review by Ali Weiss
photos by Karla Svatos

It was the perfect storm. First you’ve got charismatic soul outfit JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, easily one of Chicago’s top indie bands. And they’re just the opening act. For whom? How about two immensely popular underground hip hop / soul acts from the nearby suburb of Ann Arbor, MI. Thanks to Buff1, 14KT and headliner Mayer Hawthorne and the County, we spotted plenty of Tigers gear in the house (way to rub it in, visitors!) and darkroom remained SRO for all bands. All advance tickets sold out two days before the show, a first for Equalizer, and people lined up down the block in the rain to pay at the door.

Resident DJ Johnny Kesh relinquished the turntables for this Equalizer, leaving local it up to capable DJ’s Trew and Risk to keep soul theme going in between the live sets. Some swear they saw Kesh in the crowd, but maybe that was the heat playing tricks on us. Yes, it bears mentioning that the room got sticky-icky hot with all the bodies, but that only increased the soul-club vibe (we didn’t have to dance onstage in a three-piece suit).

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound’s mix of star-quality presence and musical precision kept club goers either dancing or just staring in slack-jawed awe. In addition to Brooks’s scary-strong vocal range, the singer’s also quite the comedian. In one “soul talk” break, he asked the crowd if they’ve ever felt trapped in a relationship. To paraphrase: “You almost wish the relationship police would stop you and say, ‘Excuse me, sir, but you were doing Happily-Ever-After in a Let’s-See-How-It-Goes zone.’” Plenty of little gems like that helped push the show over the edge from great to unforgettable.

And then there’s the Wilco song. The Uptown Sound’s blazing rendition of “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” stands on par with cross-genre covers like Johnny Cash’s reboot of “Hurt.” We must shout out to guitarist Billy Bungeroth for the arrangement, which elevates Wilco’s moving toy piano notes to a cathartic brass line.

We wouldn’t want to sing happy birthday to a deaf rabbit after Brooks had performed. Luckily for Buff1, he raps. And that he did, tearing down the hand-waving house from his perch on the amps at the edge of the stage. He free-styled, bantered, and revved up the crowd for his fellow A-Side Worldwide artist Mayer Hawthorne. He performed songs off his new album, There’s Only One, but the set retained a raw, bare bones feel, where the flow and lyrics took precedence over re-creating a recorded hit. That said, Buff1 does have hits with his fans, and the packed crowd could be heard rapping along with a lot of the set.

For those of us taking a breather on the sofas in the back of darkroom, Mayer Hawthorne’s entrance beyond a sea of bodies almost took us by surprise. But thanks to a classy Ed McMahon intro, the crowd rose to its feet as the man of the hour took the stage in his signature suit and black-rimmed glasses. Hawthorne began the set with his two new singles, “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” and “Maybe So, Maybe No.” His falsetto croon in the former number played well live, and Hawthorne’s unapologetically imperfect vocals are part of his charm. He’s not claiming to approach the Otis Redding-level singing of someone like Brooks. Rather, he has an ear for soul music, writes plenty of great songs and uses his hip hop roots and crate-digging sensibilities to create a smooth, catchy sound.

Hawthorne played almost every instrument on his soul album, A Strange Arrangement, and still his band owns the music as they play. “The County” were tight, and they were game for improvisation too. After two songs, Hawthorne decided to “mix it up” and asked his band to riff on a variety of genres until settling on reggae; this led to a mini “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” reprise to a dance hall beat. Hawthorne mixed in some rapping of his own (remember, he started in hip hop before venturing into soul, initially as a joke) and his playful, relaxed delivery gives off the same carefree vibe as his singing. He also won our vote for smoothest sales pitch by assuring the men in the crowd that no lady can resist a man with a red, heart-shaped 7-inch.)

It was an Equalizer for the books, with old-school vibes in the air and vinyl on both the merch tables and turntables. We emerged from the steamy darkroom wanting for nothing, except maybe a ‘63 Cadillac to take us home.

Equalizer happens every final Friday at darkroom in Chicago, sponsored by KEXP and 312unes. A video of the September 25 show is in the works, and fans may subscribe to the KEXP Chicago Posse’s Youtube channel to get notified as soon as it’s up.

by Ali Weiss

This Friday night, 9/25, at darkroom bar, KEXP’s monthly Equalizer Chicago showcase packs soul bands, hip-hop artists and local DJs into an overall dance party line-up. Here’s a look at the players.

L.A.-based headliners Mayer Hawthorne & The County blend retro Motown with a modern, hip hop influence. Hawthorne hails from Ann Arbor, MI, and got his start in hip hop before writing a few soul songs on the side; he didn’t take them seriously until Stones Throw label founder Peanut Butter Wolf heard the music and asked for a whole album. Hawthorne describes the sound as “equal parts J Dilla and Smokey Robinson,” and recent live covers include M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.” Here’s a video for “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” a heart-shaped 7″ off the Strange Arrangements album:

Appearing as Hawthorne’s special guests are fellow Michigan natives and A-Side Worldwide artists Buff1 and 14KT, both veterans of the Ann Arbor-based hip hop collective the Athletic Mic League (AML). Buff1, who joined Hawthorne on URB Magazine’s “Next 100″ list this year, will take the mic, as 14KT DJs. URB praised Buff 1’s second and latest solo album, There’s Only One, as “silky soul,” and compared the rapper’s delivery to Nas with a “subtle Andre 3000-esque tint.” Okayplayer called producer 14KT’s debut solo album, The Golden Hour, “the sort of striking project that can singlehandedly create an artist’s following.” The Here’s a look at Buff 1’s “Beat the Speakers Up,” the first single off the There’s Only One:

Like Hawthorne’s outfit, Chicago indie band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound infuses classic soul with a contemporary twist. But in this case, that updated flavor leans toward post-punk — they’ve compared themselves to “Otis Redding fronting the Stooges.” An example of this mix is “Baltimore is the New Brooklyn,” which blends current, hipster-analogy lyrics with a classic sound straight from the 60’s. Given Brooks’s incredible vocals, the band’s garage-to-Motown versatility and the growing local fan base, it’s no wonder the Chicago Tribune has hailed JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound as “the real deal.” Here’s an ever-so-Chicago cover the band performed at the Do Division Festival in May:

And on top of all that, Chicago DJ’s Trew and Risk spin between sets, leaving absolutely no reason to sit down or stand still during the evening, ever. If you’re anywhere near Chi, this is your must-see event for Friday night. If not, stay tuned for our wrap-up here and clips at the KEXP Chicago Posse’s Youtube channel.

Details:
KEXP Equalizer Chicago
darkroom bar
2210 W Chicago Ave (Leavitt)
Friday 9/25
Doors @ 9 / 21+
Mayer Hawthorne & The County
Buff 1 & 14kt
JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound
DJ’s Trew and Risk
$10 advance / 12 door (tix @ www.darkroombar.com)
312 beer specials
Sponsored by KEXP and 312unes

Friday night’s Equalizer featured an all-Chicago, heavily electronic line-up, with a mix of glam, post punk, techno beats and the Mario Brothers.

First, The Atari Ferrari spinned a DJ set consisting of, as their name would suggest, pimped-out remixes of the 8-bit video game sounds of yore. Jackie Sestak of the KEXP Chicago Posse talked to the trio before (and a little bit during) their set:

As the Nintendo-pop filled darkroom, Clique Talk frontman JD Chrome donned his performance outfit, a sequined gold jacket and some Tommy Gnosis-esque face paint. Check out live clips below and here.

Electronica artists Charlie Deets headlined the evening with a charismatic show that included male back-up dancers. When interviewed, it would appear Mr. Deets doesn’t speak; he has people who handle that, and sometimes those people are topless. When it comes to making sound, Deets saves it for the stage:

Equalizer Chicago happens every final Friday at darkroom bar in Chicago. Sponsored KEXP and 312unes.

Local bands Elev8tor, ODE and The Grace Lincoln Project played the monthly KEXP Equalizer Chicago at darkroom on Friday. Headliners Elev8tor played a variety of their downtempo and breakbeat music, added a guest vocalist and threw in a cover of the Beastie Boys’ instrumental “Ricki’s Theme.”

For this re-cap, we decided to go behind the scenes and speak with Stefania Rudd of the KEXP Chicago Posse, the group that supports Equalizer and other KEXP-related events here in the windy city. You can usually find Stefania at the KEXP table during Equalizer, getting names on the mailing list or handing out swag. Here’s what she had to say about KEXP, Chicago and Equalizer, which turned two years old this summer.

Ali: What were some highlights of performances Friday night?
Stefania Rudd: Some of the highlights for me included the singer of The Grace Lincoln Project’s voice. She’s the pretty sweet looking girl then she got on stage and just belted it out. Her voice was amazing like Duffy. I also thought ODE was a pretty solid band, part DeVotchKa and part Beirut. Elev8tor sounded very polished. There were several times I had to look at the stage to remind me that they were playing and it wasn’t music from the DJ booth.

How did u get involved with KEXP and Equalizer?
I started getting involved in October of 2007. John Richards and Cheryl Waters were out here for a week broadcasting live from Engine Studios, due to Chicago winning their city-to-city challenge during a pledge drive. I volunteered to help out one day and that is when I met Tobias Cortese, the main organizer of the KEXP Chicago Posse. That night there was a member appreciation happy hour followed by Equalizer at darkroom. I got to know Cheryl, John, and another DJ, Shannon. I had such a good time and really wanted to play a bigger part in the Chicago-KEXP scene. I told Tobias that I was willing to help out even more, and from that point on I had a role.

Why does a Seattle radio station have an event in Chicago? What’s the connection between the Chicago scene and KEXP?
Outside of Seattle, Chicago has one of the largest listenerships of the station. With it streaming online 24/7 and playing a variety of music from indie, to alt-country, to grunge to world music to electronica, it is easy to find something you will like. And because it’s public radio, anyone can be a member of the station and support it. I think people in Chicago, just like people in other cities that listen to the station, have a connection with not only the music but with the on-air personalities.

Every morning John Richards broadcasts from NYC [where KEXP is on the dial]. Most major cities have a street team/posse. NYC, Austin, and San Francisco do events similar to our Equalizer. KEXP also has a presence at SXSW and other music festivals. In 2008, they were a Pitchfork sponsor. KEXP also is supportive of out Chicago acts. They play Chicago artists on their station. For example, “I Never Thought I Could Feel This Way For A Boy” by The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir is featured on KEXP’s Live At KEXP Volume 4.

What’s your role at Equalizers?
I promote the shows via our KEXP Chicago Posse listserv. We are also getting started up on more social networking sites. At the show I’m at the KEXP table giving out free swag (button, stickers, magnets, postcards, posters) and answering questions about the station. Just general promotion.

We get a good mix of people at the show, those who know it is an Equalizer show and come because they know a good band will be playing, or those who are there for the band and then see that it is an Equalizer show. It’s also great when someone comes up to the table to compliment the station and say they have been a listener for years. You see this light in their eyes — a genuine excitement that KEXP has a presence in their city. You especially see this with people who lived in Seattle at some point.

Any specific things you want to tell us about the bands that played the July event? Had you heard them before?
I had actually not heard any of them before. Arunas Ingaunis (manager/booker of darkroom) is normally the one who books the bands for the show. There are times when I will suggest someone or send him a manager’s contact info, but he’s the main guy in charge of booking. He has been with Equalizer from the start and also works with staff at KEXP. Overall, the bands this month were solid. They all had different styles, but as a show from start to finish it worked. Good music is good music, no matter what the genre.

Elev8tor:

ODE:

The Grace Lincoln Project:

It’s almost the final Friday of July, and Chicago music fans know what that means: another installment of KEXP Equalizer Chicago, the monthly indie music showcase at darkroom bar.

If you’re in Chicago this weekend, be sure to check out this month’s bands. Chicago-based breakbeat / dub trio Elev8tor headlines, joined by Ode and The Grace Lincoln Project. DJ Johnny Kesh spins between sets.

Equalizer is sponsored by KEXP.ORG and 312unes.com.

KEXP Equalizer Chicago
Friday, July 31
darkroom bar
2210 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
Doors at 9pm
$10 cover

myspace.com/kexpequalizer
youtube.com/kexpchicagoposse

by Ali Weiss
photos by Karla Svatos

Chicago music fans packed darkroom Friday night for the June installment of KEXP Equalizer. Local bands The Midnight Shows and Blane Fonda joined Robbers, on tour from Long Island, New York.

Robbers opened things up. In a sportsmanlike example of “the show must go on,” band members played the entire set without their drummer, who we’re told unexpectedly left the tour at the last minute. “We’re making the best of it,” said the young rockers from the stage, in a moment that tugged at the heartstrings like when Peter Brady had to perform his magic show without Cindy.

But let’s focus on the bright side. Drums are great, but we’ve all had moments of wondering what a live show might sound like if we could just silence the noisy little bastards. So Robbers got their chance to experience that interesting, if inadvertent, little experiment. The vocalists, three electric guitars and bass enjoyed their moment in the limelight, revealing an almost Neil Young-esque folk sound from an otherwise post-punk, ambient band. The musicians held the rhythm together, which must have posed a challenge without any percussion, while the chords and lyrics stood out.

Robbers will be back in Chicago for an already sold-out show at Subterranean on July 7, perhaps with a drummer in tow. In the mean time, we recommend checking out the band’s haunting new EP, Flesh.

As Robbers unloaded their gear, some of us pondered the boat captain’s hat on a guy near the stage: “Pride? Or ironic yacht rock?” It being Gay Pride weekend in Chicago, hat interpretation had become tough call. But soon enough, the headgear’s role became clear. Blane Fonda’s frontman Mark Wetzel made his way to the stage in tinted shades, a hood and some sort of Rasta-ish wig. An above-average number of mini-dress wearers began to congregate. Finally, that guy in the yacht hat, Matt Witt, took his post behind the keyboard and picked up his trumpet. This was neither an ironic hat nor a Pride hat (not that there’d be anything wrong with that). It was clearly a party hat.

Recently formed by members of the critically acclaimed Sapiens, Blane Fonda already boasts a strong fan base for a new band. Wetzel especially reveled in the warm greeting at darkroom, pulling well-received rock star shenanigans like shouting “Spring break!” and stage diving. His deep, goth voice mixed with the band’s synth beats and brass for a sound ranging from Bowie to Bloc Party. Fans at it up, hurling each other in the air and engulfing the stage. Blane Fonda left its audience with catchy tunes in their heads, smiles on their faces and, in several cases, phone numbers in their handbags.

That’s a hard act to follow, but DJ Johnny Kesh kept up the party atmosphere with tracks by Electric Six and The Cure, perhaps in homage to what we’d just heard.

Then it was time for something completely different. There’d been no question as to the meaning of the fedoras in the crowd all night: Those hats were pure soul. The Midnight Shows headlined the evening with a blast of Motown-infused songs. Funky bass lines, Rudy Montclare’s raunchy lead vocals and sassy back-up singers made for a toe-tapping set. The act even prompted a spinning hippie in the crowd, who swirled happily around in short-shorts as though finding religion. This fun spectacle, combined with The Midnight Shows’ energy, kept the people dancing late into the evening.

Chalk it up to another job well done for Equalizer, which turns two years old next month. The event happens every final Friday at Chicago’s darkroom. Watch video recaps on Equalizer’s YouTube channel.

It’s all wrapped up in this video of the event, featuring band interviews and live performance clips. Lasers and Fast and Shit spill the story behind “Lemon Bar”; The Whore Moans reveal their celebrity following; El Ten Eleven offer predictions for their upcoming fourth album; and Metavari shout out to Muxtape — heard of it? It seems you will.

KEXP Equalizer Chicago features local and touring indie rock every final Friday at darkroom.

The next event is May 29th featuring:
Milk at Midnight
Panther Style
Maudlin
DJ Johnny Kesh

Doors at 9pm, $8 adv / $10 at door.
darkroombar.com
Chicago, IL

photos by Karla Svatos

Greetings from the Windy City, where folks stream KEXP like suckling puppies and darkroom bar hosts the KEXP Equalizer Chicago indie rock showcase every month.

Sorry we’ve been out of touch lately. For one thing, our event host and blogger Mike “-y Dance Panther” Turner moved away, to Seattle in fact, in October. Then on top of that loss, we just got really busy around here — you know, partying for presidents and ousting governors and stuff. Yet through it all, Equalizer has raged on, switching from first Thursdays to final Fridays to amp up the party abilities of its guests.

We can’t imagine a better Equalizer than April’s for the return of this recap. Friday night marked an historic moment in Chicago-Seattle rock relations. Your people sent us missives known as The Whore Moans. Our people rocked, nodded thoughtfully, then saw the awesome band name and raised you one local outfit: Lasers and Fast and Shit. And the people rocked some more.

But the battle of the band-names is only half the story. Cleansing the palate and stirring the senses before the punk/hardcore bands were, respectively, Metavari and El Ten Eleven – both experimental, instrumental bands who’ve shared a bill before. It made for a loud-quiet-loud checkerboard of a lineup; when heads weren’t banging, they were nodding with enthusiasm. And DJ Johnny Kesh allowed no dead air in the night, kicking in just the right jams at just the right on time — like, with the last note each band played.

Metavari were the first to take the stage. The Indiana threesome’s combination of video projections, introspective chords, sampled beats and climaxing orchestrations wrapped darkroom in a dreamlike blanket. Many stood gazing at the musicians; some took advantage of the comfy booths and let their work-week cares melt away with each chord. In June, Metavari releases its debut LP, Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise. Sounds like an invitation from aliens to enter a magical planet of light and good vibes; based their show, it is.

When our video producer Jackie Sestak returned from her interview with The Whore Moans, she told me one thing: “They dedicate this show to the Baldwin brothers.” It was then that we heard the screams. The Whore Moans dished out their good their old-fashioned style of punk rock — relentless riffs, stage antics aplenty, and a pair of vocalists who can channel Sid and Joey. The Whore Moans are currently on a coast-to-coast tour (with intros like “this song’s about drinking wine and sleeping on couches,” you can tell) in support of Hello From Radio Wasteland! , which made “Fricke’s Picks” in the Rolling Stone. They made the most of this stop in our town, with a high-energy show for a packed room.

And then came El Ten Eleven. The Los Angeles duo features one drummer and one… one-man orchestra. Kristian Dunn began the set equipped only with a bass. He established a simple hook. Then we watched in awe as he used a series of foot pedals to create and play sample after sample, until the layers — along with Tim Fogarty’s acoustic and electric drums — built to a whirlwind of intense, fuzz-bass-heavy electronica. And that was just the regular bass; you should see what he does with a double-neck. “Play for another hour!” yelled one fan when El Ten Eleven agreed to play an encore. “I don’t think the next band would appreciate that,” said Kristian. The moment captured a low-key humility one might not expect from a multitasking virtuoso.

By the time headliners Lasers and Fast and Shit took the stage, it was well past midnight. And I gotta admit I was getting tired. But I say this only to highlight a simple fact: Lasers and Fast and Shit stops potential yawning in its tracks. Had they played on the heels of Whore Moans, this Chicago foursome’s eclectic brand of hardcore might have been too much too soon. But in their now-for-something-completely-different position after El Ten Eleven — and in their ill-fitting vintage plaid pants — Lasers and Fast and Shit came as a welcome punch in the face to send us off to dreamland happy. Lasers and Fast and Shit are what might happen if you distilled the very essence of the 80’s New York hardcore scene and cast it in a Judd Apatow movie. These guys combine technical precision with relentless pace and some damn funny lyrics delivered in earnest deadpan. A randomly flashing grid of naked white bulbs behind the drumset completes the sensory assault with a sort of Armageddon-chic aesthetic. Though I live in Chicago this was my first encounter with — please let me say it one more time — Lasers and Fast and Shit. It won’t be my last.

And there our recap ends. But check back and stay tuned, because we’re making a video! Featuring band interviews and performance clips, it will appear on the blog within the next week or so.

KEXP Equalizer Chicago occurs at darkroom every final Friday of the month.

Ali Weiss lives in Chicago. She writes for cheekychicago.com and edits videos for various media companies and artists. The videos she has worked on for KEXP Equalizer Chicago can be found at Youtube.com/kexpchicagoposse.

by Michael Turner
photos by Laura Gray

Hey there, music fans! Can I call ya Joe? Gosh jeepers, that’d be grrreat! Let’s get started then! Skip, sparkle, wink. And so it was that on the eve of the vice presidential debate last Thursday, October 2nd Equalizer brought fourth upon this continent a new line-up. T’was a line-up conceived by darkroom and KEXP Seattle and dedicated to the proposition that all music is NOT created equal and that some of the particularly kick-ass stuff deserves a special platform in this town. Furthermore, if this platform is to be sponsored by The Onion and 312unes.com then all the better. Elephant Gun, Grammar and Takka Takka all valiantly gave their performances last Thursday night so that this music scene might live, united and free (well, at least cheep). It is altogether fitting and proper that they did so.

Yep, as is usually the case in Chicago, October’s Equalizer fell on a pretty busy night. Between the Cubs playoff game and the season premier of Joe Rogan’s Fear Factor — Oops! I mean the VP debates (sorry, I get confused with all the barfing) it looked like Equalizer had the makings of a perfect storm of a suckey night in indie-town. But nay, my friends, t’was not so! As doors opened at darkroom, its murky gloom was off-set by the flicker of a giant projection screen centered over the stage displaying the arguments of two inert talking balloon animals who may one day over-see special task forces for low priority government agencies which do things that no one knows or cares about. Yet, like a hipster magnet the large sparkling surface drew them threw the door one by one and two by two and ever closer the evening’s destiny of rock!

The sounds of the newly released Live at KEXP Volume Four in studio performances became the soundtrack to the battle charade of the blue blazers and effectively spared us the competing sounds of grating “folksy-ness” or droning stream of consciousness ramblings. Most in the room stood motionless like zombies for the duration trying to keep from getting dizzy by following the closed captioning. Ironically the debate ended and the credits rolled in perfect time with the final track on the KEXP disc — Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to A Town” with his apropos refrain: “I’m going to a place where everyone has been let down. I’m so tired of you America…” repeating in an uncharacteristically quiet darkroom.

But no sooner had the giant screen snapped back up inside its hanging receptacle and the stage lights flashed on then Elephant Gun leapt into action with all 100 of their members (or so it seemed) and shook the stillness loudly to pieces. With an instant cacophony of horns, strings, and gadgety percussion devices along side traditional rock instruments — guitars, drums bass, keys, Elephant Gun played a frenzied 35 minute set that smacked any of the residual bad taste from the debate right out of everyone’s mouth and reminded us all what we came here to do.

A collection of musicians from Elgin, IL, and Chicago, Elephant Gun sound like what I might imagine to hear in a bar brawl between the Minute Men, the Polyphonic Spree and John Philip Sousa. I happen to be a fan of all three of those artists so that is a complement. Anyone familiar with their new album “KP” which they recently self released might be a little shocked to see how much they step up the intensity level in their live performance but in my experience that is almost always preferable to the other way around.

Well, good ol’ DJ Mikey Dance Panther had his work cut out for himself last week I tell ya what… Ever the conniving spotlight whore, I think MDP knew he would get a run for his money when it was announced that Grammar would be performing. Besides having one of the most accomplished and well known rhythm sections in Chicago featuring Dan Moulder (Free Space, Cracklin’ Moth, Tom Schraeder, Moxie Motive), P. Griffin Baron (Atlantic Divide, Alison Breitman, Cracklin’ Moth), John Sarmiento (Snd on Snd) and the infamous Lizz Kannenberg of Snd on Snd and “Lizzbo” converting fame*, it is well known that Grammar frontman Brent Pulse is a dapper, dapper gentleman, rarely to be out dressed.

You see, the thing about physically beautiful — nearly perfect people like MDP is that they often become quite un-nerved when they are confronted with a beauty that threatens to rival their own. It was clear on this night that Mikey did not intend to let that happen. But as MDP took the stage in his finest… um, finery to introduce Grammar to their throng of adoring fans he was visibly shaken to be stepping into this mental coliseum of his own design to be judged on points of ever so precious style by no one but his own wildly out of control ego — like a gladiator of narcissism preparing for battle. Gasp! They both wore vests… Mr. Pulse had seen and raised the panther at every detail! Tie, check. Striking yet uncommon top coat, check. Ruggedly chiseled features with seemingly unintentional day old stubble, check and mate. The bastard!

Mikey grasped at straws as he awkwardly lingered on stage offering terse and inappropriate pseudo accolades to various band members; the impressively exhausting length of P. Griffin Baron’s name and the resurgence of the “testicle issue” for example, Lizz’s relationship status, Dan’s fantastic piano skills but possible communist connections or at least closet hippie-dom. MDP was beginning to crack. He wanted to rush at Brent as he tuned his stupid guitar and tear his beautiful perfectly selected clothes to tatters but he couldn’t… no, then they would all know. And no one must ever know…so he would welcome them… yes, he welcomed and introduced them with a smile but with eyes that betrayed his mouth’s benevolence and then he receded into the shadows.

Grammar are pros. I’m stating it here if you hadn’t guessed by the litany of accomplished projects following each of their names above. All of them have played Equalizer in different groups before with the exception of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brent Pulse. Pulse has been laying low for a couple of years to work on writing and recording; playing the occasional but rare show since his departure from the acclaimed Bumpus with Rachael Yamagata. Grammar is certainly a collaborative effort but it seems to draw its primary creative juice from Pulse’s well-regarded solo material, ratcheting up the energy to his dreamy lo-fi bedroom pop a few notches. The Formula works, but I’m a sucker for a song that can stand on it’s own with nothing more than a guitar or a piano. When you can take that same song and throw a band behind it without destroying the original nuance and in fact add a dimension then you know you’ve really got something. I also like watching musicians trade gear on stage, I think it keeps things fresh and Pulse has the chops to pull it off. Brent, don’t worry, I’ll do my best to keep those photos of you playing the flute out of Mikey Dance Panther’s hands. They wont end up on gayornot.com on my watch buddy!

All the way from Brooklyn New York came the main and final event of the evening. Takka Takka should be fairly familiar to most KEXP listeners by now earning some fairly regular spins of late from their new record “Migration.” Takka Takka has been building quite a bit of steam with this release and earning solid positive reviews from Spin, The New York Times, Time Out, New York Magazine and even the merchants of snark themselves Pitchfork who gave the new record a 7.2. Anyone familiar with Pitchfork knows that squeezing more than a 5-point rating out of the online alpha-hipster is no easy feat.

Takka Takka didn’t disappoint. They commanded the stage and demanded attention and darkroom succumbed willingly to their intense but whispery neo-psychedelic chimes and melodic wo-pop daydreams. Singer Guitarist Gabe Levine has a quite passion about him that looms larger than his slight bespectacled person when he performs. As any great band should do Takka puts you into a time warp when they play. You find yourself surround with and penetrated by the music to a degree that it is the only possible focus, and when it’s over you feel like it had only just started and you’re just a little bit sad. You will definitely want to see these guys again.

That was Equalizer, kids. Come back in November!

*A “Lizzbo” is a hipster boy (or girl) who has a crush on Lizz Kannenberg and yes… sigh, there are t-shirts.

Mike Turner and his partners at darkroom produce KEXP’S “Equalizer Chicago” a monthly showcase of on the verge Midwestern artists. Mike has consulted in the music industry nationally for 6+ years and currently resides in Chicago as a practicing social critic and sometimes DJ.

by Mike Turner
photos by Jeremy Farmer

So, now that you are all back safely from your respective political conventions are you ready to hear about an event that doesn’t involve tear gas, “free speech zones,” teen pregnancy the words “hope” or “change” or any funny hats? Well, I hope so because none of those things were present at this September’s Equalizer Chicago and that’s what I plan to write about here… fine, maybe there were some funny hats, but that’s just a given in this town. No my friends, there was no rhetoric, grandstanding, finger-pointing, obnoxious chants of “USA!” tree hugging, heart bleeding or ex beauty-queen moose-hunting hockey moms this month. Just some trail blazing independent music from right here in Chicago that I can assure you was properly and thoroughly vetted. Come on you guys, DJ Mikey Dance Panther slipped through the cracks in the system ages ago and has been thoroughly apologized for on numerous occasions since –can we move on?

KEXP, darkroom, Goose Island 312unes.com and brand new media sponsor The Onion delivered another economically sound, energy efficient and environmentally friendly September Equalizer. With the multi-cultural sonic experiments of Allá, and the psychedelic anglophillia of Demilos and Bicycle Tricycle, Equalizer was a microcosm of a utopian future in which everyone just shuts the hell up for once and rocks out. Dig?

Bicycle Tricycle, the malleable Eno-esque musical sideshow from the arguably over-stimulated mind of Bohb Blair opened the night in their current incarnation as a trio. With Bohb on Rhoads/keys, Jason Batchko on drums, Tom Szidon on bass, and an occasional guest back-up vocalist, the three fancy lads playfully if not manically pranced through a thirty-minute demonstration of what LSD sounds like to the British. My favorite song of the whole night had to be the bouncy ditty “Drugs are for Doin’.” To those of you who think I am the worst speller to ever write for a blog I’d like to point out right now that yes he does spell Bohb with an “h”… it’s not a typo. Bohb claims to be “deathly afraid of palindromes,” an irrational fear by his own admission, and certainly an ironic one considering the name his parents picked out for him but nonetheless one that he claims influences him daily. According to bassist Szidon, Bohb will even use expressions like “LOHL” in text messages to avoid those soul sucking alphabetic abominations. Currently at work on another top-secret recording project tentatively being called “Sassy Among Such Sod,” the prolific Bicycle Tricycle pulled their set on Thursday largely from their previous five records such as their 2002 debut, the 23-song album titled “10111.” It adds up to 23 in binary… get it? BI-cycle… TRI-cycle? Don’t worry it went way over my head too. Other releases include: The Law of Fives, The Principle Induction, Real as you Believe and the most recent; Stay Foolish Stay Hungry.

Demilos were next and they saw Bicycle Tricycle’s Brian Eno and raised them one Kinks and a Sgt. Pepper. Demilos are a group of 5 songwriter/multi-instrumentalists including a pair of twin brothers (Brian and Joe Daley) who draw heavily from the experimental sounds of early Brit pop a la Eno/The Kinks/Bowie as well as American avant-garde pop maestros like Brian Wilson or The Flaming Lips and blend it with enough roots rock twang to make something that is their own. Demilos drew most of their material on Thursday from their new self released LP “Peaking Through The High Hats” which is a fantastic collection of psychedelic retro jams and lyrically driven countrified rock that quickly sneaks into your brain and demands repeat listens. My favorite song on the record and one of my favorites from their set is “Avatar,” a pitch perfect drug era Beatles-esqu homage about making a virtual girlfriend online. If you don’t already feel like a douche for being on Second Life this song will make you sweat a little. “Picking up chicks never worked for me so I’m making up my own as you can see… ” Priceless.

It was a different brother band however, that was the main event at Equalizer this month. Brothers Jorge (guitar) and Angel Ledzema (drums) form the core of the fervently buzzed about Allá which is pronounced Ay-ya for those of you who don’t know how to say tortilla. The smooth as silk vocals of guitarist Lupe Martinez is the icing on their intricate uh… sound cake (just go with it) as she deftly triggers multi-layered looping and verb effects on her voice that dramatically build and shimmer transporting the music beyond ethnic boarders into the other-worldly. Maybe they should call her “Loopay!” Har, har. har! Ok, calm down. Allá have been suddenly getting quite a bit of attention with occasional spins on alt rock station WXRT here in Chicago but interestingly they have faired even better in the national and international press earning the title “band of the day” by the UK Guardian and a profile in the trendsetting The Fader magazine. It’s the beginning of a pay off that hasn’t come easy for a group that operates quite a bit outside of the lines that typical success for indie rock bands tend to fall inside of. There is no question that the music is engaging, melodic and powerful, but for a band whose songs are sung mostly in Spanish and blend the far flung sounds of Brazilian tropicalia and bossa nova with the more current trend of electro synth-pop (think Stereolab) as well as Radiohead style experimental rock, Allá don’t fit in easily with any scene that’s out there yet. “We can’t just piggy back on any trends and get popular by proximity like a lot of other bands can” says Jorge who produced the band’s debut “Es Tiempo” out now on Crammed Records. “We’re sort of pioneers, we need to start our own scene I guess.” Jorge is right. I’ve never heard anything quite like it before, at least not all coming from one band, but I’m sure someone said the very same thing about Manu Chao at some point and that hasn’t stopped him.

The record Es Tiempo sounds phenomenal which is a really good thing considering that it took Jorge 4 years and a reported $40,000 out of his own pocket to get this labor of love completed. By major record label recording budget standards 40k may not sound like much but for your average 20 something underpaid urbanite hipster kid it is a massive accomplishment. More impressive still is managing to record at A-list rooms all over the world including Chicago’s Engine Studios and Sweden’s famed Tambourine Studios with the help of major engineers like Colin Studybaker (Iron and Wine, The National Trust) and arrangers like Patrik Bartosch (Eggstone, The Cardigans).

As great as the record Es Tiempo sounds however, Allá’s ultimate success is a fight that will have to be won in the streets and they know it. It will be a city-by-city siege in which fans are converted by the power of their performance. But their performance is a considerable power indeed. You can’t really watch an Allá show and not “get it” on some level. If nothing else Alla’s ambition and tenacity indicates that they will be around for a while –they don’t seem like the types to give up. I imagine in a few years I’ll be headed down the neighborhood Tropicalia-Krautrock-brit-pop-electro-mexican-groove lounge to grab a drink and check out a band… I dunno, what else is going on tonight?

Don’t miss Equalizer in October! Thursday the 2nd

• Takka Takka
• Grammar
• Elephant Gun
• DJ’s Johnny Kesh and Mikey Dance Panther

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