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 17 weeks into the year and I have seen 78 shows.
As Matthew Fowler walked through Schubas to the stage, he said hello to people. He introduced himself and thanked people as they still trickled in throughout his set. As he tuned between songs, he told us the stories of writing his songs. Much of his inspiration seems to come from the different cities and people as he has encountered. “Beginners” wasn’t so much a story, but a shout out to Geraldine, his mom. “Beginners” is her favorite song, and I can see why. It was wistful and had whistling and smartly/seamlessly cribs “La vie en rose” (made famous by Louis Armstrong) at the end.
Fowler treated his guitar like his closest companion as he played. He laid his face against it as he played the opening chords to “Cassie.” It was a fleeting, but powerful, moment. He lifted it to bring it closer to the mic throughout his set. His voice reached out to the audience with tender vulnerability. He started “Everything That I Could” softly, built it up, and then returned to soft tender whispering. The control of his dynamics was impressive. When he stomped to bring emphasis to his music, it felt more like an emotional imperative rather than a percussive decision–such was Fowler’s performance in summary. It was a beautifully expressive emotional imperative.
Tyler Ramsey and the audience at his show were all about the music. He talked and held their attention with ease as he started to play the first song solo. For the next song, Brian Landrum joined him, bringing some pedal steel for “Cheap Summer Dress.” Simple and moving, Ramsey sang so softly his mouth barely moved. This song is a great example of one of the things I love about this album: Ramsey’s masterful use of a quick minor interval to convey unease and evoke a haunting quality to his songs. The performance left me with a light floating, melancholy feeling.
The full band joined him for the next song, jumping in at full force on “The Valley Wind,” a reworked version that was a little faster and had real punch to it–especially with drummer, Kevin Rumley. He did a lovely gentle shuffle when called for, but he rocked out when given the opportunity. Watching him wail and sing along was really a joy. The harmonies brought by Landrum and bass player, David Macinnes, left me with chills, especially at the end of “Your Whole Life.” But, it was an echo from the album, the seamless transition between the instrumental “Darkest Clouds” and “Firewood,” that really made me weak. They followed it with a delicious psych-tinted jam session in the middle of “Worried.”
Ramsey brought different flavors to his music. It made the live performance interesting while staying true to the song, almost like a perfect cover of his own work.
Matthew Fowler Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Tyler Ramsey Official | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram
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