Now Here This - Week of July 30, 2012

As Lollapalooza lands in Grant Park this weekend, there are a boatload of great concert options before the festival takes over the city. Unfortunately, most of the pre and post Lolla shows are sold out, much like the festival itself, so we are going to skip right over those to avoid cluttering up the calendar.

Monday, July 30
The Shams Band @ Schubas
$6 8pm
Opening: Archie Powell & The Exports, Young Hines

All due respect to The Shams Band (who is in the midst of a four-show residency in support of their sophomore album, Cold City), the real draw for us here is Archie Powell & The Exports. Powell and crew's latest is one of our favorite albums of the year so far, and the energetic pop-punk sound should fit one of the city's finest small stages perfectly.

Thursday, August 2
Pomegranates @ Beat Kitchen
$12 8pm
Opening: Kitten, The Soil & The Sun

Speaking great albums released this year, Cinncinati's Pomegranates released their fantastic fourth studio album Heaven just last month. The small room of Beat Kitchen should serve the dream pop sound of the band well. We've had the pleasure of catching them at Schubas a few years back, and can confirm how fantastic they are live. A band this good at a venue this small makes this our pick for show of the week.

Friday, August 3
Bear In Heaven @ Empty Bottle
$15 10pm
Opening: YAWN

Bear In Heaven is great, but the reason we are really interested in this show is Chicago's YAWN. The band's latest EP, Happy Tears, is a gorgeously woven web of indie pop bliss that makes it unlikely you will be able to catch these guys at venues as quaint as Empty Bottle for very long.