Good morning to everyone from snowy Chicago. I got to test out my new winter boots this morning, so I guess I can’t lie to myself anymore; it really is winter now.
It’s a pretty small concert list this week, although there are tons and tons of classical and holiday shows going on this week. Every day this week at noon at the Harold Washington Library, and 12:30 at the Art Institute, there are free holiday concerts from local choirs, if that’s your thing. And with Dashboard, New Found Glory, and Rooney all doing shows this week, I feel like it’s the 90s all over again. Win? I’m not sure. This weekend has some epic shows: XRT’s holiday show out at the Allstate Arena with The Flaming Lips, Phoenix, and Pete Yorn; The Flat Five at the Hideout (Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor in the same place? Yes please.); the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival at the Congress on Saturday (with Bela Fleck headlining); and a day of free opera on Sunday at the Cultural Center downtown.
Monday, December 7
Sloan, Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $20
Dashboard Confessional and New Found Glory, Subterranean. 7:30 pm, $25
Rosi Golan, Luke Brindley, and Peter Bradley Adams, SPACE. 8 pm, $10-18
Tuesday, December 8
Rooney, House of Blues. 6:30 pm, $13-16
Wednesday, December 9
Elizabeth and the Catapult, SPACE. 8 pm, $8-18
Thursday, December 10
Nothing; enjoy your day off in the cold.
Friday, December 11
The Flaming Lips, Phoenix, and Pete Yorn, Allstate Arena (6920 Mannheim, Rosemont). 7 pm, $40-50
The Flat Five (Gerald Dowd, Kelly Hogan, Scott Ligon, K.C. McDonough and Nora O’Connor), Hideout. 9 pm, $10
Saturday, December 12
Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, Congress Theater. 11 am, $35
Over the Rhine and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $21-25 (7 pm show sold out)
Sunday, December 13
Day of Opera, Chicago Cultural Center. 1 pm, frees
Kris Delmhorst and Hayward Williams, Schubas. 8 pm, $14