Tall Walker Kicks Off Chicago's CIMMfest

Chicago – When South Carolina native Nick Bays ran into fellow musician Chris Hershman, it surely must have been fate. The two instantly clicked and began collaborating, hashing out strong, beautiful songs, even when miles away. Knowing they were on to something, Bays decided to just roll with the punches and move to Chicago. They eventually formed a trio with Nebraskan Ben Johnson on drums, Hershman on bass, and Bays on guitar and lead vocals. And that’s how Tall Walker came to be. After the three released their self titled EP this past December, which was engineered and mixed by Stephen Shirk of Shirk Studios (Alabama Shakes), people around Chicago immediately started talking about this amazing band. In just a few months these guys have been deemed a band to watch in 2014 by RedEye Chicago, featured in an advertisement for Nikon cameras (which Chris filmed), and they starred in a commercial for Chicago’s historic Metro. Their mix of pop and indie rock has been compared to early U2, but they also sound quite similar to The National and the Kings of Leon. One might even say they’re a Midwestern version of KOL. Perhaps Chicago’s Midwestern vibes are rubbing off on Bays? Bays and his band certainly are rubbing off on Chicago, that’s for sure! The crowd at Subterranean loved every minute of Tall Walker’s show on Thursday night, which kicked off the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, better known as CIMMfest.

The guys started the night off with “Running Fast.” This song wonderfully displays the power of Bays’ smoky, sensual voice. Bays stared deep into the crowd, making a few girls swoon. Although Chris had his fair share of love, too. Someone yelled out, “Take your shirt off Chris!” Bays laughed and joined in, “Yeah, Chris. Take your shirt off!” In between laughs and small talk, the guys played every song from their EP and plenty of new material, which I’m guessing we’ll see on their LP when it’s released later in the year. Some heavier sounds can be heard weaving in and out of Tall Walker’s newer music, invoking comparisons to Band of Skulls and Leagues. No surprise there; the guys list both bands as influences on their facebook page, and they’ve played some gigs with Leagues, too. In my opinion, their strongest and finest song is the brawny and bluesy, guitar soaked “Stay.” Bays sings of an unfaithful lover and passionately pleads, “Lover stay where you are. Only move to the beating of my heart.” Johnson’s drumming is exceptional and Hershman pounds his bass, but the use of an additional guitar player is what really amplifies this song to near perfection.

Throughout the night, the audience could be seen moving along to the music and clapping to the beats. Nick graciously thanked the room every chance he got, and at one point he declared, “Chicago has the best local music fans!” Yes, Nick, it’s true. We do. Okay, perhaps I am a little biased. But the Chicago music scene has embraced these transplants as if they were each born and bred in our glorious city (Chris is originally from Indiana). We are now ready to share Tall Walker with the rest of world. Please do show them as much love, if not more, as we Chicagoans have!

Tall Walker’s EP is available for purchase on iTunes. Keep your eyes peeled for their upcoming album and tour announcements on their Facebook page.

(Photos by Sarah Hess: smhimaging.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.