Thirsty for more TEA? Head here to check out our interview with them from the archives.
“It’s gonna be semi-acoustic and semi-electronic. I’ve got somebody doing beats and bass, and I’ve got my guitarist. I’m singing and sometimes I’ll be playing piano, and we swap around the instruments. It’s a little different, but it’s cool because I’ve been doing it the same for a couple years,” Izzy Bizu said in our interview last month, describing her set on Coldplay’s massive Summer stadium tour. When Bizu took the stage at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Thursday, August 17th, the rain that had been teasing the city all day had finally passed. Kicking off at 7:15 in the evening, Bizu’s set filled up the last space of daylight and held up to her vision as she opened with a stripped back version of the normally funk-laced tune “Adam & Eve” from her debut album A Moment of Madness. Moving right along into Bizu’s popular track “Lost Paradise,” her smooth vocals rang out in a goosebump-inducing fashion, engulfing the 60,000 capacity venue. Another highlight of Bizu’s short, but sweet set included her performance of the viral song “Someone That Loves You,” which was done as a collaboration with the soulful electronic duo HONNE. Other than brief song introductions and an occasional check in on the audience, Bizu kept the talking between songs at a minimum in order to fit in as much music as possible. The music spoke for itself, completely enchanting the crowd as they eagerly awaited the AlunaGeorge and Coldplay performances that would follow. The 30 minute set wrapped up with a reworked arrangement of “White Tiger” just as the sun began to set of Soldier Field.
Izzy Bizu's Performance on 8.17.17
Can't get enough Izzy Bizu? Read our full interview with her here.
The Empty Bottle was a low-fi circus of sound Thursday night that showcased energy plucked from the musical influence of past eras — and a little of the future.
Pixel Grip’s debut at The Empty Bottle lived up to the darkwave disco hype with a sound crystallized somewhere between Sylvan Esso and LCD Soundsystem. Lead singer Rita Lukea gained confidence as the set progressed, doing away with the mic stand and commanding the space in towering white platform boots with razor-sharp black eyeliner and undercut to match. At her side, John Freund steered the synth ship through waves of 80s bubble-pop and sinister crunch, and Tyler Ommen joined the duo to hammer out drums.
Lukea’s syrupy sweet vocals and doll-like movements offset the sassy, backhanded lyrics of songs like new single “Right Side"; “You’re always so right, right /Always on the right, on the right side /I’m on the wrong side then, feeling left-minded.” And when the singer started quasi-rapping in French, the already-writhing crowd lost its shit. For their first show at the Bottle, Pixel Grip did more than hold their own in a star-studded lineup.
It was the second set, though, that stole the damn show. A Chicago favorite, Divino Niño lingers between the pop sound of a hip, Latino version of The Four Seasons and a seductive, psychedelic garage band.
The entire set felt like a dreamy island vacation, perhaps a wink at lead singer and guitarist Camilo Medina’s thigh tattoo, a little line-drawing of a sunset/palm tree on the ocean, that peeked out from his tiny, denim cutoffs. Medina’s a whammy master with a warm honey voice who romanced the crowd by pairing some seriously sexed-up hip manipulation with a quick thumb’s up and thank you after each song. Not to mention the English to Spanish and back again lyrics that oozed heartache and nostalgia.
The swaying harmonies from Medina, bassist Javier Forero and guitarist Guillermo Rodriguez on songs like “Uruguay” and “Tell Me” could heat up the prom slow-dance scenes of any cult classic in the best way. And the percussion was intricate to say the least, with the quartet’s drummer, Pierce Codina, flanked by two guests — one of which was Paul Cherry. Divino Niño’s sonic nod to the 60's that they refer to on their Facebook as “bootleg-ass-pop” felt more like floating on a cloud.
Just before midnight, the lights went down and the crowd fell in love all over again when Homeshake took the stage. As a bucket-hatted Peter Sagar began his synthy serenade of “Every Single Thing”, the packed space took on a collective groove. The former guitarist for Mac DeMarco definitely shares a sound with the artist, but adds his own low-fi spin with effects like warping his voice — even when talking to the crowd he sounded like a cartoon kitten or an anonymous source on Gangland. Sagar’s playful this way in his interaction with the crowd between songs, jumping from thanking to shushing them and met with laughter.
The Montreal-based quartet poured a thick molasses over the crowd with the R&B tropes found in latest release Fresh Air and stoner synths of previous works “Midnight Snack” and “In the Shower”. The sensual energy only intensified as what seemed like the entire crowd sang lyrics “kissing hugging making love and waking up and getting high” while head-bobbing in unison.
While each act incited definite déjà vu to past generations of music, they successfully — and seamlessly — spun exciting new webs of sound to encapsulate the crowd.
Thumbnail Photo Credit: Salina Ladha
Basked in purple lights and smoke, Australian singer Gordi delivered a performance at Schubas Tavern that was ethereal, yet yielded a high degree of raw emotional power. Her deeply humanistic lyrics were sung with closed eyes and a wavered hand, creating an essence of authenticity that made it feel as if she hit a bullseye into the epicenter of one’s soul.
Photo Credit: Cameron Wittig
The result of this was pure captivation. The sizeable crowd stood facing the stage - with little to no chatter otherwise - for an overwhelming majority of the performance. In a sense it is almost more difficult to maintain attention than it is to harness it, but this manifested automatically and almost effortlessly from the moment Gordi began the set until she departed the stage. This is, perhaps, due to the intriguing cerebral element that her music contains. With the accompanying musical elements being skillful yet soft, the lyrics are made to be the artistic focal point. The beauty of this, however, is that it serves as a catalyst for connectivity. Listeners are left to think about the words being sung, crafting their own unique meaning to the text in the process. This is one of the most noteworthy facets of Gordi’s music: it allows people to develop a potent relationship to it.
The emotional heaviness within Gordi’s songs was delightfully juxtaposed by the humorous anecdotes she told between songs. Whether it be a tale about past crowds or about barely making it onto a plane to Toronto, Gordi presented herself as a well-rounded creator. She wasn’t just a musician on a stage; she displayed her witty personality which allowed audience members to connect with her on a personal level as well as a musical one.
One of the anecdotes Gordi told between songs centered on her creative process when bringing the track “Heaven I Know” to fruition. She told the audience that she started working on the song during a long solo driving trip, when she was completely without instruments and unable to write. As a result, she would talk out the counts of the song to conjure up the pace and rhythm. These counts ultimately made it into the final recorded version of the track, but they are spoken so rhythmically subtly that one who does not know the authenticity of their sonic origins may miss their presence all together. However, since the audience was told this story prior to it being played, it was able to be appreciated that a facet of the song’s most primitive stages made it all the way to the final cut. The presence of the counts in the song were a welcome combination of all that is thoughtful and true, making the listening experience that much more personal and meaningful.
The music of Gordi is so alluring to the ear because it is riddled with workable opposites. It is dreamy with a dash of realism, delicate yet tenacious, and subtle yet containing the innate ability to cultivate power and impact. The artistic needs of the mind, ear, and soul are all met in equilibrium.
Keep up with all of Gordi's upcoming shows here.
This past Friday night at Schubas Tavern, Marika Hackman and The Big Moon created an IRL experience of Hackman’s latest album I’m Not Your Man. Released on June 2nd, the sophomore album from Hackman marks a departure and transformation for the formerly folk artist. Boosting blunt lyrics, lighter melodies, and a lax, carefree recording style, I’m Not Your Man takes listeners through a 15-song journey, featuring The Big Moon as the backing band for the majority of them. Before The Big Moon pulled their second shift of the evening, backing Hackman at the Lakeview venue, they had performed their own 45 minute set, which carried the same carefree mood of friendship that comes across on their recordings. In addition to songs from their debut album Love in the 4th Dimension, the group also performed a cover of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Between songs, the band kept the crowd laughing with a bit of sarcasm and banter, but the standout moment of their set occurred during their song “Bonfire.” Front woman Juliette (Jules) Jackson left the stage and abandoned her guitar to sing the song in the crowd.
The same banter and laughter only amplified when Hackman joined The Big Moon, but the focus of the night remained on the effortless musicianship displayed between the friends. The songs from I’m Not Your Man translated beautifully in the live sense, seeing as most of the album had actually been tracked live, with a minimal use of overdubs. Hackman’s hourlong set focused on the new album, with a couple of older tunes like “Cinnamon” and “Ophelia” sprinkled in. The direct, honest lyrics of tracks like “My Lover Cindy” and “Violet” had the crowd captivated and wrapped around Hackman’s finger. Prior to performing the latter, Hackman introduced “Violet” as a sexy song, encouraging the crowd to kiss their dates (only with consent) if they were feeling it. “Gina’s World” also stood out during the 11-song set, with its hauntingly heavy guitar riffs and striking harmonies, which echoed beautifully throughout the venue. Just before the set wrapped up with the dreamy melody of “BlahBlahBlah,” Hackman and The Big Moon performed the lead single from I’m Not Your Man, “Boyfriend.” The playful tune teased the light-hearted reinvention of Hackman before the release of the album, and it definitely acted as a highlight of the live show.
Photos: The Big Moon and Marika Hackman at Schubas 8/11/17
This past weekend, singer songwriter Barns Courtney put on one of the rowdy, energetic performances that he’s become infamous for...only this time, he did it on one leg, while the other remained locked in a cast. Earlier this Summer, while Courtney was putting on one of those aforementioned wild performances, he jumped off the stage at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, right onto a slab of concrete. Instead of cancelling his upcoming tour and festivals appearances to heal his broken foot, Courtney decided to power through, and during Lollapalooza weekend, the singer performed three times in Chicago.
For his first performance, Courtney hit the stage at Schubas Tavern just past midnight, forgoing his crutches and hopping right up to his mic stand. From then on, it was full force for the next 60 minutes, while Courtney performed songs from his EP The Dull Drums, as well as some unreleased tracks from his upcoming album The Attractions Of Youth. Rather than stay stationary with his makeshift leg rest that was placed next to the mic stand, Courtney hobbled around the stage as he performed popular songs like “Glitter and Gold” and “Little Boy.” The energy ironically amplified during one of the unreleased tracks called “Kicks,” even though one of Courtney’s legs was out of kicking commission. Between songs, Courtney also rattled of some of his infamously raunchy stage banter, telling fans about a wild plane ride with his lady.
The rambunctious set came to an end with the crowd and Courtney giving it 1000 percent, the latter jumping offstage, cast and all, to dance with his fans. While the set may have come to an explosive ending around 1 AM, the night didn’t end there. Barns Courtney mustered all of his final strands of energy to bound offstage and collapse onto the sidewalk outside of the venue, where he hosted one of the most unconventional meet and greets we’ve seen.
Can't get enough Barns Courtney? Check out our interview with him from Hangout Festival here, and listen to his latest single "Golden Dandelions" below!
The British invaded Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, August 2nd for an evening of pure talent, charisma, and rock'n'roll. Kicking off the Wednesday night "after" show, which actually took place before this year's 4-day Lollapalooza, Declan McKenna and his band played in celebration of both his first Lolla performance and the release of his debut album What Do You Think About the Car? As McKenna played through crowd favorites like his debut single "Paracetamol" and his latest, "Humongous," he and his band jammed cohesively, feeding off one another's energy. His 45 minute set concluded with the high energy single "Brazil," with its impossible-to-get-out-of-your-head chorus.
After a quick stage changeover, fellow Brits Temples took the stage to deliver a smooth and polished performance for the next 90 minutes. Combining a solid variety of songs from their debut LP Sun Structures and 2017's Volcano, the set flowed from start to finish with extensive jams and additions to songs that added layers to the live performance. The band's frontman James Edward Bagshaw sauntered around the small stage at the Lincoln Park venue, energy surging through not only Bagshaw and his bandmates, but the crowd and the band as well. A magnetic presence filled the concert hall as the crisp and perfected sound soared through the room during songs like "Certainty" and "Shelter Song." A lighting rig composted of chameleon, color-changing diamonds added another depth to the already enthralling performance from Temples. It's a rare feat when a band can develop such an engaging and evolved live show while still managing to sound flawless and in sync, but Temples made it look easy with their Wednesday night show.
Not only is the music of White Reaper the ultimate nexus of charm and pure rock ‘n’ roll, but it is uniquely adrenalized as well. This is a trait that leaps from the record to the stage, as the band delivered an invigorating performance at this year’s Mo Pop Festival in Detroit, Michigan.
One of the most memorable aspects of White Reaper’s set was their banter between songs. They evaded the trap of appearing as musical robots who went through song after song without acknowledging the crowd by a wide margin, and instead revealed an innate ability to make the audience burst with laughter. Guitarist Hunter Thompson jokingly asked the audience if they were enjoying their sabbath, as the performance took place on a Sunday, and bassist Sam Wilkerson gave a shout out to his twin brother and White Reaper drummer Nick - who then promptly removed his shirt and pants before continuing with the rest of the set. White Reaper is effortlessly charismatic - something that will contribute to the band’s inevitable longevity just as much as their musical skill.
White Reaper at Mo Pop 2017
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of White Reaper’s live performances is simply watching keyboardist Ryan Hater. Taking full advantage of the fact that he does not have an instrument strapped to him, Hater jumps and thrashes - even making the occasional venture to the microphone to interact with the crowd. One of the most enjoyable aspects of watching live music is being able to witness the palpable cycle of energy that exists between a group of musicians creating art that they love, and a group of people who love their art. For White Reaper, Hater is a major catalyst for the radiation of this powerful electricity.
After reaching the conclusion of their set with the track “Judy French,” a single from their most recent album that drips with a delectable combination of goodness and grit, the previously quiet audience was in an uproar of applause and cheers. The audience had fallen White Reaper’s spell - an easy feat for a band that’s a refreshing combination of skill and stage presence.
Cap'n Jazz has a few more tour dates throughout the fall--Check out their upcoming dates below.
