Archive for December, 2008

2008 seemed to fly by a lot quicker than I would have liked, especially the summer (where my return to skateboarding after a 20 year hiatus sadly got cut in half due to a back injury). I think the first half of the year was slow for me in regards to shooting shows but things started picking up in the fall (or what is better known as winter part one here in Chicago as it seems we no longer have a fall).

I got to see some pretty cool shows this year, including getting to see some old punk bands reuniting who I never thought I’d ever get to see. Here’s a photographic look back at the shows I shot this year.

The Goddamn Gallows – These guys played with Destroy Everything at Beat Kitchen and put on one hell of a show. I look forward to seeing them again sometime.

Destroy Everything – Is it possible that I really only saw them play one time this year?? How did that happen?

The Black Dahlia Murder – They bring the metal to the House of Blues on a regular basis these days it seems and are pretty damn good at what they do.

Hate Eternal – another fine metal band who I caught a couple times recently and will continue to do so upon future tours. And this guy is one intimidating looking dude!

The Anti-Nowhere League – their first album is a punk rock masterpiece and this was a band I always wished I could see. While the line-up isn’t exactly the same from that album, they still proved that aging punk rockers can still kick some serious ass.

Soilent Green – what the hell is in the water in LA that makes the state produce awesome metal bands?!

Skeletonwitch – I never heard of them before seeing them open for Hate Eternal and I was very impressed. I still need to pick up the vinyl of their new album and am pissed they ran out by the time I tried to buy one at this show after it was over.

Ministry – Their last ever tour before Al decided to retire the band. Two things were a let down about this show: it was super tough to shoot cuz of the fence and they didn’t play almost any older material. Aside from that the show was still pretty damn good and I am going to miss them.

Meshuggah – Perhaps the most intense and brutal band I’ve seen this entire year. Another band I hadn’t heard of until witnessing them and I want to see them again, now! Another difficult shoot because of the fact they pretty much played under strobe lights the entire time.

Vans Warped Tour (Against Me pictured) – Not too much appealing this year to an old punker but still and entertaining show overall and perhaps the best value for a concert-goers ticket price. Where else can you see Against Me and Katy Perry on the same bill??

Silver Abuse at Lucky Gator Loft – A second Silver Abuse reunion in less than a year that was every bit as fun as the first one. I just wish they could have gotten Toothpaste to reprise their opening slot again too!

The Bollweevils at Reggie’s – One of the best later-peroid (early to mid 90’s) Chicago punk bands do the city a service by getting back together and sounding like they never went away. Bonus points for the fact that not only are they a great band, but great people too. This performance at Reggies (one of the newer and best clubs currently doing shows here) was top-notch.

Four Star Alarm at Reggies (opening for Bollweevils) – these guys get the prize for most improved in the last year and a half. I went from not thinking much of them the first time I saw them to now really enjoying seeing them open a show.

Riot Fest – This is usually one of, if not the funnest shows of the year and this year was even more fun than last. This time out there was a more diverse lineup including the amazing Valient Thorr (pictured) and a reunion show for the legendary All.

Gwar at House of Blues – Gwar reinstate a (near) Halloween tradition and also reinstate some things that made their early shows such a treat including the return of Sleazy P. Martini! As a photographer, this show was the most fun for me to shoot because I was the only one brave enough to do so this evening. It was worth getting drenched in blood and I hope to do it again next year.

Down at House of Blues – Further proof that New Orleans has become the king of metal. This performance really woke me up to how great this band is and was even better than their show here a year ago.

The Melvins at Reggies – The Melvins were so amazing this night that they almost stole the title of show of the year for me, but that title was quickly claimed ten days later by…

Ohgr at Double Door – My least favorite club was the host to the singer of my most favorite band’s solo project. Ohgr (the solo project of Skinny Puppy vocalist Nivek Ogre) finally hit the road in support of a new album. This show was so good it actually topped the last Skinny Puppy show here in Chicago. It was so good that even the misgivings of the club they played at didn’t hamper the evening in the slightest. This was also the most difficult show to shoot this entire year due to the very low lighting.

Don’t Call Us No Wave Fest at Beat Kitchen – This two night affair was the most poorly attended show I went to this year but the few who bothered to show up were treated to some really unique bands, most of whom were from the first generation of Chicago punk rock. The bands who played: Ono (pictured), End Result, The Mentally Ill, Flophouse, Silver Abuse, and Lovely Little Girls. It was a fun way to end a year of shows despite the crappy weather.

2008 was a little thin in the shows department compared to the couple years prior, but there was still a lot of fun to be had throughout the year. Here’s hoping 2009 will see an increase for me in the amount of shows I’ll be shooting and reporting on here. For those of you who want to see more photos from these shows and read the reviews of them, you can do so right here.

Awhile back I profiled some records released by The Mylene Sheath, which was a new label that put out a trio of great releases upon their launch. I was hoping that the label would continue and not just be a short-lived hobby and I was extremely happy to receive a package recently with a bunch of new releases, many from bands I’d never heard of before. It would appear the label is shifting into a higher gear as they have a bunch of stuff lined up as well! The first item in the batch of new released I received is from a band that has another record out on this label.

Caspian – You Are the Conductor 12″ EP
The Mylene Sheath

This is a reissue of Caspian’s first EP that came out in 2005 only on the inferior CD format. My first exposure to Caspian came at the hands of their 2xLP released by this very same label a year ago. Caspian are an all-instrumental band  that hail from MA. Unlike the riff-heavy and repetitive formula of a band like Pelican, Caspian opt for a more subtle approach. Their songs are very intricate with various textures of sound. They are really good at creating mood and atmosphere with their music and it is as if their record tells a story with just sounds and no words. Their 2xLP was a work of art and it is evident from now hearing this, their first release, that they were quite the artists from the get-go.

Those looking to get their feet wet and give the band a try would do well to pick this one up. Part of the reason I hadnt’ gotten around to writing about these latest releases sooner was I kept playing this one over and over at the expense of playing the rest of what was in the package! I’ve been listening to this record quite a bit since receiving it, which is a testament to its staying power.

The record comes in a standard sleeve with a really nice printed inner sleeve. The copy I received came on clear vinyl which I think really works well with the look of the packaging. It also comes on brown vinyl (available from the label), baby blue or white vinyl (available only through the bands).

The Mylene Sheath is quickly becoming one of my favorite labels with their high quality vinyl releases of some very interesting bands. They are quickly becoming one of those labels where you will just pick up whatever they put out based solely on their track record of enjoyable releases.

Sunday night was the conclusion to the two day run of shows at Beat Kitchen. This time there would be three different bands: one I never heard of, one from the very old days of Chicago punk, and one newer band that I’ve heard the name of but wasn’t familiar with.

Flophouse

Flophouse

Flophouse

I got off to a late start so when I finally arrived at the club, Flophouse were already playing. They consisted of two members who mixed up guitar/bass with lots of noise and effects. Their songs were long pieces of droning noise with the occasional growling vocals. It served as mostly ambient background noise. I’m not sure how much of their set I missed, but they seemed to play a long time. I liked their last number the most because it actually had a lot of vocals and built to a noisy and aggressive climax.

Silver Abuse

Silver Abuse

Silver Abuse

Silver Abuse

Silver Abuse

Silver Abuse

The band that got me to go out late on a Sunday night in the cold were next and that was Silver Abuse. I had just seen them do another reunion a few months ago that I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to seeing them play again. This was the same lineup as the last time. As usual they played a nice handful of their old, and older songs. This time out they even had a tuba! Just like last time, they did not disappoint and played a really fun set. It appeared they had more songs to go on their list but the sound man informed them that their time was up which was a bummer because I’d have liked a few more songs.

Lovely Little Girls

Lovely Little Girls

Lovely Little Girls

Lovely Little Girls

When Silver Abuse were finished, what seemed like an entire army of people were up on stage setting up equipment that mainly consisted of horns and a strange looking fellow in a tutu was painting a line on his face. This cavalcade of oddballs were known as Lovely Little Girls and I had no idea what to expect. When the drums and horns started, the singer was moving all over the place, contorting his face and body and flailing about. Lovely Little Girls play in what I can best describe as demented show tunes. Think of it as dark opera for the disturbed. The songs are a pretty good tempo and they are just really odd, but in a good way. I found them to be extremely entertaining to watch and it was like nothing I’ve seen before. Kudos for the originality and presentation. I hadn’t planned on sticking around for their whole set in an effort to try and get home and to bed at a reasonable hour but I couldn’t help but get sucked in and the next thing I knew their set was finished! A nice way to cap off two nights of good shows.

Lovely Little Girls

Lovely Little Girls

Lovely Little Girls

Don’t Call Us No Wave Fest was a pretty cool concept that was only slightly marred by poor attendance. The bands played like they were playing to a full house though, they all gave 100 percent and it showed. I hope something like this can happen again sometime in the future (and with better weather conditions).

More photos from this show will be posted this weekend on MXV’s Flickr Stream.

This past weekend was a pair of shows I was looking forward to over at Beat Kitchen. It was the “Don’t Call Us No Wave Fest” and it featured five old obscure Chicago art/punk/noise bands, and one newer band that fit the same kind of mold. These shows that reunite old punks are always exciting to me and I loved that I’d be able to see a band I owned a record by, but knew very little about and that band happened to be the one kick-starting the event.

Ono

Ono

Ono

Ono

Ono

Bad weather and the general obscure nature of this show resulted in a pretty thin crowd which was a bummer because I thought for sure more “old-timers” from the Chicago punk scene would come out for the show. The selfish photographer side of me liked all the space to move around in though. I was setting up my camera gear when I heard the sound of sheet metal being hit and turned around to see the members of Ono filing in and heading toward the stage. They got on stage, put down the sheet metal and spent about a half hour playing some very interesting early-industrial/avant garde music. It was at times aggressive and in your face, and other times more ambient. Their singer/main gadget manipulator was a very charismatic front man and seeing this set has inspired me to go revisit their record which I own but haven’t touched in probably at least ten years! Having this opportunity to see an old band that I missed in my youth was a real treat for me.

End Result

End Result

End Result

End Result

End Result

After a brief equipment change, End Result took the stage. Unlike the band before them who had some degree of accessibility in at least the drum beats and rhythm in some of their pieces, End Result are an abrasive attack on the aural senses. Their avant garde/noise/jazz blend of music is an acquired taste and very confrontational in it’s presentation, but one I appreciated. I thought this time out they were a bit more “on” than when they played a year ago for the You Weren’t There premiere.

The Mentally Ill

The Mentally Ill

The Mentally Ill

After another fairly quick equipment change where actual drums were set up for the first time that evening, The Mentally Ill returned to the very club the reunited to play just one year ago for the same premiere as End Result. Their bass player was wearing his butcher smock again and this time the guitar player was decked out in a furry hat and long underwear looking like someone straight out of a backwoods part of the middle of nowhere you hope not to end up in.  Of the three bands who shared the stage this evening, The Mentally Ill were the most traditional of the punk rock being offered, but they aren’t without their share of quirks. This time out like End Result before them, they seemed tighter and more on their game. I know the band has played out at least one other time in the past year and I think that worked to their favor as they sounded great. The drums were heavy, the guitar abrasive and the singer was very animated and energetic. The small crowd in attendance seemed to be enjoying them most of all.

The Mentally Ill

The Mentally Ill

The Mentally Ill

After they finished, it was time to head home. It was late, it was cold, and the roads were icy, but it was all worth it for such an enjoyable show that was outside the norm and a trip back in time. Not only that, but there was a second night featuring three more bands to follow.

Check back tomorrow for part two.

Sunday night Ohgr returned to Chicago after a seven year absence from touring to play a show at the Double Door. I was quite surprised he wasn’t playing at Metro again based on the popularity of Skinny Puppy and the fact that the Double Door is so small. I knew shooting the show was going to be a challenge, but one I was up for considering who it was that was playing!

Chris Connelly

When the doors finally opened, the line of people waiting to get in the club was well down the street. It didn’t take very long for the club to fill up as the place filled up with eager fans. After about an hour of standing around and waiting, the show finally got started when Chris Connelly took the stage. I haven’t seen Chris on a stage in well over ten years, perhaps even longer. For those of you unfamiliar with Chris, he once was in Fini Tribe, then he did time in such fine bands as Ministry, Revolting Cocks, and Pigface before embarking on a solo career that saw him give up industrial rock for a mellower kind of music. It was just Chris and an accousic guitar doing a variety of songs that span his solo career. It was really neat to hear accoustic versions of “Stowaway” and “July” which were songs I’ve been enjoying on his first two albums for years and years. In between songs Chris would make some small talk and was very upbeat. His set lasted about a half hour and was really enjoyable.

Chris Connelly

After Chris left, a screen was rolled down in front of the stage and I could see some familiar looking people come out behind it. It was William Morrison and Justin Bennett, both of whom have done time in Skinny Puppy and are both part of the touring version of Ohgr. The screen in front of the stage was to show the band created films on while they played music in the background. The music was all instrumental and some of it had a lot of samples. It really set the tone for the images on the screen quite well. There were images of American Indians and bits of early American history among other things. It really worked well and reminded me of something you might see in a history flim but able to keep your interest for a lot longer. At times it was spooky and at times it was aggressive. It was a pretty neat thing to witness and hear for the 45 mins they played. The name of this little band of theirs is the American Memory Project.

Ohgr

Ohgr

As the screen was removed and final preparations were being done, the crowd started chanting for Ohgr. The place was totally packed at this point and it was again I was wondering why they didn’t have this show at a larger venue. From my spot up front I could see Ogre being outfit with a cover to hide the outfit he was going to be coming out in until it was time.

Ohgr

Ohgr

Ohgr

When the band took the stage, they started playing and the drumbeats and intro was instantly recognizable as the beginning of “Shhhh”, the first track of Devils In My Details. In the live setting, the drums and song in general was far more powerful than the recorded version on the album. Ogre walked out on stage and the cover was dropped to reveal a monster type of outfit on his back. The outfit had camera lenses for eyes and other camera lenses and with Ogre’s arms outsteched, it gave the appearance of a strange creature growing out of his back. The gimmick worked really well, it felt and looked like a different character and reminded me a lot of earlier Skinny Puppy shows, almost like a tribute to the Guilt Man! It makes sense because the suit was done by the legendary (and long time friend of mine) Tim Gore! Tim was the man responsible for the props and designs on the Skinny Puppy Too Dark Park and Last Rights tours.

Ohgr

Ohgr

While the band were pummeling the audience with as much force and impact of a live Skinny Puppy show (those who’ve witnessed them know what I’m talking about), there were videos and images being projected onto the backdrop behind the musicians. This also served as the main lighting on stage with some minor exceptions. After the first song completed, just like the album, they transitioned into “Eye Candy” and the images on the screen reflected the subject matter of the song. Ogre was still in creature mode and it was very creepy staring at this weird creation looking at me with camera lens eyes while singing those songs in the trademark Ogre vocal.

Ohgr

Ohgr

After this Ogre shed part of his costume to reveal another character with a plastic face. It was even more creepy than the last one. They played the entire DIMD album in order. Just like the album itself was conceived as one long concept piece, it was presented in the same fashion. After Ogre came out of his plastic head shell, it revealed he was painted up kind of like the Joker but even more twisted looking. During “Feelin’ Chicken” he pulled out a box of down feathers and blew them everywhere. It was snowing feathers throughout the entire song and I ended up going home to find many stuck in my hair! DIMD worked very well as a live set and the songs that I wasn’t that into on the album sounded so much better in a live setting. The band played those songs to perfection and even improved on them. DIMD live was definitely a must-see. I’d have been happy if that was the entire show, but thankfully it wasn’t.

Ohgr

Ohgr

After the final song of the album, “Witness”, Ogre announced that was the end of the DIMD concept and it was time for some older material. They played some songs off the previous two albums including “Cracker”, “Majik” and “Minus”. The stuff sounded even better this time around than it did on the last Ohgr tour. On top of the main set, the band came out for two encores, the final one was something I didn’t recognize at all and I think was some improv piece, or as Skinny Puppy fans call it, a brap. It was pretty damn cool whatever it was and it again gave me flashbacks to early Skinny Puppy shows.

Ohgr

Ohgr

Ohgr managed to do something at this show that I didn’t think was possible, they (and he) eclipsed not only the previous Ohgr tour, but this show also eclipsed the last Skinny Puppy show in Chicago! This show is probably going to go down easilly as the best show in 2008. The icing on the cake though was on this tour, they are selling a tour-only vinyl version of Devils In My Details on clear vinyl!