This Week in Great Music: 3/15 - 3/21
There are a lot of great shows this week featuring local bands, and lots of them are free or very cheap. You should check some of them out, give some love and support to the local music scene.
On Wednesday, there isn't a whole lot going on except for a whole bunch of St. Patrick's Day or otherwise Irish-themed celebrations at the Abbey Pub, Metro, FitzGerald's, and the Old Town School of Folk Music. Because in Chicago, we celebrate St. Patrick's day twice - once on Saturday, and then again on the holiday proper.  Is this city just a giant excuse to party sometimes? Why yes, yes it is.
Monday, March 15Amaral; Instituto Cervantes of Chicago (31 W Ohio). 7 pm, $15-20Imelda May, The Del Moroccos; Martyrs. 8 pm, $15My Gold Mask, Common Loon, Cloud Nothings, Campfires; Empty Bottle. 9 pm, freeWoods, Real Estate, Netherfriends; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12
Tuesday, March 16Jamie Cullum, Imelda May; Park West. 8:30 pm, sold out
Wednesday, March 17Nothing; go celebrate St. Patrick's Day... again.
Thursday, March 18Jay-Z; United Center. 7 pm, $39.50-129.50Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; St. James Cathedral (65 E Huron). 6:30 pm, $10Low Down Brass Band, Identity Crisis Inc.; Cubby Bear Wrigleyville. 10 pm, free
Friday, March 19Cowboy Junkies, Grant-Lee Phillips; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $34-38Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis; Symphony Center (220 S Michigan). 8 pm, $34-129Great Big Sea; House of Blues. 8 pm, $25-27The Shams Band, Derek Nelson and the Musicians, Will Phalen and the Stereo Addicts, Hey Rabbit; Subterranean. 9 pm, $7-10Scout Niblet, Picastro; Schubas. 10 pm, $12
Saturday, March 20Gold Motel, Color Radio, Volcanoes Make Islands; Subterranean. 6:30 pm, $10Great Big Sea; House of Blues. 8 pm, $25-27Norah Jones, Elvis Perkins; Chicago Theatre. 8 pm, sold outWhite Mystery, Other Minds; Hideout. 9 pm, $8
Sunday, March 21Harmonica Convergence; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm, $24-28Willie Nelson and Family; Genesee Theatre (203 N Genesee St., Waukegan). 7 pm, $40-85