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 33 weeks into the year and I have seen 77 shows.
Watching Bev Rage & the Drinks was like having a boozy slushie. Tasty, refreshing, and put me in that party mood. It was so good, I really wanted a fishbowl-size serving. Bev did a great job of weaving in bits of sardonic chat, helping the audience pace themselves while they enjoyed the frothy, fast, fierce punk they served up. I loved it–their kind of pop punk is right in my music sweet spot. It was hard to take my eyes off Bev and her towering hair, but The Drinks were worth watching, too. They are stellar musicians and had a kickass time playing. Their latest album, Cockeyed, just came out on our very own Midwest Action label.
I was standing too close when Hitter started up. The volume was Empty Bottle’s classic teeth vibrating loud and the vocalist was wailing more than singing, so I had no idea what she was singing. I admit I was a bit shocked when someone in the audience yelled, “Turn it up!!!” Perhaps they were being sarcastic? It doesn’t matter that I can’t understand the lyrics, I do not regret being as close to the action as possible. This music is noisy and visceral, even if I have no idea what it is lyrically about, I felt it and was not bored for one moment watching it.
Absolutely Not consistently kicked ass, playing a set full of contrast and sharp turns. The surprises kept my attention; just when I thought I knew what the song was, something new happened that caught my ear and made me even happier. The deep fuzz noise was suddenly cut through with melodic keys. A delightfully percussive song turned languid. The vocals went from guttural to falsetto screech. Throughout, they kept up a rhythm that was driving and angry and bouncy. It was all perfectly designed to inspire the audience to break out into a happy mosh. Check out their song “Blue Boys”, it really killed live.
A Giant Dog opened their set with my favorite tune, “Photograph”. It might just be the perfect punk rock love ballad. The sound was perfectly balanced, and I could hear every word Sabrina sang. I love their music–indie rock that perfectly pulls and blends from many areas and eras of rock–and simply hearing it played live would have been enough to make me happy, but seeing the performance definitely took my admiration to another level. The whole band puts it all out there, tight and fast and headbanging. But, it cannot be denied that Sabrina is creating an experience with her performance. The way she moves around the stage is confident, awkward, sexy, and experimental. She engages the audience in a way that makes it absolutely clear she is here to challenge us and be worshipped by us.
They are rock gods, and we are here to pay tribute with our sweat, screams, and dancing. Must be experienced to be understood.
Props to Glitter Creeps for organizing amazing LGBTQIA events like this one!
This evening, I made friends with fellow audience member, and talented photographer, Neal Zeleznak. Huge thanks to Neal for contributing the awesome photography!
Bev Rage and the Drinks Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Hitter Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Absolutely Not Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
A Giant Dog Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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