Celeb indie-rock bands usually hit up foodie faves like Big Star or Longman & Eagle snag a free meal from chef fans like James Toland of the Black Sheep or Graham Elliot when touring through Chicago, but Jersey royalty Yo La Tengo took a resto road less traveled. While in town for the Green Music Fest last weekend, the trio hit up Duk’s, the tasty-but-nasty hot dog stand in a festively lit striped shed on Ashland. (BTW, this Wolf recommends their pineapple milk shake.) Props to Yo La for keeping it real with a four-dollar meal!
This furry correspondent couldn’t help but notice indie-grunge icon and Soul Asylum hairball Dave Pirner smoking a butt all by his lonesome outside the Double Door at ten o’clock or so on Saturday night. Maybe he was just looking for somebody to shove? Anyway, dude rocked combat boots and what this Wolf can only describe as train-conductor jeans. Talk about stripey! Maybe those pants are part of the uniform for his job driving a runaway train that’s never coming back?
Redgrave is a scorching new local band that consists of drummer Stephen Howard—current Tight Phantomz dude, former Pinebender member—and guitarist and vocalist Angie Mead. They play howling hard rock with undercurrents of doom and blues, and they had their first show last weekend at the Empty Bottle, opening for Califone and Bloodiest. The band recently finished recording their debut, a two-song seven-inch that will come out August 24 on Lovitt Records. Califone and Red Red Meat mastermind Tim Rutili guests on guitar on one of those songs, “Gone to Wither,” and David Yow did the artwork for the sleeve—the frequently indecent Jesus Lizard declaimer is also a totally decent painter and illustrator. Redgrave will return to the stage September 2 for a record-release show at Schubas. —Jessica Hopper and J.R. Nelson
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