The High Dials
Schubas 12/4/5
(for those reading this in index mode, click on the title of the blog to make the pictures larger)
Chicagoans were extremely lucky Sunday to have an opportunity to see what has easily become one of my favorite bands since I first heard War of the Wakening Phantoms about a month ago. The album is absolutely brilliant and addicting with just these beautiful psychadelic harmonies with vocals so sugary sweet sounding at times that it leaves your heart aching in your chest and your head full of song. There have been many days where I just wanted to listen to the High Dials all day with those melodies with me wherever I went.
Luckily, as soon as I began to really get into both this album and their other previous stellar album, A New Devotion, I found out they were headlining a show here. I have to tell you this: if The High Dials are playing in your city or town, do whatever you have to do to get there because not only are their studio albums amazing but this Montreal based quintet are also fantastic live. You can’t help but feel wrapped up as the songs fill the air. The sound is immensely powerful yet well balanced between instruments with the four of these talented musicians playing with such heart and spirit, you can’t help but feel a longing for a possibility that the night might never end. Not only that but the sitar playing at the end was just something you have to see and hear to believe.
December 11th, 2005 at 10:55 pm
Great pictures. You had to be standing almost directly in front of me. That was a pretty terrific show. Can’t wait to see them again.
December 12th, 2005 at 7:30 am
Thanks. I was actually standing next to the wall to balance. My digital camera is not the best for indoor pics. Yeah I can’t wait to see them come again as well. Their music is so catchy that they really deserve a large audience.
December 12th, 2005 at 11:35 am
I agree, although I think the fact that it was a late show on Sunday and the cold weather kept a few more people away. Not that I’m complaining. It’s nice to see an uncrowded show once in a while (Scuba’s was like that for Earlimart’s last show, too, which I think was also a Sunday).
December 12th, 2005 at 6:11 pm
oh you know I saw Earlimart at Schubas a while ago (maybe two years?) and it was pretty crowded but it was closer to their release, Treble & Tremble which I loved and which I think got some pretty good reviews.
I don’t want to really hate on pitchfork or anything because they put together such a great music festival in the summer but the power they yield here is pretty daunting. I really notice a correlation when Pitchfork promotes something, all of the hipsters come out. This is what happened with the Islands show fri (two days before the High Dials) Now, I like The Islands and I’m glad the fans were there but I think it’s a little odd when they don’t even have an album out under The Islands. They plaed a good set though and showed Nick Diamonds has shown some growth since The Unicorns if the live set is to be any judge.
Okay so what I’m rambling about is I wish The High Dials had gotten as many people out because I think both of their albums and their ep are brilliant but esp. their latest one is fantastic. Anyhow, thanks for your comments and for reading!