FRIDAY
Jason Collett
PARK WEST, 322 W. ARMITAGE AVE.; $15;
773-929-5959.
Maybe it’s because the Canadian government financially invests in its own artists with heritage programs, but whatever the reason, the Great White North is an indie-rock gold mine. The latest nugget comes in the form of Collett’s (above) “Idols of Exile.” The Broken Social Scene guitarist is lovingly supported by his groupmates, The Stars’ Amy Millan, Metric’s Emily Haines and more. Yet the real attraction is Collett’s batch of understated, non-wimpy folk, country and well-tempered pop. (Don’t Miss It)
SATURDAY
Derek Trucks Band
PARK WEST, 322 W. ARMITAGE AVE.; $20;
773-929-5959.
Allman Brother Derek Trucks juggles Middle Eastern, funk, gospel and Southern soul strains on “Songlines,” retaining blues as a base but also veering into slinky jam-band pop and rock fields that appear cultivated for singer and newest group recruit Mike Mattison. Occasionally gimmicky, the vocal tracks are a mixed bag, though Trucks’ exquisite guitar playing tips the scales in his favor, particularly since he stretches in concert. (Safe Bet)
Sheryl Crow
AUDITORIUM THEATRE, 50 E. CONGRESS PKWY.;
Sold out; 312-922-2110.
Crow (right) has fallen into the same domestic-bliss trap that ensnared her former beau, Eric Clapton. Draping grandiose string arrangements over slow ballads, “Wildflower” finds Lance Armstrong’s fiance drowning in plasticized, swimmy production, her overreaching voice thinned-out and unable to add spirit to the too-perfect, lovestruck odes. Here’s hoping she’ll bring some electricity to the stage. (Think Twice)
SUNDAY
Little Brother
HOUSE OF BLUES, 329 N. DEARBORN ST.;
$21; 312-923-2000.
Apparently, syndicated columnists and ministers aren’t the only ones tired of hip-hop’s bling-slinging ways. Little Brother confronts the commodification and codification of rap culture on “The Minstrel Show,” satirizing exploitative TV networks, pants-dropping R&B crooners and haute couture. The rhyming isn’t always worthy of MCs Big Pooh and Phonte’s boasts, but old-school deliveries and modest beats mitigate the limitations–the trio’s messages conveying an educated purpose. (Safe Bet)
