ReViewed: Prototypes at Schuba's

By Julene McCoy in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 13, 2007 4:34PM

Last night we didn’t get the chance to see how sexy is making a comeback, but we did see what confidence and a sense of fun will get you, in an energetic set by France’s Prototypes. We never thought we’d hear this come out of our mouths, but it’s time to check out a band from France.

When Isabelle Le Doussal was casually wandering around Schubas last night before her band’s set, we had no idea that when she walked out on stage and out of her leopard-print coat that she would start the night off with the cojones of Joan Jett. It only took a couple of songs before the Prototypes had the crowd dancing and cheering with reckless abandon. The songs, mainly in French, except for an English word here or there, allowed us to really concentrate on the beat, samples and amazing riffs that ranged from ’60s style handclaps to Smiths-style looping guitar and everything else in between (there was cowbell). We could not have stood still if we tried.

The energy in the room was palpable, providing its own feedback loop between the crowd and the band. Every once in a while one of the band members would let us know what a song was about in cautious English: “This is a stupid song about birds,” or “We were going to play the next track, but want to play this for someone here.” For the most part, we enjoyed not knowing what the songs are about and their French attitude. (It wasn’t like being at a Rammstein show where you stop to wonder, what exactly am I shouting while raising my fist in the air?)

What mattered was that we knew that their mix of synth, guitar and bass is going to be making us unabashedly dance down the street for some time to come. The Prototypes are on our must-see list the next time they come through Chicago. Well, that’s tonight at Funky Buddha, according to the band’s MySpace page — we don’t have to wait long.