The rock world heads back indoors in the fall, and that’s a good thing–more intimate venues present an opportunity to observe promising up-and-coming acts at close range. It’s also the season when record companies flood the market with new CDs by higher-profile artists, with the idea that they’ll become the stocking-stuffers of choice come Christmas.
What follows is essentially a guide to wishful thinking: Not all of the events and albums compiled will live up to expectations. What’s certain is there will be no shortage of options for the music lover.
And the winner is: The most anticipated album of the pre-Christmas rush? It has to be Alanis Morissette’s as yet untitled follow-up to her multiplatinum 1996 debut, “Jagged Little Pill.” It’s due Nov. 3, and was produced by Glen Ballard, reprising his role on “Jagged.” But Little Miss Thing will face some stiff competition at the top of the charts a couple of weeks later, when multimillion-selling pop queen Jewel is scheduled to uncork her not-yet titled second album.
Musical salvation: Kirk Franklin, the multimillion-selling purveyor of gospel-soul, is back with “Nu Nation Project” Sept. 22, and is eyeing a massive crossover hit with help from secular stars Mary J. Blige, Bono and R. Kelly.
A touch of class: For those infatuated with the swizzle-stick sophistication of the bygone swing and lounge eras, here’s the real deal: Burt Bacharach, architect of some of the most faaaabulous pop of the ’60s, collaborates with erstwhile angry-young-man Elvis Costello on “Painted From Memory,” due Sept. 29. Bacharach, Costello and an orchestra will perform Oct. 16 at the Chicago Theatre.
Everybody say “Wuuuu!” As in Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop’s top hard-core group. Expect “Tical 2: Judgement Day,” a solo album from the Wu’s Method Man, on Nov. 2. And Wu-Tang head master RZA is adopting a new persona, Bobby Digital, and dropping his first solo album and first (straight-to-video) movie, “Bobby Digital in Stereo,” both set for Nov. 24. Hip-hoppers should also delight in the final album by A Tribe Called Quest, “The Love Movement,” due Sept. 29, and Missy Elliott’s “You Can’t Do What I Do,” in November.
Positively Dylan: For those trying to figure out just why this Bob Dylan character is such a legend, here’s your wake-up call. Dylan’s famed 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert (it was actually performed in Manchester, but that’s another story) is arguably the most famous rock ‘n’ roll bootleg of all time, but has never been officially released–until Sept. 29, when it will appear in a lavish two-CD package, “The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966.” The set documents a raging electric performance by Dylan and future member of The Band before a hostile audience that refused to forgive Dylan for “abandoning” acoustic folk music.
No longer a loser, baby: Though Beck is still working on the follow-up to his 1996 masterpiece “Odelay,” he is expected to serve up “Mutations,” a weird folk-rock appetizer, on Oct. 20.
Dead bodies everywhere: That’s the refrain from one of the latest tunes by the new kings of grind-’em-up rock, Korn. The California headbangers headline Oct. 3 at the Rosemont Horizon with fellow extremists from the industrial (Rammstein) and hip-hop (Ice Cube) camps. Hard-rock fans will also revel in Metallica’s double-CD of cover songs, which will package previously released material such as “The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Revisited” with newly recorded tunes. Aerosmith also uncorks a live double-CD on Oct. 20, and the original lineup of metal legends Black Sabbath–Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward–releases a live album, “Reunion,” Oct. 20 as a prelude to a 1999 world tour.
Manson’s new skin: Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson is supposedly sounding more pop-friendly these days, with the glam riffs of “Mechanical Animal” due Tuesday, paving the way for what should be an ultratheatrical fall tour.
Blow-Phish: Hootie and the Blowfish are back with a third album, “Musical Chairs,” which should answer the question, “Does anyone still care?” Apparently, the answer will be yes. Hootie’s show Oct. 2 at House of Blues sold out in minutes. Meanwhile, jam-band kingpins Phish will usher in a new studio album, “The Story of the Ghost,” on Oct. 27 with a series of live dates–a potential three-night “residency” at the UIC Pavilion is being discussed. Hootie and Phish will both perform at Farm Aid, Oct. 3 at the New World Music Theatre.
Soul men: Maxwell will perform Oct. 9 at the Arie Crown Theatre. And Lionel Richie performs at the Chicago Theatre on Oct. 20. D’Angelo–a favorite of both The Artist Formerly Known as Prince and R. Kelly–is scheduled to release his second album of old-school soul, “Voodoo,” in November. Expect a new disc from the similarly inclined Seal in November as well.
Men from UNKLE: They’re not household names in America, but California’s DJ Shadow and Britain’s James Lavelle are all the rage in England, where their collaborative project, UNKLE, has produced a stunning merger of hip-hop, electronica and rock on “Psyence Fiction,” due Sept. 29 with guest shots from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft and the Beastie Boys’ Mike D. Look for this one to show up on numerous year-end Top-10 lists.
Volts of Lightning: Son Volt’s third album of alt-country, “Wide Swing Tremolo,” hits Oct. 6, and the St. Louis band will celebrate with a rare acoustic performance that night at Martyr’s. Also, No Depression supergroup Golden Smog (Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum’s Dan Murphy, the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris) releases “Weird Tales” Oct. 13.
Blues men: Does B.B. King ever rest? Apparently not. Yet another album from the master, “Blues on the Bayou,” is due Oct. 20. Teen blues prodigy Jonny Lang returns with “Wander This World” Oct. 6. And, stretching our definition of the Delta art form just a touch, watch out for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to hit with the “Acme” on Oct. 20.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
It might be, it could be. . . . Not only are there strong hints that Bruce Springsteen is preparing a box set containing tons of obscure and unreleased material from throughout his career, tentatively scheduled for release in the fall, but that he’s reuniting the E Street Band for what could be the tour of the summer in 1999. As always with Springsteen, don’t believe it till it happens, but this time his fans’ ardent hopes for an E Street tour–the first in more than a decade–could be answered. Springsteen is marking 25 years with Columbia Records, and is not likely to let the occasion slip past unnoticed.
Best bets
– Another Brian Wilson concert: Wilson played his first concert ever without the Beach Boys last May in his new hometown of St. Charles. Buoyed by that effort, the troubled pop genius is expected to put on a more expansive, career-spanning show in a relatively intimate Chicago venue sometime in the fall, says Andy Cirzan of local promoter Jam Productions.
– Joni Mitchell at the Chicago Folk Center, Friday: After a long hiatus from the road, Joni Mitchell will break in the Old Town School of Folk Music’s new concert hall at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave in her first Chicago appearance in 15 years. It will be followed by a fall tour that local promoters are hoping will bring her back to the area. She has also got a terrific new album of typically literate, jazz-tinged pop songs, “Taming the Tiger,” due out Sept. 29.
– R. Kelly’s new double-CD, “R.,” due Oct. 13: The local R&B crooner returns with his first album since declaring on a Chicago stage last year that he had experienced a spiritual awakening, under the guidance of minister-to-the-stars Kirk Franklin. Kelly has been known for his sexually explicit lyrics, but with “I Believe I Can Fly” he demonstrated a spiritual side that he is expected to explore further on the new disc.
– PJ Harvey at the Vic, Oct. 28: With a new studio album, “Is This Desire?” due out Sept. 29, Polly Harvey returns to the theater where she delivered an awe-inspiring 1995 concert.
– Belle and Sebastian at Metro, Oct. 26: This reclusive Scottish band makes deceptively fey, wonderfully melodic records that have been charming pop aficionados for years. The group will make its first stateside tour ever this fall.
EVENTS
Sept. 14-15: Celine Dion at United Center
Sept. 15: Robbie Fulks at Schubas; Shawn Mullins at Metro
Sept. 17: Bob Mould at the Riviera; Earth Wind & Fire, Isley Brothers, O’Jays at Rosemont Horizon
Sept. 17-18: Black 47 at Abbey Pub
Sept. 18: Joni Mitchell at Chicago Folk Center; Alejandro Escovedo and the Blazers at FitzGerald’s
Sept. 19: Richard Thompson with Gillian Welch and Todd Snider at Chicago Folk Center; Massive Attack at the Vic; Roy Harper at Abbey Pub; Silkworm at Empty Bottle; Sue Garner at Lounge Ax
Sept. 20: Cannibal Corpse at House of Blues, Juan Gabriel at Rosemont Horizon
Sept. 21: Agnostic Front at House of Blues
Sept. 22: John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards at House of Blues
Sept. 25: Third Eye Blind at the Aragon; Jack Logan and Bob Kimbell at Schubas; Soulfly at the Vic; Morcheeba at Park West; Queen Ida at FitzGerald’s
Sept. 26: Jon Langford’s Skull Orchard and Johnny Dowd at Schubas; Keb Mo at House of Blues; Enanitos Verdes at Aragon
Sept. 28: Damo Suzuki and Michael Karoli at House of Blues
Sept. 29: Tuscadero and Sloan at Metro
Oct. 1: The Church at House of Blues; Bloque at Schubas
Oct. 2: Jerry Cantrell at the Riviera; Hootie and the Blowfish at House of Blues; Melt Banana and U.S. Maple at Lounge Ax; Juliana Hatfield and Hayden at Double Door; Angela Strehli at Buddy Guy’s Legends; David S. Ware Quartet at Empty Bottle
Oct. 2-3: They Might Be Giants at the Vic
Oct. 3: Farm Aid at New World Music Theatre; Sadies and Wilco at Lounge Ax; Family Values Tour with Korn at the Rosemont Horizon; James Brown at Star Plaza, Merrillville, Ind.; Charlie Zaa at Rosemont Theater; Los Temerarios at International Amphitheater
Oct. 4: Lenny Kravitz at Aragon; Frank Black at Metro
Oct. 6: Son Volt at Martyr’s
Oct. 7: David Allen Coe at Double Door; Aluminum Group and Papas Fritas at Lounge Ax; Sunny Day Real Estate at Metro
Oct. 8: Elvin Bishop at Buddy Guy’s Legends
Oct. 9: Elliott Smith with Quasi at Metro; Joe Louis Walker at Buddy Guy’s Legends; A Minor Forest at Empty Bottle; Maxwell at Arie Crown
Oct. 10: Royal Trux and Smog at Lounge Ax; Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tito Rojas at Aragon; Soul Coughing at Riveria
Oct. 11: Gil Scott Heron at Metro; Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters at House of Blues; Vicente Fernandez at Rosemont Horizon
Oct. 13: Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum at the Riviera
Oct. 14: Reel Big Fish at House of Blues
Oct. 16-17: Harvest Moon Festival with CJ Chenier, Robbie Fulks, Billy Joe Shaver at FitzGerald’s; Elvis Costello-Burt Bacharach at Chicago Theatre
Oct. 17: Pinetop 7 at Lounge Ax; Barbara Manning at Empty Bottle; Archers of Loaf and Built to Spill at Metro; R.L. Burnside and Robert Cage at Double Door; Better Than Ezra at the Vic
Oct. 18: King’s X at House of Blues; Los Rehenes at Aragon
Oct. 19: Andreas Vollenweider at House of Blues
Oct. 19: Air at Metro
Oct. 21: Archers of Loaf at Lounge Ax
Oct. 23: Jimmy Webb at Double Door; Otis Clay at Buddy Guy’s Legends; Pine Valley Cosmonauts’ Bob Wills tribute at FitzGerald’s; Henry Rollins at House of Blues
Oct. 23-24: Momus at Empty Bottle
Oct. 24: Bad Livers at Lounge Ax; Sleater Kinney at Metro; Rob Zombie at the Aragon; Jimmie Dale and Dale Watson at FitzGerald’s; Lyle Lovett at Chicago Theatre
Oct. 25: Joan Sebastien at International Amphitheater
Oct. 26: Belle and Sebastian at Metro
Oct. 28: Judas Priest at House of Blues; PJ Harvey at the Vic
Oct. 29: Kelly Willis, Richard Buckner, Bruce Robison at FitzGerald’s; Al di Meola at House of Blues
Oct. 30: Mudhoney and Mike Watt at Metro; Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown at Buddy Guy’s Legends
Oct. 31: Less than Jake at Metro; Combustible Edison at Double Door; Shellac at Lounge Ax
Nov. 6: Seam at Lounge Ax
Nov. 7: Dave Alvin at FitzGerald’s; George Jones at House of Blues; Grupo Limite, Aragon
Nov. 20: Tom Rush at FitzGerald’s
Nov. 21: Alejandro Fernandez at UIC Pavillion; Guy Clark at Chicago Folk Center
Nov. 22: Billy Joel at the Rosemont Horizon; Mary Black at the Vic
Nov. 29: Rev. Horton Heat at Metro
Dec. 31: Hum at Empty Bottle
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Tickets for most events can be purchased through Ticketmaster (312-559-1212), although for certain shows they are available only through the venues: Schubas (773-525-2508); Metro (773-549-0203); FitzGerald’s (708-788-6670); Abbey Pub (773-478-4408); Empty Bottle (773-276-3600); Chicago Folk Center (773-728-6000); Lounge Ax (773-525-6620); Double Door (773-489-3160); Buddy Guy’s Legends (312-427-0333)
