Pixel Grip

 
  I saw them at Co Prosperity Sphere, and I will see them again ...at least that is the plan. I only recall seeing them once before at Emporium with Born Days, and Jovan, Spaces of Disappearance. Spaces was also performing at Co Prosperity, but I did not make it on time for Elaine's set. I was bummed for that but at least I made it for Pixel Grip.  I saw Adele there as well. Co Prosperity is located in the  Bridgeport area of Chicago. Southside. That is such a novelty for me. The area around reminds me of how my old neighborhood of Back Of The Yards used to look to me as a kid. Perhaps even that childhood picture was too rosey to actually exist. Yet the postcard still does, and the area around Co Prosperity resembles it. A fascinating little walk from where I parked. For right now, I can't explain how I still made it late for Spaces, but that is just me always going on about what I did not see. Well allow me to go on about what I did see. That will make me feel better. A good number of bands from Chicago have this seeming disco inspired sound and they all manifest it differently from each other. This is no complaint. I fucking love it. Sexy Fights, Glass Lux, Fee Lion....There's another one, and I can't recall the name.  The thing is to write about them and capture in writing the differences that are there. Don't want to write the same thing about the different bands....Anyway...Pixel Grip.
 
  I cannot recall exactly when this was, before the memory gets too fuzzy, that's why I write it down. As I walk in and pay the cover, I notice Rita setting up. I wondered in that moment if she was actually taking down her gear. Perhaps they were done is what crossed my mind. I did not ask. I walked to the merch table to say hi to Elaine. Hey girl! Even as I miss her shows sometimes. I'm glad to see her performing with these other bands, just because I don't see it, it still happened. It becomes what is cool about Chicago. Elaine's band Spaces makes Chicago cool.  Her synth pop songs have many interesting beat textures that are dance inducing and still unique. She's in this fucking scene too. It don't really matter that I missed it. The tree still fell and it made a noise when it hit the bloody power lines. Hmm, yeah so Spaces is cool.  Oh, hi Adele! She is here as well. Now the show can start.
  I take pictures but the urge to dance to this bass heavy awesome disco sound is ever present. Try staying still for Soft Peaks, Diamond.  You can't. I saw your head nodding. Eventually, I just forgot all moves and just bounced in place. They all wear florescent green on black. Reminds me of TRON.
  So everyone performs differently. Fee Lion I've seen has her control, and that's cool. Pixel Grip's Rita throws herself into it, into the space where the audience is, bounces around, rolls around, its fucking fabulous.  Hmmm, so here I am going on about how they perform. I'm slow walking the memory, refreshing images with YouTube videos. Searching for the right words, a different way of saying synth pop. These are the local heroes of that sound....any sound. They are holding down a culture of music that reflects back to us. We can see clearly who they are descended from, who they sound like to us. Yeah, its all subjective opinion. And so we reveal about ourselves as we describe what we hear and see.  Its more on the sweeter end than Fee Lion, not as dark. Still bassy with lyrics on some songs that you can say with her. Burning embers and natural kindling that are unique to Pixel Grip flash away as I try to describe. 
Her enthusiasm is contagious. She gets the crowd into it. There's this YouTube video that was taken during SXSW, and its an awesome recording of her enjoying the moment with the crowd shouting "thank you!!....thank you!....."  Its nice to have that moment recorded. And its what I have available to see before they record it ......officially I think?  Anyway.....I was dancing my ass off in between taking pictures. And this band is from Chicago!? Fucking wow!!
Zig