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Ambulette Becomes Euphone, Reds and Blues Storm the Stage at the Hideout Tonight

By Sarah Dahnke in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 12, 2007 5:14PM

The number of nontraditional instruments that could potentially hit the stage is reason enough to check out the Euphone/Reds and Blue show at the Hideout tonight.

The show was originally supposed to include soft pop rockers Ambulette as headliners, but last week lead singer Maura Davis announced she would be leaving the band for the rest of their tour (which would end tonight in Chicago) to deal with some family issues. Being a band of versatile musicians, they did some rearranging and decided to finish up the tour without Davis, being billed as Ryan Rapsys' almost-solo outfit, Euphone.

2007_4_12_redsandblue.jpgEuphone has been Rapsys' alter ego for over a decade -- his excuse to pound an organ and a drum set simultaneously while creating intricate rhythms and melodies. His smoky vocals intertwine and weave through the songs at a slower pace than the almost dance-worthy beats. The sheer madness of watching one man doing a full-body freak out on stage to create sounds that it would normally take an entire band to create is nothing less than amazing. Tonight Rapsys will be accompanied on guitar by Ambulette members Matt Clark (also of local drone outfit White/Light) and Stephen Howard.

Openers Reds and Blue are fairly new to the Chicago scene in their current formation, but they have been taking many a stage by storm. The woman-fronted, bassoon-and-flute heavy band may at times be abrasive on the ears, but they're not without heart. Their noir-esque sound wouldn't be out of place in a black-and-white horror movie or a haunted house at a carnival in the middle of Oklahoma. It's no surprise they've opened for similar eyebrow-furrow-inducing outfits such as Don Caballero and Mucca Pazza.

So far we've got an organ, a bassoon and a flute, and the show hasn't even started yet. If some audience members show up with a ukulele and a set of spoons, we're in business.

Photo of Reds and Blue via Reds and Blue.