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 37 weeks into the year, and I have seen 158 shows.
I have never seen Schubas so full 45 minutes before the first (and only) band was set to start. One guy up front told me he had been at Schubas since 3pm. Red Hearse was on the stage in a box. They were dressed in head-to-toe white and red lights gave the stage an ominous glow. They had been sitting like that since 7:30 and are not scheduled to play until 8:30pm.
Except it was a fake out. The real trio came in the side door at 830 and everyone lost their shit. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?
They took the stage and jumped right into their self-titled track, “Red Hearse.” Jack Antonoff was happy and bouncy and singing along to the music. Sounwave was every ounce the drummer, lost in the rhythm. Hometown hero, Sam Dew, was cool as he served up his voice, and it was the sweetest thing we could ever receive.
The L.A. music scene is full of producers and characters. As Antonoff tells it, you try out different collaborations, but a lot of them don’t feel right. These three guys just clicked. They sat at a table, because this is the kind of setting in which they collaborated. It made sense, since two of them needed a table anyway, but combined with the extra riser they’ve constructed, it was impossible for short people (like myself) to see Dew, sitting at the back of the table.
Truthfully, I am someone that wants a show. I love the bands that kick and jump and emote out their pores. Here was something at the exact opposite end of the spectrum, and the audience ate it up (myself included). They were doing this performance for just three shows: L.A., Chicago, New York. We can have some Chicago pride in that Antonoff said we beat out LA in enthusiasm. I think Dew’s hype man–aka Dad–being in the audience helped a bit and the tension that ran under the performance. We have no idea if they will write more songs. If they will do a show like this again. These guys have eight songs.
And, they played eight songs.
…and they left. Every minute was electric.
You must be logged in to post a comment.