Swoon Method, Alla'

  It's always a good thing to see contemporaries of mine out there starting bands.  People that are relatively my age, Gen Xers, I feel a type of shorthand.  And so it is with this band, Swoon Method.   I saw them perform first at Quenchers on a bitterly cold Thursday in January I believe.  On this same day I saw an in store performance from Alla'.  They played Reckless Records on Broadway.  It was quite a full and active day for me, winter be damned.  Often times it's better to defy the weather and have a good time anyway.  So it was for this winter night.   Cars would not start it was so cold.  Walking the block and a half from where I parked to Reckless was a test of endurance.  I do realize that there are colder places, like Wisconsin, Minnesota, it's what I was telling myself that as I walked from my car to Reckless.   I used to believe that I had a high tolerance for cold.  That living in Chicago has conditioned me to enduring cold winters.   I surprise myself with the kind of bullshit I believe.  I hate the cold.  I tolerate it less and less.   

  Alla' I see a lot, and I like how their music evolves with each performance.  I mostly have stuck to what I like, mainly goth bands with a female singer, and so it takes a bit of work to change from that to listening a male voice.   Swoon Method impressed me with no effort.   Hearing this band made me realize what kind of male voice I like.  I don't always explore that.  And it really wasn't only the voice, it was the guitar played by Gustavo Guerra.  It's like there are two voices, one that expresses in words the other without words, just the sound of the guitar echoing the words of the singer. It's like they answer each other without repeating the same thing.   It was my first time in Quenchers.  Alla will be playing Darkroom This Friday.   I'm going.  They will be the opening act, so I shall be there early.