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 15 weeks into the year and I have seen 70 shows.
Joe Schorgl took a wide stance as he prepared to assail the audience with his sharp edged voice. It suits Skip Church‘s music perfectly, something between Stones-era rock and early punk. It’s raw, aggressive, and melodic. Both drummer Maggie Lane and bassist Matt Ciarleglio had hair that flew as they let themselves loose on the music. Lane felt the beat vertically, but Ciarleglio moved bending his body all over, connecting and smiling at all his bandmates and the audience. The last two songs were really when things kicked off for me. “Hospital” had that old school punk vibe I can’t resist. “Hard to Meet Ya” had a delicious hitch in the middle. It could have been mistaken as the end of the song, but the band’s energy and stance created a tension that kept us holding our breath until the drummer counted in the final assault.
Big Bite hit us hard with fuzzy guitar and a generous use of the whammy bar. Graham Baker moved a lot as he played the guitar side-to-side, forward and back. There was an edge of violence to Baker’s movements, like he was punishing his guitar or wrestling with it as he was thrown around by the music. Erica Miller kept time with her heels and rocking bounce that suited her bass playing. Watching her added a lightness to the music. Matt Berry’s droning vocals were buried under the music, so I was not able to distinguish the lyrics. This is sometimes the price I pay being so close to the stage, but also fits this noise leaning band. I really connected with the drumming by Allen Trainer. He had punk enthusiasm that I’m always happy to see in action. Trainer’s drumming brought a bouncy feeling to their song, “Faith,” and a slight shift from their mostly grunge/thrash/nu gaze music. It was definitely my favorite of their set.
Clothing is not usually something I would write about, but The Coathangers were wearing shimmery dresses worth noting. The unusual shape of the shoulders reminded me of 60s sci-fi. I couldn’t decide if they were visiting from our future or our past, but they were definitely otherworldly rockstars. I loved the glam Bowie vibes it brought to their punk performance, which was the epitome of the genre. Central to their sound is the unique combination of vocals. My love of Stephanie Luke’s deep rasp comes from my gut. It is a deep love that made me thrash and thrust. Coversely, Julia Kugel’s squeeky screams and crystalline whispers excited me and made me want to jump around. When she whispered “hide the scars” during their song “Crimson Telephone,” it made me shiver to the core. Either of these vocalists would make me a devoted fan. When they layered or alternated in the same song it was like tequila and lime: a perfect combo that explodes and intoxicates.
The third leg of this perfect triad is bass player, Meredith Franco. She deftly supplied rhythm, melody, and backup vocals. Her smile as she played seems almost like she had some secret. Actually, they all smiled as they played. Luke is one of those drummers who showed killer skills with every strike. She flipped her hair and her smile seemed to light up her whole being. Kugel thrusted her hips as she felt the rhythm of her strumming. As she giggled us into “Bimbo,” the audience suddenly broke into a mosh and several women peeled off their shirts. Kugel raised her arms in triumph! “If I was wearing a shirt, I would take it off in solidarity! Thank you! I love it!” The moshing kept up for a few more tunes including the “F the NRA.”
Their set was jam-packed with protest songs. They brought feminist, queer, and a whole slew of other political statements to their performance. It felt good to sing along, to exercise my voice, to express our frustrations. As people threw their bodies against each other, they were a united voice in what can sometimes feel like screaming into a vacuum.
Skip Church Facebook | Bandcamp
Big Bite Bandcamp
The Coathangers Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
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