It’s Pitchfork Music Festival time in Chicago. Like every year, dozens of great bands are ready to rock. So, this week on Sound Citizen Radio we preview four bands that will be playing over the weekend, along with a bonus band playing in two weeks at Empty Bottle.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Sound Citizen Radio here, or on iTunes by searching “Sound Citizen” and, as always, please send any feedback, suggestions or accolades to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com. Enjoy the festival!
This week’s lineup:
Local Natives, “Sun Hands”
Pitchfork Music Fest, Sunday, July 18, 3:35pm
The Tallest Man on Earth, “King of Spain”
Pitchfork Music Fest, Friday, July 16, 4pm
Surfer Blood, “Swim (to reach the end)”
Pitchfork Music Fest, Sunday, July 18, 4:45pm
Smith Westerns, “Be My Girl”
Pitchfork Music Fest, Saturday, July 17, 4:45pm
Futurebirds, “Breathe for Days”
Empty Bottle, Sundday, July 25
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(Video below) If you don’t know Jace Everett, you’re not alone. But if you watch True Blood, you know Jace Everett. He’s responsible for the intro song to the popular vampire HBO series. But, as you’ll soon find out, he has plenty more to offer.
We took in his show at Martyr’s in Chicago and soon discovered that he’s a country boy at heart but, true to True Blood, has dark undertones. What makes this guy unique starts with his voice – it’s deep, loud and brooding. But he has a flair for the lighter side of things too. For instance, while struggling to tune his Gibson guitar, he remarked, “These Gibson’s, always going out of tune. They look great, though. Kind of like my ex-girlfriend — I couldn’t get her in tune either. And I was married to for five years.”
Everett is out touring now, promoting a new album and trying to capitalize on his True Blood fame. Which, he should. And he’s keenly aware of it – at the start of the show he talked about how he’s known as “The True Blood guy” but that he’d get to that later, so people would stay to hear more of his stuff. But he also acknowledged being truly grateful for the opportunity that song has brought. In all, Jace Everett is talented and rather humble. He knows his roots, too, closing out the set with a Bo Diddly song and remarking how, in his home state, Bo Diddly was brought to the white kids and that “Bo Diddly has been smiling ever since.”
A quick crowd note: Everett apparently has many friends and fans in the UK. There was a table of across-the-pond silver foxes hanging on every note. And they line dance, which you can see in the video. Everett referred to them often, happy they were there to support him.
The night’s opener was Tiffany Strietelmeier, featuring the Piscotti brothers (Dave and Tony) on guitar and drums. They play a nice mix of songs that are upbeat and heart-felt. Tony Piscotti is smooth on the guitar and brother Dave’s timing on the drums is spot-on. And from what I understand they are only getting better. You can check them out around town.
(Video and tour dates included) Jakob Dylan, Neko Case, Kelly Hogan and the band Three Legs made their way to Chicago this week touring in support of Dylan’s new album, Women and Country. I suppose I’ve always been a bit fascinated with Dylan simply because of his old man. As an icon of a generation, that’s a tough act to follow — but impossible to ignore. Jakob started out in his own way with the Wallflowers and their pop-infused ballads of the early- and mid-nineties. But, as evidenced with Women and Country and the performance Monday night, Jakob Dylan has grown into another, more appropriate role. He is not a duplicate of his famous father, but a budding folk hero in his own right.
The set was a mix of old and new, and ups and downs. Songs ranged from singing about sweet apple pie to “Evil is Alive and Well” – the latter prompting a woman near the stage to comment, “that song made me sad.” To which Dylan replied, “It makes me sad, too.” It’s impossible to not notice Dylan’s progression as an artist while listening to him perform. Songs like “One Headlight” sound almost juvenile compared to new tracks like “Everybody’s Hurting” and “We Don’t Live Here Anymore.”
One of the main draws for Chicagoans on this evening were Neko Case and Kelly Hogan — both former bartenders at Chicago’s Hideout and favorite adopted daughters of Chicago (pictured, photo by Jason Dilday, www.stillblissphoto.com). And Dylan was keenly aware of this fact, evidenced by a song introduction of “This is going to be great,” met with applause and, after Case handled most of the singing, Dylan commenting, “The poor-kept secret, Ms. Neko Case,” met with more rousing applause. Case is a special talent and a tremendous addition to Dylan’s band.
This new album marks a transition for Jakob Dylan — the music is more focused and serious. Perhaps even a little slow in parts. It’s not for a lack of talent, it’s just a style thing. Case and Hogan add a welcome flavor, however. Without them, this show would have had a much different tone. As it stands, this tour comes highly recommended. Of course, you’ll need to be a fan of this style of music — it’s not for everyone. If you want a preview, stream Women and Country here (you will need a free Lala account.) And as far as Three Legs goes – serious talent all around.
A quick crowd note: There were plenty of boomers here, and even a silver fox or two. I didn’t know Jakob Dylan had that kind of following. It’s interesting, because I’ve seen Bob Dylan and his crowd was younger than this one. Maybe it was the venue.
I will admit that I left this show early. Not because I was bored – because the Blackhawks were wrapping up a playoff series in Nashville. And if there’s anything I love as much as music, it’s playoff hockey. They won. Nice job, boys — bring on the Canucks.
Below is some video of “Three Marenas.” My apologies for the long-distance view and abrupt ending – this was a covert operation that got busted. Below the video are his remaining tour dates.
| Apr 28 2010 | 7:30P | Fitzgerald Theatre | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Apr 28 2010 | 8:00P | Pabst Theatre | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| May 12 2010 | 8:00P | Regency Ballroom | San Francisco, California |
| May 13 2010 | 8:00P | The Wiltern | Los Angeles, California |
| May 15 2010 | 12:00 | The Hangout | Gulf Shores, Alabama |
| May 17 2010 | 9:00P | Center Stage | Atlanta, Georgia |
| May 18 2010 | 9:00P | Cat’s Cradle | Carrboro, North Carolina |
| May 19 2010 | 8:00P | The Grand | Wilmington, Delaware |
| May 20 2010 | 7:30P | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Richmond, Virginia |
| May 21 2010 | 8:00P | The State Theatre | State College, Pennsylvania |
Last Wednesday was one of those times when you stumble into a show you won’t soon forget. You usually stumble out, too.
As it were, we hit up the Tonic Room on Chicago’s north side to see little-known but soon-to-be-famous JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. And we couldn’t have had better timing. JC and the crew are breaking out. They’ve been on the scene just a year or so but have managed to capture soul, funk, R&B and even rock in their sound. And it’s all Chicago, as it should be. But don’t expect these cats to pull up stakes and leave if they hit it big. As guitarist Billy Bungeroth told Centerstage Chicago’s Jeff Minn:
A lot of people think Chicago is the step on the road to another destination. It’s not. Chicago is the destination. We live in the greatest city on Earth. Mind it, support it. If you dig music and you like to dance and you like heart-drenched ballads and funky post-punk workouts then there’s a dude named Mr. JC Brooks in Chicago I think you ought to go and see.
JC is a student of soul music, but he started in an indie-rock band. That should give you an idea of the versatility of the sound. Need further proof? In the video below, you’ll hear King Floyd’s “Groove me Baby,” and “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” a Wilco cover that has become JC’s most popular song.
It was a good night for Chicago music – a rising star with soul, in a small venue with an eclectic crowd.
These guys can bring it.
Below is some video from the show at the Tonic Room. Watch it. Also check out this photo gallery from Wednesday night.
Hear more JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound.
Sometimes we see a great show then get caught up doing other things. And, unfortunately, the show slips into the archives unpublished. This is one of those times. We went to Schuba’s back in November, 2009, to see Vandaveer – the folk duo of Mark Charles Heidinger and Rose Guerin. It was one of those shows that hit at just the right time – we were headed into winter and needed a warm sound to get prepared. Vandaveer was wrapping up a long road tour, on their way back to their homes in Washington DC. (Live video below)
We spent some time hanging out with Mark and Rose and they just couldn’t be nicer people. Rose was wearing a black veil over her neon-pink hair, recently purchased for her by her brother while on tour. Also, her frilled shoes which she said, “I can’t stop rocking them.”
Mark was all smiles and excited to meet a fellow Pearl Jam fan.
On stage, their every bit as freindly and simply excited to be doing what they do. For example, during an equipment malfunction, instead of complaining or apologizing, they explored the use of the word “awesome.”
“Where’d you get that hat?” asked Mark.
“Denver,” said Rose. “Denver is awesome. But not Chicago awesome.”
“Everything for you and me right now is pretty awesome,” said Mark. “That was a magnetic fuel song. They sure are great … but I wouldn’t call them awesome.”
Vandaveer is surely not widely known, but that might change real soon. They play The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on Feb. 26, ahead of four-day stint at South by Southwest, in Austin, Texas, March 17-20. It’s really a perfect place for them to showcase their sound – what XM Cafe called “This generation’s Nick Drake” and Rolling Stone categorized as “Jarring new folk.”
Below is a video from the show at Schuba’s in November, “A Mighty Leviathan of Old.”
And read our interview with Mark Heidinger before the show, and hear more Vandaveer on their MySpace page.
Chicago-based quartet Moses Cleveland just released their debut album The Corner of Uncool and Care Avenue, and are preparing for a few Midwest tour dates. They kindly sent us a CD, so we had a listen.
Here’s what I love about Midwest rock: It’s honest. The Corner of Uncool and Care Avenue starts out as an upfront rock album with the track “The Story of Mack.” But soon you hear a different side that shows a band developing an identity. Two songs, in my opinion, make this band unique: “Two-step Timmy’s Traveling Blues (Less is More)” and “Terrorize,” which will be featured in an upcoming game from the makers of Grand Theft Auto. The songs are rock, with distinct undertones of punk for good measure, and they finish as strong as they start.
The title track gives me a bit of an Alice in Chains feel, but is every bit of an original work. And that’s the thing – you get the feeling that Moses Cleveland knows what they like, and they know how to play it. I don’t get the feeling that they are trying to fit in anywhere. I like that.
There’s something else about Moses Cleveland – they have real talent. As you all know, we love live music and by listening to the CD, I can tell they put on a great live show. And you’re in luck, because they have some dates coming up. First, see them in Chicago on January 8 at Elbo Room. The next stop is The Phantasy Niteclub Symposium in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 16.
By the way, they earn bonus points for a listing of some of their influences, including: Dylan, The Black Keys, Wilco, Pearl Jam, The Black Crowes and Jimi Hendrix.
Moses Cleveland is Adam Rowings, Tom Owen, Chris Adamescu and Paul Bork. Head over to Lala, where you can give The Corner of Uncool and Care Avenue a spin. Want to know the origin of the band name? It’s a good story, you can find it here. The debut album is also available to purchase on iTunes.
