Julie Meckler

This feels like a while ago, but the impact of it I can still feel. Julie Meckler is originally an actress from France, hmm I mean she did acting in theater, she's still from France. 2008 finds her in New York. Normally I would expect her story to just stay there. It's New York City, no one leaves. Many midwestern bands have moved there. But no. Ms Julie picks up a guitar (Strindberg reference unavoidable) continues to travel west and settles in Chicago. That is so cool! Sometimes I believe that people think Chicago is not exotic enough, not interesting enough to move here. I'm happy to be proved wrong. Ms Julie shared the bill with Moritat. I was so glad to be there to see both bands perform at The Whistler. Part of what sticks out to me about Julie is what she sings about. Her myspace page has two songs, "Mexico" and "Deportation Blues" that speak directly to me. I'm Mexican and words like "deportation" hit a raw nerve with me. You almost want to believe there is an active affinity for Mexican immigrants, or at least immigrants in general. I felt it at least. And it feels more and more unusual in this new age of anti- immigrant sentiment. Assholes even want to fuck with the 14th Amendment. They want to stop the Dream Act that is up for a vote in Congress, the Senate I believe as I write this. You have to be a real asshole and know that you are an asshole to vote against that. I don't want to leave behind DADT in this rant. I have a massive respect for Lady Gaga for taking her stand. Damn it, where the fuck was I with this? Oh, yeah.....

Songs like the ones that Julie wrote I normally expect out of people like Lila Downs. It was really that good. Lila Downs tends to really own the different styles she plays in and Julie here has her blues down with these songs. The blues are not whiney but manly, or dominant. You can sound shrill and irritating if what you complain about comes out....wrong. Your method can kill the message,( if indeed you have a message). Julie puts on and flexes the muscle in every instrument. The three song CD holds down what you will want to hear live. She has more but it's those that I heard on her myspace page, and it was what I anticipated at the live show. Julie Meckler will play this Friday 24 September I believe with the absolutely awesome Man is Man at The Viaduct Theater in Chicago, and thank you Julie, you have no idea how your music positively inspires the tribe.

Zig