Filtering by Tag: Jude Shuma
Tomorrow Never Knows Festival 2020 Spotlight
Tomorrow Never Knows Festival continues to be one of the only reasons I don’t hibernate for the entirety of January. Along with the extreme cold that often hits Chicago during the first month of the year, TNK Fest brings some of the best artists and best shows of the year to various venues around the city. For the first edition of TNK during the new decade, there’s no shortage of great gigs to attend at the likes of Lincoln Hall, Schubas, The Hideout and Metro, but here are the top five must-see shows on ANCHR’s list for 2020.
Who: Caroline Polachek, Born Days, Desert Liminal
What: TNK kicks off at Lincoln Hall with a show that will be sure to have the crowd dancing. Headlining the evening of electro-pop is Caroline Polachek (formerly of Chairlift), known for her knack of crafting unforgettable hooks. On her 2019 album Pang, Polachek weaves her catchy melodies around diverse electronic soundscapes that stand out as individual chapters, but still manager to flow together. If Polachek’s live shows are even half as energetic as her performances with Chairlift, be prepared to be captivated by her stage presence. Also, true to the TNK fashion of showcasing local talent in Chicago, local artists Born Days and Desert Liminal will be opening up the evening.
When: Wednesday, January 15th
Where: Lincoln Hall
Tickets to this show are sold out, but you can get TNK Five Day passes here.
Who: Goth Babe, Slow Pulp and Jude Shuma
What: All three bands on this line up create whimsical tunes that’ll fuel day dreams or make the perfect sunny day soundtrack. The evening’s headliner Griff Washburn, AKA Goth Babe, lives a nomadic lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest, so it’s only fitting his songs feel like snap shots of different adventures. Chicago’s own Slow Pulp and Jude Shuma perfectly complement Goth Babe’s sound with their dreamy, psychedelic tinged songs that’ll have you grooving along.
When: Thursday, January 16th
Where: Lincoln Hall
Get tickets here.
Who: Stella Donnelly, V.V. Lightbody, and The Ophelias
What: Stella Donnelly put on one of my favorite shows in 2019 at Lincoln Hall’s sister venue, Schubas. As a songwriter, Donnelly fearlessly writes lyrics that’ll hit you right in the gut, but they’re wrapped around melodies that are damn catchy. Her stage presence is just as infectious thanks to Donnelly’s positive energy and witty banter that’ll have you laughing between songs. Alongside Cincinnati rock band The Ophelias, Chicago’s V.V. Lightbody will warm up the show with her silky vocals and captivating performance.
When: Friday, January 17th
Where: Lincoln Hall
Get tickets here.
Who: Hand Habits, Fran, Garcia Peoples, Fauvely
What: Hand Habits, the brainchild of musician and songwriter Meg Duffy, also made for one of my favorite 2019 shows, and I can’t wait to kick off 2020 with them again. On 2019’s placeholder, Duffy spills out vulnerable tales that encompass listeners with doubled vocals and warm guitar tones. Like most of the shows in our top picks, there’s no shortage of Chicago talent that complements the evening’s headliner perfectly, and Fran and Fauvely do just that on this line up. New Jersey’s Garcia Peoples round out the evening with their trippy style that pulls influence from classic psychedelic rock bands.
When: Saturday, January 18th
Where: Schubas Tavern
Get tickets here.
Who: Deeper, Corridor, and The Hecks
What: TNK Fest wraps up at Lincoln Hall with a stacked bill that highlights three bands that put a refreshing twist on post-punk and new wave influences. Deeper’s 2018 self-titled debut was one of my favorite local releases in recent years, and if their latest singles “Bennington” and “Run” act as any indication of what their sound will continue to develop into, it’s safe to say their next record will also come in at the top. Montreal’s Corridor packs punchy guitars and nostalgia-evoking tones that pair perfectly with both Chicago bands on the bill. Lastly, The Hecks will be sure to get the energy ramped up and get the crowd moving with their synth-soaked melodies.
When: Sunday, January 19th
Where: Lincoln Hall
Get tickets here.
PHOTOS: ACLU Benefit Show with Post Animal and Friends
It's been just over a week since Post Animal, The Evening Attraction, Jude Shuma, Condor and Jaybird, and Lucille Furs played a benefit show to a packed SubT, raising over $4000 for The ACLU. If you missed out on the fun and good cause, read about the show here.
Post Animal is back on the road for the rest of the month. Their upcoming tour dates can be found here.
Post Animal and Co. Rocks the Pants off the Subterranean
“Playing Subterranean has been a long time coming for us,” said bassist and vocalist, Dalton Allison prior to his band, Post Animal, headlining the sold-out Wicker Park venue on Monday, July 10. The show was very much a homecoming for Allison, Jake Hirshland (guitar, keys, vocals), Matt Williams (guitar, vocals), Javi Reyes (guitar, vocals) and Wesley Toledo (drums)— who have been in the wet, sticky center of a summer-length, nationwide tour.
Photo Credit: Rachel Zyzda
Presented by ANCHR Magazine & KickstandProductions, the 17+ show featured a full bill of five acts all in benefit of the ACLU. Right before Post Animal took stage, evening organizer and ANCHR editor, Rachel Zyzda, announced that the overzealous and very sweaty crowd had helped raise over $4,000.
The night had been slowly building to this celebratory moment. Revivalist pysch jams by Condor & Jaybird and Jude Shuma had the psychedelic-wallpaper-clad crowd bobbing and swaying like a lava lamp. To compliment the music, Olivia Oyamada, Emily Schexnayder and Haley Sumnicht (collaboratively known as EO Lightshow) used colored oils and overhead projectors (the same your teacher used in middle school) to cast drippy light and moving patterns on the stage backdrop. This mix of sound and visuals peaked with The Evening Attraction and Post Animal, each ratcheting the dials on their amps and the body temps of the tightly packed crowd.
The venue’s industrial fans did little to cool an enthusiastic head-banging and crowd-surfing group. By the time Post Animal took stage near 11pm, Subterranean was near bedlam. From the opening, riff-heavy stomper (from yet-to-be-released new album) to their heaviest song—by far—“You Were Not There” it was apparent Post Animal—and the crowd—were hell-bent on rocking out.
“In the last year, we’ve realized we wanted to lean more towards heavy rock and rock and roll,” said guitarist and keyboardist Jake Hirshland. “It’s kind of an identity change for us, not a huge change, but definitely a change in identity over the last year.” The shift is evident in their live show. Having seen the band for Water Activity shows at venues such as Schubas and Double Door, the transformation from swaying psychedelic rock to full on rock and roll is striking—but welcomed. All culminating in a Chicago show with enough energy to power an Edison bulb. Post Animal had the crowd in its hairy paw, with kids crowd surfing and romping into one another like moths to said bulb. Beads of sweat flung in the air as heads bobbed. And I left immediately after the closer—for it was long past my bedtime.
Those outside of Chicago can still catch Post Animal with The Evening Attraction on their current tour.
Can't get enough Post Animal? Check out the video for their latest single "Special Moment" below, and revisit our interview with them here.
Stay tuned for a full photo gallery of the benefit show by Jennifer Machuca
ANCHR Magazine and Kickstand Productions Present: ACLU Benefit with Post Animal
Hey everyone! We're very excited to present our very first gig. Not just any gig, a benefit for the wonderful ACLU with some of our favorite bands. Come hang with us at SubT on July 10th and kill two birds with one stone by doing some good AND seeing a show from Post Animal, The Evening Attraction, Jude Shuma, and Condor & Jaybird. Grab your tickets here.
A Thursday Trifecta With Jude Shuma, Molly Burch, and Tim Darcy
Kicking off a night of three incredible sets, Chicago’s own Jude Shuma took The Empty Bottle stage around 9:30 on Thursday evening. His 30 minute set kicked off with his most played track “Float,” (which--shameless plug--you can hear on the CW's new show Riverdale). After playing some older, familiar tunes, like “Subterranean Feelings,” Jude tested out some new songs from his upcoming album, Sugar Mountain. The new songs already sounded incredible live, and they went over well with the crowd.
Molly Burch captivated the crowd next, hooking them in with her 1950’s-style crooning and a refreshingly retro sound. The seven-song set started with the title track of Molly’s debut album Please Be Mine, the crowd slowly swaying along to the hauntingly beautiful chorus. The next song, “Fool,” picked up the pace, with Molly adding a powerful edge to her alluring vocals. As Molly and her band completely enchanted the crowd with more songs from the album, like “Wrong For You” and “Try,” the music translated incredibly well from the album to the live sense. The fact that Molly recorded the album in a live setting in just a couple days kept the album so authentic and added a real vulnerability to the music. That same sense of sincerity and vulnerability came across in Molly’s stage performance, as well.
Ought-frontman Tim Darcy and his extremely talented two-women band took the stage next just after 11PM, playing a set mostly comprised of songs from his debut solo album Saturday Night. Tim got the crowd moving right away with the up-tempo, building tune “Tall Glass of Water,” immediately following with “Still Waking Up.” About half way through the set, Tim mentioned his album and thanked the audience, pointing out how wonderful Chicago crowds are all of the time. “New York is good 80% of the time,” Tim continued before moving into the instrumental track “First Final Days.” As the night of good vibes and great jams continued, Tim also mentioned that he and his band had been on tour for 5 weeks with Molly Burch, shouting out her, his band members, and his crew. The set drew to a close with a brand new song that Tim recently wrote while on this tour. Introducing the new song, called “Sledgehammer and The Rose,” Tim says he wrote it about an experience in Toronto, when some guy spit in his face when he was already having a bad day. The set wrapped up with the mellow “What’d You Release,” before the band left and returned for an encore.
