today in Chicago
* Jeff Tweedy @ the Vic
* National Record Store Day!
* Royal Bangs, ANR, Dream Teens @ Empty Bottle
* Light Pollution, Suns, Secret Colours, Hollows @ Bottom Lounge
* Ha Ha Tonka, Spring Standards, Jerome Holloway @ Subterranean
* My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Luc Van Acker @ Metro (Wax Trax Anniversary)

What else?

FRIDAY
Jeff Tweedy is playing both tonight, and tomorrow night at the Vic.

Head over to Empty Bottle to catch Zola Jesus, and Cult of Youth.

John Wesley Harding plays the early show at Lincoln Hall, while Tobacco, Beans, and Shapers will play the late show.

Schubas will be screening We Jam Econo: The Story Of The Minutemen, and then Mike Watt & The Missingmen will be playing a 10PM set.

Light Pollution will be playing a house show at the Observatory with RYAT, Panda Riot, Joywheels, and Billy Crystal Meth.

Tonight will mark the kick off of the Wax Trax Anniversary at Metro.

SATURDAY
National Record Store Day! Stay tuned for a breakdown of all the day's events.

Light Pollution will headline the Bottom Lounge with support from Suns, Secret Colours, and Hollows.

Royal Bangs, ANR, and Dream Teens play Empty Bottle.

Night two of the Wax Trax Anniversary takes place at Metro.

SUNDAY
Prince Rama will headline the Empty Bottle with support from John Bellows, and Bitchin Baja.

Night three of the Wax Trax Anniversary takes place at Metro.

KT Tunstall (solo) will headline Park West.

Jeff Tweedy @ Maxwell's in 2010 (more by Chris Gersbeck)

today in Chicago
* Jeff Tweedy @ the Vic
* Zola Jesus, Cult of Youth @ Empty Bottle
* Chandeliers, On You, Windbreaker @ Hideout
* John Wesley Harding @ Lincoln Hall (Early Show)
* Tobacco, Beans, Shapers @ Lincoln Hall (Late Show)
* Mike Watt & The Missingmen @ Schubas (Late Show)
* The Damnwells, Harper Blynn, Howard Jennings @ SPACE
* Loudon Wainwright III, Kim Richey @ Old Town School of Folk Music
* Front 242, En Esch, Guenter Schulz @ Metro (Wax Trax Anniversary)
* We Jam Econo: The Story Of The Minutemen Screening @ Schubas (Early Show)
* Light Pollution, RYAT, Panda Riot, Joywheels, Billy Crystal Meth @ The Observatory

Record Store Day 2011 is tomorrow! Have you checked out the releases list yet?

What else?

Cold War Kids @ Terminal 5 1/29/2010 (more by Bao Nguyen)

today in Chicago
* Diplo, Willy Joy @ The Mid
* Jonathan Richman @ Metro
* Cold War Kids, A Lull @ the Riv
* Richard Shindell @ SPACE (Early Show)
* Dick Prall, Rachele Eve @ SPACE (Late Show)
* Human Eye, Drugs Dragons, Birth @ Empty Bottle
* Suns, Bailiff, The Mutts, The Field Auxiliary @ Beat Kitchen
* Maps & Atlases, Light Pollution, Gypsyblood @ Lincoln Hall
* The Get Up Kids, Miniature Tigers, Brian Bonz @ Bottom Lounge
* Flogging Molly, Moneybrother, The Drowning Men @ Congress Theater
* Hüsker Düdes, Econoline, SSt DJs Bobby Burg & Matt Holland @ Hideout
* The Future Laureates, Kingsley Flood, How Far to Austin, Nelken @ Mayne Stage

What else?

The Get Up Kids @ Webster Hall 3/2/2011 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Middle Brother

Alright Chicago, ahead of us is a weekend packed with amazing shows. This is the last weekend before SXSW, and it's almost overwhelming what we have going on in just three short nights.

FRIDAY NIGHT
We recently mentioned that The Get Up Kids were in town to play two shows this weekend. Friday night they'll be at the Bottom Lounge, and Saturday they'll play Lincoln Hall. Support on both dates comes from Miniature Tigers, and Brian Bonz.

Friday night at Lincoln Hall, is a really killer lineup of Maps & Atlases, Light Pollution, and Gypsyblood. All of the bands on the bill are Chicago based acts, who are not necessarily confined to just this city anymore.

Competing with those for your attention are singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman at Metro, and The Cold War Kids supported by local up-and-comers A Lull at the Riv.

SATURDAY NIGHT
Catch Obits at Empty Bottle along with Jaill, Loose Dudes, and The People's Temple.
Crystal Castles are playing at the Riv, along with Teen Girl Fantasy.
Middle Brother, Dawes, and Deer Tick are playing at Metro, and then we've also got The Get Up Kids for the second night in a row, this time at Lincoln Hall.

In the afternoon, Hideout is having a SXSW send off for a bunch of great Chicago based bands including: Chaperone, Rabble Rabble, and Joan of Arc.

SUNDAY NIGHT
Ice Cube will be headlining the Mid with support from Mikkey Halstead.