Chicago – Never before had I seen the Beat Kitchen so packed. The 17 and over show filled the room with tons of teenagers, who pushed themselves against the stage, excited to see Drowners. As the New York post-punk rockers walked on stage, I heard an “Oh. My. God.” Wide-eyed girls screamed in excitement. Lead singer Matthew Hitt smiled at lead guitarist Jack Ridley III. The chords for “You’ve Got It All Wrong” played like a signal, commencing frantic jumping. Kids bopped along, singing, “And somewhere in the corner, he’s telling her a joke.”
No one was hiding in any corners of The Beat Kitchen Saturday night. The packed house was full of energy. Many fans had met with Hitt, Ridley, and bassist Erik Lee Snyder at the Dr. Martens store in Wicker Park earlier in the day. The guys of Drowners teamed up with Dr. Martens for the Stand For Something USA Tour 2014, which features several meet and greets in major cities and the chance to win a custom pair of Dr. Martens designed by Ridley. Girls clenched rolled-up autographed posters against their chests as they sang along to “Pure Pleasure.”
Of course, the guys also played fan favorite, “Luv, Hold Me Down,” off their debut self-titled album (on Frenchkiss). After, Ridley pulled out his phone and said, “Everyone give me the finger for a second.” Middle digits rose for the camera. He shouted, “Gorgeous!” Fingers fell to usher in applause.
Hitt said with his charming Welsh accent, “This is the fourth time we’ve played in Chicago. If you’ve come back, thank you! If you’re new, hello.” Laughter filled the room but was quickly drowned out by a new song titled “Another Go.” After seeing these guys bounce around stage and strut like bonafide rock stars, it’s no wonder fans keep coming back for more, giving Drowners another go!
Before ending the night with “Bar Chat,” the guys played some oldies. Hitt introduced “Long Hair” and cheers filled the room. After the sing along, Hitt and Ridley announced there’d only be two more songs. The room filled with wails of sadness. They joked, “We have to get to the bar before it closes!” After an early bid goodbye, the guys perked up the room with “A Shell Across The Tongue” from the EP Between Us Girls.
Nashville band Bully (below) also brought lots of energy and emotion that immediately fed into the crowd. Songs like “Bully” and “Milkman” caught the room’s attention. Along with shouts and whistles (many of which were from Bognanno’s sister and other Chicago friends), bodies started to move and heads began to nod. The room filled quickly; people who had been hanging out up front wandered in to see Alicia Bognanno and her band. Bognanno is magnetic. She draws you in with her voice, which wavers between angelic and naughty, then stares you down with her dark eyes and a sinister grin before hitting you over the head with witty lyrics. Bully blew me away! At times Bully sounded punk and grungy, then indie, and popish. Influences of The Velvet Underground seemed to bleed through, and Bognanno reminded me of a female Lou Reed. Expect to see and hear more from Bully in the future!
Chicago duo Burndoubt opened the night with their mix of punk and garage rock. Kids bopped their heads to “Get Away.” Singer and guitarist Griffen Emmet bashfully walked up to the mic and said, “This next song is a new song off our recently released self-titled three-song thingy.” The audience laughed along with him. Then he asked that we all “check that out on the internet” before breaking into “Love Song” with drummer Evan Casani. These two seem to be following in the footsteps of The Orwells and Twin Peaks, so perhaps they’ll soon be the next “big thing” to come out of the Windy City?
Drowners and Bully will be touring together through October. I highly suggest you check both bands out. Click HERE for tour dates. Drowners is available for purchase on iTunes, and Bully has some tunes available for download on bandcamp.
Photos By Sarah Hess
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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