Chicago – On a brisk, spring night, indie band Wild Nothing managed to pack Thalia Hall… on a Tuesday! Fans sifted into the beautiful, historic Pilsen venue, despite knowing it would be a late night, making for a rough hump day, the following morning, but Wild Nothing proved to be worth the loss of sleep and work day struggles, with an arresting performance.
L.A. based musician Jake Tatum started Wild Nothing back in 2009, in Blacksburg, Virginia. On the road, Tatum is joined by additional musicians, creating a magical indie pop fivesome. Currently Nathan Goodman (guitar), Jeff Haley (bass), Kevin Knight (keyboards), and Jeremiah Johnson (drums) make up the live version of Wild Nothing. In 2010, Wild Nothing released the critically praised debut LP Gemini via Captured Tracks, which was followed up with sophomore LP Nocturne, in 2012. This February, Wild Nothing released album number three: Life of Pause. The LP features the singles ”To Know You” and “TV Queen” and has been called Wild Nothing’s best album to date.
When Jake Tatum set out to make Life of Pause, his aim was to “create another world,” filled with many layers fit for exploring. To quote Tatum: “I desperately wanted for this to be the kind of record that would displace me… I’m terrified by the idea of being any one thing, or being of any one genre. And whether or not I accomplish that, I know that my only hope of getting there is to constantly reinvent. That reinvention doesn’t need to be drastic, but every new record has to have its own identity, and it has to have a separate set of goals from what came before.”
Seeing as Wild Nothing is touring in support of Life of Pause, the majority of the set featured tracks from the album – including “Reichpop,” “Love Underneath My Thumb,” and the single “TV Queen” – and indeed, another world – a magical world – was created, between the abstract sounds, haunting vocals, and mesmerizing stage lights, soothing the senses. Opening song “To Know You” set the night off right, with warped, futuristic sounds that at times feel otherworldly. “Adore” drew much applause. One excited fan could be seen playing air guitar.
A favorite of the night was “Alien.” A few fans called out for the song reminiscent of Pink Floyd – think Meddle – on various occasions. It was saved nearly for the end of the set. Once Wild Nothing broke into the dreamy track, fans whistled in approval. Tatum also played some old songs, like “Paradise” and “Only Heather,” from Nocturne, and “Summer Holiday” from Gemini. “Summer Holiday” saw fans sining and clapping along, while dancing circles formed during “Only Heather.” Wild Nothing left the stage after “Summer Holiday,” but the band soon returned for a three song encore. Upon much applause, Tatum smiled and exclaimed, “Best show of tour so far!” After “Japanese Alice” and “Life of Pause,” the night ended with an oldie but goodie: “Shadow,” off of Nocturne.
Wild Nothing’s labelmate Charlie Hilton opened the show with her sweet, hazy dream pop, soaked with chill, West Coast vibes. Hilton, who is also the frontwoman for Portland band Blouse, played plenty of songs off her debut LP Palana (Captured Tracks), which was produced by Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jacob Portrait. (Portrait is also a member of Blouse.) Most notable of the Palana tracks was ”Long Goodbye.” Hilton also played a new song titled “River of Valentines.”
After Charlie Hilton was Chicago band Whitney, who drew in quite the crowd of friends from the DIY scene and other local musicians, such as Colin Croom from Twin Peaks. Whitney, who Best New Bands first encountered at a Treehouse Records show, at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, is among a handful of Chicago musical acts set to make waves in 2016. Dare we say 2016 will be the year Chicago conquers? With Twin Peaks, The Orwells, and Chance the Rapper set to release new work and newbies like Whitney and Joey Purp releasing debut albums, it’s a safe bet.
Whitney was formed in 2014 by Julien Ehrlich (drums, vocals) and Max Kakacek (guitar), after the best friends left the band Smith Westerns. Ehrlich and Kakacek are joined by Will Miller (trumpet), Malcolm Brown (keys), Print Chouteau (rhythm guitar), Josiah Marshall (bass), and the seventh member, sound engineer extraordinaire, Mister Charles Glanders. Together these men create a unique mix of country and R&B. Yes, you read that right. Chicago isn’t exactly known for country acts, but Whitney is about to change that with its 70s country feel, which blends perfectly with Ehrlich’s soulful vocals and sweet falsetto. Of course there’s a bit of a jazz influence in there, too… because, well, Chicago. Miller’s horns are the cherry on top of the sick sundae Whitney serves up. A fine example of this can be found in the song “Follow.”
Aside from a Bob Dylan cover, Whitney played material from Light Upon the Lake (which is due out June 3rd via Secretly Canadian), such as “Polly,” “Dave’s Song,” and “No Woman.” Fans who’ve been around since the band was playing house shows could be heard singing along, while others new to the band were overheard expressing excitement and awe.
Whitney has ended its tour with Wild Nothing and is now on the road with Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Head over to the band’s Facebook page for tour dates.
Wild Nothing and Charlie Hilton are currently on tour in North America. Wild Nothing will soon be touring Europe, as well. A full list of tour dates can be found on the Wild Nothing Facebook page. Life of Pause is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.
Photography of Wild Nothing, Charlie Hilton, and Whitney by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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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