Photo via Dilly Dally’s bandcamp

I really love this time of year. The weather is beautiful; you can ride your bike in shirtsleeves on nice days, but you don’t sweat. My dog looks cute as hell in autumn leaves. And there’s a little desperation to get your yah-yahs out before there’s a wall of snow outside your door.

As always, I’ve got your Show Horoscope right here. Pick your poison; are you a soft grunge bunny, an auteur devoteee, punk as fuck, or the coolest teenager who ever discovered an obscure Chicago music blog?

The Soft Grunge Feels

I really love the current resurgence of fumbling fuzz, no-fucks percussion & raw vocals that’s creeping through the scene these days. In 2015, there’s more Pulp Girls buttons and summery washes on Instagram photos than than the stalwart flannel-clad archetypes of grunge would recognize, and the influence of heavy metal’s been stowed somewhere in a heart shaped box – though you’ll find one notable exception in these selections.

The dreamy feeling of melting ice cream cones, drinking dollar store soda mixed with slugs from a warm handle of vodka, and faded pink and teal hair hasn’t gone anywhere, and the delayed gratification of teen angst finally finding it’s voice is just as sweet.

Glamour Hotline, The Malskys, La Cosa, Pink Bathroom
Pink Bathroom really makes me feel like I did discovering music that made me ache I connected with it so deeply for the first time.
Eco
Fri, October 16, 7pm

Daymaker, Slayer Kitty, Bunny
Slayer Kitty filter portentous and dark drum and bass doom through a cotton-candy cloud of pink glitter.
The Owl, 2521 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Mon, October 19, 10pm / free / 21+

Dilly Dally, Ego
Toronto band Dilly Dally doesn’t have a ton of music online, but the singles on their bandcamp are all rad. It’s a kind of fragile, exposed, unpretty grunge pop in the vein of Cherry Glazerr without some of the twee-tween (dolores) haze. Vocalist Katie Monks can unleash a menacing, unrestrained howl that will blow you away.
The Promontory, 5311 South Lake Park Ave West
Wed, October 21, 9pm / $8 adv / 17+

The Auteurs

There’s some interesting shows coming up driven by iconoclastic and innovative personalities who have defined their own space in music.

Mac Blackout Band, Jollys, Wet Ones, Sh!t Storm
Mark has a million bands, as well as a bustling career as the artist behind everything from bubble-color stump art and boomboxes to intricate album covers. Mac Blackout Band is his star vehicle, which drifts over time between the psych punk of Functional Blackouts to the unabashed glam of Mickey.
Emporium Arcade Bar, 1366 N Milwaukee Ave
Tue, October 20, 8pm / free / 21+

Sweet Spirit, The Mad Doctors, Flesh Panthers, Skip Church
Sweet Spirit shares the incredible vocalist Sabrina Ellis with A Giant Dog, the sick Austin garage band that just got signed to Merge. Sweet Spirits has a more American roots based sound with the punk snottiness dialed back, but it’s still plenty rock-n-roll.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western Avenue
Wed, October 21, 9pm / $5 / 21+

Fred & Toody Cole
The long-married legends, who have lived a whole life together, raising kids, weathering health crises, and collaborating in some great bands like Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows. They’ll be taking the stage at the Bottle for a super early Sunday matinee show that starts right at 5pm.
The Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave
Sat, November 7, 5pm /$15 / 21+

Too Punk to Fuck

I’ve felt myself absorbed with a sort of benevolent, tolerant love of music lately. For someone who talks a lot of shit, I am loving a huge amount of what I listen to for the first time, and losing a lot of the knee-jerk irritability that has long kept me leashed to a genre bubble. Mostly this resorts in me listening to shit like Billy Squire – Emotions in Motion without a trace of irony, but maybe I need to revisit hardcore and its four thousand derivatives and report back. I dunno.

Gas Chamber, Sea of Shit, Cave State, Sick/Tired, Mellow Harsher, Clotting
House show!
The Mousetrap
Fri, October 16, 6:30pm / $8

O Inimigo, Bruised, Ritalin OD, Tigress
Also a house show!
Rancho Huevos
Wed, October 21, 7pm / email for address if you’re not a cop / $7-$10

Cult Leader, Moral Void, Ikaray, Clotting
Getcher d-beat on, brah. I feel, but cannot verify, that the 6:30 start time is just doors, but don’t trust me, I literally never go to early shows unless they’re instores.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Subterranean, 2011 W North Ave
Fri, October 23, 6:30pm / $10 / $12 / 17+

Heavy Times, Nones, Make-Overs, Obnox, The Cartoons
Obnox is such ugly weird awesome punk and in their own ways so are Nones and Make-Overs and I’m so stoked for this show. Second-to-last Make-Overs show before they go back to South Africa!
Auxiliary Art Center, 3012 W Belmont Ave
Fri, October 23 / $7 / 21+

Make-Overs, Final Grin, Den, Rash, Latisha’s Skull Drawing
Last Make-Overs show before they go back to South Africa!
New House on the Northside
Sun, October 25, 8:00pm / $7 / msg for address

NOTS, Froth, Gunshy, The Wolfpac
Kinda a weird pairing between the disaffected hipster Los Angeles surf of Froth and the wild techy skronk of noise punks NOTS, but I’m into it. Plus, it’s free, you gonna complain?
The Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave
Mon, November 2 / 21+ / free

Teenage Wasteland

As always, I rounded up my personal picks for shows that allow those below drinking age that didn’t fit in any other area. These are not the only cool all ages shows happening; for that, you gotta check out our full calendar. I also HIGHLY recommend the 17+ Dilly Dally show 10/21 at Promontory.

Soddy Daisy, Mr. & Mrs., Wolf Pac, Spike and the Sweet Spots, Clearance
Cassette Store Day is always a blast! We wrote about Clearance’s debut album a minute back, as well as Soddy Daisy’s latest jammer.
Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles, 3156 W Diversey Ave
Sat, October 17, 12pm / free / AA / free coffee while it lasts

The Mad Doctors, Swimsuit Addition
Swimsuit Addition is fam! Super cool people who make bummer dark wave dream pop.
Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles
Tue, October 20, 5pm / free / AA

The Marshmallow Ghosts, Dreamend
Graveface Autumn Pop-Up! I don’t know anything about these bands, but I love a lot of Graveface bands like Black Moth Super Rainbow and Coffin Girls, so like, I trust their judgement.
The Niche Lab
Fri, October 23, 7pm / AA / donation

The Cut Worms, Wet Wallet
Psst: there’s pretty much like, always free beers at these saki instores. Unless you’re actually a teen! Winners don’t do drugs!!!
saki, 3716 W Fullerton
Sat, October 24, 6pm / free / AA

The Hotelier, Runaway Brother, Oso Oso, The Spirit of the Beehive
I will bow to Salvation Emily’s entry in the calendar for this show, which reads simply “emoooooo.”
Beat Kitchen, 2100 W Belmont Ave
Sat, October 24, 5:30pm / $15, all ages

Cheatahs, Panda Riot
Panda Riot is the twee emotional communion dance party Salvation Emily’s obsessed with. It might be a cult?
Subterranean, 2011 W North Ave
Sat, October 24 / $10, 17+

Shannon and the Clams, Shopping
Did anyone else pick up the recent-ish Guantanamo Baywatch/Shannon and the Clams 7″ off Suicide Squeeze? The Baywatch track, Love Kin, was a country-inflected precursor to their new Darling…It’s Too Late LP, a departure from the acid-soaked surf punk of their debut, Chest Crawl. The Shannon and the Clams track, Mama, on the other hand, is a howling, desperate plea for redemption; the plaintive refrain “Can I come home again?” echoes in my head on the daily.
Subterranean, 2011 West North Avenue
Sat, October 24, 10pm / 17+ / $10 / $12

Ought, Blizzard Babies, Split Feet
Early all ages show with some of Chicago’s raddest bands! Clap some ear protection on your tween, buy them a ginger ale, and prepare for them to come home next week with an alternative lifestyle haircut and detention for the Perfect Pussy patch on their backpack.
Beat Kitchen, 2100 W Belmont Ave
Tue, October 27, 6:30pm / $12 / all ages

The King Khan and BBQ Show, Milk Lines
The caped King Khan brings his solo, Shrines-backed antics to town much more often then he brings longtime collaborator Mark Sultan; don’t miss the rare chance to see the two in tandem.
Subterranean, 2011 West North Avenue
Fri, November 20, 9pm / 17+ / $20