Jon Langford/Palliard/The Winter Blanket
Schubas in Chicago 2/20/6
I’m an idiot. I forgot my camera when I was getting ready to go to this show so alas I cannot show you any pics. To make up for it, I promise I will try to take many many pics when I see Rob Dickinson of former Catherine Wheel fame tonight. (That’s as long as they let me take in my camera; I was prevented from doing so when I went to see Stars for some reason)
So not having my camera, I felt as though one of my limbs had been taken from me. I felt like half a person, like a moon without any shine. You’ll have to make due with mere words here I’m afraid…because, sometimes in this cruel bleak world, I am bound to be an idiot and forget things.
Jon Langford
Jon Langford played a somewhat acoustic set. He brought only two people to play with him, one on electric guitar and one on a Yamaha keyboard. He was candid and earnest and reminded me a bit, in terms of banter, like a more sane and less raunchy version of Robyn Hitchcock. He sang mostly songs off his soon to be released album, Gold Brick. In between sets, he talked about the joy of ice dancing, reminisced about his first home of South Wales, and sang odes to Tom Jones and upheld the sheer joy of Calumet City. He will be playing the Metro with a full backing band on March 16th.
Palliard
Palliard are soon becoming one of my favorite Chicago bands. I have seen them play a few times now and each time, they seem to get better as a band. They consist of four members with instruments that include pedal steel, stand up bass, guitar, rhodes keyboard, and drums. There’s just something special about the way the songs are put together that make them difficult to explain. Here is their myspace page to hear their songs.
The Winter Blanket
Hailing from Minnesota, The Winter Blanket call themselves folk rock and I would agree with that assessment. Live, there were only four of them at least at this show and they played the old standard of two guitars, a bass, and drums but it’s really the nice sweet interaction of female/male harmonies between Stephanie Davila and Doug Miller that really bring the songs to fruition.
On album, the melodies are also accentuated with piano, cello, and more. One of the higlighlights of the show was also when they played a cove of Neil Young’s “Roll Another Number (for the Road)”
Here is their myspace page where you can hear sound samples
Here are some direct links to mp3s they have posted and made available on their website: