Golden Filter

So I saw Golden Filter last Wednesday at Empty Bottle. I was anticipating this band since I saw them last time at the now defunct Sonotheque which is now called Beauty Bar I believe. So I post pictures of both performances; the iconic first and the second one long anticipated.

This band has this classic disco dance sound, with live drums to give it this organic rough edge to it. The same places you are taken to when you hear Eurythmics, Blondie....this band owns. To give another description, they are kind of like a streetwise Bel Canto. I drop these other names to tell what pantheon they belong in, at least for me. It's an extra hit when you see them live because of those drums.

So upon seeing this band I was taken to those crystalized iconic moments of disco. Well my memories are of seeing older relatives jam out to this in their cars, or in the basement with their 8 tracks, cassettes or records. There's the music that has this timelessness to it and there is also the disco that sounds quaint, and off. There is always the stuff that yellows quickly. Golden Filter to me has that staying power and yet there is nothing to suggest that they want to invoke the 70's or even disco period. They are a contemporary band that sounds a certain way and that's that. I was glad when this is what I take in with my own eyes. This is the contemporary music that I experience. This is my own iconic cult moment. And Sonotheque was small. Empty Bottle is bigger, but not by much. Catching this at a big place like Double Door, or Metro would feel distant. It would be distant. The singer was right in front of me, at least for the Sonotheque night. They did not even have the CD out yet. This was probably two years ago. I had to make due with the live recording I had of "Solid Gold".

They played in complete darkness that first time. No lights on them or anything, just the flashes of cameras. That seemed a little mysterious to me. The Sonotheque crowd was heavy with well dressed unpretentious people. Many were dancing to this band playing. You could not see the band so much so you might as well dance. Perhaps that was the point. It seemed like it was no different than the DJ playing. People just danced, and focused on that. You sink into your own world when you are in the dark. Everyone was sharing this space with their own party. The band was free to create the music, and we were free to party with it. That was perhaps two or three years ago. They came back to play Empty Bottle, the Wednesday of the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup.

It's so awesome that they won, but that is a footnote to me. The main thing was to see these guys play again. The Empty Bottle crowd indeed knew who they came to see. They did not act indifferent or lukewarm. There was one song in which the lead singer mentions "a few of my favorite things" and she threw into that list Chicago and the crowd reacted in kind. I had no problem going to the front of the stage, but there was a crowd of people behind me, many dancing. I did not want to lose my spot at the front. And now you can actually see the girl on stage. Alright, let me post this thing already and move on to the next post.

Zig