What an amazing weekend. I had the privilege of meeting, and briefly socializing with two wonderful artists. I was indoctrinated into a wonderful community of close knit fans, brought together by a gracious, caring artist who gives back a great deal to his fans.
Day one (12/18/09):
Venue: Reggie's Rock Club (2.5/5) I'm trying not to judge the venue by the sketchy area it was lodged in. Being on state street a hop, skip and a jump from nicer areas, I assumed quite incorrectly that it would be a decent area.
I didn't really get a chance to look at the bar itself, as I was too busy doing what I came to do, namely schmoozing with Kill Hannah. Reggie's struck me as a place that could not make up its mind weather it was a music venue or not. The layout was similar to other standing room only venues, however, it was too small to accommodate the audience for larger shows. That alone was not a problem, as there are other similar venues, designed for smaller bands. However, if you're going to be a little dig like that, at least have a good enough sound system that the vocals could be decerned from the base four rows in.
Full Album performance of Kill Hannah's "American Jet Set" (3/5) While not my favorite album, it was nice to have a hat tip to the fans that had been there for the full decade that the band has been preforming. There were songs I'd genuinely forgotten were on the album, which was a pleasant surprise. Having seen them live before, my bar was set very high, and while the show was phenomenal, it did not live up to the standard Kill Hannah set. The energy was weaker I would have expected in a show that is explicitly devoted to the more dedicated fans. While far from a disappointment, it wasn't as powerful as I would have hoped.
Day two (12/19/2009)
Venue: The Metro (4/5): I would call this my new, second favorite venue, rival only two The House Of Blues. Despite having been a Chicago girl now for three and a half years, \ I hadn't visited The Metro before because I am a petite person and had heard The Metro's reputation for wild, densely packed crowds. However, my attachment to Kill Hannah's music won out over my trepidation. I was not disappointed.
The Metro is a lovely venue with four bars tucked just a little away from the floor, making them easier to get to than at most venues. It has three floors, one is mostly just the merchandise booth and a place to house the line. The second floor is where the stage and dance floor are, very simple design a basic black, flat floor. The third floor was more of a lounge with seats and tables, however it over looked the second floor so that the show is visible. This was also where the coat check was, which was nicer than most venues. It is clean, except for the bathrooms, which I will get to in a moment. The sound booth is set back closer to the bar, adding that much more room to the already spacious floor. The seasonal decor was fun, large wire and nylon snowflakes, lit candy canes and little plastic trees where the permanent decor was professional and neat and there were posters everywhere advertising the next show or release party, but not so many that it was messy.
Then there were the bathrooms, like at Vic, the bathrooms were questionable at best, I was a little afraid to use them actually for fear of how dirty they were and the amount of graffiti
The Crowd: (4/5) While understandably bored during the first acts, the crowd was lit with an energy hitherto unseen in Kill Hannah fans, they were airborne, screaming, dancing like the world was ending. The energy was intense, but it wasn't such a tight crowd that it was suffocating.
First opener: 1997 (1/5) I try to be lenient on first openers, because its a rough slot to fill and they are often less experienced, younger bands, doubly so if they are a multi-gender band. However, they were positively discordant and had all of the stage presence of a dust bunny. They did try hard to get the audience to participate, however the audience was having none of it.
Second opener: Hey Champ (3/5) A fun, if forgettable, opening band. Their guitar work was pleasant but nothing unduly impressive.
Main Act: Kill Hannah. (4.7/5) New Heart for Xmas is Kill Hannah's annual big show, and it was simply put amazing. Mat Devine gives 110% to the audience and his interaction with them was the a delightful give and take. I've never seen a front man so gracious as Devine. On top of the band's engagement with the audience, their music was as as always wonderfully dynamic and well orchestrated without sounding manufactured. I was also impressed by how the band managed to preform songs that normally had far more parts than they have band members (one song on the album includes a choir as well Amanda Palmer, but they still played it quite nicely).
Despite Devine's spending the bulk of his time leaning over, in some cases all but steping into the crowd, they still manage several set and costume changes, a light show, and laser guitars. These guys push from being simply a band to being full on performers without sacrificing their craft.
Even with the light show, there is an incredible intimacy between the fans and the band. The honestway Devine talks about his music, and by extension his life, shows a vulnerability not often expressed in artists who are, for lack of other word, high gloss. on the whole the band gives off a very human energy.
It is a privilege to be involved with such a kind, down to earth artist who is also still not afraid to dream. Feet planted firmly on the stage, and eyes ever on the horizon Kill Hannah is an invoative band that puts on a thoroughly engaging show.
No comments:
Post a Comment