Anna Calvi at long last

Rather than write this one out slow, for now I want to post these pictures up to document her appearance here in Chicago. There was a massive attentive audience for her that Saturday night. I think that is as small as her crowd can get from now on. I think people there were left mesmerized by her. You don't get an audience that big for nothing. It wasn't packed but you really couldn't get to the front without being an asshole.
Not that I asked around, but that many people in I believe your first Chicago performance can graduate you to a bigger venue next time...right? Phantogram sold out Schubas and then they did Lincoln Hall.

I first heard about her on the Rocker Paris blog. After that her name just stayed in the background. The research of her name just came to me. My antenna was already tuned into listening. I noticed how young she is versus how old she sounds. She is only 27-28? Her guitar skills are like 48. The most interesting man in the world has a very interesting niece, and its all for her own reasons. AC's voice sounds so deep and womanly when singing. During interviews her voice retreats to girly mode. Her music sounds worldly and smooth. All these are little things but they get you to listen and the music starts to imprint on you. It's no wonder that she would share a stage with Nick Cave. There is this inexplicable maturity and coolness to her music. Like they were written by someone older. Some people just have it this maturity ahead of their years and it shows in the music, in whatever they choose to express themselves in. They don't need years of experience to come off in that way. You have to see her play guitar. All this and seeing her live was so remote a possibility. You don't actually want it. I mean there are so many things, bands that are from the U.K. that I want to see, that I may never see. One more does hurt in that way. Here and there some make their way here. Anna Calvi played Schubas Saturday 28 May and the turnout for her was big. I don't think it sold out but I gave up going to the front of the stage. People just stayed in their place and watched. We applauded long enough to get her to do an encore. I bought her debut CD and I'm into it. You hear a female voice, but her voice can completely speak credibly from a male point of view. So when she says "I'll be your man" it's as macho as Nick Cave.

We Are Hex

Rabble Rabble did this Free Monday at Empty Bottle 23 May. They are this local band with a growing audience. I've seen them before. These guys whip their crowd into a moshing frenzy. They are awesome live, and I'm not just saying that because the drummer is hot...she is, I'm sorry. So I stayed for them. Part of what got me to go was this band We Are Hex. They are from Indianapolis, I believe. I looked them up on line and liked what I saw, but that did not prepare me for seeing them on stage. I listened to a song of theirs half-assed. And each minute I gave to whatever song sunk me deeper...nice, next song.....What time are they playing? That's casual decision-making thats scary, because it could have gone the other way. Two weeks before I did not know We Are Hex. Now I feel like an idiot for not knowing ahead of time. My friend TJ knew them. My long-range radar only had Anna Calvi for Saturday 28 May on the horizon. I had no expectation for the Monday before. I was barely aware of it, and so no expectation for it. Nothing special urging me to get there on time yet I was driving like I needed to not be late. So I'm glad I made it on time because this band was crazy. The lead singer went mental on stage. We Are Hex are loud, dark and crazy. Loud, well they nearly blew my ear-drums out. Dark, each song has it's own monster in the closet. Sometimes these monsters come out and chase you and the Ghost Adventures crew out of that haunted house you wanted to kill time in. Did I say they were loud? But once I plugged my ears, I was good. I wanted to be right in front of the stage bouncing around like Jilly. So I bought two of their CDs Hail The Goer, Gloom Bloom and I have not stopped hearing them since. I'm gonna need some time to better describe the moment of seeing them and hearing them. For now I got some pictures to show about the small wonders I beheld.

...and before then Panda Riot

So Panda Riot did another Free Monday Night at Empty Bottle. These guys are no strangers to the Bottle. Yet, it always seems like they have to introduce themselves as if no one knew them already. I see them there all the time and take pictures, it's to gut need to document, archive the regular performances of the local scene. I suppose I need to follow around this familiar soundtrack. It's not enough to carry it conveniently on CD or ipod. It's a comfort thing. When you're broke there's a relief to see there is nothing new you will be compelled to buy. And another part of me wants to support them. The crowd always seems either new or far too familiar to be bothered to move. It was hard to read these dry people. Not as many gathering near the stage, but in the back sitting down. Still I don't think they were being ignored. Parking was hard for a reason. Before playing Rebecca Scott puts blue warpaint on all the band members. They've been doing this ritual before every performance. They have two CD's She Dares All Things....where the fuck is that other one...any way there are two and they are playing new music. Their music ranges from trip-hop to shoegaze. I got both CD's and I'm still discovering new things to like about this "old" music. So here are some pictures from when it was still new.

...lately Moritat

My favorite bands I see a lot. I try to see regularly. A real fan is an old fan. It's cool to see the changes from performance to performance. It's also cool to see what stays, what is worn multiple times, etc. And then there are the surprises the familiar can throw at you. Moritat, I saw last week after missing them for like three times. Venus has this way with the keyboard. My first time seeing the band had this song that reminded me of the theme song to The Peanuts, Charlie Brown and all. There was a reason why I liked the song apart from the cartoon. The coolness of that piano Venus captured it. This sentiment that I usually identify with jazz piano,..this bullfighters coolness that plays for itself first, does not feel the need for attention from you. This was the first light that attracted me to Moritat, the deep cool keyboard was just the beginning. They make music that is this moving, evolving target. This animal is often seen grazing trip-hop lands, but we have yet to map it's entire habitat. So I saw the band at Beat Kitchen and at some point here's Venus playing guitar, that was awesome. You know with PJ Harvey, it was impacting to see her one day switch to piano after identifying with the guitar for so long. It was the same thing with Moritat's Venus. I can only see her behind the keyboard before this. Or at least I was identifying her too exclusively to one instrument.

Oh and it was nice to see Julie Meckler out supporting Moritat. Bravo all.

Fielded

Fielded at Hideout. I saw her once before at Empty Bottle, and she remembered me, yeay! Her myspace page lists her as acapella, ambient, gospel, minimalist. I can see all of that when she plays live. On bandcamp or Facebook the word "goth" is thrown into the description. I knew there was a reason to like this band. It's actually one person. She's an intense performer on stage and sweet and relaxed off. Ms Lindsey is not really tall and so it's hard to see her behind this wall of keyboards and electronic equipment she has. Babe for a minimalist you sure don't travel light. And yet I can see how minimalist fits into her description. Fielded does not lean too heavily on the electronics. She breathes this organic life into it. Her voice is a major instrument in her arsenal, her songs are so dramatic. For the moment it's in the delivery of what she says, the how that provokes in the listener. So it's kinda nice to see Lindsey get to the front of the stage. The intensity switches on and her eyes just burn through you. You can see the sweat off her forehead. Every word has delivery to it. Her hand often sticks straight out like a preacher with a Bible in the other hand. I'm glad we have her happily wallowing in the sin infested secular world. The performance seems like a ritual for herself, like she just sinks into a trance or a state, far from us, and right in front of us. The night would have been more perfect if I made it on time for Verma who I believe played that night but Fielded did not bore. I wish there were physical CDs to buy. I'm still ass backwards that way. Damn, I've been sitting on this damn post for too long.