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JON RAUHOUSE The fluid virtuosity of steel-guitar specialist Jon Rauhouse has made him a first-call hired gun in the alt-country world, but on his own records he covers a lot more stylistic ground. On the new Steel Guitar Heart Attack (Bloodshot), guests like Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Sally Timms, and members of Calexico–all of whom Rauhouse has played for–pitch in on a typically diverse mix of tunes that includes western swing, honky-tonk, torch songs, jazz standards, and the theme from Mannix. Rauhouse’s occasional turns at the mike only make him look smart to let his pals handle the rest of the singing, but when he sticks to the strings–and half the tracks here are instrumental–he can deliver old-school exotica as well as anybody. He’ll open tonight’s show, then stick around to back Case, who headlines. a 7:30 PM, Park West, 322 W. Armitage, 773-929-5959 or 312-559-1212, sold out, 18+. –Peter Margasak
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k’naan This Toronto-based MC was 13 when his family left Mogadishu in 1991, but memories of that past life make his debut, The Dusty Foot Philosopher (BMG, 2005), one of the most startling hip-hop albums in years. There are hints of African string instruments on a couple tracks, but it’s not the production that makes it special–it’s the combo of K’naan’s rhymes and post-Eminem flow. On “What’s Hardcore?” he uses war-ravaged Somalia to turn the been-there, done-that attitude that’s so prevalent in gangsta rap on its head: “If I rhymed about home and got descriptive / I’d make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit.” But K’naan doesn’t just flex, he also gets nostalgic: “My old home smelled of birth, boiled red beans, kernel oil, and hand-me-down poetry.” I’m curious to see how he applies his skill and charisma to subjects beyond Somalia. K’naan opens for Stephen Marley featuring Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley.
cprichard I’ve always thought that in a more perfect world Prichard would be king. But this is their first show after a hiatus of nearly eight years, so if that’s in the cards, they’re getting an awfully slow start. The words “power trio” take on new meaning here–not because the unholy maelstrom the band whipped up onstage didn’t fit the description, but because questions of social and economic power (or more often powerlessness) were at the center of their ethos. During Prichard’s heyday in the late 90s, singer-guitarist Neil Hoying (also of Star Vehicle) worked with disadvantaged youth, breaking his knuckles against the West Town machine. His experiences wrangling with gangbangers and bumping heads with ward operatives lent authority to his delivery of the band’s Situationist-inspired lyrics, written by drummer Mike Bulington (also of Clyde Federal, Grimble Grumble, and tonight’s headliners, Mr. Rudy Day). Six foot seven, frequently shirtless and clad in overalls, Bulington manhandled the drums like he was driving a tractor up the side of a barn, and his words provided an outlet for the band’s blue-collar social conscience, embodied in the everyman character Prichard, who navigated an existential universe in songs like “Prichard’s Lament” and “Prichard’s Crossroads.” And violinist Seamus Harmey, raised in Dublin and educated at Trinity College, pumped the narratives full of vigorous soul with his jagged, atonal Celtic-modernist fiddle and guitar, abetted by truckloads of wattage. He’s moving back to Dublin soon, so Prichard won’t be playing many more gigs, if any, but they’re shopping a slew of old recordings–they only put out two singles during their lifetime. Full disclosure: I engineered some of those recordings, back in the summer of ’96; they can be heard online at a blog I contribute to: evil-wire.org/-thisline/?p=19. a 9 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, 773-227-4433 or 866-468-3401, $8. –J. Niimi
Todd headlines, Racebannon plays second, and FT
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