Chicago – Austin based, Toronto born band Black Pistol Fire kicked off their North American tour in the Windy City this past week. The rock duo sold out their show at Schubas so quickly it was moved to Schubas’ larger sister venue, Lincoln Hall, and in turn, guitarist Kevin McKeown and drummer Eric Owen sold out Lincoln Hall. Fans packed in tight on the ground floor to witness this pair of best friends put on one of the finest shows around. The two have spent the last year on tour with their friend and fellow Austinite Gary Clark, Jr., which has only amplified their stellar performance and put them even more in tune with each other… though when you’ve been friends since kindergarten it’s probably pretty hard not to be in harmony!
Best New Bands first caught Black Pistol Fire this past summer, at Lollapalooza, where they put on one of the strongest performances of the festival weekend and gave us our favorite Lollapalooza interview to date! McKeown and Owen were excited to be back in Chicago and performing their first headlining show in the city that gave them their first taste of snow this winter. It melted pretty quickly though. Suppose that’s what happens when a hot band comes to town. Yes, these guys are sizzling H-O-T! They put on such an electrifying show, it’s hard not to leave a Black Pistol Fire show sweaty and flush. McKeown’s masterful guitar playing and sultry vocals just might have you fanning yourself silly, and watching him run around stage, jumping atop Owen’s drum kit, and soaring in the air may give a bit if whiplash. All the while, Owen will leave you moving to the beat and grinning widely in approval, while biting down on your lower lip because man the soulful, bluesy rock coming from the stage! Wowza! Plus, these two make so much noise; it’s hard to believe it’s just the two of them.
However, one might say McKeown and Owen turned into a trio for the night, thanks to one slightly intoxicated female fan, who crawled onto the stage a few times, dancing, whipping her hair, and shaking her booty, looking like a rock ’n roll go-go dancer, dressed in her faux fur jacket. The two didn’t seem to mind. At one point, McKeown even gave her a fiery smooch while still going hard on his guitar. Fans clapped and whistled in approval. Later McKeown asked the crowd where the best place to get a late night night beer was. Between the shout outs, he looked at his muse and joked, “Better yet, where are you going later?” Laughter filled the room.
The night was filled with far more music than laughter. Black Pistol Fire played longer than they intended, performing songs off their album Hush Or Howl, taking fan suggestions and tossing in some covers. McKeown was playing so hard, he even broke guitar strings, leaving him down to one guitar towards the end of the night. When McKeown smiled, shrugged, and noted, “Down to one,” a fan shouted, “Break that bass drum!” No drums were harmed in the making of this fine evening. Instead, the night was filled with musical medicine. Some standouts: “Hipster Shakes,” “Cold Sun,” “Crow’s Feet,” and their covers of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” and Richard Berry’s “Louie Louie” (later made famous by The Kingsmen). The guys also played “Bad Blood,” a new song which will be on their upcoming album, tentatively titled Wake the Riot, that Owen said should hopefully be released sometime in May of 2016. The album will also include Black Pistol Fire’s latest releases “Damaged Goods” and “Mama’s Gun.” When the band finally left the stage, most fans stuck around wanting and hoping for more. Sure enough, Black Pistol Fire delivered, coming out for quite the encore. McKeown walked into the crowd and headed straight to the bar, where he chugged a cold one and then jammed atop the the bar. People pulled out their phones recording video and snapping photos to capture the moment. When it was all over, the young man next to me had a look of shock on his face. When he finally found himself able to speak, he uttered, “Oh man!” I asked, “First time seeing Black Pistol Fire?” He shook his head yes, smiling ear to ear. I smiled back and assured him, “It won’t be your last!” One taste and you’re hooked!
Earlier in the night Detroit band The Erers also put on an amazing performance. Fans and friends drove down from Michigan to see the trio, and after seeing them live, it’s understandable why the long haul was a must. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Riesterer, drummer Christopher Fichter, and bassist Jamison Winterbottom Mosshart thrashed hard. Riesterer and Mosshart (who is reportedly the cousin of Alison Nicole Mosshart of The Kills) whipped their hair in every direction, shredding all over the stage to “Yesterday’s Jam” and “Like a Ghost.” During “Scuba Steve,” the final song of their set, Riesterer jumped off stage and played his guitar in the crowd. People circled around him, banging their heads. These three proved they deserve to be on everyone’s radar. Expect to hear more about The Erers in the future!
We can’t urge you enough to see Black Pistol Fire live! Find tour dates and keep up to date with the guys by following them on Facebook. Hush or Howl is available for purchase on iTunes.
Photos by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands
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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