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Local Concert Preview for Chicago / Milwaukee - November 10-16, 2009First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2009, Volume 16, #11 Written by John Metzger Tue November 10, 2009, 06:30 AM CST
11/12 - Ray LaMontagne - Auditorium Theatre - Chicago - 7:30 pRay LaMontagne’s latest set Gossip in the Grain may have been a disappointment to music commentators everywhere.
Nevertheless, spurred by the success of its horn-kissed single You Are the
Best Thing, the collection achieved critical mass from a commercial
perspective. As a result, LaMontagne has made the leap from performing in small
clubs to appearing in mid-size theaters. Over the course of the past year, he
has been working through his repertoire on the road with the help of a modest
backing band. At times, he also has been supported by a variety of symphony
orchestras. For his latest trek, however, LaMontagne is getting back to basics.
With no one to lean on, he’ll have to dig deeper inside himself to find the
emotional gravity necessary for effectively conveying his soulful folk songs. In
other words, this solo acoustic excursion ought to go a long way toward fixing
everything that ails him.
11/12-13 - Devo - Vic Theatre - Chicago - 8:00 pDevo hasn’t exactly been dormant since its 1990 endeavor Smooth Noodle Maps flopped. Over the past 19 years, the group has retained a steady if low-profile presence by contributing music to a variety of film soundtracks. In early 2006, it debuted Devo 2.0, a bizarre collaboration with Disney in which child actors mimed along to re-recorded renditions of the band’s best-known songs. Shortly thereafter, the outfit began trying to stage a comeback. The recording of Devo’s ninth album, however, has been a long, arduous
process. As a result, the release of the set has been postponed on several
occasions. Tentatively titled Fresh, it now is slated to hit store
shelves sometime next year, though whether this truly comes to pass may hinge
entirely upon the success of the group’s fall tour. It’s truly hard to imagine,
then, that the decision to reissue Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and
Freedom of Choice was designed to do anything other than resuscitate the
outfit’s flagging career. To this end, Devo is currently embroiled in a series
of two-night engagements to support the new, expanded collections. The band will
devote its show on November 12 at Chicago’s Vic Theatre to a full-length
performance of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, while Freedom of
Choice will be tackled on the following night.
11/13 - Wolfmother - Riviera Theatre - Chicago - 7:30 pAfter the release of its self-titled debut in
2005, Wolfmother hit the ground running. The band turned up everywhere as it
crisscrossed the globe for an array of television, radio, and concert
appearances. Wolfmother’s hard work paid off, too. Its popularity soared, and
its single Woman won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. Maintaining
such a vigorous schedule, though, is not an easy feat. After spending so much
time in close proximity to each another, the trio of Andrew Stockdale, Chris
Ross, and Myles Heskett crumbled under the weight of their creative differences.
Stockdale inherited the group’s name, and he immediately assembled a new line-up
in a bid to take advantage of the goodwill that Wolfmother had mustered during
its brief reign. Issued last month, the ensemble’s sophomore set Cosmic Egg
largely follows the template of its predecessor. It also likely will be the
focus of Wolfmother’s show at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on November 13.
11/13 - Todd Snider - Park West - Chicago - 8:30 p
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