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 1 week into the year and I have seen 3 shows.
Above all things, Joey Nebulous was fun. The lyrics blended the serious with the silly. His voice lived in a glassine falsetto sound, sometimes dipped into chest voice, but never approached a mid or low end. It kept the vocals soaring above the rest of the sound. Also adding to the playful sound were the keys, the melody part often had a clear tone that reminds me of vintage video games or kids’ xylophone. Joey’s stage banter is nonchalant and amusing, and his bandmates Margaret and Wilson shared in the chatter. They also join him in some really great harmonies. The whole set made for a little laid back party.
As Trace Mountains began to play, they laid down an unassuming groove. All members of the band were fully invested in the well-crafted songs created by frontman Dave Benton. He gave us a passionate delivery as he sang. He also hit on some delicious guitarmonies with fellow guitarist Jim Hill. Jim was on double duty with electronics, a sound key to making their album A Partner to Lean On so interesting. I was glad we got a taste of that. Although there weren’t vocal effects like we get on the recordings, I liked watching Trace Mountains bring new life to the songs I loved on the album. I’m all about that energy the performer brings to the space. David handled a full chatty house with cool humor and delivered a performance both happy and relaxed.
Lets be clear. The audience was at Schubas for Remember Sports. When they started up, the crowd was almost too enthusiastic, with shouts of “I love you” and “I’ll buy you dinner.” A bit much in my book, but the full force of them singing along was pretty wonderful. This band was efficient and practiced with professional transitions straight from one song to another (most of the time). When forced by the occasional necessity of tuning, Carmen pulled out talking points written by opener Joey. When guitarist, Jack, finished tuning, Carmen visibly looked relieved.
Back to the music!
It was pretty gosh darn charming. It fits the music too, they evoke the awkwardness of life, “Do I make you nervous, as nervous as you make me?” Carmen has a perfect voice for lo-fi rock, with just a little edge that makes it sound so earnest. Jack played his guitar with passion, adding flourishes to the music, which I loved. Bassist Catherine kept time with both feet, walking and pacing out the groove. It was entrancing to watch Connor at the drums; he almost looked like he was holding back his aggression, like he should be pounding out the fastest punk or heavy metal. But it came in handy on their more power-chord-heavy songs. Like when they closed with “Unwell.” He started dusting the drums with wire brushes, but in that key moment when the song kicks up, he threw those aside in favor of sticks and they all let loose. The pure joy on all their faces was something to behold. That emotional release is definitely why there were so many devoted fans in the audience.
Joey Nebulous Facebook | Bandcamp
Trace Mountains Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Remember Sports Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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