Recently, the hipsters of the world (or at least a majority of those in the Tri-State area) descended upon Chicago’s Union Park for the third annual Pitchfork Music Festival. The three-night, two-day concert extravaganza was a must attend for those who like their clothes made by American Apparel and their music rounded to the 1/10 decimal place. (This is, of course, a stereotype – but seriously, does AA have to advertise in every square inch of all indie music magazines and websites?)

Although I spent the majority of my weekend hawking of Montreal t-shirts and Owen LPs at the Polyvinyl merch booth, I did manage to catch a few sets from amongst a diverse lineup that featured both buzzworthy and veteran indie acts from around the globe – including underground Japanese metal, American hardcore rappers (no, not Flavor Flav) and a Serbian brass band.

Here’s the breakdown as I saw it:

1:30 PM - Saturday

Performing immediately following the morning’s heavy rain showers, lo-fi garage rocker Jay Reatard never gave the crowd a moment to towel themselves off (or take a breath) as he and his band tore through an impressive assortment of their often less-than-two-minute howlers – all of which were only separated by the briefest of pauses during which Jay yelled the name of the next offering. Although the vocals were lacking toward the beginning of the set (especially on the immensely hooky “Blood Visions” – a song that does more in 13 words than most bands can do on 13 tracks), as the band got more songs under its belt it became more satisfying to just stand back and enjoy the ride. Just when it seemed like the frenetic pace would become unsustainable, Jay strummed his last note, took off his guitar and exited while extending his middle finger to the audience.

4:00 PM - Saturday

A few hours later, Dizzee Rascal took to the other main stage in what was the antithesis to the set I just described. The English-accented rapper – who is labeled in the unofficial festival program as the British version of 50 Cent – tried somewhat successfully to whip his audience into a frenzy via all the traditional methods: swearing excessively and taking off his shirt. Being personally more familiar with his reputation than his recordings, I can only assume the set was filled mainly with his well-known songs. (After all, who flies 4000 miles to perform deep album cuts?) Although the title of his latest album (Maths + English) would seem to suggest a hint of intelligent lyrical content, from what I could understand it seemed like mostly standard fare about girls and money. However, one edge the across-the-pond grime artist does have on his American counterparts is exactly what the name of his genre implies: dirtier, rawer beats that are much more intriguing than the overproduced fluff found on most stateside rap releases.

5:00 PM - Saturday

Fittingly, the band scheduled to perform smack dab in the middle of the day was the same group that has been at the front and center of the indie world since releasing its debut album earlier this year: Vampire Weekend. As the quartet that everybody loves to hate (and others hate that they love them) took to the stage, I was hoping that by the end of the set I could finally decide which camp I was in. Even if you’ve never listened to their self-titled release (guilty!), chances are tracks like “A-Punk,” Oxford Comma” and “Walcott” would still be instantly recognizable. And indeed, the group seemed to be playing off this familiarity – accepting that pretty much everyone already has their mind made up and therefore not working too hard to convert any stragglers still remaining on the fence. While the group certainly played much of the material from its aforementioned record with a high degree of competence, the performance overall seemed to be lacking a sense of urgency. Although I did discover a new personal favorite amidst their offerings (“I Stand Corrected”), the gentlemen in Vampire Weekend didn’t seem too concerned with whether or not I became a devoted follower. I guess the music media is already working overtime on that front.

7:00 PM - Saturday

Luckily, The Hold Steady were taking no chances in this respect. Often labeled the “greatest bar band in America,” the Brooklyn-based five-piece delivered a set crackling with energy and filled with feel-good rock tunes. Despite the fact that lead vocalist Craig Finn’s half-talking, half-singing style sometimes grows tiresome to me on disc (no matter how clever his lyrics are), its not hard to stay attuned when watching the group in person. Even while weaving narratives about cryptic women (“Chips Ahoy”) and one-night flings (“Sequestered in Memphis”), the effusive frontman was always smiling and in a flurry of motion – whether it was to point at the crowd or lead them in fist-pumping and hand-clapping. By the end, I needed no prompting to give them a well-deserved round of applause.

1:00 PM - Sunday

While eating a not-too-overpriced $6 pulled pork sandwich, I sacrificed the skin on the back of my neck to watch Times New Viking take the stage under the searing afternoon sun. Like their Matador labelmates Jay Reatard, the Ohio-based trio peddles in quick, blink-and-you-miss-them bursts of sound with extremely low production value. Perhaps as a result of the breakneck speed at which the set moved (about halfway through, drummer/vocalist Adam Elliott proclaimed: “We’ve got time for 15 more”), there never seemed to be enough substance for me to latch onto. While there were certainly a few highlights, such as the heavily disguised pop sensibilities found on “My Head” (ironically introduced as “Song not about drugs #1″), the rest of the offerings dissolved into a fuzzy flurry of noise and buried vocals.

7:50 PM - Sunday

After sitting out most of the rest of the day so that my fellow co-workers could catch some of their most anticipated bands (including HEALTH, The Dodos and King Khan and the Shrines, who were phenomenally entertaining from what I’ve been told), I walked across the festival grounds to watch Bon Iver. Those already familiar with the quiet, achingly sincere nature of the songs found on Justin Vernon’s debut effort most likely sense the inherent disconnect in performing these intimate tracks in an expansive outdoor setting. And indeed, the material came across with mixed results. While the hushed, higher-pitched vocals and double drumming kept some in rapt attention, others around me just seemed to be angling for a better position to watch Australian electro-pop purveyors Cut Copy immediately afterwards.

9:00 PM - Sunday

Closing out the festival was Texas-based indie rockers Spoon – a band that has seen its profile rise with each successive album release. Unfortunately, what should have been yet another step in this ascent – headlining the final day of P4K 2008 – turned out to be a bit of a backwards tumble. Perhaps underestimating the amount of energy still left within those in attendance, the band chose to stock their set with slower cuts – including Rhythm & Soul and Don’t Make Me A Target (and other older numbers that, not being anything more than a casual listener of the group, I am not able to name). While some people did find opportunity to shake their hips to “I Turn My Camera On,” on the whole the weekend’s grand finale was a bit of a prolonged fizzle. But don’t take it only from me – even some who have seen the band in concert numerous times over the past few years felt it was the weakest show they’d seen. Oh well, even God rested on Sunday.

For those who believe the Champaign-Urbana music scene is only filled with indie rockers and folks strumming acoustic guitars – think again. Although based primarily out of Chicago, the hip-hop/jazz/rock group Treologic (pronounced: tree-oh-logic) has made waves around these parts in the past with its combination of hip-hop rhymes and real live guitars, drums and bass.

A couple of Thursdays ago the band made the trek down I-57 to perform a free show at Cowboy Monkey in support of its soon-to-be-released third full-length Colabo – a gig that also doubled as a reunion of sorts for a town and band that hadn’t seen each other for over six months.

Sounding more like the pairing of Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith than any of the countless imitators that have tried to blend rock and rap in the years since “Walk This Way,” Treologic shared tracks from its brand spankin’ new record (their first in three years) and showcased the kind of funky-fresh beats and socially conscious lyrics fans should already be familiar with from the group’s earlier efforts.

With dreadlocks flowing out of a straight-billed Chicago Cubs hat, vocalist MC Billa Camp was continually engaging and entertaining – particularly when waving a white towel around his head as he unleashed streams of rapid-fire lines of poetry while Champaign’s own Conner Grant ably accepted the challenge of keeping up with the rhythm on his electric guitar.

In addition to the slew of original songs Treologic played during the two-hour time slot, the band also injected an aura of spontaneity into their performance via its affinity for borrowing the beat from well-known rap songs (by The Sugarhill Gang, Beastie Boys, Kanye West and others) and coupling the familiar choruses of “Stronger” and “Jesus Walks” with freestyle verses.

This framework also afforded the sextet the chance to share the spotlight with Krukid (voted Chambana’s best Hip-Hop Act two year running), a talented emcee in his own right who was brought on stage at various times throughout the night to release his own off-the-cuff rhymes upon the small group of people dancing in front of the stage.

Although the set began to drag at about the time the clock neared 1 AM and the MC Billa Camp took time out to give each of the five other instrument-wielding members a chance to solo (none of which were particularly riveting), Treologic redeemed itself by calling Krukid up to the platform once more to participate in a final freestyle centered around the beat and chorus from Biz Markie’s 80s classic “Just A Friend” – a moment that combined old-school and new-school and gave the crowd a chance to tell Treologic: “You got what I need!”

Earlier this month, three friends and I made the trek to Riverport/UMB Bank Pavailion/ Verizon Wireless Ampitheater/[insert corporate conglomerate here] to take part in this year’s installment of the traveling punk-rock summer camp.

Although others will undoubtedly disagree, in my opinion Warped Tour is the best concert deal going today.

Here’s the breakdown:

Pitchfork - $65/40 bands = $1.63/band
Lollapalooza - $190/123 bands = $1.54/band
Pygmalion - $50/63 bands = $0.79/band
Warped - $37/67 bands = $0.55/band

Now, obviously, all of these are phenomenal deals – especially Pygmalion once you add in travel and hotel costs to the other events. And I know there’s a lot I haven’t taken into consideration with this argument, such as the quality of the music, but on the basis of price alone Warped is the clear winner. And I even spotted the other festivals the $6 Ticketmaster convenience charge.

But I digress.

This being my fourth consecutive year in attendance, I wasn’t expecting too many surprises and didn’t really get many – except for one particularly intense incident which took place at the tail end of the day. So stay tuned for details on that.

For the most part, the big pieces of the puzzle remained the same: the six stages were all in the same locations, water was still $4/bottle and goth kids still mingled somewhat peacefully with their more emo counterparts.

However, there were a few subtle differences that soon became apparent. For one, charity and activist organizations (such as PETA, Action For Animals, To Write Love On Her Arms, etc…) assumed a much larger role in the event than in years past – enough so to command an entire section of the venue grounds with their tents. And if I was asked once to register to vote by Obama supporters, I was asked 20 times.

Also, the number of freebies I was able to commandeer dropped considerably from previous trips. In these tough times for the music industry, posters and stickers were at a premium. Well, I guess they were usually only a dollar (or free with a merch purchase). But still. Even free label samplers were hard to come by. In years past I could always count on coming home with a stack of new tunes from Fueled By Ramen, Equal Vision, Fearless, Vagrant and so on, but on this afternoon only an Epitaph compilation found its way into my hands .

Nevertheless, I did come away with some digital download cards (for anyone interested in hearing some up-and-coming pop-punk acts, head to theSoundsofSummer.com for a great assortment of free songs), a MySpace bandana (cooler than you might think) and some unique memories.

The tour swings through Tinley Park on Saturday, August 2nd, so if all three days of Lollapalooza won’t fit into your budget, Warped is a cheap(er) alternative to consider.

A slice of the highlights:

• Every Time I Die frontman Keith Buckley throwing a stuffed unicorn (that the band had won the night before at Six Flags) into the crowd and demanding the head be returned to him by the end of the song

• Paramore, on their first day on the tour, drawing the largest crowd of any band despite having a supersized photo of a horse licking a man’s head propped up in front of their drummer

• The Academy Is… (my favorite band) getting to play an extra ten minutes thanks to an online fan vote, a set which included two uber-catchy new songs: Forever Young and About A Girl

• My friend telling me that he had seen the police officer walking ahead of us browsing through the merchandise at The Bronx tent, a conversation which the cop overheard and replied, “Hey, we’re just normal people, too.” Uh, have you seen the cover of their debut album?

• Indie hip-hop group Gym Class Heroes performing a cover of Lamb of God’s “Laid To Rest,” complete with lead singer Travis McCoy on a wireless Guitar Hero controller

• Of course, the headline-making moment of the day also belongs to McCoy, who, after being called an “ignorant n****r” by a member of the crowd, invited the offender (who was also black) on stage and hit him on the head with his microphone (thereby breaking it) just as the man reached the barricade. McCoy then pulled him up by his hair and punched him repeatedly until security broke the two apart and dragged the other guy away.

After gathering himself, McCoy attempted to break the tension with his statement, “I guess ignorance is bliss” and apologized to the audience before continuing the set. As the 30 minute time limit neared, a crew member off stage held up a stage that read “1 more song. Cops.” and after the show McCoy was arrested, charged with third degree assault and released on bail the following morning.

Talk about a live show packing a punch! Ok, I’m done.

Bands I saw: Relient K, Broadway Calls, Mayday Parade, The Maine, Every Time I Die, Jack’s Mannequin, The Academy Is…, Story Of The Year, Against Me!, Set Your Goals, Paramore, Say Anything and Gym Class Heroes

Bands I would’ve like to see: Jet Lag Gemini, Cobra Starship, The Color Fred, We The Kings, A Day To Remember, Anberlin, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Secret Handshake, Angels And Airwaves, We Shot The Moon, 1997, You Me And Everyone We Know, Valencia, Farewell, and the Audition

Before I get into the details of the concert itself, I want to pose a question to those familiar with the St. Louis live music scene (which might not be anyone on this site, but I’ll give it a shot anyway): What happened to the Creepy Crawl? I remember back in the day (or at least two years ago) it was the go-to place for touring punk-rock acts passing through the Lou. But now, every time I look at their upcoming schedule it’s filled with gaps larger than the one underneath the Arch and the dates that are filled are little more than showcases for fledgling local bands (at least I’m guessing that’s what they are based on the abysmal names — e.g. Devour The Plague, Torture The Psyche, Coin-Slot, etc…).

Did a key show promoter and/or booking agent leave? Was it their move further west (from their plush downtown spot to a new location all they way down by the Fox Theatre)? Did all the kids just grow up and move on? I’m at a loss.

Whatever the case may be, it seems that there is now a void to be filled within the St. Louis punk scene – which brings me to 2 Cents Plain. The new venue (which opened late last year just a few blocks over from the space formerly occupied by the Creepy Crawl) has already begun to develop a bit of a high profile, playing host to bands from across the city and across the country. And — on this particular night — from around the world.

For my first trip to the club earlier this month, I chose one of the most diverse bills being hosted there: New Jersey-by-way-of-Russia-and-Romania punk-rockers Jet Lag Gemini, post-hardcore act I Am The Avalanche and pop-punk quartet Hit The Lights. Alright, so maybe the differences are a bit subtle.

As my friend and I walked into the venue (and I wondered whether I should go back to the car and retrieve the earplugs I accidently left behind), we were immediately hit with the sound of Jet Lag Gemini performing approximately two feet to our right. Although I had listened to their latest disc Fire The Cannons (released this January on Doghouse Records) a couple of times a few months back, I wasn’t convinced that the band was anything more than a flash-in-the-pan AbsolutePunk sensation. Twenty minutes of watching them completely changed my mind.

With unrelenting energy and impressive stage presence (for a group of kids who seemed barely old enough to have driven to the club), the band served up a thick, bass-heavy assault of hooky punk melodies and classic rock riffs. Their set also contained perhaps the four most infectious choruses I’ve ever heard performed at one time, in “Doctor, Please,” “Bittersweet,” “Fit To Be Tied” and “Run This City.” Although on record lead singer Misha Safonov’s heavy accent sometimes obscures his deceptively intelligent lyrics (“I’m such a mensch in my clothes / But my plans are criminal (woah) / So give me your hand and I quote / I’ll save your grim and single soul”), in a live setting the sound of the words effectively blends with the catchy melodies and worms its way inside your ears. Guess I should have gone back for the plugs.

After the stand-out performance turned in by Jet Lag Gemini, I Am The Avalanche certainly had a tough act to follow. Luckily, this is nothing new for frontman Vinnie Caruana – the former lead vocalist for beloved (and now defunct) Long Island hardcore punk outfit The Movielife. Despite being an avid listener of IATA’s debut self-titled effort (released in 2005 on Drive-Thru), I soon found that I barely recognized most of the songs being played. (And judging from the lackluster crowd reception, a lot of others didn’t either.) Tracks like “This Is Dungeon Music” and “New Disaster” were given disappointing sonic makeovers that were mostly likely intended to ease the boredom of playing the same version of a song on tour for the last two-and-a-half years, but unfortunately were not quite up to par with the original recordings.

Moreover, throughout the set Caruana appeared to be a bit out of sorts – at one point berating a fan for setting their cell phone on the edge of the stage (although this also might have had something to do with a request to hear the band perform The Movielife songs) and later launching into a somber, sermon-type spiel after explaining the concept behind “My Second Restraining Order” (a purely, fictional account of breaking into his girlfriend’s house and cutting his wrists on her bed). Ok, maybe some sort of disclaimer was necessary. I only wish some sort of caution had been given to me before watching the band I was most excited to see deliver a performance that fell below my expectations.

Another group that has undergone a noticeable shift in sound is Ohio-based quartet Hit the Lights. Following the departure of original lead singer Colin Ross (whose nasally and whiny voice is reminiscent of Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory), guitarist Nick Thompson recently stepped in to assume vocal duties. Ironically, while I used to find Ross’ voice to be a bit of a drawback, with his distinct singing out of the mix I now think HTL might now be lacking the one thing that helped it stand out from the overcrowded pack of sound-alike pop-punk bands.

With Thompson at the helm the group appears to be headed straight for Boys Like Girls territory — if sugar-coated (and undeniably fun and catchy) new tracks “Drop the Girl” and “Stay Out” are any indication, as well as the strong showing of fans from the teenage female demographic. (Even the title of the group’s forthcoming disc, Skip School, Start Fights, is a more juvenline version of their cleverly named debut This Is A Stickup…Don’t Make It A Murder.)

Although I can’t really question Thompson’s toughness (I mean, the guy did wear a Chicago Cubs hat while on stage only a five minute walk from Busch Stadium), after watching him smoothly croon old favorites like “Speakers Blown” and “Three Oh Nine,” lines such as “You’re gonna need a bodybag / I’ll break bones you didn’t know you had” (from previous single “Bodybag”) just didn’t seem to have the same punch – and on a song like that, isn’t that the whole point?

But, of course, in the end I was bobbing my head up and down just like everyone else. After all, what are endless summer days made for if not for the enjoyment of guilty pleasures?

And so the tour de Champaign-Urbana continues.

Since beginning this blog I have made a “concert”ed effort to venture outside my comfort zone (i.e. attending shows featuring the national touring acts who occasionally appear at the Canopy Club as they pass from St. Louis to Chicago) in search of the unique venues and eclectic mix of performers that are truly responsible for making the local music scene a source of pride for the community.

And while I haven’t yet quite brought myself to expand my musical horizons outside the safe confines of indie rock – Can I really handle a night of bluegrass or jazz or polka? I’m sure I can. Well, maybe not polka – I do think I’ve done a decent job of looking to find shows at the various venues scattered about town which are rarely frequented by students during the school year.

One such establishment is Cowboy Monkey, a downtown fixture that just recently re-opened its doors after it had previously stopped hosting live performances and then shut down entirely over the winter to re-evaluate its business model.

The results of this temporary closure are immediately obvious: a nicely remodeled interior (done up in warm and inviting reds and yellows) as well as No Cover Thursdays (a free weekly concert series) which not too long ago featured Sangamon – a locally based quartet that was honored as WPGU’s Band of the Week toward the end of May and has already earned a spot at last year’s Pygmalion Festival.

Because they weren’t scheduled to appear until 11PM, it seemed as though more people simply happened to be at Cowboy Monkey while the band played, rather than made a special trip out to see them perform. However, although there were more people lounging in the beer garden outside than taking in the refreshing sounds being produced inside, Sangamon played as though there were a thousand adoring fans gathered in front of the stage (instead of the one – most likely a friend or relative – who occupied this spot throughout much of the set).

Despite having only released the four-song The Right Way EP, the band treated the somewhat sparse crowd to an 11-song set of original material (that was to be followed by an hour of covers, which I decided to pass on). Nonetheless, the music I did hear was a bit different than I had been expecting.

Although their name and breeding (all four members hail from Decatur, an industrial town located just a short jaunt down the cornfield-lined I-72) would seem to suggest music more in the vein of straightforward rock and roll, Sangamon has nevertheless drawn frequent comparisons to piano-toting pop-rock groups from across the pond (such as Coldplay and Keane – lead singer Shay Thiele is the Canopy Club’s own Piano Man after all!).

However, aside from “Follow Me” (which did possess more than a few similarities to tunes often crafted by Chris Martin and Co.) to my ears at least Sangamon’s sound was not as piano-oriented as others might lead you to believe.

Perhaps it was only a result of the live mix, but the bluesy, classic rock riffs found on “Running Out of Time” and the wailing solo featured in “Selfish” (as well as the prototypical rock star poses continually struck by guitarist Tyler Bundy) seemed to suggest a more diverse set of influences – as if their heartland upbringing helped to erase some of the pretentiousness of BritPop and replaced it with arena-ready pop rhythms and down-home rock melodies.

As the set wound down with newer offerings “All the Same” and “Time Is the Price I Pay,” it sounded as though Sangamon has already begun to move even farther away from the labels and comparisons the band has been tagged with in the past – as the fresh tracks were decidedly more spirited and lively than most of the older cuts.

After all, if Cowboy Monkey can make a new start, then why not Sangamon?

Despite the fact that Elsinore plays approximately eight shows a week in the Champaign-Urbana area, before last week I had been absent at all of them. That’s right – over the past three years I have inexplicably managed to avoid seeing the locally acclaimed four-piece live in action (aside from unintentionally catching part of a Ryan Groff solo set while eating in the Courtyard Café between classes last semester).

Although I’d like to attribute my streak of no-shows (pun intended!) to their status as a folk act – which, I’m ashamed to admit, did scare me off a little – I have no real excuse for missing out on one of the best bands C-U has to offer. But, thanks to the Champaign Park District’s summer concert series, I can now walk around town with my head held high – having finally seen the re-christened (notice how the once lowercase “e” is now all grown up) and re-formatted (their Myspace now labels them: Rock/Indie) group perform a free Sunday evening show at Hessel Park.

Seated on a blanket in front of a makeshift platform situated between a new baseball field, playground equipment, a picnic shelter and countless trees (which mercifully helped block out the slowly-setting sun that at times forced me to squint in order to even see the stage), the irony in the choice of setting was not lost on me: here, in the middle of what could be labeled Americana personified, I was watching a band that previously created music in that genre transition toward a newer, more universal sound. But I digress.

On the topic of the music itself, Elsinore – perhaps a little hesitant to delve immediately into brand new material – opened with a Van Morrison classic and several older songs that had been reworked to better conform to the indie rock mold. While these songs, such as “The Long Run” and “Cannonballs,” were certainly good in their own right, lingering traces of their past origins were still heavily apparent and I wasn’t yet convinced that the band could succeed in its decision to embrace the indie rock formula.

That is, until the second half of the set began.

(Incidentally, because of the family-oriented nature of the show, throughout their hour-and-a-half set Elsinore seemed particularly intent on making sure the show appealed to ears of all ages – apologizing for being too loud and choosing to have lead singer Ryan Groff perform four songs by himself. However, adding to the aforementioned ironic overtones, although these solo moments were intended to ease the crowd into the show (and bring down the volume midway through), Groff’s tendency to use the full capacity of his voice during choice moments in “Your Song” and “Hallelujah” certainly pierced, rather than soothed, the eardrums of most in attendance.)

Anchored by a phenomenal cover of The Postal Service’s “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” (on which the group wisely decided to keep the electronic overtones of the original to a minimum, instead choosing to infuse the sped-up cover with a thumping drum back beat), Elsinore proceeded to showcase its new material. Beginning with the faster, more upbeat Antonymity and running through Chemicals (the backstory of which Groff loves to relate) and The General (the title track of the quartet’s soon-to-be-released EP), I finally was converted to the idea that the Elsinore is not just a folk wolf hiding in indie sheep clothing. Wow, that’s a terrible metaphor – I think I’ll stick to puns.

For the fourteenth and final song of the night (well for this show at least; Elsinore also performed at a benefit show held at The Highdive later in the evening), the group launched into “Landlocked” their harmony-filled epic, if slightly nonsensical, ode to living in Illinois. As the last keyboard flourish dissipated into the air, I couldn’t help but think:

If Ben Gibbard revealed that D.C. sleeps alone, then Elsinore proves the Midwest might seem isolated but is always willing to break out of its boundaries.

Set List

—Ryan Groff solo—
Sparrows (Andrew Bird)
Your Song (Elton John)
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

—full band—
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)
Wooden Houses
The Long Run
Cannonballs
Lions

—Ryan Groff solo—
Sunken Treasure (Wilco)

—full band—
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (The Postal Service)
Antonymity
Chemicals
The General
Landlocked

To start off with – apologies for the lack of live shots. My new digital camera didn’t arrive until the day after the show. But to prove I was actually at this concert, here’s a review.

It happens every year like clockwork: students start filing into Champaign-Urbana in August, form bands, begin to play shows and, just when the buzz starts to build and people other than close friends begin to frequent their gigs – the kids all go home in May.

Luckily, just as there a few individuals (like myself) who have decided to stick out the next three months in Chambana, there are also numerous bands and musicians who take to the towns’ stages all-year-round – not just the eight months when classes are in session.

Last Thursday, I had my first opportunity to see two such local hallmarks – The Beauty Shop and The Living Blue – perform at Mike ‘N Molly’s, along with Dark Meat and Quiet Hooves, both from Athens, GA (although I apparently showed up too late to catch the opening act).

With the weather as unpredictable as it has been lately, it was a surprise (the first of many) that the evening was nice enough to allow for the show to be held outside in the beer garden. This was my first trip to the downtown Champaign bar and I have to say that it has to be the best outside venue in at least a 50 mile radius. The antique-style street lamps. The stone bird fountain. The ivy-covered brick walls. Even the hideous portable heaters that popped up everywhere after the smoking ban went into effect were a welcome addition to help combat the cool breezes which were a constant nuisance throughout the night.

Also serving to make the chilly wind a mere afterthought were the pleasantly melancholic strains of alt-country melodies produced by the trio of local musicians who call themselves The Beauty Shop. Previous to this show, my only experiences with the band came via a friend of mine who saw them play with The Mountain Goats two years ago and got me hooked on “Rumpelstiltskin Lives” for a short time soon after as well as occasionally hearing their phenomenal cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” on WPGU (request it now, thank me later). But as I soon found out, the three musicians have a lot more to offer than just these two standout tracks.

Anchored by John Hoeffleur’s distinctively deep singing voice – which at times morphed into some kind of Gaelic accent – the threesome (rounded out by bassist Eric Fisher and drummer Ben Ucherek), played a fairly even mix of slower cuts (“Like I Wasn’t Even There”) and more uptempo toe-tappers (“Ambulance”). Although Hoeffleur admitted he was a little under the weather (and at one point even forgot the words to a song), I was nonetheless a little disappointed when the set came to a close (especially since it was sans “Rumpelstiltskin Lives”). If the harder-edge and faster-pace of the group’s newer cuts are any indication, The Beauty Shop’s next record might make as good of fodder for a jukebox inside Mike ‘N Molly’s as well as on its stage outside.

While the platform set up against the back wall of the beer garden was just large enough to accommodate the three members of The Beauty Shop, it was woefully inadequate to support the traveling army, err…band, that call themselves Dark Meat. Brought to Champaign by their booking agent, the Canopy Club’s own Seth Fein, the Athens, GA natives boasted an impressive fifteen member entourage of musicians (at least, that’s how many I counted before I lost track), including two violins, a trombone, trumpet and flute, two drummers, multiple guitars, and whatever else that can be used to produce music.

Decked out in war paint and an exotic assortment of costumes, the majority of the group’s members crowded onto the stage while the violinists stood in front (possibly to avoid blinding their fellow bandmates with their bows) and others walked through the crowd banging on drums and shaking tambourines. Although the set could have easily devolved into mere spectacle (on account of the lone firework set off during “One More Trip” and the contraption used to spew glitter into the air during “No One Was There”), the strength of their music was enough to keep the show grounded firmly in an appreciation for their chaotic and infinitely layered rhythms. High school band class never looked like so much fun.

Maybe it was due to the fact that the night had gotten increasingly cold, or maybe because Dark Meat had raised my expectations to an unattainable level, but for some reason The Living Blue never really succeeded in capturing my attention like I thought they would. Although, judging from the crowd (which for the first time that night filled up the beer garden), I was definitely in the minority on this opinion.

Performing for the first time in Champaign since releasing the online stream of Walk, Talk, Rhythm, Roam, its fourth full-length album, The Living Blue seemed a little too straightforward (i.e. too safe) in its approach. While a spattering of people danced in front of the stage (perhaps because they were moved by the music, or maybe just to generate some warmth), I sat almost aloof off to the side – much like the group’s guitarist did throughout Dark Meat’s set.

Ploughing their way through a set list of similar sounding songs – a scuzzed-out guitar riff here, an electronic flourish there – the quartet seemed pleased to have their new offerings receive a good reception from the hometown crowd. As I meandered my way out of the bar with chants of “One more song!” echoing in the night, I finally heard the band strike up one last chord as I crossed University. Wow, an actual unplanned encore – what more could a band ask for?

With the rest of the world hesitant to bring the University of Illinois into their homes (see: the failure of the Global Campus initiative), on April 10 the Courtyard Café did its part to bring the rest of the world to our campus – as the makeshift concert venue played host to the highly anticipated double bill of British noise duo Fuck Buttons and Canadian indie rockers Caribou.

After waiting nearly an hour (and then having to leave the Courtyard and re-enter once the staff realized no one had paid), the masterminds behind FB (Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung) walked out onto a stage cluttered with a complex maze of wires and electronics that I’m positive would rival the inner-workings of CITES (and was definitely more reliable).

Yet, even though the two electronic maestros had technically begun their set, it would not be entirely accurate to say the show had truly kicked off until about six minutes in when Power pierced the agonizingly repetitive and slow-building opening strains of “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (from FB’s recently released debut album Street Horrrsing) with a burst of high-pitched, deliberately unintelligible screaming – before returning to the redundant sound that could serve as a catch-all adjective to describe most of their material.

Before I’m met with accusations along the lines of “You just don’t get it, man!” I totally realize that part of the group’s intrigue comes from those who know that its constantly looping melodic structures are purposely intended to go beyond what most listeners would consider bearable. However, I also have a sneaking suspicion that the much larger inside joke involves Power and Hung wondering: “How long can we keep replaying the same note and still be hailed as the next big thing?”

Although a live setting would seemingly be the best showcase for the “songs” FB creates (sounds that are too aggressive for a study mix and too monotonous for a driving soundtrack), the forty minute performance never succeeded in capturing my attention. While certain elements (the aforementioned distorted vocals and Power’s live tribal drumming) did provide some interesting moments, my constant attempts to pinpoint what the hype was all about prevented me from ever becoming fully entranced by the music.

Thankfully, what FB’s show lacked in good old entertainment value, Caribou more than made up for with its combination of lush, sonic atmospherics and visually arresting computer-projected backdrop. In front of one of the biggest crowds I have ever seen gathered at a Courtyard show (large enough, in fact, to prompt several minimally successful attempts at crowd surfing), Daniel Snaith and his three-piece live backing band diligently performed an instrumental-heavy 14 song set loaded with offerings from their 2007 CD Andorra.

With an ever-changing array of psychedelic color patterns and black-and-white geometric figures flashing on the screen behind them, the musicians nicely complemented these swirling images with the trippy electronic ambiance of songs such as “Melody Day” and “Sandy.” For some in attendance, the projection set-up even provided a forum to show off those finger puppet skills honed circa second grade, although, by now I would expect something more original than rabbit ears (perhaps some deer antlers would have been appropriate).

However, without a doubt, the most distinctive aspect of Caribou’s live show came via the two drum kits set up at the forefront of the stage. Manned by Snaith and Ahmed Gallab (filling in admirably on short notice for regular drummer Brad Weber, who is out with a broken wrist after falling off a ladder the week before) the double-barreled percussion assault elevated tracks like “After Hours” and “She’s the One” from dreamy slices of nostalgic pop to swiftly crescendoing head- boppers. Unfortunately, because the Courtyard stage only rises about a foot off the ground, despite standing on a chair all I could usually catch was a momentary glimpse of drums sticks frantically cutting through the air.

Nevertheless, this minor grievance could hardly detract from my continually being wowed by the visual and aural spectacle that is a Caribou concert. And at only $5, the show not only fits nicely under the title of my blog, but also provided way more bang-for-the-buck than the money I dropped to see 21 at the movie theater two nights later.

Summary Acrostic:

Canadian
Artist
Revels
In
Beautiful
Orchestration.
Ultra-cool, eh?!

Although in recent years the fledgling Springfield music scene has garnered more attention for acts that have disbanded (Park, The Junior Varsity) rather than those which have emerged, The Graduate are attempting to put the state capital back on the map for reasons other than the hiring of a kooky bird whisperer.

Coming off recent cross-country treks with Spitalfield, The Forecast, and Simple Plan, on March 22 the alt-rock quintet used its current downtime to treat the concert-deprived citizens of Springfield (unless you count an August show featuring Vanilla Ice, which I don’t) with an impassioned hometown performance at Club Chrome.

Having witnessed The Graduate take the stage twice at Canopy Club in a supporting role, I have become accustomed to watching the group work to slowly win over the crowd – a process that always added double meaning to the sexually charged lyrics of “Confidence Is Everything”: Turn off the lights / I gotta prove myself tonight.

However, no such conversion was necessary this night. From the moment the members emerged from backstage and launched into the danceable rhythms of “Anhedonia” (the first single from its 2007 full-length of the same name), it became clear that most of those in attendance were already devoted followers and eager to prove it by singing along to the words of every song.

Throughout the too-short 12 song set, lead vocalist Corey Warning fed off this unfailing energy – frequently banging on the drum kit’s cymbals and inserting primal yelps into several songs. Even the other members seemed to be enjoying themselves more than usual, often choosing to fill the time between songs with ambient instrumental segues.

With more time to showcase its growing catalog of songs, the group rewarded the audience with a nice balance of harder-edged, power-pop cuts (“Better Company,” “Justified”), soaring toe-tappers (“Sit and Sink,” “I Survived”) and the slower, more emotionally powerful, “The City That Reads.”

The Graduate also indulged the audience with what has now become a hallmark of its live show – a drumline at the end of “The Forumula” during which Warning pours water on his snare to create a sparkling shower when all the members start banging on their drums in unison

As this dynamic concert demonstrated , like all good alumni the four musicians in The Graduate are more than willing to give back to the place that gave them their start.

Set List

Anhedonia
Interlude
Doppleganger
Sit and Sink
I Survived
Stay the Same
Better Company
The City That Reads
Surround Yourself
The Formula
—
Confidence Is Everything
Justified

Summary Couplet:
The Graduate are done with classes, done with books.
Instead of typing essays, the members now write hooks.

While most students were either packing their bags in anticipation of spring break or starting to transition from Happy Hour to a full night at the bars, Snowsera and The Brother Whys entertained a small crowd at the Illini Union Courtyard Café.

Leading off the free show was The Brother Whys, a band whose unusual name I had already heard, but not its music. Therefore, I was a bit apprehensive as the six members crammed onto the tiny Courtyard platform and lead vocalist/guitarist Tom Riordan repeatedly invited everyone to cozy up to the stage (winning line: “We’re not an orchestra!”). However, fears of bleeding ears soon subsided after the opening strains of “Big Teeth” – as the myriad of instruments combined to produce a warm, mid-90s era sound that, like the stage, was full but not cluttered.

From this starting point, the crowd was treated to a robust 11 song set that provided all the time I needed to fall in love with the group. In a little under an hour, the group blazed through a set list that included the entirety of its upcoming debut album (to be released March 28th at The Iron Post) along with a faithful cover of the Pixies’ classic “Where Is My Mind?” – with Kelly Turner’s sweet vocal harmonizing replacing the haunting echoes of the original. Featuring hazy, meandering melodies punctuated by Riordan’s introspective lyrics, The Brother Whys pull off an impressive feat: making music that is both emotional without sounding whiny and bursting with energy without having to blow out amps.

Set List (provided by The Brother Whys)

Big Teeth
Run! Don’t Walk
River Black
Telephone
Friend You Can
Song From Humboldt Park
Working Son
Charts And Maps
Acid Rain
Where Is My Mind? (Pixies cover)
Thumbtacks

Next to inhabit the tight stage quarters were Snowsera, an alternative rock quartet that is quickly distancing itself from the other student bands attempting to make a splash in the local music scene. Just nominated for a Local Music Award (in the category of Best New Artist) and fresh off the release of their self-titled EP, Snowsera put on a performance that suggested the group are already seasoned veterans. Anchored by Bill Arteaga’s pitch-perfect live singing voice and drummer Jeff Wagner’s limitless talent and energy behind the kits, the band came across as professional and, well, flat-out good. (Incidentally, Wagner also filled in on drums for The Brother Whys, whose songs, ironically, proved to be a better showcase of his ability than his own band’s material.)

Aside from a few failed attempts to spark conversations about spring break plans, the members of Snowsera wisely let their music speak for itself. Beginning with two new offerings in the same vein as those found on its EP, the group continued with one of that release’s standout tracks, “Trends” – a burst of danceable pop-rock with deceptively biting lyrics. After hearing another batch of newer material, about the only complaint that can be raised against Snowsera is the lack of variation among its songs; however, this criticism can almost be ignored solely on the basis of how well the band does what it does. Following the slower, bass-driven “Charity,” the set ended with the superb one-two punch of catchy single “So Subtle” and faster, harder-edged new cut “History.” Don’t worry if you missed out on this show – the next chance to catch them is at the Canopy Club on March 27.

Set List (provided by Snowsera)

Who Else Would We Run To?
What You Will
Twenty-Four (EP)
Trends (EP)
Too
Perennials
Safe
Charity (EP)
So Subtle (EP)
History

Summary Limmerick:
There is nothing better than free shows.
If I were Mya I would love them like, whoa.
The Brother Whys
Were a nice surprise.
And Snowsera rocked out like old pros.