Zigtebra/Midnight Opera

 
  This is who I saw with Zigtebra.  Midnight Opera are a glam rock four piece from Dallas, TX. That is the premise from which I will start....you feel good from hearing them. As I research more seriously the always present low-fi, minimal Zigtebra. They are a sibling duo from Chicago, in Pilsen. Emily Rose and Joe they are siblings that barely met when they were in their twenties. She plays keyboard and he plays guitar. Their story is interesting. They write love songs, heartbreak songs....they don't sound that way to me, and that is fascinating. I should have seen them more times than this. Their name I see all the time. Emily Rose is a big fan of Cafe Jumping Bean, a real cafe in Pilsen, on 18th street. They are from the art/music scene there. They like the DIY venues there, playing in houses where age is not a barrier, the feeling of community from paying at the door to these DIY scenes.  There is this cable access show called Chic-A-Go-Go and they played for this show. It seems to be a show for kids and they introduce really cool bands to these kids in this show. Children are sincere when it comes to what they like or not. They will warm to you or be viciously indifferent. To see Zigtebra play to these kids without seeming to want to pander to them really broke the ice with me. They are on a self-booked tour of the country and when they come back to Chicago I will see them as a fan.
  I once got a download from them. I've seen them live one other time for sure. And as I research for real now, they are what I would call glam, in part because they dress the part.   So it took me this long to finally get to know Zigtebra. They are a shot of sweetness, genuine wonder, and happiness, this bouncy house of euphoria. Just saw the video for Paradise and I got a sugar high just from watching it. If it was any longer I would have been hit with mad diabetes with all them donuts they eat. This is not saying that I dislike the band. They are feeling warmer to me the longer I listen to them. 

  They seem to be just that right soundtrack to these little moments you may want to recall with more storytelling detail. Wonder is given its glam confidence to stride. Midnight Opera are from Dallas, Texas. They for me perfectly combine and balance what is cool with what is sweet with open-veins sincerity.  There is a little bit of Anna Calvi in the guitar. Hell, we got Anna Calvi melange being taken by all. The singers are Teddy Waggy and Nicole Marxen-Myers.You gotta see how they synchronize dance to Stars Grow Cold, Older Hands Prevail.  Its endearing to see them sync their movements like when Casket Girls did it. They are playful with this coolness, without being sloppy. They got this way of disarming with their playfulness, sweetness and still be as cool as fucking sunglasses. In terms of what they sound like....they sound like or remind me of Anna Calvi, ....oh already said that in the previous paragraph....the difference is this playfulness...shit, I said that too, well in case y'all were not listening. I've had the CD The Mesmerist since seeing them and the lyrics add a tango like passion to their cool/sweetness. Stars Grow Cold fucking hits you. The other songs will be just as intense. The shirt I bought from them is beautiful. No..no....not just another black shirt. You gotta see the artwork on this thing. Alright, I want this posted before September.
Zig