Well, I began my top 2008 in photos which will continue to be added to throughout the year. For now, you can find pictures of Dresden Dolls (as above), Dan Deacon, Girl Talk, Efterklang, Super Furry Animals, Hayden, Explosions in the Sky, Caribou, Xiu Xiu, Ladytron, Britta Phillips, and more….Images are much larger in megapixels than I can feasibly upload to blog…
7/7/8
Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park
As part of the Pitchfork presents lunchtime series “Audible Architecture” series, Le Loup returned to Chicago (having played Schubas at the end of March). After seeing them in a relatively smaller space earlier, I wasn’t sure how it would sound in such a large open area. Coming off as equally transcendent as Grizzly Bear, Le Loup played for over an hour demonstrating that they had grown as a band even since just a few months ago. It was an incredibly impressive set that made me remember how much I loved their album with an impossibly long name deep breath Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millenium General Assembly.
One thing that really sets this D.C. band apart is their use of so many instruments which really help create an organic sound, despite the use of a laptop on stage. With 7 band members on this tour, including three drummers, the sound was also very layered and rich, though I think perhaps it was a bit of overkill to have that many drummers. Unfortunately, the two girls in the band May and Nicole have moved on and are no longer with Le Loup but otherwise the band is really taking off and making their live shows one of the best in this indie rock world. Though they haven’t announced any further upcoming tour dates, keep a lookout as seeing them is incredibly worthwhile.
6/28/8
Schubas Tavern in Chicago
When I think of Hayden, I get an immediately nostalgic feeling of hazy summers between university years. It was a different time and I was in a different place (only a couple of hours where Hayden resides in Toronto, actually) and in some ways I feel younger just listening to the songs. It’s strange how certain music can transport you back. Subjectivity aside, Hayden is one of those poppy folk musicians that can consistently write interesting songs. Even when they are lackadaisical, there is enough in them to keep you engaged as a listener. That’s a talent in and of itself and something he’s been doing since those early days I began listening, all the way back to 1998’s The Closer I Get.
Though Schubas is probably the best place you’ll ever hope to see Hayden, he made the stage even more special with decor seemingly fitting for a Canadian cabin nestled snugly in the woods. On the floor was a red living room rug and blanketing the keyboard was a blanket with a deer prominently displayed in the pattern. Along the back wall lay the visual scene to match. Not too many bands made that special effort these days and that set a certain tone…one of comfort you might feel if you actually were in Hayden’s living room for example.
On stage, Hayden was just as sincere as his setup might suggest. Though he had other band members adeptly backing him up with keyboard drums and bass, it was difficult to remember anyone was up there except Hayden. He showed a little of his personality when asked about his vest. (He said it was a reference to There Will Be Blood, which happens to be my favorite film of 2008.) Mainly, he kept quiet between songs, though, in an understated sort of subtleness that drew the audience’s attention to his rich melodies and talented musicianship between playing the guitar, harmonica, and keyboard. The setlist was also incredibly strong with highlights being “Home by Saturday,” “The Hazards of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees,” “Dynamite Walls” and “Worthy of Your Esteem.” Though Hayden is really Canada’s darling, it was nice for Chicago to have him all to ourselves, even if it was just for one night.
Belmont Arts and Music Festival in Chicago
6/28/8
I’ve been a fan of Cursive for several years now and have seen them in various venues around the city in that time. Their lyrics are some of the most poetic and intense that the indie rock world has come by. Lead singer Tim Kasher brings the passion to match. Every note sounds like a harsh cry of love lost, pain and anguish. It’s the cry of someone from the darkness who can still see that sad and beautiful world illuminated around him. Amidst his shrieks and lost cries, it’s impossible to not become very quickly aware of one thing that remains after the songs are done and the audience is standing there in the aftermath of the maelstrom: He really means it.
In some ways, this is a band that really fits the label of “emo.” It is a very emotional band with such a sense of the tumultuousness within the shrieks of the vocal delivery, the despair of the lyrics, the building intensity of the guitar playing and drums especially, and the utterly heart wrenching quality of Tim’s delivery. Yet, most of the bands labeled emo or emotional tend to occupy an area of space inhabited by whiners. They aren’t interested in telling a story or creating a grand concept, such as is present in The Ugly Organ. They are much more self absorbed and, in turn, self pitying. Lost in this is the real possibility of poetry and an appeal to those who may not want to sit around and mope about how awful life is all day. Cursive is much different than these other bands, indeed!
What was especially great about Saturday night’s set headlining the Belmont Arts and Music Festival? It’s true the horn section was spot on but cellist Greta Cohn is still very missed. Tim has a way of delivering those vocals consistently throughout the years that has only increased with intensity. Yet, what really made the night for me was the setlist. With songs from both their stellar ep Burst and Bloom and their best full length to date The Ugly Organ, Tim really couldn’t have picked a better collection of songs to play. Everything sounded extremely effective and the audience, contained in thankfully a nonviolent way, was also incredibly responsive. Unlike many of the shows I’ve gone to lately, it actually felt complete at the end and you left feeling like a whole person…which may be strange considering such devastating lyrics. Ultimately, it’s the idea that these things can be shared and there is a great hope for humanity when this becomes possible.
setlist:
7/23/8
Double Door in Chicago
Just about every couple of years, Canada’s Sloan puts out an album and does a North American tour. They’ve amassed a following based on their consistency and going to a Sloan show, you see the same exact people you see at every Sloan show year after year…it’s almost like a family reunion except you aren’t related to the other audience members and you get to hear power pop instead of eating bad potato salad that has been sitting out in the sun for too long….
I’ve always had a certain theory about the band members of Sloan: Chris Murphy, Andrew Scott, Patrick Pentland, and Jay Ferguson and that is a simple one. Mainly, they are from Halifax, Nova Scotia originally (now relocated to Toronto) and it can get pretty cold up there, especially in the winters. This is why I think they are adept at playing eachother’s instruments and such great songwriters as well as performers. It’s the kind of stage presence that takes a great deal of practice without all of the distractions that endless sunny days would provide. There is a certain art in live performance alone and in a band’s ability to captivate an audience. That said, Chris Murphy is definitely the biggest performer of the four piece, showing forth classic rock moves while he plays as if he wouldn’t know how to accompany the songs with anything else. Patrick Pentland joined along in walking along the front of the stage near the audience this time and acting like a member in a quintessential rock band.
I’ve seen Sloan numerous times over the past seven years and have seen the band’s output increase to where they are right now, a band with a massive nine studio album catalog with Parallel Play being their most recent release. The band played the album’s clear hit “I’m Not a Kid Anymore” as well as some other past hits very adeptly including: “Money City Maniacs,” “G Turns to D,” “People of the Sky” and the stellar song “Losing California” from my favorite album of theirs, 1999’s Between the Bridges.
There were only a couple of differences between this and other shows was the heavier amount of Andrew’s songs as Chris Murphy had reportedly wore out his voice just a bit in NY. The other change from previous Sloan performances was that they added a kitsch element with a faux radio station, the MRCH with “Skip Low” which ended up being more disruptive to the flow and energy than the band may have anticipated. It was just a little too cheesy to be funny and didn’t add anything to their set, making it a rather unfortunate addition. Still, overall the show was energetic and fun, with an encore that ended on a real high note with “The Good in Everyone.”
Setlist:
6/19/8
Empty Bottle in Chicago
Psychedelic duo MV & EE or fully Matt Valentine and Erika Elder were the main feature at the Empty Bottle last Thursday. The Ecstatic Peace couple were not without the help of both a drummer/guitarist and bassist to complete their sound while Matt Valentine played both banjo and harmonica at different points in the set to create layers of structured psychedelic noise, guaranteed to make any fan of the genre a happy and satisfied listener.
This was my first time seeing MV & EE and the major difference between their albums and their live performance is twofold: the songs are longer and it comes together more powerfully altogether in a live setting. It’s strange how the noise seeps into you and almost relaxes you even though you feel it’s intensity. It’s an odd sort of psychedelic landscape that is created but it works. The songs themselves, though only a handful, felt like they were enough and didn’t leave you wanting or feeling bereft.
The band itself is also a thing of beauty. These two are real creative artists who even hand paint some of their record art. There’s a perfect sense to them as two humans from Brattleboro, Vermont. Maybe it’s the sense of being natural or just one with themselves and that factors into the way the music sounds and makes the songs more complete. Aside from this, both Matt and Erika are both very talented and it was interesting to hear how not only their instrumentation but their vocals complemented eachother and the band as a whole, making MV & EE definitely a band worth seeing live.
Schubas Tavern in Chicago 6/16/08
Though Fink was the headliner of this bill, it seemed there were even more Jaymay fans in the audience. The singer songwriter has apparently gotten some buzz around her and there were men and women alike that were lip singing the words when she was on stage. Jaymay is a folk singer who writes personal songs about feeling the winter as much as she does relationships. The audience member standing next to me said she had heard one of her songs played at Starbucks and that doesn’t really surprise me. It’s accessible and sing-songy enough that it makes for wide appeal. There are seemingly no pretensions to it as it presents as honest and straight ahead with just Jaymay and her acoustic guitar. The one thing different from her and most folk artists was that she has a higher pitched humming solo in one of her songs that actually sounded a little more like a kazoo being blown through instead of a voice. I’ve never seen anyone do that on stage and I’m not sure how common this ability is but it was probably one of the moments I enjoyed most.
Jaymay herself acted incredibly flattered by the audience attention. The Long Island singer, whose full name is Jamie Seerman, received all kinds of requests for autographs and to actually hang out after the show. Though she is an attractive woman, I think much of the appeal was actually the innocence in her music that people were drawn to. There’s a lovely picture of Jaymay on the internet (you can see it on her myspace page) of her and a cat she’s lifting up in the air with girlish wonder. I think people are drawn to that image as well as the music. There’s a sense that life’s going to be tough and painful as well as happy and not only did audience members feel that way about their own lives but I think they also wanted to experience that with her…and perhaps let her be their voices as well.
Fink took the stage after Jaymay and much of the crowd stuck around although it was initially out of curiosity vs. dedication. Fink is the work of Fin Greenall currently based out of Brighton, England who plays with both a drummer and bassist on stage while he centers himself on a stool with his guitar. Playing accessible alternative music (“Make it Good” even appeared on an episode of Lost), I wouldn’t be too surprised if someday Fink rose to the same level as Coldplay even, though of course the band is a long way off from this point. Still, an edginess is present with a musicianship adept at moving forward into subtly overpowering choruses just when you thought the verse melody line would dominate the song. The songs are about typical things-always being late, or a broken up relationship meaning you feel you can’t return to a place you ate pancakes at. There is some potential with this one to be in the radar, though, so watch out for him.
6/13/8
Schubas Tavern in Chicago
It was a big night at Schubas with the premiere of local band Allá’s Es Tiempo now seven years in the making. Brothers Jorge and Angel Ledezma brought a large ensemble with a psychedelic backdrop to visually enhance the exact presentation of their music. I’ll let Garin discuss this more in depth, however, and will cover opener Liam Hayes in all his folk glory.
Liam Hayes is also a local musician but, beyond that, it’s somewhat difficult to find out much more information about him. His two solo albums outside of band Plush, 1998’s More You Becomes You on Drag City and 2002’s Fed seem to be lost gems with little reason why. The songs are soft and gentle where they need to be and styled in a classic folk way that make you think of timeless folk pieces. Stripped down on stage, the songs let Liam’s voice and guitar playing be their guide as eased into just the right amount of gentleness to keep them from rocking out but with finger plucking intricacies that made them more interesting. These would be the perfect inserts to everything from pale winter mornings all the way to sunny summer Sundays. They have a sense of light, of an open window and streams of brightness flowing through them.
What discourages me is how little I know Liam Hayes, a folk artist who lives in my own city. Between a poor skeleton of a wikipedia entry and a too short interview on Pop Matters, there is not too much out there I can even find. Perhaps, he’s somewhat reclusive though that wouldn’t fit in the profile of someone who appeared on indie cult film High Fidelity as himself (Note to self: rewatch High Fidelity for the Liam Hayes appearance)
Still, Liam Hayes is definitely not seeking publicity out as he hasn’t seemed to jump on the myspace music bandwagon and in seven years of seeing frequent shows in this city, I haven’t seen him once yet. Yet, Liam’s music obviously runs far and deep. Not a minute after I posted photos of him on flickr, for instance, one of my fellow photographer contacts from France had favorited all of the photos of him and asked/wrote achingly: “Liam Hayes!! When will he come back? When will “Fed” be properly released outside of Japan?”
Liam, if you’re reading, know this..people love your music so keep making it!
6/6/08
Schubas Tavern
I wasn’t quite sure where the night would end up this time, having no prior experience seeing headliners Cryptacize or openers Thin Hymns. I was mainly interested in Chicago locals Speck Mountain, who I’d seen at the last CHIRP record fair at Pulaski Field House. I must say, I was intrigued by the songs I heard on Oakland’s trio Cryptacize’s myspace page. Lackadaisical with just a hint of psych rock, songs like “We’ll Never Dream Again” and “Cosmic Sing-along” seemed like they could be sure winners.
I don’t normally make a habit of imagining what Miranda July as a 15 year old in a band would be like but Cryptacize would fit that description rather adeptly. Lead singer Nedelle Torrisi has to be at least 21 but she looks incredibly young and innocent. Her presentation is also reminiscent of what I’d expect of a younger version of Miranda July and I felt she was a little too spacy. After a couple of songs, she remarked “Ok, we’re going to have to take it down a notch.” “Down a notch?” I thought…how could it get any slower? Yet, it proved possible. What should have been a lingering loveliness turned into a loss of enchantment with these songs rather quickly. This is unfortunate, as they really do have potential. However. Cryptacize really needs to work on their stage presence if they are going to hold an audience’s attention. The songs drift and seem purposeless when they could be much richer in layers and livelier. Cryptacize played for less than 45 minutes but it still felt like a rather long set, unfortunately.
Thankfully, Speck Mountain really redeemed the night and provided for a more satisfying opening set. The four piece plays psychedelic folk music that seems just right. Though Marie-Claire Balabanian may have been just as understated at Cryptacize’s Nedelle Torrisi, she cast a much more profound presence with her vocals. The layers of sound created by the keyboard and bass helped bring out the repetitively melodic guitar parts from the lead singer. Her beauty was enhanced by a Mazzy Starr like sound in her vocals that made one relish the moments they were on stage.
Consistent with a purer sort of indie sound, Thin Hymns played as a three piece but seem to really be the work of Michael Hilger and Joe Starita. The keyboards and guitar were nice while the drums filled in some of the ambient space but the cello by far was the highlight of most of the songs. It felt emotional at times without being overbearing or too obvious…but somehow personal and intimate within the context of the lyrics. Their set felt a bit subdued but still very engaging in the way each instrument worked together in the context of the songs. They may be still figuring out their sound and directions if the band is in it’s early incarnation but they definitely have a good start.
5/13/08
Reggies in Chicago
I wasn’t quite so sure about seeing The Liars, mainly because I don’t even own their latest self titled release from 2007. The songs I’ve heard from that sound like they’ve lost something quite frankly…as if they’ve sacrificed some of their edge to be thought of as more of a slicker and more accessible pop band (relatively, people. I’m not going to compare Angus to Prince or Michael Jackson any time in this millennium.) Still, due to Reggie’s more intimate size, I felt that there was the definite potential for this to be a great show and I was right…Angus was the tour de force I remembered…speeding ahead in a perfect glory and holding nothing back.
I have to backtrack a little and say that it is actually difficult for me to think of the Liars as anything other than a headlining band. That’s how I saw them a couple of times when they played Logan Square Auditorium and even when they played Pitchfork Music Festival a couple of years back, I seemed to forget about the other bands playing afterwards for awhile….Angus’s presence has a definite residue of permanence that makes him sort of unforgettable. He presents as a little possessed when he’s talking about the Salem witches. Though, I can imagine him sounding intense with a touch of demonic flair if he was singing about running out of toilet paper if he really wanted to. In other words, the man has a talent in terms of his live performance that doesn’t fully hit you on the records even on the earlier rougher ones like 2001’s They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top . Yes, Angus is from the same country that brought the world Nick Cave and he’s unpredictable, a one man storm that can bring about some beautiful disasters.
For this show, I was impressed with so many old songs as I felt worried Angus may be trying to gain new fans between their last tour opening for Interpol and this tour opening for Radiohead. This show, however, was all about the fans and centered on quite a bit of old material. Angus also eluded to being more comfortable with this headlining spot and with devoted fans he didn’t need to tone down the set for at all. For all his maelstrom when he was singing, I noticed he looked completely at ease and truly happy underneath on stage. This was an enjoyable experience. The audience wanted him and it was like he was able to channel this energy and not let any bit of the set suffered. I’ll also say that it’s not every day that you get to see a bunch of people all united in shouting out as passionately as can be imagined, “We’re Doomed!”
