Tortoise

Holy smokes! This might be the best weekend for live music in Chicago outside of Pitchfork Fest and Lollapalooza weekends. So many shows. So little time. Read on for previews of Evan Dando at the Double Door, Tortoise at Lincoln Hall, Scott Lucas and the Married Men at Schubas and that’s just scratching the surface.

But before we get to the shows, a reminder that Loud Loop Radio will be back on the air tomorrow, Saturday, February 20, at 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Radio DePaul.

Anyway, we’ve got a whole lot of ground to cover. Lets get to it, shall we?

FRIDAY

EVAN DANDO
Poor Evan Dando. Yeah, he smoked a little crack. Yeah, his face was on the cover of every magazine in the early 90’s. But since 1990’s “Lovey” he has put out a remarkable string of poppy records that would normally put others to shame. I still contend that “Car Button Cloth”, if it had come out from an unknown, would have been embraced by the fickle indie rock community. Well, I could on but let’s just say it is time to give Evan a break. You can start by heading over to the Double Door tonight for his Lemonheads-less solo acoustic gig. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. And good pop music is even more wonderful. (Ross Meyerson)

Opening the show are chicago rockers Hospital Garden who will kick off rock icon Evan Dando’s return to the Windy City tonight at the Double Door with its brand of groovy, early 90s inspired indie rock. This is one opening act worth arriving early for. The spontaneous fits of dancing are free. (Audrey Leon)

8:00 p.m. Friday, 2/19. Double Door. 21+.$15.

FOUR TET
Kieran Hebden comes to the Empty Bottle tonight as Four Tet. His cerebrally focused electronic interpretation of music should make for a very relaxing, heady show. Although simplistic and more indie than most electronica out there, Four Tet manages to layer warm ambience into the atmosphere. Hebden is known for creating more of a texture within the music as opposed to just melody over contrast. With the entrancing calm of Sigur Ros, mixed with the playful nature of Animal Collective, Four Tet will be a massage for your neurons. So, if you want a night where you leave swooning in euphoria, head on over to The Empty Bottle. (Britni Day)

8:00 & 11:00 p.m. Friday, 2/19. The Empty Bottle. $15.

THE STREETS ON FIRE
One of our 10 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2010, We’re still rockin’ The Streets On Fire’s debut Hot Weekend on our turntable months after its release. Add to that they are taking Chicago’s live scene by storm. And with good reason. They’re frantic, energetic live show is the only way we’d want to hear their demented, dance rock. Tonight they rock the Debonair Social Club for what should be a wicked good time. (Richard Giraldi)

11:00 p.m. Friday, 2/19. Debonair Social Club. 21+. $5.

THE RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR
Alan Sparhawk has carved out quite the niche as the softest of soft rockers with his band Low. But a little of his inner rock star came out on Low’s “The Great Destroyer” and with The Retribution Gospel Choir he holds it in no longer. It’s certainly not Slayer, but in comparison to Low it might as well be. Supporting their second full-length, known cleverly as “2″, TRGC hit the Hideout (http://www.hideoutchicago.com/) Friday night. You should go. Really. It’ll be good. (Ross Meyerson)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 2/19. The Hideout. 21+. $10.

SATURDAY

TORTOISE
They played last summer’s Pitchfork festival, a free daytime show at Reckless Records and opened for Wilco in October, but I’m fairly certain Tortoise’s Saturday night show at Loncoln Hall is their first official headlining gig in their hometown since releasing their great effort Beacons of Ancestorship this past summer. And if you’ve been to Lincoln Hall, you know the show will be something spectacular because of it’s intimacy and it’s excellent acoustics. We’ve been big fans of Tortoise here at Loud Loop Press since day one, so be sure to read our review of their newest effort and our interview with Tortoise drummer/keyboard player/other-ist John Herndon from last July. (Richard Giraldi)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 2/20. Lincoln Hall. 18+. $20.

CHICAGO UNDERGROUND DUO
Rob Mazuerk and Chad Taylor form the Chicago Underground Duo and have been playing avant-garde and free form jazz around these parts for years. This show is the album release party for their latest full length on Thrill Jockey – Boca Negra, a solid and pretty accessible disc. (Andrew Kahn)

8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2/20. The Hideout. 21+. $10.

SYBRIS
I’m not really sure why Chicago’s Sybris seem to be hiding in the fringes of our local music scene. They seamlessly fit in with Polvo when I saw them at the Sub-t a few years back. At the time I assumed they were local big wigs yet I haven’t heard much about them since. Maybe that’s my fault as they are headlining Schubas (http://www.schubas.com/) this Sunday which is no small feat. Either way this is a band that deserves your attention. Sybris, unlike many of their peers, put the rock back into indie rock. That’s all I ever ask. (Ross Meyerson)

SCOTT LUCAS AND THE MARRIED MEN
Scott Lucas and the Married Men will celebrate the release of their brand new debut album George Lassos the Moon with a show opening for local Indie rockers Sybris at Schubas. Nearly a complete 180 from Lucas’ previous work with hard rock duo Local H, The Married Men enjoy a more stripped-down sound infused with bits of 70s rock, folk, and country. (Audrey Leon)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 2/20. Schubas. 21+. $10 adv. / $12 door.

CELESTIAL NAVIGATIONS: THE SHORT FILMS OF AL JARNOW
Yeah, so this diversion is a film, not a concert, but as you surely read all about yesterday, this film was produced by the local label Numero Group. Go check it as this is your only chance to catch in a theatre and who doesn’t love old Sesame Street and 3-2-1 Contact clips? Commies, that’s who. (Andrew Kahn)

8 p.m. Friday, 2/19. Gene Siskel Film Center. $10.
8 p.m. Saturday, 2/20. Gene Siskel Film Center. $10.

TREY ANASTASIO AND CLASSIC TAB
The Phish frontman returns to the Riv for the first time in more than a decade this time equipped a 3-piece horn section and a tight band anchored by a killer rhythm section. It’s sold out, but extra tickets seem to be floating around various channels. (Andrew Kahn)

8 p.m. Friday, 2/19. Riviera Theatre. 18+. $39.50 (SOLD OUT)

SUNDAY

MAKO SICA
See? We told you to look out for Mako Sica this year, and they’re already becoming Chicago’s go-to experimental rock experience. Their new album Dual Horizion has gotten rave reviews from other Chicago publications, but be sure to look out for our review coming soon. In the meantime, catch them on Sunday at the Halfway Lounge located at 1742 N. Milwaukee Ave. before they hit the road for some dates not in Chicago. (Richard Giraldi)

9:00 p.m. Sunday, 2/21. Halfway Lounge. Donation.