Obviously, I’ve been too busy to post because I’ve been doing some consulting for the Trib’s Steve Johnson.

Just kidding, TOC bosses! Not getting any on the side! Love my job, please don’t fire me!

I’m rocking a new laptop, but the fried motherboard on the old machine has prevented me from pulling my old hard drive data, which had some planned post ideas on it. So things will continue to be a bit spare here, but I encourage you to check out the TOC blog over the next week, as I’ll be posting reviews of tonight’s Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings show tomorrow, as well as a review next Wednesday of a solo show by Dan Wilson, formerly of Semisonic (or perhaps the review I turned in last week of the Bobby Bare Jr./Lucero show).

It’s interesting: I still really love Semisonic, but when I listen to their early albums, they sound a little dated. I don’t mean that as a slam – I feel the same way about Material Issue’s International Pop Overthrow – but it’s hard to divorce that music from its time, even if Wilson’s way with a lyric and a hook comes through loud and clear on the song he co-wrote for the Dixie Chicks (“Not Ready to Make Nice”).

Finally – last plug* for the 9-to-5, I swear – if you’re at all interested in the Chicago theater scene, you really ought to check out the writing that the TOC staff has been doing on our blog. The work they’ve been doing there has been heartily embraced by the local community, in large part because they’re willing to write honestly about what’s going on locally, even if it means catching flack from the 800 pound gorillas that are some of the major theater producers in town.

* Last plug today, that is.