[caption id="attachment_30059" align="alignnone" width="445" caption="Gabe Liebowitz (Of Dastardly)"][/caption] Spring is so close I can taste it. Wait, that's not spring. Anyway, there's some very cool shows going down around town this weekend including Dastardly's Gabe Liebowitz live album recording, Bailiff at the Hideout, Running at the Empty Bottle and more. Buckle up...

FRIDAY

RUNNING Any occasion where Chicago punks Running are playing in town is a welcomed one. LLP chose Running as one of its 13 Chicago Bands To Watch in 2013, so needless to say, we kind of like them. A lot. Running are just good, messy, rowdy fun. Check the link above for a more or less coherent explanation. Also appearing tonight are Lamps and Useless Eaters. (Audrey Leon) 9:30 p.m. Friday, 3/1. Empty Bottle. 21+ $7-10. GABE LIEBOWITZ (OF DASTARDLY) LIVE ALBUM TAPING Surely you know of Dastardly: the local Americana troupe that earned a spot on our 12 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2012 because of their intriguing sounds that melds contemporary indie rock approaches with grand bluegrass and country melodies. The band is currently working on the follow up to their July 2012 release, Ballads in Blue, but for the past year, Dastardly frontman Gabe Liebowitz has been not only writing and playing in Dastardly but also touring as a solo artist. And before he heads back to full Dastardly mode, Liebowitz plans on recording an album. Live. At Schubas. Tonight. "I really want to capture the solo show that I've been working on for the past year or so. It's a mix of new originals and interpretations of some of my favorite tunes (Bowie, Morrissey, Orbison, Dylan, Sinatra, etc.)," Liebowitz wrote in an e-mail. Dastardly has been known to stage some very entertaining concerts in the past, and this should be no different. Opening is Ami Saraiya. (Richard Giraldi) 8:30 p.m. Friday, 3/1. Schubas. 21+ $5.

SATURDAY

BAILIFF The cool thing about watching a music scene is seeing bands continue to blossom. Chicago's Bailiff has expanded its sound from its bluesy rock beginnings to a soulful pop style, complete with brooding atmospherics and plenty of hooks. Bailiff recently created a Kickstarter to fund its second album, which the members say is nearly ready to record. So help some brothers out. Also appearing with Bailiff tonight is The Field Auxiliary. (Audrey Leon) 9:00 p.m. Saturday, 3/2. The Hideout. 21+ $8-10

SUNDAY

JC BROOKS AND THE UPTOWN SOUND Soul rockers JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound's modern day Motown-style contains equal parts soul, funk and punk to produce plenty of body-moving rhythms. This is a band that is going somewhere, literally. The band takes off for South By Southwest in a few short weeks, so send them off in style! Also appearing are Jon Langford & Skull Orchard. This is event is Free with RSVP at Do312. (Audrey Leon) 7:00 p.m. Sunday, 3/3. Cobra Lounge. 21+ FREE w/ RSVP