It’s been a very good week for Chicago music. For one, Chance the Rapper just made history as the first streaming-only artist to receive Grammy nominations, hauling in a whopping seven nods. Secondly, holy moly is this week stacked with six locals-only concerts to go see this week. From my new favorite holiday tradition, the Lawrence Arms’ annual War on Christmas, to newcomers like Clearance, Varsity and Sunjacket, there’s so much to do this week.
*** = RedEye’s show of the week.
Tuesday
Clearance, Dominic, Photo Jenny, Coaster
Subterranean (Downstairs)
2011 W. North Ave. 773-278-6600
Chicago’s Clearance have been really hitting their stride as they gear up to finish work on a new a full-length record. (While it hasn’t been announced, from sleuthing their social media pages shows, it looks like they finished recording it a few weeks ago at Minbal studios with Dave Vettraino.) Anyway, their recent 7-inch single “Are You Aware” adds a touch more jangle and groove to their propulsive brand of indie rock. This is also their last show of 2016, so get on it.
Tickets: subt.net
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
The Lawrence Arms, Dead to Me, The Bollweevils (Thursday)
***The Lawrence Arms, Worriers, Dowsing (Friday)
The Lawrence Arms, The Copyrights, The Brokedowns (Saturday)
Double Door
1551 N. Damen Ave. 773-489-3160
Chicago punk mainstays the Lawrence Arms have my new favorite holiday tradition in their War on Christmas series at Double Door. Their inaugural run was the most fun I had at a show in 2015. I can’t wait to do it again this year for Round 2. While 2015’s three-run stint was themed by dividing their setlist into “Sadness and Despair” for night one, “Drinking and Revelry” for night two and “Love and Triumph” for the final show, this year’s theme breaks it down by “Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.” I can’t wait to see what they do and check out Friday’s openers, Worriers and local favorites Dowsing.
Tickets: doubledoor.com (Saturday’s show is already sold out)
Friday
Sunjacket, Elsinore, Namorado
Subterranean
2011 W. North Ave. 773-278-6600
Over the summer, RedEye premiered an excellent single called “Creepy” from synth-minded Chicago band Sunjacket and fortunately its well-executed hooks and the way the track welcomely seeped into your head made it anything but its title. Now that the band’s album “Mantra” has been finally out for a couple of months, they’re celebrating the release with a show at Subterranean.
Tickets: subt.net
Sunday
American Wrestlers, Varsity
The Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western Ave. 773-276-3600
Chicago’s Varsity have been on the road with St. Louis/Scotland group American Wrestlers since the start of the month, and the pairing makes a whole lot of sense. Both bands combine the infectiousness of C86-inspired indie pop with a whole lot of heart and great songwriting chops to boot. If you’re not too hungover from the Lawrence Arms’ War on Christmas, I’ll see you at the Empty Bottle.
Tickets: emptybottle.com
@joshhterry | jterry@redeyechicago.com
![“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CTC-L-ENT-PHISH-04-e1713888536637.jpg?w=620 "“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]")
