Peter Margasak at our sister paper the Chicago Reader brings the news that the Black Cat will be hosting a pre-Inauguration Day concert on Jan. 19. The Big Shoulders Ball, as the name suggests, is a Chicago-oriented event. It was coordinated by Tim Tuten, co-owner of a great Chicago venue, the Hideout, and the lineup includes some of the city’s best acts: among those on the bill are Tortoise, the Waco Brothers, Eleventh Dream Day, the Mekons’ Jon Langford & Sally Timms, and Ken Vandermark. Tickets are $50, with proceeds going to various charities, including the D.C.-based Future of Music Coalition; they go on sale at 5 p.m. today through the Black Cat’s Web site. (Or at the Hideout if you’re reading this in Chicago—-in which case, why aren’t you reading Margasak’s blog?)

According to Margasak’s post, the Hideout is corralling a few charter buses to bring fans to the festivities. Hope they’ve figured out where to park them.