Michael Columbia
Metro Chicago 3/10/6
I didn’t know what to expect with a name like Michael Columbia and I had been so preoccupied with work and seeing other bands last week that I didn’t have time to check them out online but I’m a person who always gets there early for any band because I discover so much new music that way.
That said, it was kind of interesting to go to a show this time without any preconceived notions. Although, if you had forced me to guess based on the name what Michael Columbia was going to sound like, I’d probably have said singer songwriter with perhaps more beats. That would be really off. Michael Columbia is made up of two guys, neither of whom bear that name. David McDonnell & Dylan Ryan are the two prominent members of this band and even better, they are from Chicago. (I didn’t know that until I enjoyed their live show, bought and listened to their albums, and started really appreciating them so you can imagine I’m thrilled.)
The songs are made up of samples, keyboards, drums, and sax with very minimal vocals. Often, they fall on the darker side of free jazz and would fit perfectly in the film The Naked Lunch. Live, I was pretty intrigued and felt almost like I should be dancing at some points. Their albums are certain to keep any listener company on a dark rainy night, especially during a thunderstorm.
You can hear songs on their myspace page