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 50 weeks into the year and I have seen 124 shows.
As they started playing, Good Willsmith created a surreal electronic soundscape. The experience became hypnotic with the addition of projections created and manipulated by Chicago artist Christine Janokowicz. Seriously, they were the most mesmerizing projections I have seen. As Good Willsmith’s music developed, their instruments talked, or maybe they talked through their instruments. There were distinct digital voices like the first sentient digital beings telling us their stories. This psychedelic experience was a very different style of music from our two touring bands. It could have been a disaster, but the lo-fi rock audience was totally into it.
I was excited for some of The Courtneys signature beachy lo-fi sound. They brought us driving music with a very laid back style of playing. Music that makes you move and feel relaxed at the same time. I missed the reverb-heavy vocal of their recordings, which was much drier at Thalia Hall. But, don’t you just love a lead vocal drummer? Even without the lush reverb, Jen Twynn Payne’s vocals sparkled through the fuzzy guitar and bass. The audience danced with free flowing joy for the taste of summer The Courtneys gave us on that cold Chicago December night.
Cloud Nothings hit the audience immediately with a ragged thrashing attack. It was a wall of screaming, thrumming, fuzzy noise. Watching Dylan Baldi sing is a visceral experience as he braced himself to wail into the mic. I could barely take my eyes off from drummer, Jayson Gerycz, as he brought a punch to the music. His drumming was so fast, so intricate, he had no wasted movements. When there was space, that much needed air between onslaughts, he took the opportunity to raise a hand with drumstick, playing a simple beat with just one hand. You know, classic rock ‘n’ roll. When they played “Dissolution” the band dissolved into a noisy soundscape that harkened back to the opening band’s style of music. Even if they were only playing together for the one night, it suddenly felt like a conversation between these bands that I thought had disparate styles. I love how surprising pairings in line-ups can make you hear new things about a band you thought you knew.
Cloud Nothings dwell in their hypnotic noise state until the drummer called them back with a fierce beat. The guitars slowly woke up to answer him with a heavy rhythm and melody. The last few songs of the set, for example “Stay Useless,” are from their earlier lo-fi power pop days. It was a much bouncier sound. The crowd went a bit nuts and broke into a very happy mosh–a nice way to end a Friday night show.
Good Willsmith Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
The Courtneys Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Cloud Nothings Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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