Jan. 1: Guided By Voices (Metro… Technically, the concert began in 2004, but most of it was in 2005.)
Jan. 14: Neko Case; The Sadies (Metro)
Jan. 15: Constantines; Oakley Hall (Empty Bottle)
Jan. 30: Rogue Wave; Two Gallants; the Saturday Nights (Schubas)
Feb. 5: The Moaners (Subterranean)
Feb. 11: Low; Pedro The Lion; Tim Rutuli (Metro)
Feb. 12: Bettie Serveert (Abbey Pub)
Feb. 18: The Comas; Vietnam (Empty Bottle)
Feb. 22: Jorge Ben Jor (HotHouse)
Feb. 25: M. Ward; Shelley Short; Dr. Dog (Schubas)
March 1: The Futureheads; Shout Out Louds; High Speed Scene (Double Door)
March 4: Slobberbone; Two Cow Garage; I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the Room (Abbey Pub)
March 5: Jeff Tweedy; Autumn Defense (Vic)
March 15: Grand Champeen; Two Cow Garage; Richmond Fontaine (Beerland, Austin)
March 16: SXSW — Robyn Hitchcock; Jennifer Gentle; Gris Gris; Midlake; Burning Bright; Mono
March 17: SXSW — Mavis Staples; Apostles of Hustle; Stars; Dr. Dog; The Redwalls; Noodles; Titan Go Kings; Jon Langford; Adem; Ampop; Martha Wainwright; M.I.A.; Hot Chip; LCD Soundsystem
March 18: SXSW — The Futureheads; Bloc Party; New York Dolls; Picastro; Ida; Grey DeLisle; The Warlocks; Dios Malos; the Capitol Years; Shonen Knife
March 19: SXSW — The Zincs; Phosphorescent; Micah P. Hinson; Great Lake Swimmers; Nicolai Dunger; Centro-Matic; the Frames; the Last Town Chorus; Nic Armstrong & the Thieves; the Silent League; Controller.Controller; the Nightingales; Daniel Johnston; Brazilian Girls
March 25: Orchestra Baobob (HotHouse)
April 1: The Kills; Scout Niblett (Double Door)
April 3: Dolorean; Jeff Hansen; [opening act?] (Schubas)
April 9: Magnolia Electric Co.; Coke Dares (Schubas)
April 15: Paul Westerberg (Riveria)
April 16: Andrew Bird; Archer Prewitt (Metro)
April 17: Damien Jurado (Schubas)
April 20: M. Ward; Norfolk & Western; Devotchka (Abbey Pub)
April 21: Yo La Tengo (Vic)
May 10: Tift Merritt; Nora O’Connor (Schubas)
May 11: Gang Of Four; Radio 4 (Metro)
May 12: Okkervil River; Earlimart (Schubas)
May 28: The Ponys; The M’s (Subterranean)
June 8: Madeline Peyroux; Rebecca Martin (Park West)
June 9: Ivy; Astaire (Double Door)
June 11: Vanessa Davis Band (North Center street fest)
June 11: The Coral (Martyrs)
June 16: Sleater-Kinney; Dead Meadow (Riveria)
June 17: Comets On Fire; Plastic Crimewave Sound; Atomic Bitchwax; Growing (Abbey Pub)
June 18: My Morning Jacket (Randolph Street Festival)
June 21: Philip Glass (Ravinia)
June 23: The Moaners; Mr. Rudy Day; [opening act?]; [opening act?] (Abbey Pub)
June 24: Graham Parker; The Figgs (Double Door)
June 25: Bettie Serveert; Tristen; Nomad Planets; Braam (Abbey Pub)
July 1: Reigning Sound; Tough & Lovely; Catfish Haven (Subterranean)
July 2: American Music Festival (FitzGerald’s) — The Lee Boys; The Kinsey Report; Tributosaurus; Robbie Fulks; the Gourds
July 5: Billy Corgan; the Crimea (Vic)
July 9: Folk & Roots Festival (Welles Park) — Alejandro Escovedo
July 10: Folk & Roots Festival (Welles Park) — Funkadesi; Tinariwen
July 16: Van Cliburn (Ravinia)
July 17: Intonation Music Festival — Thunderbirds Are Now!; Dungen; Xiu Xiu; Out Hud; The Hold Steady; Andrew Bird
July 23: Lollapalooza (Grant Park) — The Redwalls; M83; The Warlocks; And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead; Ambulance LTD; Liz Phair; Kaiser Chiefs; The Brian Jonestown Massacre; The Bravery; Blonde Redhead; The Black Keys; The Pixies; The Walkmen; Digable Planets
July 24: Lollapalooza (Grant Park) — The Ponys; Kasabian; Dinosaur Jr.; Tegan and Sara; The Drive-By Truckers; The Arcade Fire; The Dandy Warhols; Death Cab For Cutie
July 26: “Play It Again: The Music Of Woody Allen” (Ravinia)
July 27: Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris (Ravinia)
July 30: Wicker Park Festival — Scotland Yard Gospel Choir; Head of Femur; Turing Machine; Okkervil River; Olivia Tremor Control
Aug. 17: Oneida; Plastic Crimewave Sound; Kinski (Empty Bottle)
Aug. 19: Tony Bennett (Ravinia)
Aug. 24: Marc-André Hamelin (Ravinia)
Aug. 25: Liz Phair; Mat Kearney (Black Orchid)
Aug. 30: Gipsy Kings (Ravinia)
Sept. 3: The Dirtbombs; Popsick; Big Whisky; M.O.T.O.; Decibators; Phenoms (Double Door)
Sept. 8: Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (HotHouse)
Sept. 9: The Sights; Thunderwing; The Makers (Subterranean)
Sept. 10: The Rolling Stones; Blues Brothers; Los Lonely Boys (Soldier Field)
Sept. 16: Sufjan Stevens; Laura Veirs (Metro)
Sept. 17: Hideout Block Party — Kevin O’Donnell’s Ensemble General; Eleventh Dream Day; Sam Roberts Band; The DB’s; The Ponys (Hideout)
Sept. 17: Amadou & Mariam; Boubacar Traore (Park West)
Sept. 18: Seu Jorge; Boubacar Traore (Park West)
Sept. 21: Black Mountain; Ladyhawk; Blood Meridian (Schubas)
Sept. 24: Brazilian Girls; Breakbone Dance; Anna Oxygen; Scream Club (Metro)
Sept. 29: Bob Mould; [opening act?] (Metro)
Oct. 1: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings; Binky Griptite; the Messengers of the Soul Sound (Double Door)
Oct. 3: Lhasa (HotHouse)
Oct. 6: Sleater-Kinney; The Ponys (Metro)
Oct. 7: The Fiery Furnaces; Pit er Pat (Logan Square Auditorium)
Oct. 14: Wolf Parade; Robbers On High Street; King of France (Schubas)
Oct. 28: The Constantines; The Hold Steady; Thunderbirds Are Now! (Logan Square Auditorium)
Oct. 29: The Go! Team; the Grates; [opening act?] (Metro)
Nov. 1: Wilco; New Orleans All Star Band (Auditorium Theatre)
Nov. 3: Youssou N’dour (Symphony Center)
Nov. 11: Konono No. 1; the Eternals (Logan Square Auditorium)
Nov. 19: Detroit Cobras; Reigning Sound; Vee Dee (Double Door)
Nov. 26: Jimmy Scott; Gospel Keyboard Trio (HotHouse)
Nov. 26: The Bottle Rockets; The Siderunners (Beat Kitchen)
Dec. 1: The Sadies; John Kimler (Schubas)
Dec. 6: Pinchas Zukerman and others (Pick-Staiger)
Dec. 22: The Waco Brothers; High Hawk (Schubas)