Chicago – “It’s always fun to play a sold-out show. It’s like, ‘That’s tight!’” Marlana Sheetz of Milo Greene earned a few laughs and plenty of applause from the Chicago crowd for her 90s-esque commentary Thursday night. Sheetz and the rest of Milo Greene – Robbie Arnett, Graham Fink, Andrew Heringer, and Curtis Marrero – put on an amazing performance at Lincoln Hall. Whatever you want to call it, the LA cinematic pop quintet pleased fans with their phenomenal music, charisma, and humorous banter.
Milo Greene formed in 2010 and by 2012 the Cali film buffs had released their self-titled debut LP, inspired by cinema scores and folk rock. Earlier this year the band released their sophomore album Control, which proved to be quite the departure from the indie-folk filled Milo Greene, with its 80s feel and soulful, jazzy pop that leans less on harmonizing, shining a spotlight on the individual singers’ four unique voices. In a recent interview with Best New Bands, Sheetz said, “This band is made up of 5 contrasting individuals. Our music tastes and styles are very different from one another, and those tastes and styles are constantly changing. It’s a challenging collaboration that we work very hard at. Every album will likely sound different than the one prior.” Given the reaction at Lincoln Hall, it’s safe to say fans are happy with Milo Greene’s new sound.
The night started off with “White Lies” and a little bass trouble. Despite this, Milo Greene sounded incredible, and thankfully a working bass was found and brought to the rescue. When it came time for fan favorite “1957,” Fink gushed into his microphone, “This is a trip! I don’t think I’ve played this bass since we wrote this song!” People cheered in approval and clapped along to the oldie. The band played a surprising amount of old material, including “Don’t You Give Up On Me,” “Polaroid,” and “Son My Son,” the latter of which Sheetz said they’d be retiring from live performances after this tour because the song “terrifies” her. Of course they have a wealth of new material to draw from with Control, and they played plenty of it from “Save Yourself” and “Gramercy” to “Not Enough,” “When It’s Done,” and the recent single “Lie To Me.” The band covered Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home.” People sang along to the 80s hit, and smiles seemed to multiply like rabbits.
They also played a cover of “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens because when in Rome, right? Arnett told the crowd he had a Windy City connection, having lived in a Chicago suburb. He hollered, “Shout out to Naperville!” Some awkward noises came from the crowd. Sheetz quipped, “I feel like everyone was just like, ‘That sucks for you!’” Laughter spread up to the balcony. Instruments also spread around the stage. It is amazing that Sheetz, Arnett, Fink, and Heringer share musical duties on all ends, from writing, singing, and picking up a bass, guitar, or drum stick. The multi-instrumentalists proved they have genuine talent. Let’s not forget about Marrero though! His percussion helped many bootys dance to the beat.
The band left the stage after “What’s the Matter,” but quickly returned for an encore. During “Autumn Tree,” the mirrors on stage bounced light onto the mirrorball above. Splashes of light danced on the walls, making the night feel all the more magical. (Kudos to Milo Greene’s lighting guy!) The band ended the night with Sheetz’ favorite song off Control: “Lonely Eyes.” Energy flowed from the stage. The four singers smiled, laughed, and danced around. The glow on their faces proved the bond between Milo Greene is as tight as their sound.
Milo Greene will be touring throughout the spring and summer. They’ll also be playing SXSW, Firefly, and Sasquatch. Head over to the Milo Greene facebook page for a list of dates. Control is available for purchase on iTunes.
Photos of Milo Greene 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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