Earlimart
8/30/07 at Schubas Tavern in Chicago
Appearing as five proper members with a string section (three violinist and one cellist), Los Angeles’s Earlimart took to the stage on Thursday night to promote songs from their newest album Mentor Tormentor. Layering the air with pedal effects, Earlimart has always reminded me both live and album a little bit of Grandaddy and perhaps at times Calla as well. It’s just a little fuzzy and all light and heavy at the same time. It couldn’t be anything less or more than it is and because of that, it feels complete and like home.
Adding the strings (which included Andra Kulans of the always fantastic local 1900s) made a significant difference in the quieter sections of the songs in which the melodies grew more lush and rich. However, they were drowned out too heavily during some of the guitar riffs when certain pedal effects were used especially. Still, it was a nice experience for the music and audience. Though they concentrated on their most recent album, they also played many requests as encores from previous albums. Earlimart is one of those bands that I feel is under recognized as they have put out now five full lengths. Of these, 2004’s Treble and Tremble and 2003’s Everyone Down Here are definite favorites but they’re really consistent with great overall compositions and a real push behind some of those melodies (take “Burning the Cow” for example which they played as an encore request.)
Aside from the string section, the regular band members added to the typical guitar, drums, and bass with keyboards and sometimes the bassist played a second set of keyboards as well. There seemed to be a sense of chemistry and harmony on stage to their playing and the songs felt strong and vivid. I think with each playing of these new songs, they will become as perfect as their old familiar ones. And, as an end to a great night of music was, of course, the djing of Schubas own Tim Stephans upstairs.Be sure to catch them when they return to Chicago’s Schubas Tavern on October 3rd.