Tim Kinsella brings Joan of Arc songs, stripped down, to Rozz-Tox

The Chicago underground lifer plays solo versions of his old band's songs in Rock Island's 100-capacity listening room on Friday, Nov. 20.

Picture the back room at Rozz-Tox on a cold Friday three weeks from now: a hundred people, give or take, close enough to the performer to hear the guitar strings buzz, and Tim Kinsella working through songs that a lot of them first heard on CD-Rs and mixtapes two decades ago.

That's the plan for Friday, Nov. 20, when Kinsella plays Rozz-Tox in Rock Island. The venue lists doors at 7 p.m., and the show is billed as solo versions of Joan of Arc songs. Tickets are $10 in advance through DICE and $15 at the door, according to the venue. In a room that holds 100, it's a fair bet the advance tickets won't last until the night of.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, the bands will. Kinsella fronted Cap'n Jazz and OWLS, two cornerstones of the Chicago underground, and from 1996 to 2019 he was the primary facilitator of Joan of Arc, the shape-shifting collective that ran through dozens of members and never sounded the same way twice. He has also written about half a dozen books, including the novel *Danny B*, and these days he makes music with his partner Jenny Pulse as Kinsella & Pulse, LLC.

That history is the point of this show. Joan of Arc songs were often built in layers — tape loops, odd tunings, players coming and going — and hearing them pared back to one voice and one instrument is a different way into a catalog that has always rewarded close listening. It's also a chance to hear the songwriter behind the project on his own terms, without the collective around him.

In a room that holds 100, the songs don't have anywhere to hide.

Rozz-Tox is about as right a room for this as the Quad Cities has. Opened in 2011 in a 100-year-old building in downtown Rock Island, it calls itself a community space, small performance venue, hi-fi record bar and café, and its calendar mixes live bands with DJs, film screenings and readings. The name comes from the "Rozz-Tox Manifesto," written in 1980 by the artist Gary Panter, and the owners say they asked Panter for permission to use it. A place that takes its name from an art manifesto and books literary nights alongside bands is a natural fit for a musician who also publishes novels.

It's also the kind of booking that makes a midsize market feel connected. Kinsella's world has always been rooted three hours east in Chicago, and a stop in Rock Island lets local fans skip the drive on I-80 and the big-city ticket fees for a night that will feel more like a house show than a concert.

When to buy: now, if you know you want to go. Advance tickets are on DICE, and the venue's programme page has the night's details. Get there for doors, grab a drink at the bar, and find a spot where you can hear every word.

Sources: Rozz-Tox — programme (Tim Kinsella listing) (rozztox.com); Rozz-Tox — about (rozztox.com); Rozz-Tox — the manifesto (rozztox.com); DICE — Rozz-Tox venue page (dice.fm); DICE — Tim Kinsella at Rozz-Tox tickets (link.dice.fm)