Chicago – It takes a lot to get a crowd going on a Wednesday night. It is hump day, after all. But for indie hip hop duo Yoni & Geti, it was a piece of cake – a piece of Portillo’s chocolate cake. Yeah, if you’re not from Chicago, you won’t get that reference, but it had to be said seeing as one member of Yoni & Geti calls the Windy City home. That would be David Cohn, better known as Serengeti and even better known to die-hard fans as Kenny Dennis. Cincinnati native Jonathan Avram “Yoni” Wolf - from the alternative hip hop group WHY? – is the other half of this quirky yet impressively clever duo.
Both men are legends in their own right, within the underground hip hop community, but especially across the Midwest, combined having performed for nearly three decades. And while they have collaborated in the past – with Serengeti’s experimental rap album Family & Friends, back in 2011 (which also featured Advance Base, who served as the opening act for the evening) – this project officially makes the two a bonafide duo. Last month Yoni & Geti released the debut album Testarossa, which chronicles the life of touring musician Davy, who struggles to keep both his career and personal life afloat, as his frustrated wife Maddy has an affair with Davy’s best friend and ex-bandmate… though to be fair, Davy was far from faithful while on the road, so can we really blame Maddy? Testarossa plays out like a soap opera, which makes sense considering it’s based on failed screen play idea Yoni Wolf and Serengeti conjured up while driving across the U.S. on tour. In a hilarious interview with Best New Bands, Serengeti spoke about this script turned soundtrack:
We traveled, and we just talked a lot. Like I said, we came up with little scripts. Me and Yoni, when we were real tight, we used to go to a lot of movies, when we first met, in Oakland. We always had that bond, and whenever we do talk on the horn, it’s usually about movies and stuff like that. So when we were in the car together, we came up with this script idea. We tried to write it, and the first draft wasn’t the best. We made a soundtrack for certain parts of this story that I mostly came up with, but he tried to write.
While the story may fictional, the sharp-witted lyrics are easily relatable and no doubt ring true for some. That became all too apparent on Wednesday night, at Lincoln Hall, when the guys sang “What a fool was I, making my sweetie pie cry” and people nodded in agreement, like “Yep,” or when Geti rapped “Girlfriend twenty-two, boyfriend thirty-five, wife on the Southside, she’s standing outside – Shit” and some fans’ faces filled with guilty smirks.
Yoni & Geti were joined on stage by Doug McDiarmid (keys, bass, vocals) and Matthew Meldon (guitar, bass, vocals) – both of whom are members of Yoni Wolf’s main project, WHY? – helping to bring Testarossa to life. The album blends indie rock with hip hop, with Yoni Wolf and Serengeti sharing in vocal duties. At times, Serengeti straight sings, but he is at his strongest when he’s spitting verses. And fans definitely seemed to appreciate his rapping more, especially the two guys in the back of the room who rapped along with Geti, word for word, with arms raised in the air, while dancing to the beats. The crowd especially loved the alphabetical party that is “Frank.” Of course, singles “Lunchline” and “Madeline” got a lot of love from the audience, but especially the woman who played Maddy in the music video, who could be seen getting down near the front of the stage. And to make sure no one missed her, one drunk woman pointed and yelled, “That’s Maddy, from the music video,” which of course brought a few chuckles and some applause.
The guys also performed “Tracks,” from Serengeti’s 2011 album Family & Friends, which fit in perfectly with the Testarossa songs, with lyrics dissecting a struggling marriage: “Look at the monster you married / You never really know someone till you’re both buried / Deep in debt, fights for respect.” Later in the night, Yoni & Geti revisited “What A Fool,” with Geti holding the microphone out to the crowd, to sing along, “Oooooo, what a fool was I.” But all night fans sang along. And danced. There was so much fun being had. Yoni & Geti included. Serengeti looked like he was having the time of his life. Yoni was shocked, but pleased, with the turn out. He commented about how he couldn’t believe just how many people showed up… but Chicago loves music, especially hip hop, so really, it’s to be expected. Chicagoans know what’s up!
And Serengeti knows that. After Yoni & Geti finished the set and the band left the stage, Geti came back out to give the crowd a bit of Kenny Dennis, rapping about brats and O’Douls in his local hit “Dennehy.” Fans whistled in approval. It seemed everyone was banging out the lyrics, word for word. Toward the end of the song, the crowd chanted, “Onions, onions, onions, onions, onions.” It was the perfect end to Wednesday night.
Yoni & Geti are on tour now. A full list of tour dates can be found on the duo’s Facebook page. Testarossa is available for purchase through Joyful Noise Recordings.
Photography by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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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