list.in.to.chicago this week: 06.02.2014

With Pritzker Pavilion and Northerly Island kicking off this week, it would appear that summer concert season is upon us.

Pick of the week
You know I'm down with Grood at Double Door on Friday, although Styx and Foreigner that same night at whatever we're calling Northerly Island now would make for some excellent people watching. And then two nights of Poliça at Lincoln Hall (Friday and Saturday) should be pretty good.

list.in.to.COZ
Regular office hours at Vaughan's on Tuesday.

Recap
Nothing to report from last week. Hey, it happens.

6.02   monday
Glittermouse with Needle & Pizza, Post Honeymoon, Witch Feet (Township)
When we first met this local collective, they were fresh-faced, barely out of college, and fashioning themselves after the likes of Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire. Really curious to see how they've developed in the last couple of years.

Robbie Fulks with Funeral Bonsai Wedding (Pritzker Pavilion)
Fulks takes a break from his normal Monday night Hideout gig to kick off this year's Downtown Sound series.

6.03   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
Welp, at least we don't have to worry about Blackhawks games delaying the start of the Open Jam for a while.

6.04   wednesday
Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers (Old Town School of Folk Music)
Whatever they're charging for tickets, it's almost certainly worth it, since you get top-notch bluegrass and a comedy show rolled into one.

Tributosaurus (Martyrs')
This month as R.E.M., which gives them quite a lot of material to work with.

Indigo Girls with Hannah Thomas (House of Blues)
Do you think they scheduled this one before or after learning that gay marriage would become legal in Illinois this week?

Big Freedia (Empty Bottle)
The Reader both raises and then dismisses the notion that the New Orleans "bounce" artist owes a chunk of her success to "exoticization" among largely white, hipster audiences. I'm not so sure.

6.05   thursday
Vampire Weekend with Cults (UIC Pavilion)
Yes, they have catchy songs, but I still think the drummer is a serious drag on the indie-meets-preppy-meets world music band's live performance. Cults, on the other hand, are always better than I remember them, mostly because I always confuse them with The Kills.

Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
The son of jazz legend John Coltrane holds court at the Showcase for a four-night stand.

Gringo Star with Palmflower (Schubas)
I really, really wish this band did mariachi versions of Beatles tunes, but they don't.

Big Freedia (Empty Bottle)
See Wednesday's listing.

6.06   friday
Poliça with Lolawolf (Lincoln Hall)
Modern synthpop is tricky, because modern elements and retro elements that you need to balance without sounding too forced. Polica is one of the artists that manages to pull that balance off pretty well.

Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle (Thalia Hall)
The new venue in Pilsen offers up some veteran Americana.

Grood with Yawn, Black Bear/Brown Bear, Dream Version (Double Door)
The "strangefunk" band still ranks as my favorite local band right now. Not sure if Matt Walker will still be on drums now that he is back with Morrissey, but he takes the proceedings up a notch when he's on board.

Styx with Foreigner (FirstMerit Bank Pavilion)
Good to know the wormhole back to the seventies and early eighties on the lakefront is still operational. Styx sorta bucked the trend of replacing longtime members with guys from tribute bands by bringing in an older, slightly proggy singer and keyboardist from Canada to replace Dennis DeYoung.

Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

6.07   saturday
Cher with Cyndi Lauper (Allstate Arena, Rosemont)
Another show that, if it wasn't explicitly scheduled around the legalization of gay marriage in Illinois, will likely end up being a celebration of it.

Poliça with Lolawolf (Lincoln Hall)
See Friday's listing.

Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.

6.08   sunday
Mali Music (Double Door)
I was hoping this might be tied to the Damon Albarn album of African music, but it's actually a modern gospel/R&B singer.

Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Jazz Showcase)
See Thursday's listing.