Snatching Victory From The Jaws Of Defeat

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 2, 2005 5:48PM

Back in April, local band Riviera (who record for Glorious Noise Records) headed up to Detroit to take part in MC2, a northern version of South by Southwest. The band’s ultimately fruitless efforts to play a single show were detailed in an account posted to GLONO by Riviera band member Derek Phillips. Almost archetypical in its description of gross mismanagement by the organizers and the rampant rock star ego of the former lead singer of Sponge, we wondered if Riviera was experiencing some kind of karmic payback for the treatment of the MC5 by the Chicago police during the 1968 Democratic convention.

Despite the Debacle in Detroit, the band didn’t hold a grudge against the city. Plans were almost immediately set in motion for a joint two-city showcase sponsored by GLONO and the Motor City Rocks website. The shows would feature Chicago’s Quasar Wut Wut (a favorite of ours) and Detroit’s The Holy Fire with both bands playing shows together in each of their respective cities; call it The Second City Mouse and The Motor City Mouse Tour.

We’ve been looking for an excuse to blog about The Holy Fire since they played an Empty Bottle show here back in January. Having recently recorded an EP with Flaming Lip Michael Ivins, the band nods to its influences (the Pixies, the Replacements, and maybe even a little Dinosaur Jr.) then leaves them behind. Too much rock and roll is looked at as escapism but Chicagoist has always thought the best songs came from bands looking to escape from something, be it heartache, the world at large or their parent’s basement. Unlike the aforementioned Sponge-r, The Holy Fire are blazing a trail and not treading over well-worn ground.

Tomorrow night the GLONO/Motor City Rocks showcase arrives at the Bottom Lounge at 9 PM with The Holy Fire on tap first and Quasar Wut Wut closing out the evening. Other bands on the bill include The Sleepers and Murder Your Darlings. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Hopefully, no one will get run out of town this time.