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 16 weeks into the year and I have seen 76 shows.
“Only at a Lady Lamb show are the audiences so attentive for the first opener. It’s weird. But, it’s making me very happy. Feeling weird and happy,” Alex Schaaf chatted to us as he tuned his guitar to a completely silent room; well, except for the laughter his banter evoked. Schaaf and his music were low key. His guitar had a fat, low sound that his voice skimmed right over, giving his sound a rich depth. It was very effective at showing off the beauty of his voice. As he played and sang, he moved his body. His feet stepped and his shoulders shrugged at the mic. When freed from singing, he moved his whole body. It was as if he could hear a larger ensemble playing the music. His body was moving to the invisible rhythm section. Watching him, I can almost hear the drums, a tambourine, a bass line. My favorite song of the set was “Dogs on the Porch;” he used pedals to record his guitar and give us some nice layers. He ended with his new tune “Armistice.”
Def worth checking out.
Renata Zeiguer and her band have serious jazz-rooted chops. Zeiguer leads from the front with clear talent and creative vision. She uses noise, atonality, and clashing time signatures to challenge her audience and her bandmates. Jason Burger on drums was indispensably precise. Will Graefe spoke with his guitar. Not through: with. He echoed with his mouth what he drew forth from his instrument. Even when the song had him plucking out a tick-tock rhythm, his mouth tick-tocked the whole time. I could have watched him play all night. But, we also had the bass player, Dan McDowell, expressing his bass line with his whole body. The waves of music started at his head and undulated through his shoulders, hips, and legs. He would bend his knees and dig deep for a particularly delicious line. Zeiguer had a voice that cuts through the music like a knife. It was crystalline and breathy. On their second song, “After All,” Zeiguer made her voice jump and hit just off from where you would expect, just off the beat, or into a minor tone. It captured my attention. It reminded me of French jazzy pop from the 60s. Only in English.
Just when I thought I had her sound figured out, they played “Neck of the Moon.” The song took their throwback jazzy feel and broke it up with heavy chorded rock. It continued to alternate dreamy throwback and heavy fuzz, and even ventured into noise rock. When the drums devolved into chaos, McDowell held it all together with a tight bass line. It was completely unexpected and delightful. “They are Waiting” was another perfect of marriage of her atonal jazz and a more conventional rock sound. It was led off by some really kick-ass drumming, pushing and setting the tone, whereas Zeiguer’s voice kept its dreamy quality floating over the top.
If you like your music to experiment and surprise you, Renata Zeiguer is worth a listen.
My first thought when Lady Lamb (aka Aly Spaltro) walked on to the stage was “this woman is a badass.” Everything about her stance and presence took control of the stage with attitude. When she began to sing, she wagged her head in a way that can only be called sassy. Her vocals were warm velvet, more emotive than polished. It worked well with the music, traversing between folk, blues, rock, and with even hints of country.
The band supported and rocked the music. I was very glad to have opener Alex Schaaff back playing guitar and keys/synths for us; he has those moves, expressing the music with his whole body. Joe Harrison rocked in the groove of his bass line. Marian Li Pino was a joyful killer on the drums. All three of them sang backup vocals. The sweetest moments for me were when we had all four voices united in harmony.
I asked Lady Lamb if she had a favorite moment of harmony in the show. She loves when they end a song with all four of them singing harmony a’cappella, as they did on both “Without a Name” and “Untitled Soul.”
The crowd which had been attentive observers for the openers turned participant for Lady Lamb. It really came through on “You Are the Apple,” a song from her 2013 studio album debut. The audience sang along at full strength. It opened up both the audience and the band.
On the tails of that emotional high, Spaltro told us about having written ten songs for this album, getting ready to go into the studio. Then, one day she was in Manhattan, with all those people walking around and feeling as though no one cared–for her or for anything. She needed to steal herself and close herself off. She retreated to her neighborhood in Queens, and the moment she got off the train she saw two people embracing and her heart opened back up a little. She went back to her apartment, and the song “Deep Love” poured out of her. Suddenly, the album made sense in a way it hadn’t before. She teared up as she expressed how she felt very connected and proud of this album. Her connection to the music was clear, and she extended it to the audience.
She practically threw herself into the rest of the set. It is that passionate performance that brings her fans back out to see her again and again.
Alex Schaaf Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Renata Geiger Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Lady Lamb Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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