Last Wednesday I was at The Empty Bottle to catch Yuck for their Stranger Things tour. The venue is a well-loved staple in Chicago and even though it’s a little rough, it never has to justify itself. Unfortunately for Yuck, that hasn’t been the case lately.

The British band has spent a lot of time defending their sound and their somewhat new lineup. Many publications and fans have given them guff for either sounding too much like certain 90s bands or not enough like themselves. I think something that is being over looked is the fact that when they debuted in 2011, they were somewhat at the front of the 90s resurgence. They don’t get enough credit for that. Also, their front man quit and they kept going, most bands (especially after their first album) would have thrown in the towel. They are soldiering on and making the music they want to. I think too many fans expect groundbreaking, rerouted work every time. For Stranger Things they went to their roots and produced this album themselves. Max Bloom has stated in interviews that they just want to make music they like and have a good time playing it. I personally think that Stranger Things has some great tracks like the closer, “Yr Face”, “I’m OK”, and “Cannonball” (which is what they opened with on Wednesday). The album itself is about what front man Max Bloom went through personally since the last album and what they have learned about themselves a band.

Wednesday’s set was a relaxed vibe. They opened with “Cannonball” as I mentioned earlier and after few songs Max asked everyone how they were doing; bassist Mariko Doi was wearing pajamas. It is very apparent that Yuck does not care what you think of them. In an era where so much of music is about how you look and what you represent, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a band with a more nonchalant manner. Now, I’m not saying they are completely apathetic about their music, they wouldn’t make it otherwise, but it is nice to know that they aren’t going to waste their time getting into Twitter fights. They are just here to play music. They played “Holing Out” and “Get Away”, which are from their first album. This shows a lack of fear, they know they are going to be compared to their former selves and they don’t care. Their second to last song was “I’m OK“. This was very fitting. As a band they are going to be fine, they aren’t falling apart from the crappy reviews and they are going to keep on playing the music they want to play regardless of what you or I think. I was glad I got to see Yuck in this phase of their musical career and I’ll continue to support them. Here’s to the next phase kiddos.

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Wednesday, Schubas, Minor Characters

Schubas is one of my favourite venues in the city due to the fact that it suffers from an identity crisis. Am I a bar? Am I a venue? Am I an adorable café? But I digress.

Upon arrival, I was treated by the presence of Minor Characters. These gentlemen not only make seriously melodic tunes, but they are also hilarious, humble, and self-reliant. Ever thankful to their fans and supporters, they were by far one of the most delightful bands I have ever interviewed.  They also helped me find my spirit animal, which is a koala.

Once usurping the stage, it’s hard to tell who is having a better time, the merry men of Minor Characters or the crowd. Andrew Pelletier commands the stage with an Elvis Costello-like presence, but with a falsetto-like twist. It’s hard to tell which is more impressive, the voice of Andrew or the riffs that come spewing out of Shelby Pollard’s guitar. Their EP Heal Me, Healing Times has a melancholy sound akin to the likes of Grizzly Bear or Local Natives. Upon meditating on the lyrics of Minor Characters, it becomes obvious that these boys aren’t singing about broken hearts, but about their concern with the social state of America. It might be safe to bet that they are perhaps trying to evoke a reaction from our generation. A reaction to the characteristic traits of previous generations that are failing today. Either way, if they were my brothers, I’d be proud!

Friday, Schubas, Bare Mutants

First off, the Bare Mutants are basically the alumni of The Empty Bottle, another bar I love. Upon hearing them, you are going to think, “I’ve heard this before.” And that’s because you have. Jered Gummere, former member of The Ponys, did what he did with his last band; sound like a mixture of Television and The Velvet Underground. The VU comparison is especially noticeable with the vocal accompaniment of Jeanine O’Toole. In her defence, she is not utilised enough. She also has a Neko Case presence that makes this little gypsy excited (FULL DISCLOSURE, I FUCKING LOVE NEKO CASE!). All that said, the Bare Mutants are fun. Jered’s soft murmuring slur reminds me of the Pixies and other silly “ I hate myself” boy complaint rock. Hopefully, Jered doesn’t take himself too seriously and knows exactly what he is doing. They put on a predictable show that, although it isn’t The VU, is a good replacement in light of recent events.

Sunday, Lincoln Hall, Yuck

Although a relatively new venue, Lincoln Hall has the BEST SOUND! For that reason, it is my favourite place to catch a show. It’s also one of the smaller venues, so it offers an intimacy that I seek more and more nowadays.

During the show, a fellow music head entered into a conversation with me. I’m not quite sure what compelled him to engage in conversation with me, but he did. He started off the conversation by asking me about what I thought of Yuck. I replied with a statement I thought to be accurate. I enjoyed them, but they were about 15 years late on the scene, he responded with “They’re a band without a lead singer.” This is and isn’t true. Yes, Daniel Blumberg left Yuck. For many people, this was the end of a band. But I think it’s unfair to say that Max Bloom isn’t a frontman. I will say, though, that I do believe I would thoroughly enjoy more tunes serenaded to me by bassist Mariko Doi. All in all, the show was enjoyable and I think Yuck will be just fine.

* * *

TNK is a small festival and I only had a taste of what it offered. Overall, there was one shining star, Minor Characters. The other bands weren’t horrific by any accounts, but I will use a horrific word here and say, perhaps, mediocre. BUT I didn’t loathe my time during any show and I didn’t want to leave any show. I had a good time, and isn’t that what most festivals are all about, losing oneself in the revelry of music?

Minor Characters

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