Lykanthea

   I was supposed to go to this Kate Bushed themed night but Lykanthea kinda took over, and that Kate Bush thing I could not make it to. Kate Bush kinda makes every artist I have seen possible. I can't believe she came out of an England run by Thatcher....... Oh, wait.....that was the same fucking night. So I did make it. Ideally, I would have caught Natalie Grace Alford as well. That would have felt like I caught two shows. And Natalie Grace is bold with a full, deep powerful voice. She is so different from Lykanthea, loud, booming....as different as a Kate Bush night would allow. I really like her music and I've been missing her a lot. Still, it was not to be and that hurt.  I saw a line outside. I almost decided not to even find a parking spot. I don't know what time I arrived but it did not feel like I was late. Everyone in line was early. Fuck it, I'm there, park....get in line and see what happens. I saw Natalie walk from Whistler and go around the corner. I did not say hi yet. There was a purpose to her stride, and I did not want to interrupt.  Eventually I do make it inside and to the back patio. I did talk briefly to Natalie, her set was already done. Damn! Its still nice to talk with them casually, they know you went to see them. I saw Scott Cortez there with Lakshmi. I saw Scott, Lakshmi and Natalie in close proximity and naturally assumed they knew each other. Dedicate a night to Kate Bush and a lot of different friends of mine will flock to it.

  Yeah....let me jump in the middle of this thing. Lykanthea sets up in that singular way that she does. All the instruments she uses arranged on the floor, keyboard, guitar, mac.... where she will sit as she sings.  And it just kinda draws you in like Michael Caine when he switches to that tender breaking voice of his......like in Batman.  A lot of training and learning goes into how Lakshmi uses her voice, her music.

  If you are not into ambient music....at all....hmmm, sit and wait over there for my post on Chelsea Wolfe.....or just look up Chelsea Wolfe. Anyway, I don't like that much ambient. And I cannot explain why I like those that I do. This is not for everyone, and yet I am a believer. Its a longer, quieter journey that a short attention span will not bother. Your sense of wonder has to be fine with a long ride without asking "are we there yet?". I find Ms Lakshmi Ramgopal fascinating to me because she challenges the nature of what performance is. She sings as if no one is there. Her eyes don't even glance at anyone if her eyes are ever seen at all. Even as I grow familiar with her recorded work, her live shows still have this fluidity. They can change a track yet you can still recognize it.

   In addition to being a musician, she is also a scholar, studying for her PhD. Its in researching for her dissertation that found her traveling to places like the nearly uninhabited Greek island of Delos. She studied the mythology of the Sumerian goddess Inanna as the original inspiration to the EP.  Inanna is described as a terrifying force of creation/destruction. Went to the underworld on holiday, was held there but eventually escaped. Lakshmi was drawn to these Sumerian myths of birth and death, and claiming yourself despite yourself. Inanna had to confront her weaknesses and darkside before leaving the underworld. Lakshmi in studying Inanna was interested in the people behind the ideas and stories. She is a historian at heart. And I think that makes her this amazing musician as well. The reason why I bring her PhD work up is that I don't believe it is separate from her being a musician. This is a small window to that. The only window available. She just came back from Europe. I know she went to Italy to study....Rome. I think she even performed at a goth festival in Germany. She was there a year, and appeared on my radar just before she left. Telos is the first single of her EP Migration. It also has a video up on YouTube. They drop rose petals on her and everything. Its a nice, sweet video and its a Chicago artist that I know and I find that to be very.....wow. Musicians are the very best ambassadors.

Zig

Chelsea Wolfe

  Fucking hell, that was crazy powerful, like she was harnessing the awesome force of an avalanche! Chelsea Wolfe I am still recovering from. What the hell just happened! I was in a state of awe before she played. I lightly researched her and gathered how late I was in knowing her music. Thalia Hall I've never been to. I always drive by there. It's on 18th street in Pilsen. The main entrance is on a side street and so it was easy to miss it. I parked far on the other side of Ashland because I anticipated little to no parking near the venue.....and its a nice place to walk. Driving by you can't really indulge your sense of wonder. Forgive the quality of the pictures. Even up close you feel far. Chelsea Wolfe......it was like hearing her from the top of a cliff made from a tsunami she is holding with her shear will. It can overwhelm you with a crash but instead she is harnessing and therefore taming that power. I was a deer in a semi's headlights for her entire set. I can't be sure which ones I heard. I'm catching up on her now with youtube. Certain songs now are taking their hold on me. You get into that phase when you can't get enough. That's me with Pain is Beauty with tracks like House of Metal, We Hit A Wall, The Warden. I can go on. Basically I was overwhelmed at the show. Like a bookcase fell on top of me. And I am overwhelmed as I try to catch up. Each song is too awesome to leave behind. What I heard then and what I hear now is beautiful to behold. And in large part I know I am projecting. I believe her concentration of dark culture,  how she makes it sleek and even dance-floor worthy like it was the first time you heard this kind of shit but somehow its familiar enough to dance.......yeah, I can dance to this, in the classic early 90's goth style, oh yes.  And its not the intended thing to make it for a dance-floor. Chelsea's voice has this authority. Its like I'm hearing the Lady of The fucking Lake or something like that.  She was never drowned out at the show. This audience was already familiar with her work. I felt way behind yet that did not bother me. I was too busy just feeling the burning imprint. Sensory overload. If there is something Chelsea uses space to give her music that massive giant size. Atmosphere consumes space to express, and she controls this atmosphere like a comic book heroine. Its never sunny, but you never miss the sun. There's real sweetness in the middle of all that darkness. Each song is massive like a fucking downtown building. Even what seems stripped down actually shrinks you to size. I was late to this party, but happy am I to have finally joined when Chelsea Wolfe released her latest.
 Zig

Lightfoils/Panda Riot

  Its very rare when I go see well circulated local acts at these bigger venues. Lincoln Hall is easily the biggest venues I've seen them in. This goes for both fucking bands. It felt like we were using something meant for the adults.  It kind of feels like a big deal. Empty Bottle, Burlington, Cole's, these are places that pass around local acts.  Schubas, Lincoln Hall, even kind of Hideout. I see them as leaning towards bigger known touring bands. It works out well that they both get this gig, Cory plays bass for both Lightfoils and Panda Riot. Damn....if they would have included architecture into this gig that would have been a good third of Chicago's shoegaze scene in one fucking room, (Rebecca sings in that one too).
  I made it well into the Panda's set, and I noticed a good crowd for them. I think it was only days ago when Rebecca Scott finished a triathlon. Their latest Northern Automatic Music really is brilliant. It burns and its embers continue to burn and simmer inside, always capable of a wildfire. They got tracks I can't get hear enough. Some of these for a while they would play live before the official release of Northern Auto. Good Night, Rich Kids, Black Pyramid, In The Forest, they were my intangible favorites.
  It fascinates me that they started I think doing soundtracks because some of these sound perfect for movie scenes. In The Forest does indeed starts out dark and serious. Black Pyramid is the perfect ending to that cult indy flick. When the resolution as great as the story, that is what you play when you roll the credits. Its actually what they end their shows with. Good Night plays, as a character reveals something within, that carries the story forward.  For a while they played all those before there was a CD, LP, the fucking take-home version that modernity has spoiled us with. Its the shoegaze I introduce my friends to. And they have opened for some powerhouse bands. They let me hang with them at their practice spot with Ringo Deathstarr after the gig at Empty Bottle. They have opened for Warpaint and School Of Seven Bells!!!! And then along came Cory on bass and Jose on drums. And its like with Leepu and Pitbull, out comes the same old and better car with the muscle car engine.
  For me Lightfoils already came with Cory, and his driving energetic bass. He plays and I air-guitar without even thinking about it. So visually his enthusiasm, is infectious. I hate missing them because I consider them friends that I wish great success for. I think the moment you like something, music for instance it starts to be a projection of your identity.
  Its not a stretch to see certain groups or identities come with a dress code. We goths for example like to wear all black. The shoegaze  scene is just lucky it got away when it did before some ridiculous fashion took a hold of its balls. The word "shoegaze' alone is a mild sting to some. Still...the real cattle brand is being called goth.....even when they just fucking are.  Anyway that was a tangent, sorry. When I like something, it becomes my projected identity. Hell, all I wear are fucking band shirts. My apologies another tangent that says nothing about the bands themselves, sorry. Back to Lightfoils......The bass as the foundation sprouts the two swirling lightning bolts,  the guitars of Neil and Zeeshan. In some songs they are like a darker Asobi Seksu. I once believed they were broken up. And so I'm happy to be wrong and to see them promoting new work. They are playing it along with some of the work I'm familiar with. Into Deep Sea is the first harpoon I felt of theirs. I think I recall hearing How It Is that night. Both of these are from their remix LP. For the moment it is the only tangible work I have of theirs. I have been too broke to get the new LP Hierarchy. And it is so great to hear it live. Diastolic is on the LP and it has an interesting video on it. I am a band-shirt wearing fan, the kind that buys the music on blind faith. I'm pre-sold on them.
Zig

Kristeen Young/FEA

  Its the rarest thing for me to catch KY on tour.   I cannot believe my good fortune for seeing her twice in one year, touring for her latest and The Knife Shift  that has the controversial Pearl Of A Girl. Apparently, the track has pissed off more than a few bloody Christians that get mad at the wrong thing. They miss the whole fucking point. Instead of being angry at the one that oppresses, they get made at the oppressed who points it out. The track just brilliantly goes on about how oppressive the major religions especially Christianity are. The video for it has her walking around her decaying St. Louis with other women and a little girl. Its power driven piano rock. Barely now am I reading lyrics. I let the music take its time to arrange itself in my head. This time she toured with Fea. I am less familiar with them. Well....I know them by way of Girl In A Coma. Some from Fea are from that other band. This was my first time seeing them and I came home a fan as well, and I feel grateful to them for bringing Ms Kristeen with them. And for a while that reassured me that KY would see a larger audience as a result. The churning mosh pit engine that is Fea brought with them KY, a good disciplined balance to their punk abrasion. I was in the pit and I was hopeful I was going to see these faces later.....the fans of Fea....well, truth be told, for a while I was under the mistaken impression that Ms Kristeen had already performed. That kinda hurt and then I see her near the merch table, and I finally buy the shirt from her. I can hear Fea since the stairs.  At that moment I assumed her set was over. There was no anticipation that I could read on her face in those few seconds in seeing her as I buy this fucking shirt with her name on it. And then I withdrew and followed the storm that was Fea.

  

It was my first time seeing them and they were great. I mean they had guys and girls bouncing around in this mosh pit. And it struck me how awesome Fea is for invoking that urge equally between men and women. How many fans of both bands were there. How many of these people for Fea going to stay for Kristeen Young as the headliner. They are so vastly different animals. Fea is a band I fiercely support, I mean on the social crit.....I'm a fan of Fea from all angles, yet I am far more familiar with Ms Kristeen.  
  So, for a good chunk of that time I was assuming that I had missed KY and having let that go, made it easier to enjoy and bounce around to Fea. Took me back to seeing spanish rock bands in the 90's in some ways, like Tijuana No. Social criticism, like Tijuana No, and Fea's fierce, volatile delivery, has people deliberately crash into each other. Along the way I met someone that also came to see Ms KY. I was glad to have that! It was clear that crowd went to see Fea and I was hopeful that from here there will be another fan of Kristeen Young. And I found one. There were indeed a few people, but it was the same story as with Elbo Room, only The Fizz is bigger. When I found out he told me that Kristeen Young was next it was like taking a wooden roller coaster from down here to up there again.  
  It was hot up in that stage and you can just see it on both performers. It just seemed suffocating. And right through that they are brilliant and I want to see Fea again. And they drew a huge crowd, enthusiastic, and I wished they stayed to see Ms Kristeen. This crowd that was bouncing around crashing into one another. Most disappeared...and it left me and this new friend in awe of Kristeen Young. The stage was hot and in between songs that is what I recall her comments. You can see the sweat on her face, exhaust and effort. She soldiered on and mostly played from her newest work. This show took its toll on her and she still performed great. She took a chance on Chicago and again the crowd was small. But these are not small shows for me. These are extremely significant. I'll barely recall that this is the year of the Blackhawks. They won the Stanley Cup. That's background noise for me. I got to see Kristeen Young both times she played Chicago in 2015, so I cannot allow for them to fade from memory. Writing about it just relieves me from wanting to talk about them all the time.  Thank you Kristeen Young for coming back.
Zig

Eliza Rickman!

  Behold how near seamlessly she places you in a vague Other period. In three songs I feel like a prop with fucking Christopher Reeve in Somewhere In Time. The music of Eliza Rickman is impacting and then she leaves you on a late 19th/early20th Century train station. I was reminded of the old Mexican ballads I can recall as a child. Over Cold Shoulders already was a sweet killer when it came out in the EP. On the LP that Jedi training is complete. There's raw suffering thinly veiled behind the text.   I think I heard her say how some of her songs are about shitty guys. And so there is suffering behind them words. And as so, once you are a fan you cannot help but to listen Eliza's words, her lyrics and aspire not to be as shitty as those she writes about. You can't turn away now. There is no abstract space to hide behind. She is not singing about someone else, somewhere else.  To really listen is to examine yourself......not to be that kind of a bastard. But what has us even visit that kind of tension, and self-reflection?  In whatever the fucking metaphor, self-reflection eventually seeps into the process of listening.   O You Sinners has some fucking weight on top of the Alice In fucking Wonderland vertigo. Coming Up Roses is an absolute killer-.....they all hit like that to be honest.
  You are placed slightly out of time. Each track automatically represents more than itself, a separate Other world implied. There are artists that naturally just do that place you in a pre-rock state. Natalie Ribbons, Ami Saraiya, Hmmm, right in front of me...Rasputina.
  For this Chicago visit Eliza traveled with Rasputina! Eliza opened for Rasputina!  I walked into Double Door unsure if she had started but happy with the concept of her in front of a wider audience. Eliza is about to be a made girl. Eliza basically had first crack at this big crowd, and they seemed present and willing to listen to her. And I'm in this crowd as happy as De Niro on Good Fellas and this is Eliza, traveling queen of the fucking house show about to be a made Outfit girl, a boss.

  The audience that was waiting for Rasputina really liked her, and I was happy about that. She seemed at ease in front of this crowd enough to say a few things in between songs. This is where she talked about shitty men. I cannot remember which songs she actually played. I was just happy that she came in the first place. I came home with her shirt, a black tank top. Its gonna be the rarest thing, a black tank top with a band logo. The last two pictures are of Eliza at the Whistler, a nice little closet of a venue when the crowd there is not indifferent and noisy.

 When I'm talking to friends about Eliza, its always a hard time telling them the part of toy piano being her primary instrument. "Toy Piano"? Its like they got her figured out or something. And I hope thats enough to invite them to listen........true I must try harder.  For a long time it was just the EP Gild The Lily I had to devour. And now that I can lay off it because there is this new work and more to anticipate. O You Sinners is a powerhouse. And there is more work on the way from her, and she is touring Europe this fall. And I am glad for her for because I believe this is a happy and productive time for her.
Zig