JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound bring the soul to Off Broadway

Jason Gonulsen
Special to Metromix

I don't listen to much soul (nor do I know a whole lot about it), but when someone covers Wilco, well, you have my full attention. And no one covers Wilco quite like Chicago's JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, who will be performing at Off Broadway on Friday.

And it's not just that they cover Wilco. They cover one of Wilco's most cyrptic, unusual songs (lyrically, anyway), "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," the first song on 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.' I mean, since when does a soul song have the lyric "I am an American aquarium drinker" in it? Well, JC Brooks and Co. make it work by putting their passionate, funky spin on it. It's grand.

This is more than a band with an awesome cover song in their arsenal, however. Formed in 2007, the band has been talked up in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Their live show has been described as "theatrical," providing plenty of audience interaction and constant energy. They will surely have you on your feet, so don't miss them on Friday ($10-13; 8:30 p.m. doors).

If you're not in the dancing mood, Pete Yorn is at The Pageant on Sunday with Ben Kweller. I always thought Yorn's first album, 'Musicforthemorningafter,' was a great debut, and I'm sure Yorn will be playing a few of those songs. I saw him once at the old Mississippi Nights back in the day, and he's a solid performer—he even covered Bruce Springsteen's "The River." This one's a good bet for a nice Sunday night show.

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound videos: