Mayhem and the Metro: Twin Peaks close out Tomorrow Never Knows

by Rose Blanton

Since their debut in 2009, Twin Peaks has been fairly well received, especially by the city of Chicago, which makes sense because that’s where they hail from. Their first record, Sunken did well and even earned them a slot at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Their sophomore album hasn’t received as much praise, but still contains plenty of fuzz-drenched jangly pop songs and power chord upchucking rock songs.

Last Sunday at the Metro, Twin Peaks blasted onto a stage which was engulfed by youngsters who had love for them, much like young ladies do for One Direction. It’s hard not to go fanboy crazy over them. They’re young, attractive and they play instruments. This pretty much guarantees you’ll have women screaming in hysterics for you.

I did notice a few things though, once they started jamming. One, bassist Jack Dolan was nowhere to be seen. Two, they added a keyboardist and three, their sound was much richer and fuller than ever before. Looks like someone has put a little more effort into the production. I’ve been trolling the Internet and haven’t found any concrete evidence as to why Dolan was absent. Whether he was forced out of the band or was simply ill though, doesn’t matter. His vocal abilities were sub par and the band’s sound only prospered from his absence that night.

Their set was a mixture of both albums and went back and forth between the two genres they, themselves, straddled. It kept the vibe of the crowd undulating and helped to keep the mosh pitters at a controllable level. Whilst strumming along, Clay Frankel and Cadien Lake James bobbed violently on the stage; in an almost evangelical stupor. Ah, the power of music.

Twin Peaks receives mixed reviews from music critics. Some say they are sloppy and their only true potential dwells in their fuzz ballads like “Irene”. They do, however, have the unabashed willingness to get out there and play some raucous music and they really don’t give a shit if you think they’re sloppy or not. After the show, if you walked just outside the Metro, you could see the boys surrounded by young women in short skirts, smoking cigarettes. Say what you want, but these young men have legions of fans that are young, wild, and ready for more.