list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.17.2014

Thundersnow. That is all. Well, that and the shows.

Pick of the week
Given the options, I think I'd go with the two-night record release party from The Autumn Defense on Friday and Saturday at Schubas.

list.in.to.COZ
Regular office hours at Vaughan's on Tuesday, then Diver will be at Fado on Saturday.

Recap
Ended up at Schubas on Wednesday to catch Elements of Style before they went on their extended break. I've always said they remind me a bit of Cold War Kids, but now I hear a bit of The Shins as well. Forgotten Species had a very clear Secret Machines influence going on, and came close to pulling it off.

2.17   monday
Justin Timberlake (United Center)
The reviews are in from JT's first night of the two-night stand and...I didn't read them. Come on, it's Justin Timberlake. You pretty much know what you're getting.

Mutts with Maid Myriad, Kate Schell (Township)
I've never seen a band in one of these residencies, and I wonder if they just play it like any other show, or if they have some sort of developmental arc across the month, or what. I would want to experiment, but that assumes a lot of familarity and continuity on the part of the audience.

2.18   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Refuse to give in to this craptacular weather by getting out of the house on a Tuesday night for some drinks and some live music.

Lucius (Cubby Bear)
While I'm not sure we need another co-ed indie pop band from Brooklyn, this quintet has been pegged as "one to watch" by the New York Times, and XRT is hanging its hat on this as a sponsor. So maybe I'm judging too harshly.

2.19   wednesday
Band of Horses with Pink Mountaintops (The Vic)   SOLD OUT!
As much as I liked Infinite Arms back in 2010, I've been remiss in keeping up with the Seattle band's followup, which came out back in 2012. This is an acoustic tour that's ostensibly tied to their upcoming live acoustic album, which Wikipedia informs me was released (past tense) on February 24th. Apparently Wikipedia editors are now time travelers.

2.20   thursday
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks with Disappears (Lincoln Hall)
Another one of those artists who used to be defined by his previous band (in this case Pavement) but now has a long enough solo career to make that the bigger chunk of his musical history. Saw good reviews of his record from last year, but haven't yet checked it out.

Umphrey's McGee (Riviera Theatre)
Not sure if this is hometown bias, but I feel like these guys are the best and brightest of the modern era of jam bands. Which could be like saying they're the tallest midget if you're not a fan of jam bands, but they are still one of very few new jam bands you ever hear about, along with maybe Particle and STS9. Tickets available for Thursday night only.

2.21   friday
Autumn Defense with Sabers (Schubas)
If you didn't get your fill of Wilco-related shows last week with Jeff Tweedy, this week features Pat Sansone and John Stirratt in support of their new record as Autumn Defense.

Steve Earle (City Winery)   SOLD OUT!
One of the more interesting American singer/songwriters of the last decade or two, in that he seems a throwback to insurgent/outlaw country music without sounding retro.

Skinny Puppy (The Vic)   SOLD OUT!
The Candian industrial band has been around since 1982, with a bit of a break from the mid-nineties to the early aughts. I hadn't heard of them, or really of industrial music in general, until I did that summer program at Berklee and had a roommate who was into it, to the point where our R.A. made fun of him for chasing around weird noises with a sampler.

Secret Colours with Kentucky Knife Fight, Great Crusades (Martyrs')
This local band was tagged as one to watch a year or two ago, but being a slightly bigger fish in this pond we call the local scene doesn't always include a path out of said pond. Maybe because the pond is frozen, if I may overextend the metaphor. Anyway, their trajectory still looks positive, but starting to lose momentum.

Umphrey's McGee (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing.

2.22   saturday
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Not sure what new surprises we've got in store this time, but a lot of the time, it's a surprise to us as well. That's why it can be so much fun. Hopefully it won't snow this time.

Autumn Defense with T. Hardy Morris (Schubas)
See Friday's listing.

Steve Earle (City Winery)   SOLD OUT!
See Friday's listing.

Umphrey's McGee (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
See Thursday's listing.

2.23   sunday
Dropkick Murphys with Lucero, Skinny Lister (Riviera Theatre)
When the Pogues were still touring, we'd at least get them a little closer to St. Patrick's Day. Dropkick Murphys are always going to want to end up in Boston in mid-March, and seems to be taking the long way to get there from here.

Kelly Steward with David Prusina, Marina Strah (Hard Rock Cafe)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I think the three-song demo Tony recorded and I played drums on for Kelly is now about ten years old. She's still playing in Rockford quite a bit, but it's always good to see her in the city for a show. Lots of power behind her voice, but I think she's deploying that weapon more judiciously nowadays.

Steve Earle (City Winery)   SOLD OUT!
See Friday's listing.