Staring Problem

As I listened on the ipod and became familiar with their music, I felt the sting of missing them that one Wednesday night at Whistler. The void of that moment you fill with an idealized portrait, made more vivid for being absent for it. Well I didn't entirely miss Staring Problem. I bought the tape and downloaded their music, got two pictures of the band. Between then and this time at Ultra I was becoming this fan of Staring Problem. It wasn't just me seeking songs out on the ipod. The songs play randomly in my head as well. Tegnology got my attention first, but now it's more. And each song strikes differently it's own resonant imprint without sounding too familiar. That's the thing. It has to be familiar for it to resonate to begin with....most of the time. And they have their influences. But it does not feel like they are treading too closely to them. They have just the right sense of urgency in the bass. Urgency that is expressed fast or slow, balanced with a casual vocal delivery.

Its a wonder for me to see this live in a small place. Staring Problem is from Carbondale, Il. I'm always curious about where a band comes from because I see them as perhaps indicative of what can exist there. So this makes me curious about Carbondale. In researching the band I ran into a little something about Carbondale. That they have one of the oldest "basement scenes". Instantly I want to spend a week there just to know that for myself.

I noticed how Pictures Of Morrissey In Jake's Locker was a little faster live, as if they saved a little something for the live dynamic performance. I didn't notice anyone dancing that night at Ultra, but everyone seemed concentrated on them. This is the kind of post-punk( if I may call it that) does induce movement. Empty Bottle material. Goth-club material. This is something goths can dance to, something we can assume as our own. I notice how gender neutral Lauren's voice....feels to me, not sounds...feels. How do I explain that? It's not that ....girly sounding. Having said that. I do like "girly", but that is not what I find here. A feminine voice yes, and fronting a band that gets comparisons to Interpol on youtube. It's noteworthy the calls to tour Europe. I believe a female voice can indeed speak for a male point of view. Just listen to Anna Calvi sing "I'll Be Your Man". It totally works.

So I walk into Ultra Lounge knowing who I will see. The place is bigger than Whistler. It's divided into two rooms. It was my first time there. This place Ultra Lounge is within walking distance of other venues I've been in. Its on Milwaukee Ave close to Whistler and Coles. The Congress is also right there. Well, Ultra is the one closest to Congress. I actually liked the band before them but that's for another post. There was a good, attentive crowd. I noticed right away the Depeche Mode T-shirt on Lauren(?). I had this shirt years ago. It is no common high school relic. It represents an influential band during an impressionable time. So this DM shirt Lauren wears evokes some strong memories, what can I say. I wear band shirts all the time. I can't wear what I don't know or don't like...perhaps I'm just projecting.