Friday26
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TOM JONES Confronted with the chains, chest hair, and trouser bulge, most are ready to dismiss Tom Jones as the leather-lunged embodiment of Vegas kitsch. Yet Jones’s deep and varied catalog argues for his gifts as an interpretive singer, from the tortured soul of 1964’s “Chills and Fever” to the lusty swagger of 1999’s “Sex Bomb.” Highlights and missteps alike (see the inexplicable “The Young New Mexican Puppeteer”) are collected on last year’s fine four-disc overview The Definitive Tom Jones: 1964-2002. Since then Jones has teamed up with former Squeeze keyboardist and BBC TV presenter Jools Holland for an album exploring their mutual passion for classic blues, R & B, and early rock. Legendary for delivering the goods live, the 64-year-old Welshman still does; although the Sunday show is sold out, tickets remain for the rest of the stand. 9 PM, House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, 312-923-2000 or 312-559-1212, $65. See also Saturday and Sunday. –Bob Mehr
SKINDRED The premise behind this Welsh band sounds dubious: dark reggae harnessed to a nu-metal-industrial-techno supercharger. But on the evidence of their debut album, Babylon (Lava), it works surprisingly well. On full-bore tracks like “Nobody,” the riffs and words merge rhythmically and irresistibly, and though the chrome polish wears off on the lesser material, sheer energy and an influx of musical and lyrical influences from South Asia and the Caribbean keep things lively. Korn and Breaking Benjamin headline; Instruction opens. 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, 312-666-6667 or 312-559-1212, sold out. All ages. –Monica Kendrick
Sunday 28
PATTERSON HOOD It’s been a joy to watch Georgia’s scrappy Drive-By Truckers build themselves into a serious force over the last half-decade or so. With their three most recent albums–Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, and The Dirty South–the Truckers have helped articulate southern identity for the indie-rock generation. At the same time their talent pool has gotten almost embarrassingly deep, with a front line of three singer-guitarists generating firepower worthy of Lynyrd Skynyrd or Blue Oyster Cult in their prime. In 2001, amid the band’s heavy touring and recording, de facto leader Patterson Hood made a solo album, Killers and Stars; much bootlegged since, it’s finally out for real on New West. Expect a moodier, eerier sound from Hood at this one-man show. 7 and 10 PM, Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, 773-525-2508, $12. –Monica Kendrick
