CHICD: Pooky, Flora, and Inho & the Violet Suns at Schubas - 1/15

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 3 weeks into the year and I have seen 9 shows.

Inho and the Violet Suns sound was exemplified by “Sleep,” which started with an upright bass foundation onto which each instrument was layered to create a rhythmic groove. It called out to the audience asking us to dance with them. We were moving to the instrumental, and suddenly it was over. Much too soon. Throughout the set, I felt the songs were too short; I wanted them to explore and riff! Bit odd ’cause my ideal song is bone rattling fast and under two minutes. But this group of musicians were so tight and obviously talented, I wanted to see more of what they could do. The grooves were so good, I didn’t want them to end.

The audience was hooting for Flora before they even started playing, which started me thinking I was about to see something good. This doubled down when the frontman, Ryan O’Toole, told us to loosen our hips for dancing. I wasn’t disappointed. Ryan wailed with a passion that could not be held down, and the band delivered on tight dance tunes to match his performance. Stand outs were the keyboard player, Max Miller, and female vocalist (and birthday girl!) Claire Albensoeder. She killed a cover of St. Vincent’s “Los Ageless.” Their music traversed soul, disco, pop, pretty much everything that could make you swivel your hips, even the slow tunes made me sway with feeling. I am now with those hooting audience members, their shows are to be anticipated.

Ryan continued that sense of anticipation by introducing the lead singer and guitarist of Pooky , Duncan Lee, as having told him, “Playing rock n roll makes me feel like sin is coursing through my veins.” As Pooky took the stage and we watched Duncan play, OH BOY did I believe it! While some people have guitar face, this guy has guitar body. And, it looked completely natural! You could see the love and joyful inspiration of the music written all over him. The kind that comes from the gut. It was a beautiful thing and instantly turned on the crowd. The whole band fed off his energy until, by the end of the set, they were moving compulsively to the music. The sweat and blind passion was almost overwhelming. There near collisions and instruments thrown in passion and well, rock ‘n roll. BTW, if you hadn’t guessed, the music is classic guitar-centric rock with hints of every kind of kick ass you can think of.