Jon Langford's 4 Lost Souls 10/19/17 Cafe 9

Veteran Welsh-man-upon-Chi-town Langford had a stint at the 9 with his new group that grew out of a recording in Muscle Shoals. Langford saw cult success in the 80s and 90s with his group The Mekons as well as the Waco Brothers and Pine Valley Cosmonauts. The amazing Bloodshot Records is also closely associated with Langford. Jon on guitar, Dan Szymanski on guitar, bass, drums, and two African American female backup singers gave a full sound. Sounding like a country Joe Strummer, and looking like Brian Doyle Murray, Langford marched this group through mostly tunes from the new record. Show highlight was a stomper called Natchez Trace. Reminisced with Langford after the show as to whether the Mekons played the 9 or The (infamous) Grotto back in the day.

Myra Melford's Snowy Egret 10/14/17 Firehouse 12

Another barn-burner at the Firehouse, as Melford's group was staying in town to sharpen their chops and record at the fabulous F-12 recording studio. Melford on piano and bandleader wore a red leather jacket with dangly earrings and cool glasses. Maybe in her fifties, she looked like a librarian at a school of the future. She plinked and plunked looking like one of those bobbing flamingoes whose beak kept getting wet. Song structure changes and titles were her responsibility, as she let her supporting cast solo the heck out of the evening. Ron Miles on cornet oozed downtown cool. With his jacket and tie, he looked like a cross between Don Cherry and Malcolm X. He made great use of plunger mute on top of a straight mute, that's right double mute. Liberty Ellman was on guitar. I have seen him with Henry Threadgill' s group and he added a Marc Ribot flavor to the set. Tyshawn Sorey was on drums. In, around, and all over the standard kit. TS looked like Rosie Greer with drumsticks rather than knitting needles. He pummeled the kit as if to insure no one nodding off in the back. Scraped cymbals and nimble stick work was a real treat. The highlight was electric bassist Stomu Takeishi. ST looked to be of indeterminate gender. He had girly hair and wore what seemed to be a hospital johnnie. Shoeless on stage, ST tore it up, with bizarre facial gestures and sounds to complete the effect. If he recently escaped from a hospital, it was the "hospital of chops". Song titles like Attic, and The Other Side of Air made for a thoroughly enjoyable set.

Pigpen Theater Company w/ David Luning 10/4/17 Barwe

End of an era as Manic Productions bids farewell to it's Wednesday night free concert series in the back room of Bar. I got a little nostalgic at all the shows that I have been present in this room for. It seems that Bar will continue to have music, just not lined up by Manic's Mark.
David Luning was a singer-songwriter who reminded me of a low energy Langhorne Slim. Maybe it was the trademark hat, or the folkie drawl. Luning did a nice Springsteen cover.
PPTCo. is still a seven piece outfit ( reviewed in this blog 8/24/16). Multiple singers and instrument changes were backed by nice vocal harmonies. It seems that some of the cast has changed, but the sound was similar. Campy version of You're So Vain by Carly Simon was the highlight.