Two Chicago Bands Walk Into A Bar: American Cosmonaut, Sour Deluxe Reunite

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 8, 2014 6:00PM

To folks who were heading out to shows in bars during the '90s and early '00s, the names Sour Deluxe and American Cosmonaut should be familiar. American Cosmonaut has the longer pedigree, since various configuration of the band have played together since 1993 in a number of other bands including Trash The Craven, Tom Spacey, Lightfoils and Ariel. And their defining thread through all those bands was a drive to make rock and rock that expanded into the outer reaches of the atmosphere. We wouldn't call American Cosmonaut shoegaze, though, since there was always a deeper aggression to their sound even in its dreamiest moments. The band split apart in 2004 and the Chicago scene lost one of its more promising prospects. We've always thought had they stuck it out just a year or two more they might have started to ride the wave of buzz that certain segments of the nascent rising voices of music bloggers championed at the time.

Sour Deluxe formed later, in 1997, but stuck it out in the scene a little bit longer, remaining active until 2007 (though much of the mid-'00s saw the group mostly dormant). They also proved ahead of their time, channelling their love of Britpop through stacks of amps and singing about Manchester, England. So it was no surprise that after the band went on hiatus their singer/guitarist actually moved to England to go to school and then teach university. How much more Britpop do you get than that? And while Sour Deluxe had a slightly more pop bent than American Cosmonaut they both shared a love for guitar rigs that could reach ridiculously loud volumes. And we mean that as a compliment to both bands.

Well, now this post moves out of the realm of history lesson into the now, since both bands are back on the stage tomorrow night at Double Door for a dual reunion show. Bring your earplugs, it should be a rib rattling, ear quaking good time.

American Cosmonaut, Sour Deluxe, Lightfoils and Withershins play Saturday, Aug. 9 at Double Door, 1575 N Milwaukee, 8 p.m., $10 at the door or $5 with RSVP, 21+