« An Intimate Evening with The Bottle Rockets

Review: Explosions in the Sky, Viva Voce, Common Loon @ Pygmalion Music Festival, 9/21 »

Feature Thu Sep 22 2011

Have No Fear: Your Fall Concert Line-up is Here

With the last day of the North Coast Music Festival came the sigh of disappointment heard round the city; it was the end of summer music festival season. But while our sweat-filled days of grooving and boozing along side of thousands of like-minded music junkies have come to an exhausted and satisfying end, there is still plenty of music to love left for fall.

Fortunately for Chicagoans, when temperatures dip the Chicago music scene just moves indoors to the lovely hearths of Lincoln Hall, the Empty Bottle and the Riv (just to name a few favorites). Think of it not as an end to your music-saturated summer days spent flirting with five or more bands a day, but rather the opportunity to settle down with that one special band in intimate quarters...at least for one night.

Check out who the Transmission staff will be cozying up with over the next few months.

September

Hideout Block Party with Andrew Bird, Mavis Staples and a whole bunch of other greatness Sept. 24th at the Hideout, $25.
If you just aren't quite ready to let go of summer, the Hideout Block Party serves as a quasi-music-fest. It squeezes a lot of bang into 10 hours.
-Niki Fritz

Beirut Sept. 26th at the Congress Theater, $30.
A Beirut show is like having a band of well-groomed gypsies come through town. Their new album, The Rip Tide, is good. I mean, really good.
- Kara Luger

Fucked Up and WAVVES Sept. 29th at Logan Square Auditorium, $15 (adv), $18 (door).
Two overly energetic live bands are sure to get a probably younger audience moshing about Logan Square Auditorium. When I saw WAVVES a few months ago, the fans crowd surfed a folding table, so expect some sweaty, youthful fun.
- Lisa White

This Must Be The Band will be playing Sept. 30th at The Vic Theater, $19.
If you're a fan of The Talking Heads then you belong at this show, not only are they recreating Stop Making Sense but you even get the Big Suit.
- Breeann Tuch

October

Astronautalis Oct. 1st at Schubas, $12.
This Minneapolis-based rapper also manages to work in gravely Tom Waits-y vocals and passing references to not-typically-hip-hop subjects such as the Battle of Trenton.
- Kara Luger

St Vincent Oct. 5th at the Metro, SOLD OUT.
With her lilting voice over aggressive and haunting melodies, St. Vincent conjures up narratives that are equal parts beautiful, intense, and sometimes frightening. If Disney ever created a fairytale that turned into a nightmare, I'd hope they would pick Annie Clark to soundtrack it.
- Lisa White

Polar Bear Club with Fireworks and Balance & Composure Oct. 5th at the Beat Kitchen, $12.
These East Coast hardcore kids are finally making their way to the Windy City after notoriously skipping our fine town on past headlining tours. Fresh off the release of their third full length, rest assured things will be far from chilly in the Kitchen on Oct. 5th.
- Katie Karpowicz

Portishead Oct. 12th at the Aragon Ballroom, SOLD OUT (sadly).
The British trip-hop pioneers return to Chicago for the first time in over 10 years, and given the fact they do not release music or tour at a blistering pace, this might be one of the few chances to see them live. Tickets are already going for over $100 online, but if you are a huge fan of them, it's more than worth it.
- Lisa White

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Lubriphonic on Oct. 19th at Park West, $20.
The trombone is a much-neglected instrument these days (well, let's be honest, probably forever), but man can this New Orleans native pack them in the seats for a horn-led R&B jam.
-Anne Holub

Yelawolf Oct. 20th at the Bottom Lounge, $18.
Slim Shady's newest protege may not have been shot nine times, but this Southern rhyme-spitter has already attracted some serious street cred via collaborations with big names in the biz like Big Boi and Travis Barker. With his debut LP set to drop on Oct. 25 this could be one of the last times to catch Yelawolf at such a small venue.
- Katie Karpowicz

Kvelertak and Skeletonwitch at the Empty Bottle on Oct. 26th, $12.
Have you ever listened to Blood Brothers or Refused and thought, "This would rule if it were more metal"? Well, then Kvelertak is a band for you.
- James Ziegenfus

Secret Colours and Radar Eyes at Subterranean, Oct. 27th, $8.
Two very promising Chicago bands bookend this CHIRP show. Secret Colours drench their sound in reverb. Radar Eyes sound straight out of the garage (in the best ways possible).
- James Ziegenfus

A Halloween Show featuring White Mystery and JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound Oct. 28th at Double Door, $10.
The always energetic lovable brother/sister duo White Mystery will team up with JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound to celebrate Brooks' debut album on Bloodshot Records. It's a lot of hometown love. Throw in the Halloween aspect and you're sure to get more than your ten dollars worth of fun.
- Lisa White

Future Islands with Javelin and Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Oct 30th at Lincoln Hall, $15.
Don't think that this show won't sell out. Future Islands is a Baltimore trio trafficking in what they call "Post Wave," who has put out some of the best new music in the past two years. Electronic tweekers Javelin, supporting their freshman full-length release on Luaka Bop are no slouches either.
- Dan Snedigar

November

Wooden Shjips with Birds of Avalon and People's Temple, Nov. 5th at the Empty Bottle, $10 (adv), $12 (door).
San Francisco quintet Wooden Shjips digs deep into psychedelia, mixing CAN-like rhythms with Spaceman 3 drone and ample guitar fuzz. Their first album on Chicago's tastemaking Thrill Jockey label sold out on vinyil well before its release, so you know what the cool kids are listening to. Don't miss this somewhat rare Chicago appearance.
- Dan Snedigar

Tune-Yards with Pat Jordache Nov. 9th-10th at Lincoln Hall. BOTH NIGHTS SOLD OUT, but tickets were $15.
Watch Tune-Yards' mad genius Merrill Garbus as she builds her eclectic tracks piece by piece with looping pedals, a uke, spare percussion, and her soulful yowl.
- Kara Luger

Shonen Knife with Heavy Cream on Nov. 12th at the Empty Bottle, $10 (adv), $12 (door).
If you're into adorable Japanese girl pop, then you won't want to miss Shonen Knife's 30th Anniversary Tour at the bottle. Not only do they play their own instruments, here's hoping for some killer Japanese fashions. Bonus: songs about liking cake!
- Anne Holub

Fitz and the Tantrums Nov. 19th at the Metro, SOLD OUT.
Chicago is the only city on the Fitz and the Tantrums' fall tour lineup to be sold out already. This means Chicago is super cool and awesome and also that tickets on Craigslist will be over $200.
- Niki Fritz

Jeremy Messersmith, Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles at Schubas on Nov. 19th, $10 (adv.), $12 (door).
It's been a while since a poppy indie-rocker's lyrics were so nerdy, devastating and truthful.
- James Ziegenfus

City and Colour Nov. 23rd at the Vic Theatre, $26.50.
The only thing that will warm your heart more than one-man-band Dallas Green's rich acoustic jams this week is the turkey and mashed potatoes you'll be shoveling down the next day.
- Katie Karpowicz

(and even) December

The National with Local Natives and Wye Oak on Dec. 6th at the Aragon, $32.25.
Get to this concert on time! Wye Oak's female lead singer has a voice worth skipping being fashionably late for.
- Niki Fritz