Lollapalooza - review coming soon.

Well - I survived my first Lollapalooza, and it was okay. The highlight for me was getting to the front row on Saturday for Okkervil River. Other fun bits included Gogol Bordello, the Postelles, and Cadence Weapon. I'll try to give you a little bit more of a review somtime in the next couple of weeks, and I'll post some more photos.

Until then though, I posted a whole mess of photos on my facebook page. So, if you partake in the facebook, check them out there.

Boban Marković Blows (The Boban i Marko Marković Orkestar - Martyrs', 21 July)

Imagine a mariachi band, oompah band, drum and bugle corp and punk band, rolled into one. Now cast a Danny Devito doppleganger with the voice of Mario Lanza and some serious horn skills, and you've got Boban Marković and his band of merry men.

Coming off a weekend of Chicagoland performances that included the likes of the Pitchfork Festival and the Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival, this troupe wrapped up their stand in our city with a raucous set at Martyr's on Lincoln Avenue. The sold-out show started (over an hour late...) with a couple of instant crowd pleasers, including a rendition of Hava Nagila before moving into even more crowd pleasers, that continued to please the crowed even more and more as the evening wore on. The played for a couple of hours, working the crowd into a soggy frenzy with each number. The finally ended just after 11 with the barreling "Kalashnikov," which had the entire audience, from 70-year-old Serbian men to world-music-savvy token hispters clapping and dancing along.

If you like loud brass and watching musicians who love their jobs, this band's for you, partiularly if you can catch them live. The Boban i Marko Marković Orkestar is a blast, and even though I don't know what the heck they're saying, everyone around me did know, and they were elated about it, so I was too.

Meanwhile, Back at the Manse.... (Shearwater with Frog Eyes and Evangelicals @ The Mansion - 24 June)

After a nice bike ride down to my old stomping grounds in Logan Square, my friend Joe and I enjoyed a bite at El Cid (featuring a new upstairs tequila lounge and too-loud music on the patio - gone are the days of the plum tree dropping rotting fruit around the strolling guitarist, I suppose) before peddling down to "The Mansion." Located just north of Fullerton and Kedzie, this venue is a former "asylum" of the masonic organization, the Knights Templar. Hence, I think "the asylum" would have been a better name than "the mansion," but who am I?

We arrived two songs from the end of the the Evangelicals' set. They may have potential, but I can't really judge them on that brief performance.

Frog Eyes was just awful. I've listened to a few of their tracks, and though that maybe, like Animal Collective, they were something that would grow on me... but no such luck. I've tried, but apparently it's not my thing. I do not like Frog Eyes, Sam I Am. And after an insufferably long soundcheck that had the vocalist warbling and wailing into the microphone ad nauseum, I was almost regretting the trip down there.

I was glad when Shearwater came out. They have a strong sound, and that guy (I don't feel like looking up his his name right now) has an amazing voice. The first two songs - with banjo and a nice rhythm were good, but then I think more of their longer pieces suffered from the sketchy acoustics in the room. It's got these really high ceilings, and this tiny little stage, and I don't think too much though has gone of what this combination does to the sound yet. So, I felt a little cheated out of the Shearwater experience, and will wait patiently for their next engagement, and hope that it's at Schubas.

mismatched pair - Jennifer O'Connor and Jamie Lidell @ The Abbey Pub, 4 June 2008

I had heard good things about Jamie Lidell. And I'd been wanting to see Jennifer O'Connor live for quite some time. However, the Abbey being a little out of the way, I often forget it's there. And when I read about this show, I kind of thought about going, but then changed my mind... until, my friend Shannon suggested going, and I marched right over to her cube and DEMANDED she buy the tickets right away.

It was a funny coupling. Jennifer O'Connor - a normal looking singer-songwriter, who can really rock out when she wants, and Jamie Lidell.... the British soul sensation, who has been riding easy on the Grey's Anatomy gravy train ever since one of his songs ("Multiply") was featured on a soundtrack.

There was no question that everyone was there to see the latter. Jennifer almost had the audience at the beginning. She and her band started with a couple of her sophisticated rock tunes, but then she made this fatal mistake of playing quiet slow songs from her forthcoming album. That might have succeeded if she were headlining at Schubas (which she did earlier this week, but I didn't go) but when you're opening for a character like Jim at a late late show, you've got to bring it a little more. Everyone was talking over her, and by the time she finished, I was pretty relieved.

Jamie on the other hand, had he crowd eating out of his goofy palm. He had a full band, which is apparently a treat for him, and I particularly liked the pants-less sax player, who could play two saxes at once. I had a stomach ache. I was exhausted from working long hours, and it was really warm in there... but I still had an awesome time, and I hope to catch him at Lollapalooza, though I don't know who he's up against there.

That's what it's all about.

So, I paid my ten bucks, and I went to the Death Cab show in Millennium Park. I enjoyed it, being pretty familiar with a lot of the music, and having a a few songs that I definitely love.

I was in a bad mood most of the day though, and during the show I was very happy. After a terribly rainy day, the weather was beautiful - you couldn't tell there the fog stopped and the fake fog started. But then it was over, and I was back to my sour disposition, but I suppose that sort of happiness in sadness is what "emo" is all about, even though I still sort of refuse to recognize that word.

Whatever.

(probably my worst concert review ever, but being so far away and given the remote (yet beautiful) orientation of the Great Lawn to the actual stage, it's the best I can do. Maybe tomorrow's will be better.

Schubas x 2 (Teitur on 5/14, Laura Veirs and Liam Finn on 5/15)

Someday I'll understand the science behind the phenomenon that causes all the bands I want to see to to book gigs in Chicago on back to back evenings. Until then, I'll just enjoy one marathon after another of live music at my favorite venues.

After the last 6 weeks have taken me to places like the Vic, Metro and Riviera, I am reminded of why Schubas is my favorite. The music room is perfectly small, and the sound is generally fantastic. After hearing good bands sound terrible in the larger classic venues, I can go to Schubas, where everyone sounds great. Well, maybe not everyone, but almost.

A few months ago, when I noted that Teitur was coming to town, I bought a pair of tickets right away. I'd been pretty much in love with his song "Louie Louie" for about a year. So, after I bought the tickets, I downloaded the rest of the album "Stay Under the Stars" from emusic. And I was a little embarrassed that I'd gotten so excited over him. At first, I kind of thought it sucked. With lyrics like:

"Umbrellas in the rain
Pop up in the windows
Because we’re not together"

And repetition of certain lyrics, seemingly just for repetition's sake, his songs struck me as awkward. It must be strange though, writing songs in a second language. And though he speaks English fluently, the poetry ends up a little askew.

In anycase, most of the album ended up growing on me.. And I downloaded the new single from his new album, and it was okay too...but I still wasn't looking forward to the show. But, apparently Teitur loves Schubas as much as I do, as the new song "Catherin the Waitress" was apparently written about a encounter at the very spot. So, that added an extra element of excitement, and it was an enjoyable little show.

His band was made up of young Nordic men and women grinning, blowing horns, playing xylophones and clapping hands. I think it was exactly what I needed to cure my grumpiness. Later, as my friend Dave and I sat at the bar, the band was drinking up the night's pay, and when Teitur leaned on the bar to order another round, I engaged him in a bit of conversation. Then he made me taste his bandmate's margarita, because he insisted that it tasted "like swimming pool."

The next night, I found myself back at the corner of Belmont and Southport for round two. This time it was Liam Finn and Laura Veirs. Laura was a known factor, and although I still enjoyed it, it wasn't one of her better performances. It was the second show of the night, and you could tell she was pretty tired. I did really like the spare treatment of "Shadow Blues" and for the first time, I listened deliberately to "Spelunking," which I now have a new fondness for. LV showed off her banjo skills on "The Cuckold Hen" and finished up with a couple oldies, ending with one of my favorites, "Blackeyed Susan."

The highlight of the evening though, was my first live taste of the wunderkind offspring of Crowded House frontman, Neil Finn - Liam Finn. I'd been listening to his album "I'll be Lightening" all spring, and was a little worried that he wouldn't do it justice live. But, boy was I wrong. This was rock and roll, and I want more. He played almost every song from the album, and the creative looping, switching intruments, and hopping all over the stage was unpredictable and exciting. And he's got this great versatile voice. It's definitely got some similarities to his pop's, but I think he strethes it a lot more. And, although it took me a while to warm up to her, his sidekick EJ was a nice compliment. He's a pretty young guy - so it will be interesting to see where he goes.

Ape-Rock-Recap

Here is it May 1st, and I find my self at least 3 blog entries behind, 4 if you count the play I went to on Saturday. So, just to make myself feel complete, I'll give some abbreviated commentary on the last week and a half. And I'll try to be better about this stuff in May.


Colin Meloy @ Park West, 21 April
Once again, I enjoyed my relaxing spot in the balcony, but felt a little detached from the action and energy on the floor. Colin holds an audience on the end of a sting, and pulls them along. They'll do anything he says, even if his performance isn't that great. It was a nice show, but I did miss the band. Although he writes the songs, he didn't seem complete without the rest of them. Laura Gibson did a nice little opening set, and I did find the highlight to be Colin and Laura's special duet rendition of Sam Cooke's "Cupid."

Iron & Wine with Califone @ the Vic, 22 April
Wrapping a three night stand, I actually did find myself nodding off a bit during one of the more extended, trancy numbers... luckily, this was when Joe elbowed me to ask me if the drummer had three arms. Both bands were fascinating to watch, and to hear, remodeling songs that had become familiar on their albums into new creatures. But I liked it best when it was just the pair of vocalists - Sam Beam and the woman I believe to be his sister.

Half-handed Cloud @ think/dance collective @ the church that I can see from my doorstep - 24 April
Interestingly enough, Berry United Methodist Church, which sits on the corner of Leavitt and Giddings, is home to the Lincoln Square Arts Center, which presented this little-publicized, but enjoyable low-key event last Thursday. Half-handed Cloud, is John Ringhofer, a normal looking guy, with a squeaky cartoon singing voice, and an endless catalog of tiny little songs. His songs are quirky and fun, and although they're full of christian references, they're mostly of the type you would expect to find in a claymation bible story. The dance group was good too - I forget how much I enjoy that sort of thing. I also feel compelled to mention that I've joined the CSA that delivers to this church on Saturdays, so I suppose in some way or another, it's going to be part of my new life in Lincoln Square, but probably never on Sunday.

And, well, I did see a play on Saturday Night. "Speech and Debate" at the American Theater Company, was a refreshing look at what my life could be if I were in high school RIGHT NOW. Thank goodness we didn't have the internet when I was in high school. We didn't even have caller ID back then, so lonely nerd remained lonely nerds without their blogs and podcasts, but we had a better speech team that the kinds in this show.

It was a unique production - lots of elements of recorded sound and video, made it a little more multi-media than most plays, and a few songs, without it committing to being an actual musical were just right. I have to say though, I did find the very last scene almost too abruptly cliche, and although I had been enjoying it as a completely original story, I almost groaned out loud at Solomon's testing the waters in the gay chat room with the "is anyone out there?" Reminds me that I do need to go to more plays though, so I'm glad my roommate magically produced these tickets. I still owe him $20.