An Assembly Worth Attending

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 4, 2005 6:26PM

Dave Suh has been a staple of the local music scene for over the last decade. His first band, Emil Muzz, provided the city with future members of Light FM, Rockit Girl and Veruca Salt. Suh himself went on to join simultaneously join Caviar and Woolworthy and, later, The Drama. While he was a vital component of all those bands none allowed him the free control of sitting solo in the driver’s seat. So he formed The Assembly a few years ago as an outlet for his own material. After a handful of performances he disbanded the group in order to concentrate on other projects…only to reform with a slightly different line-up late last year.

Chicago is primarily a pop-rock or post-rock town but the Assembly dares to be massive. Big melodies and bigger guitars are thee group’s trademark and their sound is more tailored for the thousands of cheering crowds flooding international music festivals than it is for the small stages of local Chicago clubs but it is a sound rarely heard in this city. The band is obviously influenced by groups like Ash and Suede while also drawing inspiration from The Smashing Pumpkins’ grandiosity (if not that band’s matching pomposity.) The end result is a collection of anthems begging to envelop the listener in a beautiful and precise sonic attack.

The Assembly is performing at The Darkroom tonight. Also on the bill are The Strategy Game and – another band Chicagoist can’t get enough of -- The Ladies & Gentlemen.