Filtering by Tag: Live shows
LIVE: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Mild High Club at Lincoln Hall
Mild High Club and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard made a perfect pairing for a double header of sold out shows at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall. The two groups created an IRL experience of "Sketches of Brunswick East" for the first time.
Mild High Club took the stage shortly after 8PM on Monday for a hometown show that featured collaborations and additional layers that brought their recorded music to life. Kicking off the collaborations, vocalist Quinn Tsan joined the group to sing alongside lead singer and frontman Alex Brettin. Shortly after Tsan left the stage to a swooping round of applause, the band added in a saxophonist for a few songs, followed by a brief guest appearance of Adam LP from new Chicago outfit wavy id. While both Sunday and Monday night’s set included popular songs like “Windowpane” and “Tessellation,” Brettin and his bandmates switched up the order of their set each nice to make their show even more dynamic. The combination of guest appearances, a refreshed setlist, and a trippy light show made for an all encompassing and captivating performance from Mild High Club.
Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard hit the stage next with a blaze of guitar jams and pacing rhythms that never slowed down, thanks in large part to their two drummers. The seven piece group completely filled out the humble stage at the 500 capacity venue, and the crowd completely packed in to be as close as possible to stage. From the second the super group opened up with “Some Context” from their first album of 2017, Murder of the Universe, the audience and King Gizzard reciprocated one another’s energy levels. While frontman Stu MacKenzie would flip the top half of his body upside down, flail his guitar around, or flash his tongue to the crowd, the audience would thrash around in the mosh pit, which amplified in intensity as the 90 minute set progressed. The set spanned the course of several of King Gizzard’s albums, but the crowd got the rowdiest during “Rattlesnake” from Flying Microtonal Banana and “Gamma Knife” from Nonagon Infinity. At some points, a few audience members attempted to crowd surf (before being stopped by venue security). Nonetheless, the spirit of the crowd clung to the brim, never dipping as the ambitious Aussies kept up their signature pulsating pace. Just as King Gizzard’s set approached the finish line, they invited Alex and Mat of Mild High Club to join them on the stage to perform some of their collaborative album Sketches of Brunswick East, which made the stage even tighter than it already had been. The two groups performed the jazz-tinged “Countdown” and “Rolling Stoned” together before they all left the stage to a grateful and awestruck audience.
Photo Gallery of Mild High Club and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Find out more information about King Gizzard's US tour, including dates and tickets here, and listen to their collaborative album with Mild High Club, Sketches of Brunswick East, in full below!
Joey Vannucchi Is The Poster Child for Soft Indie Rock: From Indian Lakes Charms Minneapolis on 5.16.17
Wearing an ill-fitting white t-shirt, cuffed jeans and a simple gold ring, Joey Vannucchi is the poster child for soft indie rock. The soothing lead singer of From Indian Lakes charmed the crowd last Tuesday at 7th St Entry, offering a lulled but impactful set.
From Indian Lakes is known for sweet acoustic melodies and intricate rhythms. However, when listening to their studio recordings, I found it difficult to understand how their sound would translate to a live setting. I entered the venue with skepticism, but my expectations were soon blown out of the water.
Queen of Jeans opened the night with a wonderful set. They played off of each other with ease and became more comfortable with the help of an accepting Minnesota crowd. This newer band from Philadelphia has released one self-titled EP in 2016. Their female-fronted sound is eclectic and complex, switching off between the lead singer’s higher voice and standard indie rock guitar. I highly suggest checking out their music.
Vannucchi and the band soon took the stage under a neon ‘FIL’ sign. The mood in the venue instantly changed. Although they were opening for Balance and Composure, many of the people in the crowd seemed to be there for From Indian Lakes. Vannucchi committed fully to every song, quickly tossing off his hat during the first few songs. Their highly layered live sound built powerfully on their studio recordings.
As the set developed, the energy increased but refused overwhelm the music. They took their time with each song and made sure to connect with the audience. Dreamy vocals paired with amazing percussive work had the audience nodding along with every song.
I felt like I was in a world created by Vannucchi. His lyrics are captivating and the softer instrumentation allows for a close focus on the specific mood of each song. I haven’t seen someone feel their own music in a very long time. He often got lost in the song and I was right there with him.
The set ended with “Happy Machines”, the song whose lyrics give the title to their album Everything Feels Better Now. This song was a perfect end to the night, with grittier guitar fitting seamlessly with the more delicate piano. This performance showcased From Indian Lakes’ maturity and experience with their own music. Their live show is one of the most captivating I have ever seen.
From Indian Lakes and Queen of Jeans Photo Gallery
Check out all of From Indian Lakes' upcoming tour dates here.
January 26th Doubleheader: Public Access T.V and The Lemon Twigs
We’ve all been there…one of your favorite bands announces a show, and at first, you’re ecstatic and start making plans to get tickets. Then you go to put the show in your calendar and you realize…you’ve already got plans to see another band that night (dun dun dunnnnnn). I know, I know, it’s a very “first world problem" to have when living in a major city that most tours travel through, but deciding between shows can be a total nightmare. That’s why last night I did away with the FOMO and decided to race from Schubas to The Empty Bottle to catch a doubleheader from Public Access T.V and The Lemon Twigs.
The jam-packed evening started off catching PATV’s main support and ANCHR interview alumni Splashh, who kicked off their set at 9PM with “See Through You.” For the next 40 minutes, Splashh won over the small-but-mighty crowd as they performed a set composed of songs from their debut Comfort, as well as a few new ones, like “Rings” and the title track from their upcoming album, “Waiting A Lifetime.”
Splashh at Schubas 1/26/17
Proving themselves as a live band, the “cheeky boys from Australia” (as Public Access T.V called them) delivered an added facet to each of their songs that you can only experience in the live setting…going beyond bringing their album to life. They incorporated everything from extended jam sessions to building up an enchanting beat that left the crowd in a trance. The energy level from the fans and the band amplified during the last song, “Need It,” with everyone moving along in time to the song, especially the front row. Longtime fan Annie Ruzga said she’d been waiting to see them for forever, after discovering their music years ago on Spotify.
Annie Ruzga with her sign made from Splashh song titles
After a quick changeover, headliners Public Access T.V took the stage around 9:50 saying, “We’re called the Feds and we’re from Washington D.C.,” referencing Donald Trump’s threat to send the feds to Chicago. From the beginning chords of “In Our Blood” the crowd was hooked, but things really got moving when lead singer John Eatherly sang the opening lines of “In Love and Alone.” John mentioned in our interview a few weeks back that this track is one of their oldest, which came across from the sense of ease that overtook the stage during this song.
PATV at Schubas 1/26/17
Throughout most of their set, the band kept up their cool and collected attitude, effortlessly playing crowd favorites like “End of an Era” and “Evil Disco.” On a couple of occasions, the band members got a little out of sync and seemed to be confused on song order, but it appeared to be because they didn’t have setlists on the stage. Despite the slight setlist slipups, the energy never faltered, both on stage and in the crowd, and the fast paced set flew by. PATV thanked the audience and bid their goodbyes around 10:30. Both bands stuck around to sell merch and meet fans.
I had a quick chat with a few band members, then made my way over to The Empty Bottle to catch The Lemon Twigs. I unfortunately missed the equally awesome retro-inspired rockers Savoy Motel, but made it right on time for The Lemon Twigs’ 11:20PM start time. “Keep that Bee Gees song going,” co-frontman and eldest brother Brian D’Addario instructed as the four band members made their way on stage. As the younger brother, 17 year old Michael D’Addario, took his place behind the drum kit, I can’t help but notice the “x” on each band member’s hand. For any touring band, coming to a new city and selling out a venue should be considered a feat, but especially for a band as young as The Lemon Twigs. The band hooked the crowd members by opening with their popular track “I Wanna Prove To You,” immediately displaying raw talent and electrifying stage presence. After playing “Haroomata,” another track from their debut album, Brian introduced the next song “Why Didn’t You Say That” as part of their upcoming EP to be released this year.
Michael D'Addario leading the band. The Lemon Twigs at The Empty Bottle 1/26/17.
As the set moved on and the crowd remained hooked, Brian displayed incredible showmanship under pressure when Michael’s bass drum pedal went out right before “These Words.” Instead of stalling or pausing the show, Brian skipped ahead to perform another new song as a solo performance. By the end of the song, the drums were back in working order and they were able to perform the crowd favorite “These Words.” For the remaining half of the set, Brian and Michael switched places, with Michael taking center stage to sing the remaining songs. Standout moments from the rest of the set included a cover by Alex Chilton, “All of the Time” and Michael’s signature high kicks. The night concluded around 12:35AM, with a two song encore featuring “Queen of my School.”