Chicago – On a beautiful Mother’s Day, Brooklyn based Americana group Alberta Cross graced Chicago with its warm, heartfelt tunes. The six-piece, fronted by founding member Petter Ericson Stakee, must’ve brought the warm weather with them because as of late, Chicago Spring has been a real drag, filled with chilly days, too much rain, and very little sunshine. The sun was out, but setting, as Alberta Cross and friends Grand Canyon and Sky White Tiger began their show at Beat Kitchen.
Ericson Stakee took the stage with his five friends. The singer and guitarist was joined by a bassist, steel guitarist, drummer, and a two-piece horn section – comprised of a trumpet and French horn – who also pulled double duties on keys and synths. It was a rather impressive set up, given how small the Beat Kitchen stage is. Never the less, Stakee found room to dance around, while playing guitar and belting out tune after tune, for the fans at the Lakeview venue.
Alberta Cross was formed in 2005, in East London. For almost ten years, Alberta Cross was the artistic project between friends Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers, but after the release of 2012’s Songs of Patience, Wolfers left Alberta Cross to focus on other works. Stakee decided to go it alone, and in 2015 released the LP Alberta Cross. Though, Stakee is never really alone; the Swedish singer-songwriter is joined by a revolving, talented group of friends.
Alberta Cross performed a mix of old and new, including ”I’ve Known For Long” from Alberta Cross’ first EP The Thief & the Heartbreaker and ”Isolation” and “It’s You That’s Changing,” from the recent, self-titled release. Being in Chicago, the band played the bluesy “Old Man Chicago,” from the 2007 debut LP Broken Side of Time. Fans especially enjoyed that one, whistling and applauding at the mention of it being about the Windy City. The band also played a handful of new songs, a sure sign a new album is on the way for Alberta Cross.
The night started out with L.A. based Grand Canyon. The trio is comprised of Casey Shea, Matt Pynn, and Joe Guese. The latter two are also currently members of Alberta Cross. Grand Canyon delivered sweet, 70s inspired country tunes, complete with some fine steel guitar, courtesy of Pynn. Though the trio has only recorded two songs – “Lucinda” and “Theory of Everything” – given Grand Canyon’s enormous talent, it’s safe to say it won’t be long till we’re hearing more from these gentlemen!
Next up was Sky White Tiger, the solo project of Louis Schwadron, who also plays French horn and synths in Alberta Cross. Louis Schwadron – formerly of Polyphonic Spree – performs under the psych-pop alter ego SKY WHITE TIGER. He was joined by Alberta Cross’ drummer, but for the most part, Schwadron is behind the wheel, mixing art rock, indie rock, and electronica. At times Schwadron blended performance art and spoken word, while “fusing sound, light, and fantasy – transforming any space into the Tiger Realm of the endless imagination.” For over ten years, before stepping out on his own, Schwadron wrote and recorded music for other musicians and performed as multi-instrumentalist with Radiohead, David Bowie, Elton John, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, The National, St. Vincent, and Rufus Wainwright. Schwadron has released two albums as Sky White Tiger: debut LP Electra and a EP Child of Fire. Schwadron performed songs off both, as well as a new song titled ”Simple as a Star.” Sky White Tiger was fascinating to watch because Schwadron is simply captivating. He is a star in the making!
Alberta Cross is currently on a North American tour with Grand Canyon and Sky White Tiger. Dates are listed below. Visit the Alberta Cross Facebook page for further information.
Photography by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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