This Week in Shows: Local Natives Yeah!!!!

I cant think of a better way to get excited about Friday's show than this great video by the boys of Silver Lake for their single, "World News". The band will be at Schuba's Tavern on Friday for a double header with openers, Suckers setting the tone for both sold out performances. It's the perfect match of East Coast/West Coast upcoming buzz bands, I will be shooting STAL ( Scene Through A Lens) sessions of both bands throughout the day for Indie Rock Reviews. The week begins at sister venue, Lincoln Hall where Freelance Whales return to Chicago for what seems their monthly visit opening for the Shout Out Louds. The former Three Penny Space, will be hosting an evening of film Tuesday with the double feature of Wes Anderson classics, Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums. Saturday is a toss up evening as one could return to LH for Plants and Animals or over to the Empty Bottle for Greg Laswell

Freelance Whales/Shout Out Louds

Local Natives/Suckers

Greg Laswell

Plants and Animals

A Grand Introduction of Lawrence Arabia-Lincoln Hall, Chicago, 4.7.10

With much intrigue, I arrive early to catch the opener New Zealander, Lawrence Arabia. The stage is filled with five bearded men playing in a gritty bluesy rock fashion, harmonizing and complimenting Lawrence's tender and warm hearted vocals. Psychedelic black lights flash as the guys shudder around playing with intensity a full-bodied guitar rock. His lyrics a personal recounting of experiences pleasant and forgettable maneuvering the set's overall tonality through an array of emotions varying from jovial, sentimental and bitterly nostalgic. Romanticism gushes from stage in the grand caribbeanesque “Aukland CBD Part 2”, as Lawrence smoothly croons the crowd of former love. He cynically notes another dream related song, softly singing in a Buddy Holly fashion slowly unraveling his adolescent fantasies.

His prime ministers compliments him in harmonic style returning to a higher tempo with a beachy melody as smoke rises and the tambourine clatters. The band playfully jests with the venue's fog machine controller, beckoning a spray then quickly proclaiming too much. There is an overall pleasant way of their sound, familiarly blending past eras in a poppy singalong aesthetic as though offspring of Sgt. Pepper. His music an orchestral retelling of lost love letters of life leaving a certain Joie de Vivre in the air. Thanking the crowd and Fanfarlo once more before singing their final melody; a playful song of the pleasantries surrounding a beach environ. Stalling with the echoing sonorous do das before ultimately deconstructing in a dissonance of sound and a fog of the smoke machine.

Lawrence Arabia

This Week in Shows: A Preview of Austin

Inspired from image by Sebastian Kim

With one week until I head down to the warm weather Austin has to offer; I can't help not getting excited for a nice preview of some of the bands making their trek to SXSW.

Wednesday, March 10: Turbo Fruits and Surfer Blood will be playing Schuba's Tavern

Thursday, March 11: We Were Promised Jetpacks and The Lonely Forest make their first visit to Lincoln Hall

Friday, March 12: (Above painted) Vivian Girls head over to the Subterranean.

Saturday, March 13: Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore will play Schuba's Tavern

Aside from final planning and packing this should be a fun yet busy week.

Tomorrow Never Knows 2010 Day 1: Adam Green, Linoln Hall, 1.13.10

Arriving for the tail end of opener's The Dead Trees' set, whom from the audience's response were pleasing enough for requests for more music. It was quickly noted they would be returning to stage as Adam Green's band for the evening. Tonight's crowd is decent, but seeming to gradually trickle in for the opening evening of this year's Tomorrow Never Knows as Schuba's Tavern get a helping hand from their newest venue, Lincoln Hall. There is chatter all around and beverages are ordered and the room begins to fill up as The Dead Trees return to stage gearing up for the next performance. They begin quietly strumming the first chords and Adam creeps out from stage right, shirtless and donning a pilot's flight jacket with a beer bottle in hand. In a truly shagadelic fashion he begins jumping and dancing about stage, as he begins his lonely hearted crooning lyrics with a blank stare and drunken grin.

He greets the crowd in a warm friendly manner, peering out above the audience's heads exhibiting his inebriation. His stage persona continues to create new and innovative ways to dance along with his music, almost forgetting at times he was not alone on stage. Triumphantly announcing his renewed desire to return to touring jesting about some ridiculous reasoning behind his previous decision to reject touring, and a brief break he said he would rather not speak of. Adam casually jokes about world perspectives and his aspirations to still be performing a decade from now,wondering if the audience would still attend. Adam flails and jiggles about, belting out songs in his baritone lined octave while exasperation is exuded between verses through heavy breathing and slouching over. "Cant be witty, gotta be honest"was something Adam mentioned during one of his many comic reliefs throughout his set prior to his Jessica Simpson inspired melody and resonated as there is a certain honesty seen in his performance.

The music is stripped down, and Adam seemed to display himself on stage as opposed to some flashy light show. He bares his soul (or his chest..in this matter)singing softly of Jessica's fraudulent attempts to pursue a music career. Pouring water overhead, Adam partners up with his jacket shaking it about, gloatingly inventing alternate methods of shaking his body. Bringing his set to an end, he beseeches from the crowd the possibility of one crowd surf, who generously abide. A fitting action for a chorus he belches, " Baby's gonna be alright"; finally waving and walking off stage his jacket in hand.

Chicago Hosts An Amazing Week of Exciting Music

This evening kicks off what will be probably one of the final full weeks of bands either established or are emerging bright stars on the horizon of what's to come in the next year.

Monday:

To begin the week's festivities I recommend everyone to make their way to Schuba's Tavern for what I can expect to be and energetic and creatively enthralling performance from recent CMJ favorites, Fanfarlo and Freelance Whales.

Tuesday:

Now that everyone's blood is pumping, this evening's pick takes listeners to the Schuba's new venue taking residence in the old Three Penny Theater, Lincoln Hall. Featured on the evening's line up are another CMJer, Surfer Blood, who are opening for the established Art Brut exciting everyone about their newest release.

Wednesday-Friday

Beginning a three night stand, Schuba's will host, The Walkmen (not to mention, their openers White Rabbits). They will be appearing at both of the fore mentioned venues. The evening at Schuba's is sold out celebrating the venue's 20h anniversary; but I do believe tickets are still available for the Lincoln Hall nights. Thursday is definitely the most difficult in my opinion of options of which show would be preferable. The Walkmen will most definitely be finding a level of comfortability, this being their second evening in Chicago. The Swedish trio Peter, Bjorn & John will be nearyby at The Metro . On the West side, at the Empty Bottle the much buzzed about bands Girls and Real Estate are playing what should be an impressively intoxicating show. Friday does not make choices any easier, unless at this point everyone has had the opportunity to see the Walkmen. The Dirty Projectors will be appearing at the Bottom Lounge, while back at the Empty Bottle Girls return for a second evening this time with local up-and-comers The Smith Westerns.

Sunday

After taking a breather Saturday night, I suggest you make the best of the weekend and down to the South Loop, to Reggies Music Joint to check out Miles Benjamin Anthony, who is supporting his excellent sophomore release, Summer of Fear. He is currently touring with These Unites States, who are making a pretty big splash themselves in the music scene; with their heavy hitting American balladeering.

If for some reason your week is already booked up, and for whatever reason you can't make it out *cough wuss cough* check out the links below, everyone of the above mentioned artists deserves a full listen.

Fanfarlo

Freelance Whales

Surfer Blood

The Walkmen

White Rabbits

Peter, Bjorn & John

Girls

Real Estate

The Smith Westerns

Dirty Projectors

Miles Benjamin Anthony

These United States