CONCERT REBREWS: THE TRENCHIES + OK COOL + MINT GREEN + BETTER LOVE @ THE BURLINGTON
Hey folks we’re back with more Concert Rebrews goodness. This music blog thingy has been so much fun we HAD to do another. This time we went to go see Friends of the Pod, OK Cool at the Burlington Bar. Enjoy!
Alright, so, some background knowledge, this show was the Burlington Bar in Logan Square - a fantastic little DIY hole-in-the-wall dive bar type of place. It’s one of Zac’s favorites - we spent like a dollar a beer. It was also Saint Patrick's Day, which we were a little nervous about going out on but the vibes all around were super chill and hella fun.
Alright, so we get to the bar and we kinda hang around, we are legit some of the first people there right at 8:00 o clock. We were super excited. Can't you tell? Anyway, we aren't sure when to go into the venue area, so we grab some wonderful beer pairings at the bar. We end up chatting about podcast stuff a little too much so we miss the first song of The Trenches. @ the trenches if youre reading this I’m so sorry. BUT when we did walk in, lead singer, Logan Ludwig, was hitting us with the most serendipitous lyrics (and pardon the paraphrase if this isn't exact but it should be pretty close) ”If I had a podcast, would you listen?” and to this we said hell yeah dude! Logan please start a podcast and/or come on ours.
After these initial very cool (and Album Rebrews Approved) lyrics, we settled into the show, and man was it a goodie. The band was dreamy and fun and cool during the whole show. Super catchy vocal lines sifted over top and the drummer kept it driving. He was the king of the surfy double snare hit you hear in surf rock bands. The lyrics seemed very very earnest and tactful even, like he was saying exactly what he meant to be saying. We loved the piano sound in the mix for this type of sound, and the keyboard player, who I might add looked like Adam Driver but sexier and with a mustache, gave us some real treats tickling them ivories.
Alright, next we were so stoked for the super cool musicians and podcast guests, OK Cool to come on! They start their first song, and it slaps, of course it does, and we're vibing, of course we are, and I look up to see the second guitar player, who has a slight moment where he drops out from playing his guitar, and immediately goes into the Macaroni, hips movement and everything, and I just really wanted to start with that because it was my favorite moment of the night. Or maybe this past week.
Anyway! Every song OK Cool Played you could really sink your proverbial teeth into. I found myself banging my head the whole time. Haley’s deliciously crafted bass licks kept me in a perpetual groove state that was all-encompassing of time and space. Lead singer, Bridget gave it her all on every syllable, and when she wasn't singing she poured her soul into that fretboard, even when she wasn't even standing up. Which was at least one point in the show.
I’m feeling pretty good, and at one point in the set I remember a time when I played the Burlington and an audience member came up to the stage and bought us PBRs. It was so nice. A complete stranger liked our set and was like “alright they earned it.” So I thought I would pass along the love. Buy more beers for your favorite bands when you're out supporting them. It’s a very nice thing to do. At another point in the night, Bridget announces a song that is “for the girl gays and they’s” and sarah “fucking squealed” - “YEAHH” she said that squealed bit to me verbatim while writing this. I’m pretty sure OK Cool heard that on stage and it was a pretty funny moment.
Next, the 3rd band, Mint Green, came on; they did a quick sound check per usual at a smaller venue. But then they go into a killer start of The Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” which we are just jazzed for, but then the chords get a little wonky, the drums stumble, and the guitar player makes a remark “I never learned this part”. And then Sarah and I are like “We’ve been bamboozled.” They were only sound-checking with “Everlong”. We were deeply saddened. But not for long!
I really enjoy their energy on stage. You could tell they were a touring band and had some shows under their wings. They seemed very nonchalant and just happy to be there. I remember singing along to their cover of “Creep” so much it fogged up my glasses, a true test of a good cover. Fun fact: if you're a daring enough vocalist at the Burlington, you can walk onto the speaker in the front of the stage and quite easily touch the ceiling. Which is an oddly emotional and captivating thing for a lead vocalist to do. I remember when she did it gave a really nice feel to her vocal line that could only happen in a place like The Burlington. Another reason I love it so much. Lastly, they finished up their awesome set for the night and queued up the 1987 Smash Hit, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston, and the whole crowd - Zac and Sarah included- started dancing. This was a very fun and memorable way to end their set and start loading your equipment off stage.
Lastly, we got to hear the band Better Love. And their first song really hit us with some nice guitar work and vocal melody. The first song was super sweet and we wanted to keep dancing to them just like we did to Whitney Houston, and if it sounds like we left after their first song… we did. We’ve got work in the morning. Comedy podcasting doesn't pay like it used to. Super Sorry Better Love! We will get you next time!
Thanks so much for reading this silly little blog thing. Please go check out these bands, and if you want to support them, you can find a their Bandcamp pages via our Bandcamp page here. Just click on the wishlist to see their albums and then give them money for them. If you liked this blog and would like to read more send us over some shows to check out or maybe tell us about your show and we’ll come buy you PBRs too. Much Love! Cheers!
CONCERT REBREWS: THE MILD WEST + MARINA CITY @ JOE’S ON WEED STREET.
Take a look at the first of a new series called Concert ReBrews! Zac here, Album ReBrews co-host and world leader on how to eat spray cheese. We know how much you like the podcast, but it's obvious that what our audience really desires is to experience the same jokes and wit but in a PURELY VISUAL context with ZERO SOUND required. Thus Concert Rebrews, a blog type concert review thing about local Chicago shows. Enjoy!
This was such a wholesome experience all around. The Mild West and Marina City held this event at Joe’s on Weed Street as a benefit concert for the Chicago Special Olympics and helped raise over $2,000! What a bunch of stand-up musicians!
Marina City started the night off right with their flashy dance moves and vocal chops. The only thing perhaps more flashy than frontman Ryan Argast’s vocal chops were his luscious locks. Man, what a good set of hairs on that guy. Also, before I touch on musical quality and performance I have to talk about how good his pants were. If you can sing and dance and perform like Argast can AND pull off a pair of cool stripy pants like that. You’ve got something going for ya.
Alright, enough of that, let's talk about performance. What a dynamic range on this guy. He could belt it wild and full, like a huge booming voice in a cathedral, and then bring it in so softly like he’s explaining the tv remote to his own grandmother. Like… woah… so much control, so much nuance. 10/10 great vocal performance. We can not wait to see him on American Idol this year because he is just going to blow them away. Let’s also talk about the keyboard player Matthew Gaudiano’s vocal harmonies. Like just so ethereal throughout the set. The show would not be the same without him. A much-needed aspect to the Marina City Sound.
Instrumentation was also incredible in this performance. I had not seen Marina City live and I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew the band’s sound was more pop-rock and that of The Neighborhood and the likes, so I wasn't sure if I was going to hear a lot of backing tracks in the mix or if I was going to primarily hear live instrumentation. I think Marina City pulled off the perfect mix of the two, the guitar player's sexy heavy screamy tone was present through the set, and the drummer's groove was impeccable. One thing that always stands out to me in a drummer is how their hi-hat sounds, and Eric Somers-Urrea’s hi-hat technique was clean, crisp, and articulate while doing some crazy flashy stick throws - very cool stuff. And the backing tracks and synth pads were used very tastefully in my opinion, never overshadowing the performance, simply giving a nice background to their sound. All in all an ear-catching performance by the guys in Marina City. Go see them now while you still can get at them in a mid-level venue because it is so totally worth it!
Alright time for the main act: Mild Zach! I mean The Mild West. Actually, this section of the blog is no longer about the performance, Let’s just talk about Mild Zach’s (AKA Zach Wheeler) outfit. Never have I ever seen a hat and sunglasses pair that good. It really blew me away. And those white sneakers, choice. They brought out his fancy footwork almost as much as his fancy guitar work.
BUT back to the topic at hand - This is a super tight band all around with some incredible star players. I was blown away by the show's energy. Lead singer Kylie Bruetman was especially entertaining to watch perform. He did some amazing pirouettes- I get a sense of maybe some ballet in this singer's background. That type of footwork doesn't come from just anywhere. Vocals were top-notch and friendly and catchy - oh GAWD they were catchy. At one point Kylie asks the audience to sing some OH OH OH OH OHHS. Which they did amazingly - the packed house was at their mercy. I helped as well, of course. I was also later singing those beautiful OHS on the way home, in the shower, and in the car, and as I’m writing this one week later. I might die signing those OHs. Which is fine.
The next thing that really caught my attention in the set was the bass player. He was sporting this stellar wooden Warwick-looking 5 (or 6 maybe) string bass and just playing the hell out of it. The underlying groove was so present and palpable it left so much room for the vocals and melodies to soar, AND THEN the bass player also took lead for one song and damn, he killed that too.
I want to finish up this review with possibly the sweetest moment that’s happened to me to date. The band is possibly a third of the way through their set and they bring out a cover, its Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” They kill it. Of course they do. They're professionals. The best moment though was after the second guitar player, Aaron Gordon’s flawless solo the crowd erupts in cheer and the older gentlemen near us taps me on the shoulder, and with the biggest smile I think I may have ever seen, tells me “that’s my son!” Seeing a father that proud was super nice and sentimental, and I think I will always remember that about this show. Good job Aaron, your dad is so stinkin’ proud of you. Such a great concert. I cannot wait to make it out to one of their shows again.
We here at Album Rebrews are big fans of The Mild West; the music and the members, so please go check out their music and their stellar music video for “Shooting Star” shot by our past guest, Max Williams. And if you haven't yet, go check out episode 34 where Mild Zach (AKA Zach Wheeler) takes us through a really great album. Mak sure to Check out Special Olympics Chicago and all the ways you can donate HERE! Until next time, CHEERS!
P.S This post is not sponsored by Goose Island. They were just the only local beer at Joe’s to pair with these local bands.