so i was in chicago this weekend visiting my girlfriend (who does have amazing musical taste) and we decide to catch a show after the cubs game.. we were browsing the paper the day before and i saw that VHS or Beta was playing.. i've missed them a couple times when they're gone thru ohio but always wanted to check them out.. i bought their cd "night on fire" a couple years ago after reading an article about them online.. their single "night on fire" is great... it sounds very 80's, kind of depeche mood-ish... driving drum beat, kickass bass/guitar breakdown toward the end, synths all over.. the rest of the cd is in similar vein so i thought a live show would rock..
boy were we right.!. this show was killer.. the venue, Empty Bottle, reminded me of the grog shop in cleveland.. just a dive bar with an elevated stage in the corner.. tons of drawings on the walls, random photos of bands past, dimly lit.. it did have a photo booth which is a classic addition to dive bars.. we got there early b/c the show was sold out.. they released a few tix and we were in.. i went straight to the sound guy, i mean sound girl, who informed us we were in for a sweet set.. the equip they had there was pretty top notched actually and she said it would be thumping..
the opening band Tiger City, blew me away.. not sure where they were from but they were in a similar vein to vhs or beta.. constant grooves, a few synth here and there, mixed in with some pre-recorded beats.. the singer was weird as hell to watch though.. he'd just wander back and forth, holding his mic up like it was on fire, like he just wanted to drop it.. beyond that, he sang most of the show in falsetto that was actually good.. their drummer never stopped and had his cymbals so high up in the air, i swear to god he had to come off his seat to hit em..i will be checking this band out for sure.. i descibe their sound as dance-funk-rock.... kind of in your face but it gets your ass shaking a little bit.. (and the sound girl had it rocking as promised)
VHS or Beta came on to a packed, enthusiastic crowd, thanks in part to Tiger City.. i was hopped up on tequila and red stripe so i'm amazed i can recall half this shit.. from the first song, the laid it all out.. it was kind of like 80's dance music, but set to current alternative voicings.. the bass player played an old fender precision out of a huge ampeg fridge.. both guitarist played gibsons most of the time.. the singer looks a bit like james iha from the smashing pumpkins..
i'm rambling a bit.. my word to you all is to check these bands out.. i know VHS or Beta just came out with a new cd recently, "Bring on the Comets" that i will be picking up.. if you get the chance to catch them in a small venue or at a festival, it's totally worth it..
and shoe, i took zero cell phone pics!! not that i'm a picture taker anyway!
ez
boy were we right.!. this show was killer.. the venue, Empty Bottle, reminded me of the grog shop in cleveland.. just a dive bar with an elevated stage in the corner.. tons of drawings on the walls, random photos of bands past, dimly lit.. it did have a photo booth which is a classic addition to dive bars.. we got there early b/c the show was sold out.. they released a few tix and we were in.. i went straight to the sound guy, i mean sound girl, who informed us we were in for a sweet set.. the equip they had there was pretty top notched actually and she said it would be thumping..
the opening band Tiger City, blew me away.. not sure where they were from but they were in a similar vein to vhs or beta.. constant grooves, a few synth here and there, mixed in with some pre-recorded beats.. the singer was weird as hell to watch though.. he'd just wander back and forth, holding his mic up like it was on fire, like he just wanted to drop it.. beyond that, he sang most of the show in falsetto that was actually good.. their drummer never stopped and had his cymbals so high up in the air, i swear to god he had to come off his seat to hit em..i will be checking this band out for sure.. i descibe their sound as dance-funk-rock.... kind of in your face but it gets your ass shaking a little bit.. (and the sound girl had it rocking as promised)
VHS or Beta came on to a packed, enthusiastic crowd, thanks in part to Tiger City.. i was hopped up on tequila and red stripe so i'm amazed i can recall half this shit.. from the first song, the laid it all out.. it was kind of like 80's dance music, but set to current alternative voicings.. the bass player played an old fender precision out of a huge ampeg fridge.. both guitarist played gibsons most of the time.. the singer looks a bit like james iha from the smashing pumpkins..
i'm rambling a bit.. my word to you all is to check these bands out.. i know VHS or Beta just came out with a new cd recently, "Bring on the Comets" that i will be picking up.. if you get the chance to catch them in a small venue or at a festival, it's totally worth it..
and shoe, i took zero cell phone pics!! not that i'm a picture taker anyway!
ez
Chicago - greatest city on the planet. When you movin' there EZ?
ReplyDeleteWhy did beta fail? Smaller, more compact format - oh wait, that's not what this was about at all.
ReplyDeleteTequila and Red Stripe? I'll get a headache in the morning from just reading that combination.
mix in a shot or two of jager and you'd be fine supervesey.. that what the doctor ordered..
ReplyDeleteez