Friday 18
LETOYA LeToya Luckett was a founding member of Destiny’s Child–she cowrote and sang on hits like “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name” before getting booted by her childhood friend Beyonce. She’s bounced back with a self-titled solo debut on Capitol that’s every bit as irresistible–and superfluous–as the best music of her old group. She’s not a great singer, but she’s got the hit-making formula down cold: the disc mixes hip-hop-driven tracks (featuring fellow Houstonians like Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Bun B) with boilerplate balladry about searching for Mr. Right and dispatching Mr. Wrong. Mary J. Blige headlines and Jaheim performs second. 7 PM, Charter One Pavilion, Northerly Island at Burnham Harbor, 1300 S. Linn White Dr., 312-540-2000 or 312-559-1212, $55-$81. All ages. –Peter Margasak
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1986 The good news about the 90s revival currently hovering on the cultural horizon like a jaded, soul-patched vulture is that there will be more bands like 1986. On their new Nihilism Is Nothing to Worry About (Palentine) they scramble up Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, Yo La Tengo, and a half-dozen other acts from the golden age of indie-rock guitar into a slacked-out, fuzzy mess with just enough weird angles to keep them from sounding like a tribute act. The Atlantic Divide headlines, LMNOP plays third, 1986 goes second, and Plan B opens. 9 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, 773-278-6600 or 800-594-8499, $8. –Miles Raymer
MATTHEW HERBERT One of dance music’s most inventive producers, Matthew Herbert is a master at making something out of nothing; at Smart Bar in 2001 I saw him build a propulsive track from a sample of himself tapping his fingers on a jewel case. A while back he drafted his “Personal Contract for the Composition of Music,” a manifesto whose core points include no sampling other people’s stuff, no factory keyboard presets, and no simulated acoustic sounds when it’s feasible to record the real thing. According to the liner notes, his new Scale (released under the name Herbert on K7/Accidental) is in nearly full compliance: it’s a lush set of songs with horn arrangements (reminiscent of his twisted 2003 big-band album, Goodbye Swingtime) and sweet vocals over complex, chattery electronic beats. For this week’s gigs he’s DJing, but I’d expect some spontaneous sampling along the way. DJs Common Factor & Jerome Derradji spin first. Herbert also discusses and signs copies of Scale at 4 PM at Borders, 4718 N. Broadway; call 773-334-7338. See also Monday. 10 PM, Sonotheque, 1444 W. Chicago, 312-226-7600 or 866-468-3401, $12 in advance, $15 at the door. –Peter Margasak
Tuesday 22
DKV TRIO Of Ken Vandermark’s countless projects in the 90s and early 00s, this hard-hitting group, with bassist Kent Kessler and drummer Hamid Drake, provided the best showcase for his straight-up blowing. Trigonometry (Okka Disk, 2002), the trio’s most recent recording, captures it at its peak: tearing apart riffs and licks from a set of classic free-jazz themes (by the likes of Don Cherry, Joe McPhee, and Albert Ayler), the players constantly anticipate one another’s moves, navigating suddenly and spontaneously as a unit while maintaining a relentless, thrilling tension. Live, I don’t recall ever hearing them reach stasis–the music was always swerving, swinging, and screaming. Thanks largely to the conflicting schedules of its members, the DKV Trio hasn’t performed in Chicago in almost four years. Playing first is a promising new trio with tenor titan Fred Anderson, young Norwegian bassist (and current Chicago resident) Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten, and brilliant British free drummer Paul Lytton; another drummer, Paal Nilssen-Love, DJs throughout. Vandermark, Kessler, Lytton, and Nilssen-Love also perform with the Territory Band on Thursday (see Critic’s Choice). 9:30 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, 773-227-4433, $10. –Peter Margasak
