|
| |
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee - October 25-November 1, 2009
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2009, Volume 16, #10
Written by John Metzger
Fri October 23, 2009, 06:30 AM CDT
10/29 - Leonard Cohen - Rosemont Theatre - Rosemont - 8:00 p
Was it food poisoning or exhaustion that felled
Leonard Cohen prior to a gig in Europe five weeks ago? Since returning to the
stage in a bid to rebuild his financial portfolio, Cohen has been pushing
himself harder than artists who are 50 years younger. His legacy didn’t need to
be refurbished, and considering how rarely he has taken to the road, he could
have waltzed through these appearances without breaking much of a sweat while
still sending his audience home happy. Cohen, however, is a perfectionist as
well as a committed performer. On night after night throughout his current tour,
he has been delivering three-hour shows that feature a hefty sampling of
material from his back catalogue. There likely won’t be any dramatic changes to
his set list since his multiple-night run at the Chicago Theatre this past
spring, but anyone who missed these performances will have another chance to see
Cohen in the flesh when he takes the stage at the Rosemont Theatre on October
29. 
10/29 - Loudon Wainwright III / Richard Thompson - Vic Theatre - Chicago - 7:30 p
10/30 - Loudon Wainwright III / Richard Thompson - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee - 8:00 p
Richard Thompson and Loudon Wainwright have
drawn an abundance of acclaim from critics and intellectuals. Nevertheless, they
remain woefully underrated by the rest of the record-buying public. How else can
anyone explain why their collaborative trek across the country has been
relegated to mid-size venues such as the Vic Theatre in Chicago and the Pabst
Theater in Milwaukee? Wainwright and Thompson have been on a tear of late, and
their frequent unions on stage have brought out the best in each of them.
Thompson is currently touring to draw attention to his new boxed set Walking
on a Wire, while Wainwright assumed the role of a legendary 1920s songwriter
to create his latest endeavor High, Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole
Project. It’s safe to say that the duo’s relatively intimate shows at the
Vic Theatre in Chicago on October 29 and the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on
October 30 will be highly entertaining.
10/29-31 - Bob Dylan - Aragon Ballroom - Chicago - 7:30 p
A few weeks ago, Bob Dylan confounded plenty of his fans when he checked off
a surprising new item on his to-do list. Christmas in the Heart, the
first holiday-oriented album of his career, features his renditions of classic
tunes, such as Little Drummer Boy and Winter Wonderland. Better
still, Dylan is donating his share of the proceeds from the effort to charity.
Considering that he is spending Halloween night in Chicago, it’s possible that
he might don a Santa Claus suit and run through a few tracks from the endeavor.
More likely, however, is the appearance of material from the other outing he
issued this year: Together through Life. Although the collection is the
weakest of his recent offerings, its roadhouse romps are well suited to a
concert setting. With guitarist Charlie Sexton back on board after a seven-year
hiatus, things are sure to get raucous and rowdy, too. When Sexton joined Dylan
for a show in Texas earlier this year, he jumped right into the fray, pushing
Dylan at every turn. Consequently, this three-night engagement at the Aragon has
the potential to be Dylan’s best local appearance in years.
10/30 - Monsters of Folk - Auditorium Theatre - Chicago - 7:30 p
Five years ago, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, Mike
Mogis, and Jim James began to collaborate during shows, backstage, and in the
recording studio. As their relationship grew, they gave their on-again,
off-again project a name: Monsters of Folk. Their self-titled debut is a relaxed
and easy-going collection of songs that is both utterly unpretentious and
throughly engaging. There is no doubt the cooperative spirit that spawned the
endeavor will spill into the outfit’s concerts. After all, the chemistry among
the musicians seems to have sparked a reaction that is highly unstoppable. For
certain, Monsters of Folk will highlight a lot of the material from its new
endeavor, and considering how strong it is, this is a wise decision. Yet, it
might be even more interesting to hear which cover tunes they opt to tackle as
well as how they manage to reinterpret tracks from each other’s back catalogues.
Taken in full, Monsters of Folk’s appearance at the Auditorium Theatre on
October 30 ought to provide an insightful glimpse into the minds of four of
today’s top indie songwriters.
10/31 - Los Lobos - Northern Lights Theater - Milwaukee - 9:00 p
11/1 - Los Lobos / The Duhks - Symphony Center - Chicago - 7:00 p
Despite the critical success of its 2006 endeavor The Town
and The City, Los Lobos inexplicably was dropped by Hollywood Records. Then
again, it never truly fit into the framework of the label’s increasingly
pop-oriented leanings. Recently signed to Shout! Factory, Los Lobos is preparing
to record the 18th album of its career. The band, however, is
notorious for waiting until the last minute to write new material. Therefore, it
is highly unlikely that the group will provide its fans with a sneak preview of
its forthcoming album when it performs at Milwaukee’s Northern Lights Theater on
October 31 or Chicago’s Symphony Center on November 1. Los Lobos will instead
offer a vigorous, career-spanning set of Tex-Mex flavored roots-rock with a dash
of soul. The Duhks might seem like a strange choice to share the bill with Los
Lobos in Chicago. Nevertheless, the collective blends Americana-oriented fare
with the sounds and styles of its native homeland. The difference, then, is
merely a matter of which international border is closest to its place of
residence.
Of Further Interest...
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee: October 17-24, 2009
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee: October 9-16, 2009
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee: October 1-8, 2009
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee: September 24-30, 2009
Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee: September 14-23, 2009
Copyright © 2009 The Music Box
|
