Thursday, February 12
Sam Barsh w/Jeff Parker @ Martyrs’ (Chicago)
Chicago native Sam Barsh, the former keyboardist of the Brand New Heavies, returns home to lay down poppy, funky, electronically infused R&B/jazz tracks. Local standout jazz guitarist Jeff Parker (also of Tortoise) joins Barsh and drummer Mikel Avery for the festivities.
Friday, February 13
Cheer-Accident, D. Rider @ The Hideout (Chicago)
Twenty-three years after its first album, Chicago avant-garde rock ensemble Cheer-Accident puts out its first release on Cuneiform Records. The group draws from elements of prog rock, noise rock, chamber music, theatrical rock, and pop, and Fear Draws Misfortune, the newest offering, is many of these things, often in the same song.
Featuring guitarist Todd Rittman (ex-US Maple), local quartet D. Rider opens with a set of slinky, quirky, dirty rock numbers that incorporate piano, trumpet, and electronics.
Saturday, February 14
Fucked Up @ The Empty Bottle (Chicago)
Closing out its three-week US tour, punk/post-punk rabble-rousers Fucked Up play a pair of Valentine’s Day shows in Chicago — first at AV-aerie, then at The Empty Bottle. We loved the group’s newest album, The Chemistry of Common Life, placing it in ALARM’s Top 10 Albums of 2008.
Sunday, February 15
Monotonix @ The Hideout (Chicago)
These Israeli throwback rockers make another trip to Chicago’s Hideout, where the trio played the venue’s Block Party last September. A Monotonix live performance is notoriously wild, so if you attend, be sure to wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind having drenched in beer.
Meshuggah @ House of Blues (Chicago)
As this influential Swedish metal quintet makes its way across the country for a headlining tour, it stops at one of Chicago’s biggest venues for the genre. The group is still touring on the success of obZen, the full-length that it released on Nuclear Blast last March.