Netherfriends Does Summer In Chicago

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on May 18, 2012 8:40PM

Shawn Rosenblatt is always on the move. The mastermind behind the solo psych-pop project Netherfriends has been touring for two years now, most recently on his Middle America tour, wandering the states in promotion of his newest album by the same name. But the local troubadour is heading home for summer to collect his thoughts, make some new music, and play a few shows for his Chicago fans.

Along with continually roaming in the name of music, Rosenblatt’s in a constant state of music-making—he puts out a seemingly endless stream of work, both original tracks and remixes. For his latest remix, “Netherfriends Does Summer (part 1)," he blends up The Drifters, Lupe Fiasco, and Billie Holiday into one sultry summer soundtrack. Download it for free through his Soundcloud page.

Rosenblatt will celebrate the new track with a Netherfriends Does Summer DJ set at the Whistler June 7, followed by a handful of other dates at the Whistler throughout summer. But before that, he’ll play a homecoming show at the Empty Bottle May 28. Bonus: all of these shows are free. And unlike some one-man acts that may seem lackluster on stage, Rosenblatt’s lack of a backup band doesn’t harm his performance. Instead, he turns to a sampler, a loop pedal, and a well-situated guitar-keyboard setup, mesmerizing the listener with his methodic manipulation of sound. For an idea of how crazy good this guy is live, here are a couple of videos of Netherfriends performing on a rooftop in St. Louis, MO, for the Show Me Shows series:

Netherfriends plays Monday, May 28 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 9 p.m., free, 21+
And Friday, June 8 at the Whistler, 2421 N Milwaukee, 10 p.m., free, 21+