That Monday again.....

I keep fucking up these posts....its probably how I save them. Well allow me to continue writing down this fond fond memory. So I go through the usual ritual of putting on rose oil, rose lotion, rose powder, before heading out to see The Dials, Walking Bicycles, and Aleks and the Drummer. It may sound excessive making sure one does not smell bad, but weigh that against how many people go to these concerts smelling like ass and armpits. How the hell are you going to talk to people that way? It's an old Aztec compulsion to always be clean and presentable, no matter what....this usually makes me late. And I 've missed out on some good performances because of this clean thing I got, Puerto Muerto, Lovelikefire, Alla'.....but not this Monday night. But I cannot help but think that something is going to delay me....something is going to thwart this effort at being on time...car trouble, traffic, the mother-ship returning after leaving me while taking a piss. This is what I was thinking as I drove to the Empty Bottle....let's just skip to being there.
Aleks and the Drummer play first and they are amazing. After anticipating this, I am finally in the midst of it. So I capture with my camera these fleeting moments, with this girl and a drummer. And it's just that, a girl, her keyboard and a drummer. The keyboard reminded me of a church organ....Bach, only at this dark urgent pace, the drums sounded to me like that of a live Joy Division concert. Bach can make even cheery shit sound like Judgement Day, dark and scary. A & the Drummer capture that feeling while making you dance. In fact this would be perfect for a goth night. I cannot think of who to compare Aleks voice to but I loved what I heard. The songs aren't too short. I like every song on the ep they have available. With some bands their songs end just as you think they are picking up, but not here. Some of the songs are longer than three minutes but your attention is never allowed to waver, even when the song is slow. Case it point; the first song was slow but intense, like a really creepy nursery rhyme, and Aleks is telling it to a bunch of stunned kindergardeners. Keep in mind that I'm not analysing the lyrics, none of that. I'm only going by my impressions of the sound. This band is why I took this Monday night off. While seeing them I had the pleasant surprise of seeing a friend from my favorite vegan fast food joint (Veggie Bite).
The Empty Bottle is a great venue because no matter where you are, it's never far from the stage. You can sit at the bar and be at a close distance while still holding a conversation. Where ever you are at you are close to the stage. You are never removed from the intimacy of the place. This is getting long, I shall continue exhausting this topic...and I haven't even started on Walking Bicycles and The Dials.
Kaspar-Zig

A Monday, at the Empty Bottle...forgot the date

Allow me this time to recall that Monday at the Empty Bottle. Originally I intended to go see Aleks and the Drummer the previous Sunday during a festival at Wicker Park, but something came up and took all the time....so I made it a mission to see them that Monday. It was for free and they were playing first before Walking Bicycles, and The Dials. I had no idea how I would feel about the last two bands but just in case I asked for that whole Monday off. I'm so glad I did, because all the bands were the best. These are the performances that should be remembered, and documented. I made it a mission to make it there on time. I've been late to some really good bands, with no one to blame but me. Puerto Muerto, Alla, just to name two painful reminders. But not this day, not this Monday shall I be late.
When I get ready for a concert, club night....anything really I'm afraid of smelling bad. So I gotta shower, shave and put on some rose oil. Well the rose is for special occasions. And this one is special enough to put one two different kinds. El Dorado can have his gold dust, I would rather shower in a tub of rose oil. People think it's feminine for a guy to wear rose, but I have made it into my signature scent. People should make their own decisions as to what smells what, damn I'm veering off. And so as I do all my usual rituals that make me presentable, I also dread that there will be that one thing that will make me miss everything entirely. It's gonna be traffic, some cop pulling me over, car trouble, the sky falling, the mother-ship returning to claim me....something. I arrive early enough to casually decide where to park. Normally, when I'm running late I take what ever spot I can get. I park on Division near the iron Puerto Rican flag.
Aleks and the Drummer play first and they are intense. One may think that, it's just a girl, her voice and a drummer, but they fill the room and grab your attention. They can steal a show. The keyboard has this dread like a church organ, like Bach only faster. They played with such dark urgency. The drummer had this live Joy Division thing going. It's a comparison that I will be using for all the bands that played on this night. It is my humble compliment to them all. Every song would sound at home at a goth night, anywhere. The audience was a mixed indy crowd, no goths besides myself, and I was one of three weirdos to dance to it, and I believe the only one to record it. I think perhaps only a goth crowd would naturally have the rhythm and tendency to dance to this. I shall write more on this night at a later time, I also want to post pictures up as well but this text will do for now.

Maria Taylor...etc

It appears as if only part of my posts make it. I don't know why....but let me recall what I wrote and put it up again....So on this Sunday the clouds are dark and mean. They appear to want to speak in downpours not the usual heavy drizzle. And on occasion it does rain. A band that played just before Maria Taylor played while it rained. The stage was protection enough from the rain, but not the wind, since it blows sideways. There is a beauty that comes with clouds that bulge and darken. You cannot ask for better background than that. And when MT played the clouds reached their peak, and MT looked radiant before them. This is not to say that she was oblivious to the clouds. Indeed a camera flash seemed like it could be a lightning strike. I don't blame her for being mindful of her surroundings, which included many electrical cords plugged into sockets.

   The wind just needs a little water to throw around and more than that seemed ready to drop on those of us wanting to see Maria Taylor sing. She's very attractive, tall and lanky, all legs....and cowboy boots. She begins her set with all the distractions that come with this performance, camera flashes that can be lightning, rain and wind. For almost 2 minutes she braved the weather. One can't help but try, because the face of this weather is beautiful to behold. The air just seemed to respond to her defiance verse by verse, until defiance seemed too crazy. The gusts of wind was just too much. It was a wise decision to stop. One gust blew a bucket of water straight down the middle of the stage, a minute after. By now I can see exactly who came to see Maria Taylor, and who just wandered about. The ones that came to see her are still around waiting with sinking expectations. They strike the set. The wind and water apparently won. And just in case MT decides to get cute again, it's drizzling from light to heavy. So I wander to the pizza kiosk that's next to the Beat Kitchen...wander back. My expectations are around my ankles, and yet I wait around with the rest of the MT fans. They take down everything from the stage. And I find myself huddling in the entrance to a building that is right next to the stage, along with other people. We don't know whether we are waiting for the rain to stop so we can go home or what. Expectations are non-existant. And then out comes Maria Taylor with two guitarists/singers and they decide to play their set right there! Everyone just cheers and cheers. We are on the cusp of this moment that we took straight out of the mouth of this bad weather. The stage that was originally set up seemed so distant compared to the intimacy of this moment. I was within an arms length of her. And I was sharing this moment with some genuine Maria Taylor fans. They knew some of her songs, they sang with her. Our original expectations seemed so small compares to what we actually got.

Maria Taylor at the Belmont Arts Festival

So I research this girl Maria Taylor. She's performing for free at this festival they have on Belmont. So it won't cost me to see if I like her or not. If I don't like her music, there's nothing to regret. If I do like her performance then it's something to treasure. They closed off Belmont between Leavitt and Damen. There's all kinds of food to get and bullshit to buy. Even before I park the car, the clouds are looking mean and grey, but it's the wind that did most of the talking. On the Damen stage there is a band already playing. The stage is covered from the rain....but its not the rain that did the real talking. It's a nice visual to see this performance through the rain with people covering themselves or just taking it as they see this band play. The greying clouds are just not a deterrent. The way it rains in Chicago, it will rain hard for 10 to 15 minutes, and then it's just a heavy drizzle. I was still a good 20 minutes from seeing Maria Taylor . That's good considering how late I usually am. I get this pizza at a stand near Beat Kitchen while I wait. MT gets on stage. She worries about lightening strikes. From the stage, they are difficult to tell them from camera flashes. The clouds darken, and as she begins the wind performs with her. MT braves it for almost 2 minutes. A lot of wind with a little bit of rain can be dangerous. There are electrical cords everywhere...fuck the lightening, your own guitar can fry your ass. Show's over right? Fuck it. I stroll for another pizza, and then back...but for what? Show's over. Now is the time to see who came to see MT and who didn't. There is a small crowd gathered in the entrance to a residencial building, waiting for the rain to end. I wait with them. We all see them striking the stage, sinking our expectations. Yet we wait. Maybe they are waiting for the rain to stop, but the drum kit is being dismantled. The rain does not need the wind anymore. Then without warning, MT and her two guitarists go to where we are bunched up away from the rain, and anounce that they will just have their little performance right there where we are. The small crowd instantly lights up and gives them space. I'm an arms length away from her. This moment we stole straight out of the mouth of this bad weather. It was beautiful, MT is beautiful...tall and lean. Everyone had their little digital camera to document for themselves and perhaps for youtube this lovely little acoustic performance, that we did not expect to have. It was nice to share this moment with real Maria Taylor fans. They knew the songs and sung them with her. Her two guitarists sang as well. I think they are artists in their own right. If you are an Aimee Mann fan, Maria Taylor is for you.
Kaspar-Zig.

Oh, yeah....On the 28th of July Aleks and the Drummer are playing at the Empty Bottle. I'm really excited about this one, and this Wednesday 9 July, Bang Bang opens for....I don't know who, but its Bang Bang who I want to see. I will write about both later.

Ladytron and Crystal Castles

This is a heads-up for that one person besides myself that reads this. Ladytron is playing the Vic here in Chicago this Tuesday. This is a band that I've been hearing a lot about over the years but never got around to research them early enough. Their name would just pop up here and there. Indeed, I have danced to them at Nocturna or Neo, but I didn't pursue my curiosity until now. If you are the type to attend Neo or Nocturna (at Metro), this is a band to watch. Crystal Castles are getting lots of magazine coverage. They've been mentioned or interviewed on NME, and on Drop Dead Magazine...or was it DeathRock Magazine. I'm not so surprised that NME would cover them, but DDM or DeathRock impressed me with their early, early mention. I would have missed CC when they played the Abbey Pub some months ago. Now they are playing Double Door....for free!
I hope to see people there.
Kaspar-Zig

Long Blondes, and Star

Last week at the Abbey Pub I finally saw Puerto Muerto. They played only two songs but for me it was worth it, because I finally saw them live. It's just the most perfect music to a Faulkner novel. They are gothic-punk-country music, that should be, deserves to be celebrated locally, but England and Europe seem to love them more. They are dark without even trying. I saw them in the company of other like-minded bands like the Sadies. It was a benefit concert to help end the Death Penalty, PM performed as well as all the bands were from the Bloodshot label. The Long Blondes will play today Saturday, and Star on Sunday, and I'm glad this weekend is finally upon me. I shall not be late for them this time. I shall write on them again.
Kaspar-Zig

Star, Memorial Day Weekend

Star is playing The Abbey Pub this Memorial Day weekend. They opened for Northern State just recently. They are opening for someone else, again this time and it would be nice to see more people there just for them. When I saw them last it was at Reggies on the southside. It was kinda a cinematic night for me. The venue was new, the area it was in seedy. Scary Lady Sarah put together a great bunch of bands. AVP, Star, The Lavelles. Goth people danced as only they do. I've gone over this before in this blog. I invite friends to see Star for this Memorial Day Weekend, and stay for who they open for. It's fuzzy, intelligent, female-fronted shoegazer rock, that I think deserve a wider audience. They have shared a stage with a bunch of different bands. Instead of telling ya'll about what I saw, I'd rather now tell you ahead of time. You guys who like Cocteau Twins. I shall write more, later.