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Review: Paramount Room
We alluded to it earlier, but this is one hell of a weekend for music in our fair city. One of the upswings of the indiefication of America has been the steadily improving street festival bills, so we can at least enjoy good tunes with our processed meats and flat beer, and this weekend sees two of the best line-ups all summer unfortunately going head to head with each other.
The inaugural Switchyard Festival is heavily skewed towards local talent, but the organizers have really done an outstanding job picking some of Chicago's best bands. We're personally excited to finally see Ultra Sonic Edukators and sample some of their psych-pop a la Super Furry Animals after hearing a number of their recordings.
Actually Saturday night has the trifecta including U.S.E., The Prairie Cartel's dance beat driven rock and/or roll, and Suffrajett's garage-glam. Other standout acts on the bill are Milk At Midnight, The Assembly, Airiel, Reptoids, and Sound On Sound (whom, in the interest of full disclosure, features Chicagoist's own Lizz Kannenberg). Afterwards, stumble into The Continental (did we mention they're hosting this fest cum fundraiser?) to enjoy the sweet sounds of DJs June Cleavage and Amber Waves until 5 a.m. And then don't even bother going to bed, or you'll miss the Pride Parade.
As if all that weren't enough, there's also the Belmont Arts and Music Festival, with it's strong mixture of local and national acts. We're personally most excited about the Sunday bill featuring The Wrens, since they have never failed to put on a mind-bendingly great time at every one of their shows we've attended. We also recommend seeing Bumpus earlier Sunday, and sampling some of their soul-drenched rock that was in perfect form on their latest release.
The Bon Mots are finally coming out of hiding in their studio to play their jangly tunes before Bob Mould plugs in on Saturday night. Although if you prefer the ragged and the raw to the loud and polished, you should definitely check out the throaty, swaggering blues rock of The Heartless Bastards or insurgent country of The Saps, both also playing Saturday.
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I was just skimming this post and saw that U.S.E. is playing. Unfortunately it's not really United State of Electronica.
Curse you for getting my hopes up!
(Not that this won't be a fun weekend over there, of course)
this recap is mostly credited, though it must be noted that sound on sound was the most generic and miserable half-assed attempt at a jawbreaker coverband i've ever had the misfortune of seeing.
Maybe it was the crappy weather, but the BAM nearly lamed me to death on Saturday.
Actually, my understanding was that most of the festivals were hurt by Saturday's overcast weather. Personally I thought it was great, cool and without an angry sun beating down mercilessly on the crowds, but I guess the threat of rain kept a lot of folks inside.
Good call on The Wrens. I'd been hearing about them for a while, but that was the first time I actually saw them - or heard them. Those guys know how to put on a show.