Radio Free Chicago

Live Review: Stephen Malkmus@Metro 6/11/05

"I haven't seen an audience so miserable at the Metro since Mogwai tortured the crowd a few years back with about 30 minutes of eardrum piercing feedback to end their set."

Ah, the curse of the opening band...

No, this quote from a Chicago concerts message board thread wasn't in response to the performance from Malkmus himself, but from the opening band, Paik. And no, this was no exaggeration. This post summed up my experience exactly. I was absolutely miserable during their set.

According to their record label's website, "PAIK are wicked conjurers of a seriously delirious thunder, unleashing a hurricane of sound that is as lilting as it is crushing."

I don't know about lifting, but their music was definitely crushing, as in totally crushing the spirit of 1000+ people who were trying to enjoy their Saturday night. I'm a big fan of experimental and instrumental music, but Paik's so-called "hurricane of sound" was nothing more than a heavily distorted wank-fest. For what felt like an eternity, the band played droned-out instrumental pieces that went absolutely nowhere. They just sounded like some really stoned guys with big amps (and not much talent) jamming in a garage.

Adding insult to injury, it was one of those nights where it was 80 degrees + humid outside, and like 90+ inside the crowded and smoky club. So not only was I beat down mentally from the pretentious prog-metal, but I was beat down physically from the extreme heat and lack of oxygen. In these situations you want to just find the nearest fire exit, bust it open and escape to fresh air. Of course, most clubs tend to frown on this kind of behavior, and Metro has that pesky "no re-entry" rule, so I had no choice but sweat this one out...literally.

Maybe Paik has a decent following among noise rock fans, but how or why they were paired up to tour with Stephen Malkmus is beyond me. I'm just not seeing any crossover between fans here at all. Perhaps they were booked as a sort of musical palate cleanser?? I mean, just about anything with a verse or hook is going to sound amazing after hearing Paik play the same droney chords for 40+ minutes. Or perhaps this was a hazing exercise to get rid of any casual fans who show up just to scream out requests for old Pavement hits like "Stereo" or "Cut Your Hair."

If this was a hazing exercise, it totally worked on me. I've always dug the occasional Pavement or Malkmus track every now and then, but I could hardly be considered a true "fan." (Hell, I don't think I've ever listened to one Pavement album in its entirety) I dig and respect Malkmus' work, but I'm not willing to endure pain and suffering to hear his slacker jams live. I stuck around for maybe 5 to 6 songs into his set, and then I just couldn't take it anymore and had to bail out. I was tired, hot and miserable. Paik and Metro's second-hand smoke sauna had beat me down and I never recovered.

By most accounts, Malkmus and the Jicks did play a good show this night, however, I'm going to have to take their word for it this time. Perhaps I'll try seeing Malkmus again if he picks up a better supporting act next time. Then again, maybe I'll just wait until the inevitable Pavement reunion...

Technorati: Stephen Malkmus

Check out Malkmus MP3's here

Check out those stylish khakis!

Check out those stylish khakis!

A Successor to the 'Bowl?

Bob Mehr from the Reader reports that a new all-ages venue called "The Studio" has opened in Rogers Park in the Heartland Theater space at 7016 N. Glenwood. The performances are being booked by Rose Red Productions, who are trying to fill the void left when the Fireside Bowl kicked out MP Shows last fall in an effort to restore the venue back into a legitimate bowling facility. Here's more from Rose Red's website:

For the next few months, Rose Red Productions will be leasing the Heartland Theatre in Rogers Park. Our main focus of this project is to bring back an all ages live music venue within the city that the Fireside Bowl once filled within the local scene. In doing so, we want to hold strongly on the D.I.Y. mentality. With your support, we want to bring parties back to shows and the kids back to shows. So let's make this happen Chicago!

(For booking inquiries e-mail roseredbooking@comcast.net)

Gorillaz tour the Midwest!

Well, sort of...

Animated supergroup Gorillaz are currently on the Midwest leg of their "Demon Detour 2005," a nationwide promo tour making stops at alternative radio stations across the country. On Friday, they'll be making a stop in the 'Nati on to visit nationwide on-line favorite WOXY.com and next Monday (6/2) they'll even be stopping by Chicago's very own Q-101 to chat it up with Mancow. (that should be interesting?!?) However, I wouldn't wait outside the Merchandise Mart on Monday morning, hoping to get a glimpse of Damon Albarn or Danger Mouse darting out of the Q-101 studios. It seems that as cartoons, the Gorillaz are able to make "virtual" appearances at all the stations...

Flush with the news of the highest Billboard 200 debut of its short career, animated U.K. act Gorillaz has confirmed details for an innovative virtual U.S. tour. Unique performances will be streamed via the Web sites of radio stations across the country, beginning June 6 at Seattle's KNDD. Through June 21, the Demon Detour will "visit" the sites of 39 U.S. radio stations, and two national broadcasts, one via radio host Mancow's syndicated show and the other via Sirius Satellite Radio's Alt-Nation channel.

www.billboard.com

Here's more from UK blog Indigo Flow:

The US radio tour will be the animated quartet's most extensive North American trek ever, taking Noodle, Murdoc, 2D and Russel to over 40 stations in cities across the continental US, including SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Continued Murdoc: "Hey. It's not enough that we've just recorded and released the defining album of the century, now we've gotta go tell the world about it! So, for this reason we've decided to do a tour of radio stations right round the States. We're gonna play some live songs, maybe talk a little about the album, crack some jokes. A kind of... press junket. You know, doing a tour like this is a little like running for office, campaigning for the listener's vote. Although in this case I think it's a little er... like bringing the mountain to Mohammed. I mean, we've just released a CD with 15 fucking good reasons to vote Gorillaz, so if that ain't enough you're probably not the type of fan we should be after anyway. But, y'know, if you do need to be spoon-fed any further reasons, tune your radio in and if you're lucky you might just catch a dose of Gorillaz live in the studio."

Upcoming Demon Detour Dates:

WGRD GRAND RAPIDS 17-Jun WWCD COLUMBUS 17-Jun WBUZ NASHVILLE 18-Jun KPNT ST. LOUIS 18-Jun KRBZ KANSAS CITY 18-Jun WLUM MILWAUKEE 19-Jun Q101/Mancow 20-Jun Q101 CHICAGO 21-Jun WMAD MADISON 21-Jun

Technorati: Gorillaz

Real Video: "Feel Good Inc."

Live Review: Death From Above 1979 w/David Cross (DJ Sets)@Sonotheque 6/10/05

I've got to hand it to Biz 3 productions, they sure know how to throw a good party. Well, actually I guess they don't do much at the party, but they sure as hell know who to book for a party to make it a happening. In the past year, they've teamed up with Sonotheque to bring such amazing DJ set bills as Aesop Rock with Prefuse 73, El-P with Peanut Butter Wolf, Beans with Tunde (TV on the Radio) and A-Trak with Diplo. No self-respecting hipster can resist bills like those, and the narrow confines of Sonotheque quickly fill up, resulting in a long cue down Chicago Ave. for most of the night.

Last week, Biz 3 hosted the latest installment of their DJ series at Sonotheque, this time pitting indie-rock duo Death From Above 1979 with uber-snarky, indie-rock lovin' comedian David Cross. The appearance of DFA '79 didn't excite me much, but I was really intrigued by the prospect of a David Cross DJ set at Sonotheque. While the cult popularity of "Mr. Show" still baffles me a bit, I think Cross is one of smartest and funniest comics in the biz right now. Thus, I was looking forward to a night of great music and wacky hijinks.

Unfortunately, the whole thing was a bit anticlimactic. Cross did get on the mic a few times to make some sarcastic remarks, but you couldn't really hear him because they didn't turn the music down when he was talking. A couple of times it did appear that he was making fun of the Puma corporate sponsorship, holding up the shoe displays inside the DJ booth and thanking the footwear for "making this night possible." I did get a chuckle out that, but like I said, it was really hard to decipher exactly what he was saying, so I can only assume he was being sarcastic. The only sort of Cross-esque "wackiness" that ensued was the playing of a Rush song ("Tom Sawyer") and the theme to Cheers. [song rating: Two T-Shirts and a cup of jizz]

Other than that, it was a fairly normal night at Sonotheque, except with more indie-rock played than usual. After getting to Sonotheque on 9 o'clock sharp to avoid the inevitable post-10pm wait outside, I threw in the towel about 12:30 and headed out. Part of me wanted to stick around for the odd chance that Cross might suddenly dive into a new stand-up routine or that Bob Odenkirk would come racing into the club at 1:50 for an impromptu Mr. Show reunion, but logic and beer fatigue prevailed and I bid adieu to Sonotheque for another night.

Down but not out... Dax

Down but not out... Dax Pierson working on music from his hospital bed

New Releases Tuesday (6/14)

Brian Eno - Another Day On Earth (Hannibal) New album from former Roxy Music keyboardist, solo glam/art rocker, ambient music pioneer, Talking Heads and U2 producer and all-around genius/musical mastermind Brian Eno. Here's a synopsis of the new release courtesy of John Diliberto, host of PRI's "Echoes."

Another Day on Earth is an ambient song cycle that is full of yearning and a mood that Brian Eno has called "brave and resigned." Even in song, Eno is a master of ambience, creating detailed soundworlds and lyrics that don't so much make sense as create a feeling. It's taken him 15 years to create a new vocal album, and the songs span that time, with the welcome reprise of "Under," a devastatingly beautiful hymn of loss and redemption that dates back to 1991's aborted, unreleased My Squelchy Life album. It's turned up before on the Cool World soundtrack and Eno Box II: Vocals. Joining "Under" as one of Eno's most sublime songs is "And Then So Clear," a paean of wasted longing and hope with its cycling rhythm, ethereal guitars, and pitch-shifted vocal harmonies. You can hear Eno's love of gospel music on "This" and "Bottomliners," and can almost picture them in a particularly pensive Baptist church with his double-tracked vocals emulating a solemn choir. But it's not all minor-key reflection. Eno also unleashes a couple of fractured tunes, like "Bonebomb," which is from a project in which he mutated the meter of poets reciting their works. Another Day on Earth is a more personal album from the ambient avatar, a recording of rare and meticulous maturity.

Other Notables

Dressy Bessy - Electrified (Transdreamer)
The Oranges Band - The World & Everything In It (Lookout!)
The Orange Peels - Circling the Sun (Parasol)
Pernice Brothers - Discover a Lovelier You (Ashmont)
The Residents - Animal Lover (Mute)

Photoblog review: Caribou@the Empty Bottle, 6/7/05

I was heartbroken when I found out the Russian Futurists were stuck at the Canadian border and wouldn't be making it to the Empty Bottle last night- what had been my Lineup of the Year was now just another good electronic show. Don't get me wrong, I was excited for both Caribou and the Junior Boys, but there's just something about a killer three-band lineup that I hadn't seen since last year's Mouse on Mars/Ratatat/Junior Boys show at the Logan Square Auditorium.

After waiting 45 minutes in the dank, poorly ventilated, and non-air-conditioned Bottle, the Junior Boys took the stage and played mostly from their lovely debut album, Last Exit. Jeremy Greenspan played guitar, sang in his oh-so-smooth voice, and sort of bounced around awkwardly on stage, while keyboardist/electronics guru Matt Didemus just stared up at the ceiling and smoked his cigarette disaffectedly, refusing to take off his hooded sweatshirt even though the temperature had to be 90+ degrees. The best songs were the most danceable, like "Bellona" and "Birthday," and even with the insufferable heat, I found the ability to dance just a little bit.

Caribou's set made me incredibly glad I've gotten into the habit of wearing earplugs to shows (a habit that began after I started getting a weird clicking in my left ear, which has since stopped, thank God). Dan Snaith, the man behind Caribou/Manitoba, traded between acoustic guitar, keyboards, recorder, and some drums that he tore apart like a maniac. Holy crap. Every time he and 2nd drummer Peter Mitton kicked off a song together, I jumped out of my skin. Needless to say, it was a great show. I had no idea Caribou's music involved so much use of the recorder. And the encore of "Every Time She Turns Around It's Her Birthday" was exactly how I would have chosen to end the show as well. I'm glad we were on the same page here.

Check out pictures of the show here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rfc/
Read more at the Perfect Face for Radio.

Viva la Puerta Doble!

Viva la Puerta Doble!

Double Door settlement reached!

From today's Sun-Times... Pierced and tattooed fans of the Double Door rock club cheered and applauded Thursday as owner Sean Mulroney told a packed courtroom he and the landlord reached an agreement to allow the club to stay another nine years.

"I'm very happy the city is not going to become the strip mall they keep trying to turn it into," Herb Rosen, bass player and vocalist for the band Beer Nuts said in the hallway outside Judge Richard Billik's courtroom.

Rosen was one of about 40 musicians and music lovers who came to show support for the club that some credit with helping drive Wicker Park's renaissance since it opened 11 years ago.
"If the Double Door closed, the neighborhood would really change; of course it already has been changing," said Scott Spidale, who plays guitar for the band Premium.

Judge prompts two sides to talk

The Double Door became a victim of its own success at the hot intersection of Damen, North and Milwaukee, with landlords being offered rents of closer to $38 a square foot by chains like Banana Republic, compared with the $9 a foot Double Door was paying.
The club has argued with landlord Brian Strauss for the last year and was set to begin trial at 2 p.m. Thursday.

But Billik called both sides into his chambers and reminded them they would be happier with a compromise they reached themselves than one he imposed on them.
They began two hours of negotiations while fans who did not fit the usual suit-and-tie attire of the Daley Center paced in and out of the courtroom.

Did the fans' presence help the club's owners?

"When they saw the support, I think it made a big difference," Mulroney said.

"Who wants to be the bad guy, say, 'I closed the club?' " co-owner Joseph Shanahan said.

'This was about money'

But Strauss' attorney Richard Stavins politely disagreed. "This was not about a culture war, it was about money and we resolved it."

Mulroney and Shanahan heaped praise on Strauss, saying despite their occasional arguments, they like him. Shanahan even called him a "hero" for agreeing to the deal that keeps the club open.

Mulroney asked the fans to applaud for Strauss as he hurried from the courtroom to pick up his sons from school.

Neither side would reveal the exact dollar figure they settled on.

"It's more than I wanted to pay and less than he wanted to take -- we're right smack-dab in the middle," Mulroney said.

In the early 1900s, the Double Door was a speakeasy with a brothel upstairs, Mulroney said. And nothing much had changed until he and his partners came in, booking such big names as the Rolling Stones and Smashing Pumpkins, he said.