Chicago - Wednesday evening kicked off the start of AudioDamn!’s U.S. tour in collaboration with Communion Music. The trio put on one hell of a performance at Schubas, leaving the Chicago audience in a bit of shock, with plenty of chins on the floor. What they witnessed was an insanely talented band set for fame and ready to take the U.S. by storm.

AudioDamn! consists of Oliver Wimmer (vocals and guitar), Ali  Grumeth (Guitar), and Daniel “Mudi” Mudrack (Drums). These three mix soul, pop, and rock into lively, irresistible tunes. Think Mayer Hawthorne meets The Strokes. AudioDamn! began as Amsterdamn! but for legal reasons the Austrian fellas had to make a name change. (Learn more about this in our upcoming interview with AudioDamn!) The band took legs in Germany, but after signing with Epic Records, AudioDamn! packed their bags and headed for sunny L.A. to pursue their dreams. Just a week into the trio living here and they made their television debut on theToday Show. Safe to day those dreams are coming to fruition! AudioDamn’s Chicago performance made clear that Oli, Ali, and Mudi have the musical chops to succeed.

The night started out with “Give It Up.” Oli stood center stage in his olive green suit and sneakers, looking nerdy chic. What he delivered left many in the audience in disbelief. From the tall, skinny white boy came some soulful crooning. Oli is the Austrian Justin Timberlake. He’s a self-proclaimed fan of R&B, slightly obsessed with Prince and Stevie Wonder, who can hit the high notes just like his idols. And while Oli may be the one with all the soul, Ali is the one with the soul of a punk rocker. He looks like Julian Casablancas and jumps around stage like Johnny Ramone. While Oli is busy singing his heart out and Ali is shredding, Mudi is all smiles, keeping jazzy beats, and drumming like a true professional. The three bring very different styles and personalities together for a some fantastic pop music. The best example of this is “Lights Out.”

AudioDamn! performed the single “Lights Out.” Some fans in the audience sang along, while other danced with drinks in hand. They guys also performed their latest release “Radar.” After that soulful number, the guys broke into “Higher,” and Ali joked, “This is about female problems. I’m really quite into them.” After his giggles concluded, Oli unleashed his insane high octaves, bringing applause from the audience. Later he’d perform solo the ballad from their yet to be released album. Oli sweetly sang, ”A trail of broken hearts,” while Ali and Mudi sat side stage, watching along with everyone else. Oli sure knows how to grab your heart and tug at its strings.

The guys played unreleased tracks like, “Is This Hell Or Is It Life?” and also covered Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.” Halfway through “Fire” they stopped, and after a long and (purposely) awkward pause, a true fan shouted quizzically, “Confetti guns?” Oli chuckled and answered, “Yeah, we don’t have those. Next time!” AudioDamn! ended the night with the quirky “Brief Micro Sleep Cannot Be Avoided.” Oli and Ali jumped around stage, getting tangled in each other’s cords. By this point, the audience had moved closer to the stage, dancing, laughing, clapping, and smiling, and that hardcore fan from earlier, well he sang along word for word. All three band members locked eyes with each other and smiled; a sign they were having as much fun as the audience. It was great! Their entire performance was brilliant. Just brilliant. Goddamn AudioDamn!, goddamn!

You can and should keep up with AudioDamn! on Twitter and Facebook because these three are destined for greatness. You can also keep up with their current tour by reading the AudioDamn! Tour Diaries right here at Best New Bands.

• About
• Latest Posts

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

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.

Latest posts by Sarah Hess (see all)

• The Wild Feathers Check One Off The Bucket List - July 31, 2017
• RY X Captivates Chicago - October 24, 2016
• Four New Bands at Day Three of Riot Fest - September 20, 2016

Related posts:

New Bands At Lollapalooza: Raury, Elle King And The DMA’S 5 New Bands At Day One Of Pitchfork 2015 The Antlers Gain New Fans in Chicago