconic air, it wasn't as electronic as those bands. They've recently released their first new record in 17 years.

Albert Hammond Jr. with Rathborne (Double Door)
We're getting pretty close to the Strokes guitarist being more prolific than the Strokes themselves.

11.14   thursday
Built to Spill with Slam Dunk, Warm Hair (Metro)
So, if I check my l.i.t.c. history, I think I describe this band as one "I feel like I'm supposed to like" about ten times. Finally saw them at Riot Fest last year, if memory serves, and enjoyed them. So I guess I was right. Or had convinced myself that any other outcome wasn't possible.

Third Eye Blind with Gentlemen Hall (House of Blues)
I list this only so you get that "do do do" bit from "Semi-Charmed Life" stuck in your head. You're welcome.

11.15   friday
Slayer with Gojira, 4Arm (Aragon Ballroom)
Not quite every day with the heavy metal this week, but you sometimes need a day for your ears to recover anyway. Still not sure what to make of the departure of longtime drummer Dave Lombardo back in February, who was then replaced by Paul Bostaph. Hate to see a guy who is so strongly associated with a band leave under a dark cloud.

Cymbals Eat Guitars with Stagnant Pools, Kickback (Schubas)
With the success of Silversun Pickups, I'm almost surprised this band didn't get bigger. That seemed to be the trajectory when they played an afternoon Lollapalooza slot many years ago, but here they are at a reasonably small venue.

Michael Nesmith (City Winery)   SOLD OUT!
If you're into Monkees trivia, this is not the member of the band whose name is the same as David Bowie's real name, but it is the member of the band who was an actual musician when the band was formed, and whose mother invented Liquid Paper correction fluid. And wore a hat.

Blues Traveler with Pet Lions (House of Blues)
Leftover Salmon with Big Wu, Old Shoe (The Vic)
The stoners are going to have a tough decision to make on this one.

11.16   saturday
Toad the Wet Sprocket with Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (The Vic)
Still the best band I've ever heard named after a Monty Python bit, although I haven't ever heard the band called Boxhamsters. And you have to figure there's a band called Ex Parrot somewhere. If there isn't, there should be.

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound with Escort, Marvin Tate & D-Settlement (Metro)
The local soul/funk band headlines 93XRT's Holiday Concert For The Kids. A portion of every ticket will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which provides funding for research into childhood cancer. 93XRT Staff will be collecting new books and toys on site for area children’s hospitals.

Tennis with On an On, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (Lincoln Hall)
Husband and wife indie-pop duo that's actually a trio, because without drums, you got nothin'.

Monster Magnet with Royal Thunder, Zodiac (Bottom Lounge)
Okay, so more stoner rock than metal, but my point is that this week is really loud, musically speaking.

Michael Nesmith (City Winery)
See Friday's listing. Tickets still available for this show as of press time.

11.17   sunday
Morbid Angel with Hate Storm Annihilation (House of Blues)
So, yeah, five really heavy shows this week, rounded out by death metal from Tampa, FL. Because if I lived in Tampa, I'd probably write really, really heavy shit, too.

Alkaline Trio with New Found Glory, H20 (Aragon Ballroom)
I can't imagine that emo ages particularly well, but I'm not so curious as to want to check out the crowd for this one.

Ed Kowalczyk with Callaghan (SPACE, Evanston)
The former singer from Live is still my hands-down favorite in any competition of "who is more earnest" among rock band members. Mostly because he does it without coming off as some sort of weird activist, like Thom Yorke.