LIVE: Titmice, Milk at Midnight, Telenovela, Adam Fitz & Big Buildings
Performer: Titmice, Milk at Midnight, Telenovela, Adam Fitz & Big Buildings
Location: Subterranean / 2011 W. North Ave. / Chicago, IL
Date: 01/26/2006
Review: Due to my work schedule, I had to arrive late to this show and due to a cold coming on, I had to leave early. I came for Adam Fitz's set, but didn't want to miss Big Buildings. These guys always put on a drunken, toe-tapping good show and if you have seen them once, you never want to miss another one. Still, three bands for five bucks. That isn't so horrible. In fact, it was downright fantastic.
This concert was a release party for the Big Buildings-created Sweatbox compilation, paying tribute to all of the bands who have played in their basement venue over the last year. As with the family-like shows there, this party at Subterranean was filled with friends and otherwise good people all gathered to have a good time and bolster the support of some of the best Chicago bands around.
When I arrived, Milk at Midnight was on stage. The standout feature of this band has to be the drummer, who looks as if he is going to bounce right out of his stool each time he slams the heads. MaM's sound reminds me of a lot of the music I was into in the nineties from the Hum vein of music that I still listen to while donning my Hypercolor shirts to this day. I only caught the end of their set, so I can't comment thoroughly on their performance other than to say that they are a group of fun, passionate guys who have kept everything that is fun and melodic about indie rock with them. I will be sure to check MaM out again soon.
Next up was a band who are fast becoming one of my favorite live acts in Chicago: Telenovela. Consisting of two guitarist/singers and a drummer who is too good for his material, Telenovela plays tight catchy rock music that will have you singing along on your second time seeing them perform. I am always leery about modern rock bands that features female singers - before you pin me as some "get-me-my-beer" misogynist, hear me out! Many of the "female" rock bands around nowadays tend to sound like a Sleater-Kinney cover band, screaming incoherently and scraping their guitar strings as if they were washboards. Not so with Telenovela. Instead, you have two strong and stern female vocalists that engage in a furied dialogue-chorus around catchy crunchy melodies, all backed with complex jazz improv style drumming. Amy Malick (bass/vocals), Shelly Kurzynski Villaseñor (guitar/vocals) and Geoff Atkinson (drums) have a sound reminiscent of several bands you've heard in the past, but take the equation to a place where lowbrow fun and highbrow musical taste play kickball in a dimly lit parking lot after hours.
Last (for me) was Adam Fitz. I've been going to Adam's shows since it was just him with a guitar and keyboard. The sincere awkwardness of his stage presence was always something that added to the show rather than annoyed. Well, Adam has come a long way, both with his backing band and his stage presence. Drummer Dan Salyers looked as if he would fit in the grimiest jazz club and have the place jumping, all while he smiled sweetly to the sky. Eddie Dixon, strumming guitar, playing keys and twiddling knobs fills the mad-scientist role of the band perfectly. Adam, after the release of his amazing album, Between The Incident and The Event, now gives off the air of someone who has cleared is first hurdle and is better prepared for the subsequent ones to follow. His voice is stronger and clearer and the minor hangups of playing live don't distract him as much as they used to. Peppering his setlist of original songs with the occasional tip of the hat to his influences (Leonard Cohen and Velvet Underground to name a couple), Adam's live show switches tempo as often as his voice breaks to ascratchyy melodic scream. All of this is a good thing. At one point during his set, Adam asked how much longer he had to which an audience member yelled back, "an hour!" I agree. Keep going Adam! Keep right on going.
I don't think I've been to a show where I've spent so little and received so much. Thank you Big Buildings, for orchestrating the compilation and the show. And thank you Sub-T, for being one of the better venues in this city.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Location: Subterranean / 2011 W. North Ave. / Chicago, IL
Date: 01/26/2006
Review: Due to my work schedule, I had to arrive late to this show and due to a cold coming on, I had to leave early. I came for Adam Fitz's set, but didn't want to miss Big Buildings. These guys always put on a drunken, toe-tapping good show and if you have seen them once, you never want to miss another one. Still, three bands for five bucks. That isn't so horrible. In fact, it was downright fantastic.
This concert was a release party for the Big Buildings-created Sweatbox compilation, paying tribute to all of the bands who have played in their basement venue over the last year. As with the family-like shows there, this party at Subterranean was filled with friends and otherwise good people all gathered to have a good time and bolster the support of some of the best Chicago bands around.
When I arrived, Milk at Midnight was on stage. The standout feature of this band has to be the drummer, who looks as if he is going to bounce right out of his stool each time he slams the heads. MaM's sound reminds me of a lot of the music I was into in the nineties from the Hum vein of music that I still listen to while donning my Hypercolor shirts to this day. I only caught the end of their set, so I can't comment thoroughly on their performance other than to say that they are a group of fun, passionate guys who have kept everything that is fun and melodic about indie rock with them. I will be sure to check MaM out again soon.
Next up was a band who are fast becoming one of my favorite live acts in Chicago: Telenovela. Consisting of two guitarist/singers and a drummer who is too good for his material, Telenovela plays tight catchy rock music that will have you singing along on your second time seeing them perform. I am always leery about modern rock bands that features female singers - before you pin me as some "get-me-my-beer" misogynist, hear me out! Many of the "female" rock bands around nowadays tend to sound like a Sleater-Kinney cover band, screaming incoherently and scraping their guitar strings as if they were washboards. Not so with Telenovela. Instead, you have two strong and stern female vocalists that engage in a furied dialogue-chorus around catchy crunchy melodies, all backed with complex jazz improv style drumming. Amy Malick (bass/vocals), Shelly Kurzynski Villaseñor (guitar/vocals) and Geoff Atkinson (drums) have a sound reminiscent of several bands you've heard in the past, but take the equation to a place where lowbrow fun and highbrow musical taste play kickball in a dimly lit parking lot after hours.
Last (for me) was Adam Fitz. I've been going to Adam's shows since it was just him with a guitar and keyboard. The sincere awkwardness of his stage presence was always something that added to the show rather than annoyed. Well, Adam has come a long way, both with his backing band and his stage presence. Drummer Dan Salyers looked as if he would fit in the grimiest jazz club and have the place jumping, all while he smiled sweetly to the sky. Eddie Dixon, strumming guitar, playing keys and twiddling knobs fills the mad-scientist role of the band perfectly. Adam, after the release of his amazing album, Between The Incident and The Event, now gives off the air of someone who has cleared is first hurdle and is better prepared for the subsequent ones to follow. His voice is stronger and clearer and the minor hangups of playing live don't distract him as much as they used to. Peppering his setlist of original songs with the occasional tip of the hat to his influences (Leonard Cohen and Velvet Underground to name a couple), Adam's live show switches tempo as often as his voice breaks to ascratchyy melodic scream. All of this is a good thing. At one point during his set, Adam asked how much longer he had to which an audience member yelled back, "an hour!" I agree. Keep going Adam! Keep right on going.I don't think I've been to a show where I've spent so little and received so much. Thank you Big Buildings, for orchestrating the compilation and the show. And thank you Sub-T, for being one of the better venues in this city.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
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