list.in.to.chicago this week: 12.29.2014

Not going to get anywhere close to covering everything going on Wednesday night, but I'm guessing you already have plans. #nothelpful

Pick of the week
If you're looking for a show on New Year's Eve, I'm a big fan of both Bob Mould (Metro) and Pelican (Subterranean), and both have tickets still available. And January means Buddy Guy at Legends each and every week, starting on Friday night.

list.in.to.COZ
So, with a few exceptions, it'll be Tuesdays at Vaughan's and Saturdays with Diver at Fado for the foreseeable future.

Recap
So, haven't written since Bob Seger at United Center, so let me just say that was a thoroughly enjoyable performance. Seger doesn't have to worry about trying to hang on to being cool, because he never really was cool to begin with. He just made a lot of really solid rock songs, and his fans love hearing them almost as much as he clearly loves playing them. As for the J. Geils Band, apparently J. Geils is no longer a member. There was a lawsuit, of course.

12.30   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
New Year's Eve is for suckers. All the cool kids celebrate New Year's Eve Eve, and they do it by going to Open Jam.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
The trumpeter has held down the Showcase over the holidays for five straight years now.

Orwells with Criminal Hygiene, Symposium (Lincoln Hall)
The local garage/punk band is one of the big success stories out of the Chicago area in the last year and a half, with a pair of sold out shows to close out 2015.

American Football with Braid (Bottom Lounge)
Reunion shows from a downstate emo band, which may explain why I've never heard of them and why the response has been strong to the four shows across two venues.

12.31   wednesday
Bob Mould with Margaret Cho (Metro)
This past year's Beauty and Ruin didn't hit me quite as hard as Mould's previous return to Sugar-esque form, but it's still pretty good. Live, he's got this ringing, open-chord distorted sound that really requires earplugs.

Pelican with The Life and Times, Pinebender (Subterranean)
It worries me that the local post-metal band is playing smaller venues. They're really, really good, and it would be a shame if they've peaked already.

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound with Sidewalk Chalk (Emporium Arcade Bar)
This strikes me as an interesting idea for a New Year's Eve, as you've got music AND video games. It's perfect for single people who don't want to talk to anybody!

Sun Ra Arkestra (Constellation)
I never did see the Arkestra back when Sun Ra was visiting this planet, but I also thought he was an alter ego of Sonny Rollins for a very short while at the beginning.

Local H with Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers, Workout Music (Cubby Bear)
Having seen Local H once on New Year's Eve, I get the sense that Scott Lucas finds somewhere to play in town every year.

American Football with Pele, S. Carey (Bottom Lounge)
See Tuesday's listing.

Orwells with Springtime Carnivore, Criminal Hygiene (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

1.01   thursday
American Football with Joan of Arc (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

1.02   friday
Buddy Guy with Chicago R&B Kings (Buddy Guy's Legends)
It's that time of year again! I wonder if the blues legend will get any additional bump from his prominence on the Chicago episode of Sonic Highways, not that he needs it. What would be cool is if he drops some kind of quote from a Foo Fighters song into the set.

Chandeliers with Roy Ivy (Hideout)
I think I saw this band once, and they had a cool, atmospheric texture.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

American Football with Maritime (Lincoln Hall)   SOLD OUT!
See Tuesday's listing.

1.03   saturday
DIVER (Fado Irish Pub)   SEE COZ LIVE!
It's pretty much "the year of DIVER" at Fado this year, which is going to force some creativity out of us at least as far as lineups are concerned. Starting things off, we will be re-joined by our original bass player on loan from the Maggie Speaks empire.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The band will be reprising David Bowie as the exhibit at the MCA comes to a close, which some of you may remember as the show where I actually played with Tributosaurus. They didn't call me this time. Must have lost my number.

Owen with Tim Kinsella, Victor Villarreal (Schubas)
This is sort of a postscript to the American Football shows, as Owen is another band from Mike Kinsella, and Tim is his brother.

Buddy Guy with Corey Dennison (Buddy Guy's Legends)
See Friday's listing.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.

1.04   sunday
Psychedelic Furs (City Winery)
They have enough 80s hits and have mostly aged gracefully enough that this three-night stand should be entirely pleasant.

Roy Hargrove (Jazz Showcase)
See Tuesday's listing.