Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Benefit Line-up Is Scary Good

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 30, 2009 5:20PM

The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir are on the road to recovery after their horrific van crash last month, but they still have mountains of hospital bill to tackle, and much of their gear needs to be replaced. So a number of the band's friends are getting together tomorrow night at Subterranean to play, celebrate life, and raise money for The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir.

The line-up is incredibly eclectic, showing just how far and wide the band's relationships across the Chicago music scene reach. It's a deeply weird bill, in a really good way. We've long appreciated line-ups that throw different bands together in a way that allows divergent musical styles to rub against each other and introduce fans of one to the others. We also appreciate bills that seem to take a narrative approach, allowing each band to flow organically into the next, allowing for subtle shifts in mood to create something more interesting than three bands that sound exactly alike playing one right after the other.

The show starts off with Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers playing traditional Irish tunes with an aggressive edge. It's the kind of party music best appreciated whilst swinging a mug in the air. Following them are orch-poppers Canasta, the band probably closest stylistically to The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. Following them are scene stalwarts The New Duncan Imperials. Expect lots of velour and kitschy tunes delivered on sturdy blue collar rock. We're told that members off The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir will also be playing with various combinations of the aforementioned ensembles.

Now all that alone would make for a pretty great show, full of yucks and tears and cheers, but expect all stops to bee pulled when BBU -- short for Bin Laden Blowin' Up -- hits the stage. The hip-hop trio's "Chi Don't Dance" was one of THE summer jams, and their live show has a history of being explosive. Their good-time backing tracks contrast sharply with their primarily political lyrics, but much like Public Enemy before them, they believe you can have a good time while expanding your mind.

Can't make it to the show, but still want to help support the band? Then hit up their PayPal donation page.

The benefit show is tomorrow night, October 31, at Subterranean, 2011 W North, 8:30 p.m., $10, 17+