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Bobby Conn Celebrates Live Recording With Live Show And Taunts Redundancy

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 17, 2005 5:16PM

Bobby Conn is a little Jesus Christ Superstar, a little Nilsson, a little Jackson 5 and a whole lotta rock and/or roll. This diminutive Chicagoan has been making waves just under the surface of the city’s music scene for years now and every once in a while he pops up for a live performance or to release a new album. Tonight at Double Door he’s combining those two events by performing a show to celebrate the release of his new concert album Live Classics: Vol. 1. Talk about a postmodern hyper-commentary on an action taken in self-referential reverence to an action performed.

Bobby Conn and The Glass Gypsies - Photo: www.border.se/conn2.jpgChicagoist feels it necessary to point out that while we love Bobby Conn his history of live performing is not spotless. We have seen him stretch and ultimately stumble in some of his more arty live solo incarnations like that time he performed at Funky Buddha with little more than a boombox to prop him up. That was a little painful to watch.

However when Bobby Conn has a full backing band behind him, in this case it’s The Glass Gypsies who have been with him for a few years now, he puts on a live show that is stunning in its pageantry and musical a punch in the mouth delivered by a dose of hard-edged glammy rock with a touch of buoyant disco. There are few better live acts in Chicago when it comes to pure spectacle, oddly hook-filled tunes and joyously nihilistic verse.

Bobby Conn performs at Double Door tonight and is supported by The Apes, Baby Teeth and the Life During Wartime DJs so slap on the eyeliner, paint on your silver pants and string up your dancing platform boots because it gonna be a party tonight.