Slow Dance

On a whim I checked out on-line what was going on at Empty Bottle and found out about Slow Dance on a Free Monday. They were the headliner. I downloaded their free songs and went to their show. I was too broke to buy anything or even get past the door so I'm glad the night was free. It turns out their EP is due out soon, so that means that they will be back....one hopes. So there will be another chance to get the shirt that I saw as well as the EP. This was I believe their first time performing in Chicago.

I go to the Bottle a lot, and even if I don't see familiar faces, I see familiar types. You don't dress up that much for Empty Bottle. It's way too casual. I did not see anyone I knew, but in retrospect I wonder if the same process as I got them there. Or was it the other bands. Slowdance headlined but that can often mean a much thinner crowd by the time it's your turn on stage. Unless they really came to see you. So the crowd was indeed modest and at first spread out. Eventually some would concentrate in front. Their website says to go see them outside of their element which probably makes this the first tour out of their native Brooklyn. A lot excellent music comes out of there. I've never been to Brooklyn, and so the more I hear that place in the context of the music that comes out of there, the more mythological it seems to me. It's quite the shoegaze mecca. There is indeed a feel of that with Slowdance. It's moodiness is gray but not dark. Not real foggy like shoegaze. There's an alertness that almost is giddy. In researching them I heard comparisons to Debbie Harry from Blondie, and Nena w/99 luftbaloons. And that's about right, and it saves me from over-using my shoegaze crayon. I had no idea the lead singer Quay was this lovely. I noticed her before walking around but I did not know she was in the band. Her form-fitting outfit was simple, like she couldn't be bothered to change after waking. Ms Q is much too hot. She just is and so what if I noticed. If you look up the band you will discover that Ms Quay-Quin Settel is referred to with another name on Facebook, Momo. Ms QQS is the most well traveled member of the entire band. I think she's from California originally and has lived in France during grammar school.