The Week In Shows

Here is our weekly list of recommended shows to catch in, and around, the city. We do not take our recommendations lightly, so you can put all of these down as money well spent on great live bands.

Friday - 3/2
The Twilight Sad @ Empty Bottle
$12 - 10pm - Opening: Young Prisms, Michah P Hinson

Late notice, but the Scottish band's sparse, moody new album is sure to sound fantastic here. As much as we love Empty Bottle, this is a band that should definitely be playing on a larger stage. The dramatic, brooding "Sick" and rumbling "Another Bed" are sure to set the room on fire.

Dia Frampton @ Subterranean
$15 - 8pm - Opening: Andrew Allen

If you are looking for something slightly cheerier to do tonight, last year's runner-up from The Voice is playing a set at Subterranean. Chad is a sucker for reality singing competitions, and Frampton (formerly of indie duo Meg & Dia) has a unique voice that should suit the venue nicely.

Saturday - 3/3
Pet Lions @ Subterranean
$10 - 9pm - Opening: Brighton, MA, Briar Rabbit, Ben Keeler

One of our favorite accidental discoveries over the last several years was stumbling across Pet Lions' "Roman History" on Pandora, only to realize that they are a Chicago band. A few shows and a great debut album later, we are fans. One of Chicago's indie outfits just waiting for the world to notice how great they are, you should definitely catch them while they are still playing the city's more quaint venues like this.

Thursday - 3/8
Yellow Ostrich @ Empty Bottle
$8 - 9:30pm - Opening: 1, 2, 3, Tin Tin Can

With a sophomore album, strange land, releasing earlier in the week, we are not quite sure how the Alex Schaaf project is playing at the smallish venue. The band's debut, The Mistress was a mind-blowing solo bedroom recording from Schaaf, achieved with loops of brilliantly layered sound and vocals. if you have somehow missed out, give it a spin - or better yet, trust us that this is a show not to be missed and catch them at Empty Bottle. It is a matter of time for the Barsuk-signed band to be playing to much larger crowds.

Friday - 3/9
Company Of Thieves @ Metro
$15 - 7pm - Opening: Bailiff, Sidewalk Chalk

Anyone that used to listen to our old podcast will not be shocked that we are recommending a Company Of Thieves show. They are easily one of the best live bands going, and it is great to see them playing a larger room. Catch them at Metro before more people figure out how damn great they are and they end up playing even bigger venues.

Maritime @ Empty Bottle
$10 - 10pm - Opening: Panoramic & True, The Minor Leagues

With two openers and Metro's notorious policy of shoving you out the door as quickly as possible once a show ends, you might have a shot to catch both Company Of Thieves and Maritime on Friday night. The Milwaukee band's latest album, Human Hearts was one of our favorite albums of last year. We can only imagine how fantastic the jogging jabs of "Paraphernalia" and raggedly strummed "Annihilation Eyes" will sound at the great venue.

Alabama Shakes @ Lincoln Hall
SOLD OUT - 10pm - Opening: Canasta, Jennifer Castle

Chicago's stellar indie pop outfit, Canasta is what would draw us to this show... if it were not sold out. Keep your eyes peeled here for future shots to catch Canasta's genius live.

Coming Soon
Saturday - 3/10
Adam Krier (AM Taxi) @ Beat Kitchen $10 10pm Opening: swizzlesteve, Kevin Andrew Prchal

Saturday - 3/17
Live Band Karaoke @ Schubas $5 5pm

Monday - 3/19
Fiona Apple @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT 8pm

Wednesday - 3/21
A Place To Bury Strangers @ Empty Bottle $12 9:30pm Opening: Apteka, The Big Sleep, DJ bradiy

Thursday - 3/22
Literary Rock & Roll: American Dreamers @ Metro FREE 6:30pm Readings of stories with Canasta providing music

Friday - 3/23
We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Bottom Lounge $15 9pm Opening: Bad Veins, New Cassettes
Delta Spirit @ Metro $17 9pm Opening: Waters (former Port O'Brien)
Rachael Yamagata @ Schubas $15 10pm Opening: Madi Diaz
The Temper Trap @ Lincoln Hall SOLD OUT 10pm

Saturday - 3/24
The Temper Trap @ Lincoln Hall $25 10pm
Rachael Yamagata @ Schubas $15 10pm Opening: Madi Diaz

Sunday - 3/25
Cursive @ Lincoln Hall $18 8pm Opening: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Conduits
Rosie Thomas @ Schubas $13 8pm Opening: Bhi Bhiman

Thursday - 3/29
The Pretty Reckless @ Bottom Lounge $15 6:30pm Opening: The Parlor Mob, The Hollywood Kills

Friday - 3/30
Miniature Tigers @ Schubas $15 8pm Opening: The Chain Gang Of 1974, Geographer, SPEAK

Saturday - 3/31
Ben Kweller @ Lincoln Hall $18 Opening: Sleeper Agent, The Dig

Canasta - May 8th 2010

Chicago’s own, Canasta celebrated the release of their sophomore album, The Fakeout, The Tease And The Breather, with two shows at Schubas on Saturday night. With a horn section joining the sextet on stage for several of the songs, the last song of the set sums up the experience of the early show; the sexy, soulful groove of “Reading The Map Upside Down”. At the end of the funk-laced number, front man, Matt Priest’s awestruck expression and uttered “wow” matched the vibe of the crowd. He joked, “We may never play another show after tonight”, expressing just how hard it would be to top the version of the song with horns in tow. If you missed the Saturday night shows, you definitely missed out on a special experience.

The night kicked off with the first four tracks from the band’s excellent new release, which was a gutsy move given the slow-burning build-up of, seven-minute epic, “Becoming You” that opens the album. The gorgeous melody that seeps into your skin in the song came through great live, as did the excellent violin work of Elizabeth Lindau. The band’s ability to pull off the rich, layered sounds on stage made the horns that would show up later in the set feel like the cherry on top; a delicious garnish, but essential to their sonic charms. The gradual climb to eruption on the song led well into the party that broke out on stage for the triumphant “Mexico City”. The shout-a-long hook and fantastic violin solo ensure that it will quickly join “Slow Down Chicago” and “Microphone Song” as a fan favorite, providing them with an early ‘holy shit’ moment.

While bands can easily falter pulling off a note-for-note recreation of the album on-stage, by not giving fans anything unexpected, Canasta’s lush sounds and added oomph songs receive live keep everything feeling fresh and vibrant. When a band can hold a room’s attention for quieter songs they may have not yet heard, like velvety bliss of “I Don’t Know Where I Was Going With This”, you know they have the goods. Explaining that they would not repeat much of the older material in the late show, getting both the jazzy, religious-themed “Shadowcat” and upbeat duet “Sympathetic Vibrations” was a pleasant surprise. It was hard not to hope that the late show also got both of the other two fan favorites, though. The organ-led melody and anthem-ready hook of “Slow Down Chicago” make it feel like it should be the city’s official song, and you should be able to request a refund if you do not hear the addictively jittery “Microphone Song”.

“Magazine (Songwriter On A Train)” served as a reminder of why you were at the show to begin with, pulling together everything the band does so well. The dance of the piano and guitar, the occasional violin flutter, the ticking beat and the great hook made for a snapshot of a band in the zone. The dusty, spaghetti-western tone of “Appreciation”, complete with horns ablaze, was followed by Priest’s well-deserved props to the sound board operator, Fabrese, who he claimed was responsible for 80% of the excellent sound. Regardless of who was responsible, it was impossible not to be impressed by the dynamic range and versatility of the band’s sound. The clever lyrical split of father/mother vocals between Priest and Lindau worked great on the upbeat, custody battle inspired, “Chosing Sides”, and they were able to hold the room’s attention just as intently for the quiet bad-timing ballad “Shortcut”.

Their urgent retelling of “Major Tom (Coming Home)” felt all their own, though the straightforward cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” was hard to resist. The deep funk bass groove and the inclusion of the Dr. Dre rap to kick it off were surprising treats. The band announced a handful of summer shows, and you would be insane not to seek them out at one of them. After you do, good luck resisting the temptation to cancel all other plans any other days they are playing.

Becoming You
Mexico City
Mountains Of Molehills
I Don’t Know Where I Was Going With This
Shadowcat
Sympathetic Vibrations
Magazine (Songwriter On A Train)
Appreciation
Shortcut
Slow Down Chicago
Choosing Sides
Major Tom (Coming Home)
Reading The Map Upside Down

Microphone Song
No Diggity

Upcoming Shows - Week ending May 9th

Monday, May 3rd - Lincoln Hall – 7pm – SOLD OUT

Headliner: Kate Nash

Opener: Supercute

UK-based singer-songwriter is touring in support of her recently released sophomore album, My Best Friend Is You. While it is not as instantly striking as her debut, there is plenty here to warrant the sold out crowd and keep her near the top of the list of UK pop stars worth your attention.

Thursday, May 6th – Park West – 7:30pm - $16

Headliner: Kaki King

Openers: An Horse

It is a pleasant surprise to find tickets still available to see this incredible, unique guitarist in action. Do yourself a favor and get in now, before more people notice.

Saturday, May 8th – Metro - 9pm – SOLD OUT

Headliner: Frightened Rabbit

Openers: Maps & Atlases, Our Brother The Native

This show has been sold out for a month now, with good reason. Consider this your warning to pay attention next time we tell you Scotland's indie darlings come through. Their recently released third album, Winter Of Mixed Drinks, is a fantastic album that has the unfortunate duty of following their modern classic, Midnight Organ Fight. Be sure to catch them at Lollapalooza this year if you are one of the unlucky shut out of this one.

Saturday, May 8th – Schubas – 7pm and 10:30pm - $14

Headliner: Canasta

Openers: Gregory And The Hawk (early), Brighton, MA (late)

Chicago's own orchestral pop geniuses, Canasta are finally ready to release their sophomore album, The Fakeout, The Tease And The Breather, on May 18th. These pair of album-release shows is your chance to both hear the new songs live and get your hands on the new album ten days before the rest of the world finds out how damn great it is; since the ticket price includes a copy of the new album. Head over to their site and check out the new songs, fully streaming, and get yourselves a ticket.

Podcast 14 - Play It, Don't Spray It

After a week away, the guys discuss upcoming shows from Canasta, Kate Nash, Frightened Rabbit, and review recent shows from Phantogram and The Whigs.

You can get to the podcast by subscribing to it through iTunes or Zune, or using the feed in any other podcast provider. Or, you can simply listen with the widget on the right of the page.

Canasta's Latest Streaming In Full

Chicago's orchestral pop geniuses, Canasta are nearly ready to finally release their sophomore album, The Fakeout, The Tease And The Breather. The album, releasing May 18th, is the first on new label RWIM Chicago. To celebrate, the band has announced two album-release shows at Schubas on May 8th - where your $14 nets you entrance and a copy of the new album.

The band also has the album streaming in its entirety on their site, and a quick trip to their Audio page can get you downloads of three of the album's best - the infectious "Mexico City", the haunting "I Don't Know Where I Was Going With This", and the soulful "Reading The Map Upside Down". We could sit here all day and gush over what a fantastic success their sophomore effort is, but we are sure you would rather just be listening to it yourself, or buying tickets to the Schubas shows, or both.

Saturday, May 8th - Schubas - 7pm w/ Gregory And The Hawk opening (18+)

Saturday, May 8th - Schubas - 10:30pm w/ Brighton, MA opening (21+)

Podcast 6 Up... FINALLY!

After a little break, we are proud to announce that Podcast 6 is finally up and ready for your listening pleasure. You can download and subscribe on iTunes, use our feed on Podbean, or just click and listen to the stream below.

This week, the guys give their thoughts on the Lady GaGa at Lollapalooza rumors, review Editors, Phantogram, Portugal. The Man, and Pet Lions shows, and then recommend a crap-ton of shows for you to head out to.

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Canasta Announces Album Release Shows At Schubas

Yet another reason it is a great time to be an indie music fan living in Chicago, Canasta is just about ready to release their sophomore album, The Fakeout, The Tease And The Breather. To celebrate, the band has announced a pair of shows on Saturday, May 8th at Schubas. The first is an 18+ affair at 7pm, with Fat Cat Records' Gregory And The Hawk lending support. The second is a 21+ show starting at 10:30pm, with Brighton, MA serving as the appetizer. For the meager $14 ticket price, you will also get a free copy of the new album.

Those too impatient to wait for the May shows can head over to Canasta's site to hear "Becoming You" from the album right now. The band plans to release one new track a week, every Friday, until the May release date. In the unlikely event that you tire of the new tracks, the band's music player will also stream their fantastic debut, if you are one of the unlucky few who do not already own it.

Upcoming Shows - Week ending February 7th

Thursday, February 4th - The Bog (at Illinois Institute Of Technology) - Headliner: Canasta Openers: Matt Kerstein (of Brighton, MA), Ian Wilson - 10pm - FREE

Catch Chicago-based Canasta's brand of orchestral pop at a free show to support Habitat For Humanity. Having just finished mastering their latest album, the night should include a fair amount of new material for long-time fans and the treat of finding a great new band for those that have not yet had the pleasure of hearing "The Microphone Song". Trust us, they are worth venturing out to a slightly unconventional venue!

Saturday, February 6th - Lincoln Hall - Headliner: AM Taxi Openers: Royal Bangs, Big Science - 7pm - $10 advance, $12 at the door

This is your chance to catch an up-and-coming local band at a great new venue before they head out to storm the nation as part of Vans Warped Tour this summer. Head over to their site and grab a copy of "The Mistake" to see what you'd be missing if you were crazy enough to skip this one. As an added bonus, indie pop weirdos Royal Bangs unleash their brilliance in support, so get there early.

Podcast 3 - 1/31

This week, we talk about the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger, get excited for Company Of Thieves return, and recommend a boatload of other shows in the next month. Also, Nate heads out to see Red Wanting Blue, and Chad cages the wrong animal.

Enjoy!

Chicago's Own Canasta Gives It Up For Free

If you can brave the cold and additional snow this weekend, local Chicago favorites, Canasta are playing two FREE hour-long sets at Simon's Tavern this Sunday (1/4). The first set is at 9, with another following at 10:30. Not only will you have more money in your pocket for the bar's solid beer offerings, but the band's email states they will be playing most of their newly titled next album, The Fakeout, The Tease And The Breather. If it is half as good as their debut, this freebie at a smallish bar will be a rarity soon enough - and you'd be one of the cool kids that saw them 'when'.

In site news, we are still working out the kinks and getting back into the groove after the holidays. Rest assured, there will be a podcast shortly (at least one in January) along with more regular site updates so you don't miss out on great bands like Cansta.

Upcoming Shows - Week ending December 6th

Until we get the podcast up and running, we'll try to keep you updated with at least weekly posts regarding upcoming shows you should have on your radar.  Two shows caught our attention this week, including one tonight. 

Tuesday, December 1st - Empty Bottle - All Creatures Of The Sea, Conductive Alliance, Winter Gloves - 9:30pm - $3 advance, $8 at door

Never heard the openers, but for $3, how can you resist the antsy electro-pop of Canada's Winter Gloves?  Their debut, About A Girl, is one of the best surprises of 2009.  Give the hazy synth a chance to win you over on the twitchy "Invisible". 

Saturday, December 5th - Beat Kitchen - Canasta, Sleep Out, Field Music - 9pm - $12

We learned of this one from Chicago's own Canasta, who serves up the opening sonic bliss.  Having discovered them at a dive bar opening for 2 AM Radio a few years ago, they are a constant reminder to never be late for a show.  For every horrible opening band that sends you packing to the bar to get out of earshot, there is a band like Canasta that you will be glad you stood around early for.  The little we've heard of Field Music sounds as if they are a good match for Canasta's killer brand of orchestral indie pop.  If you have not yet heard "Slow Down Chicago", stop reading now and go find it!