My goal is to see one show per week. Yes, I might be that annoying friend that just has to tell you about the thing you missed, but I’m also catching every great show in the city of Chicago–with plenty more ahead of me. Welcome to the Chicago Concert Dispatch.
At the time of this show, it is 43 weeks into the year and I have seen 102 shows.
Little Church‘s music has bouncy soul, equal parts melodic and noise. The lead singer Chelsea’s voice soared and rattled in a way that was both beautiful and unique. Her body moved with the music, undulating from her shoulders to her toes. The whole band was a joy to watch as they felt the bounce in the music. Even as they were experimenting with evolving and unraveling the sound of a song, they stayed in rhythm with each other. I especially loved a moment I saw the drummer say to the bassist, “That’s nice” as the elements of “At All” blended together into a psychedelic wash.
Lead singer Matty Witney, gestured to the crowd as he started playing, inviting the crowd to come join their set. Dried Spider began with an intense drum rhythm and jazz/blues style guitar, which got the whole crowd swaying. The addition of the two female vocalists added an enjoyable variety of tone. They did one song as Good at Bad which is the same group of musicians, but in that group, Nika Nemirovsky is the leader. The song had a similar jazz sensibility to the Dried Spider songs, and since Nika also sang some of Matty’s songs, it blended well into the set. All the musicians gave the impression of a casual jam. I love how Matty made his guitar talk, but he himself did talk a little too much a couple times, the energy drained a bit. I’d advise tightening up. ‘Cause what I really wanted, was to hear more music.
While the first two bands were local, Bells Atlas came to us all the way from Oakland, Cali. They were unlike anything I’ve seen before. Geneva’s drums created the foundation for the music, and Sandra’s vocals are the soul around which all other elements of the music are formed. Their music is funk, R&B, pop, hip hop, and undefinable. Their term of “kaliedosonic” is about perfect.
During their first song “Spec and Bubble” Sandra moved her body in visceral reaction to the words–jerky–like being hit. Throughout their set, she used repetition to experiment and evolve the way she used her voice; she changed the note or tone or emphasis or emotion. Her movements and voice and face expressed the message of the music. During “Video Star” she traded off between blissful love and broken heart. It was amazing to see the instantaneous change in the way she held her whole body. During their soon-to-be-released song, “Mystic,” Sandra raised her arms towards the crowd, blessing us with her music. They followed that sense of spirituality with “Belly”–Sandra asked everyone to dance and get “silly sexy” with them. The band moved together, completely simpatico.
While talking to Geneva after the show, she mentioned feeling that Bells Atlas has a unique group dynamic, like they’re breathing life into the music. As they played, I felt that sense of unity, like both creating the meditation and being led by it.
Little Church Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Dried Spider Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Bells Atlas Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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