For many a national and international pop music touring entity, this time of the year usually represents a finish line of sorts.
Barring a one-off (or two or three-off) New Year’s Eve show, mid-December is that light at the end of the tunnel, with just a few shows left before they hang it up for the holidays.
With many Chicago-based December shows long sold out – all tickets for shows from everyone from the Killers to Andrew Bird to Sufjan Setvens have all long been scooped up - below are a pair of shows with seats still available to consider before settling in for the yuletide themselves.
Graham Parker and the Rumour, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago. $35 (18 and older).
Parker, along with Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, were christened unfairly as “angry young men” of the British new wave movement of the late 70s. While post-wave popularity may not have been in their respective favors in the last two decades, each of the three flourished artistically.
This time around, though, Parker is honoring his past by realigning himself with The Rumour, his long-beloved backing band, after three decades away. Not merely riding the revival train, Parker and the Rumour released the worthy “Three Chords Good” earlier this year.
FYI: (773) 929-1322, JAMUSA.COM
Concrete Blonde, 8 p.m. Dec. 21, Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago. $27.50 (18 and older).
Here’s a musical game to play in your head; take pretty much any song by Florence and the Machine, superimpose Concrete Blonde front woman Johnette Napolitano, and you pretty much have the same thing.
Hits with college rock fans starting in the mid-80s, Concrete Blonde’s lone smash hit, “Joey,” is now one for the classic rock sect. Yet “Bloodletting,” the 1990 album that “Joey” came from, and it’s 1992 follow-up, “Walking in London,” have aged gracefully and may arguably be received as well as anything Florence Welch and Co. are putting out today.
While the mass fanfare may have died down, Napolitano released “Scarred,” a stellar, yet, sadly overlooked solo set in 2007 worth seeking out.
FYI: (773) 929-1322, JAMUSA.COM
ON SALE NOW
For more information, contact the venues or ticket sales agencies listed below. Unless otherwise indicated, all shows are all-ages.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, April 1, Chicago Theatre (THECHICAGOTHEATRE.COM)
Buddy Miller, Feb. 27, Lincoln Hall (21 and older, LINCOLNHALLCHICAGO.COM)
Rod Stewart, April 10, United Center (UNITEDCENTER.COM)
Stars, March 23, Metro (18 and older, METROCHICAGO.COM)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters, March 2, House of Blues (17 and older, HOB.COM)
Darwin Deez, March 22, Schubas (18 and older, SCHUBAS.COM)
Ballyhoo, Feb. 15, Subterranean (17 and older, SUBT.NET)
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