Moon Taxi And Daniel Ellsworth At Subterranean

Chicago – It was a frigid Saturday night, but people from around the Midwest didn’t mind standing in the continuously growing line outside of Subterranean for the sold out show. In between muffled voices, horns honking, and other city sounds, fans could be heard sharing their favorite Moon Taxi stories. A group of Chicago transplants recalled watching the Nashville band grow and rise from a local band, playing local haunts, to a national cult favorite, making waves in music circles and even performing on Conan. One couple declared that seeing the men in Kentucky on a grassy knoll was the thrilling, while another couple, who had driven from Wisconsin to see the band perform, proclaimed that after seeing the group play a New Year’s Eve show, they became instant fans. When the doors finally opened, the tiny venue soon packed to the rims. Everyone was in great spirits; die hard fans were determined to not only see their beloved band, but also to enjoy every minute of the evening, cheering and dancing along to all the bands who were closing out the final night of Dunn Dunn Fest.

Hoots and howls filled the tiny venue as Moon Taxi entered the smoky stage with fantastic lighting highlighting their smiles, especially Trevor Terndrup’s. They started the night off with “The New Black,” but it was “River Water” that set the house on fire.

Terndrup’s southern drawl could be heard as he soulfully sang, “And we danced in the river water.” Other new songs, such as “Morocco,” off of their fourth and latest album, Mountains Beaches Cities, were played throughout the evening, but a few oldies, like “Whiskey Sunset,” trickled in. Perhaps the best aspect of the show was seeing the pure joy and excitement on the faces of the band. They were genuinely having fun and loving every minute of the show. The night ended in a blaze; as the men started an exemplary rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” someone pulled the fire alarm. The alarm filled the room with blaring screams and flashing lights. The audience laughed and cheered. Terndrup screamed, “Let’s rock this motherfucker down!”

The standout of the night was the Nashville band Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes. They commandeered the stage, summoning a feverish dance party. Their sound is comparable to Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse mixed with the occasionally undertones of classic rock and old school country. Ellsworth’s voice sounds akin to Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. “Bleeding Tongue” beautifully showcased their musical range and talents. Ellsworth told the room that the band was dedicating their set to Donnie Dunn, the creator of Dunn Dunn Fest, since Donnie couldn’t be there because his wife just had a baby. With his words of congratulations, the crowd cheered. The band then played “Shoe Fits,” which echoed sounds similar to a French Kicks or Hot Hot Heat song with its faster beats. DE&TGL ended their set with “Sun Goes Out,” the first single off their soon to be released sophomore album, Kid Tiger.

Santah opened the night with their mix of psychedelic 70s sounds and indie inspired tunes. This local jam band met while studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and have grown quite the underground following. Santah was all over the place musically, sometimes 80s beats could be heard or the hint of steel drums. The band sounded best when sibling singers Stan and Vivian harmonized, sounding like a young Fleetwood Mac. There is no doubt that the members of Santah are talented, having clearly mastered their instruments, but they lacked the charisma and stage presence needed to bring a live show to life.

Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes will be performing at SXSW and touring throughout the Midwest. You can catch Moon Taxi on their current U.S. tour.

(Photos by Sarah Hess: www.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.