Weekend Plans Made Easy

By chicago_chris in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 13, 2004 4:38PM

Chicagoist knows you like being told what to do over the weekend, and we like telling you. If you're into orgiastic life-affirming pop symphonies, check out the robed and copious Polyphonic Spree (quoth Milhouse, "My doctor says I'm not supposed to go on sprees") and lead singer Tim Delaughter's attempts to become Wayne Coyne. The Spree will even have drummer Brian Teasley in tow after being cleared from the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List via that most trustworthy of alibis, TiVo. (See, we told you it's good for something.) Check out this band (cult? movement?) tonight and/or tomorrow at Park West and help them conquer the world one sugary single, iPod/VW commercial, and Michel Gondry film at a time.

Also, this is the weekend of the Q101 Block Party, which features a surprisingly good line-up again this year (after 2003's Ben Kweller-Flaming Lips-Violent Femmes bill) for representing such a (redundant statement approaching!) bad radio station. Local performers Local H are the highlights tonight. (If not, inexplicably, the headliners – apparently more people want to see The Presidents of the United States of America and hear live renditions of Lump, Peaches, and the Drew Carey Show theme song. Cleveland, apparently, rocks.) Tomorrow is the real deal, as you get a triptych of indie/almost mainstream heavyweights – the shockingly famous Modest Mouse, Siren Fest headliners Death Cab for Cutie, and opening act to everyone in indie-rock The Walkmen – for one measly price. Get up and shake that hog out there.