Chicago – If you’re into Chicago music, chances are you know the city has a huge DIY scene. You’ve also probably heard of a little place called Treehouse Records. The recording studio has grown to become an oasis for emerging artists, providing a comfortable space to chill, create music, and build relationships within the DIY community. Treehouse founders Matt Gieser and Garrett “Bear” Guzaldo have recently begun building relationships themselves, outside of the DIY community, particularly with Lincoln Hall and Schubas, in turn helping local bands book shows and fill opening slots at two of Chicago’s most beloved music venues.

This past Friday night, Treehouse Records and Lincoln Hall put on an epic show filled with one of the best local line-ups, featuring Joe Bordenaro (shown above) , Petty Crimes, Whitney, and Modern Vices, with the Vices taking the well-deserved headlining spot, fresh off of touring with Twin Peaks. Thanks to that tour, the guys of Modern Vices (shown below) – Alex Rebek (Vox), Peter Scoville (Guitar), Thomas Peters (Guitar), Miles Kalchik (Bass), and Patrick Hennessey (Drums) – have begun to become known outside Illinois and Cali (the Vices released their self-titled debut album via LA label Autumn Tone), but they’re still largely loved by Chicago’s DIY kids.

Many of those kids were at Lincoln Hall – those over eighteen at least – getting wild, making security visibly anxious, as they moshed around to “Keep Me Under Your Arms” and “Nothing So Cold.” The guys played a new song, still under lock and key in terms of titles, with the setlist reading “New Song Tres.” They’ve been hard at work on album dos, recording songs for their sophomore album at Treehouse Records. The band’s debut had critics dogging their descriptive choice of “dirty doo-wop” – to be fair, there are hints, albeit extremely minuscule hints, of doo-wop in some of the recordings, most notably in “Baby” and “Smoke Rings” – but praising their garage rock, comparing them to the likes of New York gods The Strokes. As someone who actually grew up listening to The Strokes during their heyday – I emphasize this because like many Chicago bands blowing up right now, these guys were mere babes when JC and his crew were blowing up, but know that’s not at all a diss; I’m thoroughly amazed by the multitudes of young musicians, particularly Chicago musicians, who are focused enough in their teenage years to write, record, and release albums and then tour, while often still in high school or fresh out – I hear influences of The Strokes in recordings like “Taller In The Sunshine,” but live, at least now, they more so take on The Strokes’ stage presence, especially with Rebek prancing around stage like a young Casablancas. I saw Modern Vices perform back in January, when they opened for Twin Peaks during TNK Fest. They’ve grown so much since then. Perhaps it was the fivesome’s time on the road or just physically and mentally aging since they started as a band in 2013, but they’ve grown into a sound more their own, distinctly Modern Vices.

Though Modern Vices put on an amazing show, the highlight of the night was hands down the mind-blowing performance by Whitney (below). The newly formed six-piece, which features former members of Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Max Kakacek (guitar) and Julien Ehrlich (vox + drums) – has built quite the reputation among Chicago’s music mavens (with members of The Orwells and Twin Peaks calling themselves fans) and within the local underground music scene, blowing people away at DIY venues and house shows, with their soulful R&B inspired tunes, underlying hip-hop beats, psychedelic riffs, and sweet trumpet calls.

Yes, yes, these guys added a horn, and to quote the young lady standing next to me during one of the best performances I’ve seen in ages, “I just love a good horn!” Kakacek and Ehrlich are joined by Will Miller on trumpet, Malcolm Brown on keys, Ziyad Asrar (who you may know from Touching Voids) on guitar, and Josiah Marshall on bass. Whitney’s sound is so refined and polished, you wonder if they’ve been holed up practicing since December, when the Smith Westerns split. I mean, there was that Polar Vortex and all.

The mysterious sextet has yet to release any physical recordings, and to date, they’ve only released one song online: “No Matter Where We Go.” They played that tune, along with “Golden Days” and “Woman,” which Ehrlich noted with a smile and giggle is “a song about being single.” Whitney also covered The Everly Brothers’ “So Sad.” It wasn’t sad at all. In fact, it was beautiful. Though what is sad, is the band doesn’t have an official website, yet. Although they do have an IG account, with some NSFW pics, and a Facebook page, which lists a brief upcoming tour with Lion Limb. Word on the street is Whitney is recording a full-length to be released early in 2016. Hopefully we’ll get a website, some merchandise, and more music sooner, rather than later. Until then, catch Whitney live, if you can. Although, given how insanely good Whitney is, it won’t be long before they’re touring all around the world.

Chicago rock band Petty Crimes (above) and singer-songwriter Joe Bordenaro also performed earlier in the night. Petty Crimes brought the roughest, gruffest rock of the night, tearing it up with “Friends,” off their 2014 EP Fat Nap  and the 2015 release ”Don’t Have To Die.” Joe Bordenaro made it a family affair, bringing his cousin and little brother on stage, along with some friends, to back him up. While Bordenaro sounded great with a backup band, he has enough charisma to hold his own. I mean the kid covered Abba’s “Dancing Queen!” Bordenaro may have just graduated high school and still carry a baby face, but hearing him perform “Taller Man” and “Maxwell Lewis Harrison,” it’s clear the teen has an old soul, inspired by surf rock of the 60s. That said, like Modern Vices, The Strokes play heavy here too, especially with the songs off Physical Education, his self-released EP.

If you’d like to keep up with and learn more about Chicago’s amazing DIY scene, you should check out Houseshow Magazine! You can also follow Treehouse Records on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Photos by Sarah Hess for BestNewBands.com

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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.

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