Summerfest day 4: Makeshift Prodogy and Art of Dying (Summefest Rock Stage)

Venue: The Summerfest Rock Stage (4/6):

I have discovered this tiny, far away from everything else stage is fast becoming my favorite stage. While many of the bigger bands come to the Miller Light Oasis, I have had repeated problems with that stage. This stage often has better acts, and doesn’t have the overcrowding problem the Oasis and Harley Davison stages have.

Show:

Makeshift Prodigy: (3/6)

Ouch.

Makeshift Prodigy is one of my pet bands from back home in Chicago (I tangentially know their manager) however they have never quite made the leap from being decent to being really good. I’ve struggled to figure out exactly what didn’t quite click for me. I loved their style, their amicable nature, the lyrics were wonderful, the presentation fun.

But the frontman consistently does a few things that make is performance not quite solid.

First, he sings just a little outside of his vocal range. Which can be fine, however he does not have the breath support to hit some of the higher notes he aims for. The result is breathy and will break his voice if he doesn’t learn to support it. The second thing is easily corrected. Part of Anthony Banagara’s charm is that he’s shy-natured it lends to the intimacy of a lot of his shows; however, he does not pull the audience in. There is no eye contact. This gives the impression of a child rocking out in his bedroom, rather than an actual performer.

However, the talent is there, and the stage antics are positively adorable-- Banagara spent a lot of his time making his upright piano his personal jungle gym (doing flips over it, climbing/standing on it) and was very bouncy. He has a good sense of how to use his honed skill on the keyboard and the addition of a bowed guitar was a very nice touch and he managed to pull it off well.

The backup vocalist/keyboardist/tambourine player(yes really), however, had presence in spades and charm to spare. He also had vocal talent, which was wonderful.

Overall, these guys have always had promise, but in the two years I’ve been following them they have yet to really gain momentum. Good luck to them.

Art of Dying (flash warning) (4/6 recorded, 5.5/6 live):

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to put on a good show before sunset at a festival, doubly so to nearly earn a 6 from me. These guys did both.

Art Of Dying is feel good arena rock with a positivity that is rare in rock and roll these days without going soft and hackneyed.

This is my third Art of Dying show and they have consistently improved their act. I feel like their album at this point does them a disservice. While it is a great album, it lacks the arena rock style and charisma that Art of Dying bring live. Jonny Heatherington has charisma and a knack with the crowd that I’ve not seen in a long time. Gracious, but not humble Heatherington gives a dynamic show and has the ability to get even a lazy crowd on its feet. He is also very good about actually disappearing from the stage to let his band mates have their big moments--Including a killer drum solo and an extent guitar solo

The guitarist is also a very talented and has a powerful dynamic with the front dude

However, there were too many set breaks for an opener. Often bands that are well known enough to be the last opener forgets that they are intact still openers. You only have one hour tops, do your thing fast.

Another thing that went a long way with me was how courteous and friendly the entire band was and what a  fun sense of humor Heatherington showed.

I look forward to meeting them again. 

Through the Pain: The Matthew Leone Benefit (the Frantic (unreviewed) Makeshift Prodogy,Local H, Kill Hannah and lovehammers(unreviewed))

The Event (5/5):
Never have I been prouder to make Chicago my home. I think Mat Divine said it best when he said that nowhere else-- not in LA, Not in New York, only in Chicago could this have been pulled off.

I apologize in advance if this section becomes a bit unprofessional; I am extremely passionate about this event.

In case you haven’t been plugged into the Chicago music scene, or missed the news report, let me fill you in.

Madina Lake bassist, Matthew Leone, is home now after needing brain surgery due, because he did a heroic thing, and very nearly paid with his life.

According to his brother, Madina Lake frontman Nathan Leone, Matthew was walking to go meet a friend for a drink when he saw a man assaulting his wife. Matthew intervened, subdued the man called the cops, and the man beat him nearly to death. He suffered severe injuries and was left to die on the sidewalk. The woman left with her husband. (Article and follow up here, here, and here if you’re interested.)
Being a young musician, Matthew had no insurance and barely any money.

So Chicago, being the kind of city it is, stepped up. Many Musicians from Chicago came home to perform at the benefit shows. Not only did musicians donate their time, but also the Hard Rock Hotel and several other organizations donated both space and equipment. . Literally every penny went to Leone via Sweet Relief. Filter even came down and played a few songs when they found out about the show.

If this had happened in LA, he’d be dead. I’m unbelievably proud of all of the bands involved. And deeply honored to be a part of it.

Now, on to the show.

The Venue (3/5)( Hard Rock Hotel):
Honestly, like much of the Hard Rock franchise, it was glossy and pretentious, without real backing for it. The equipment was quality but the sound balance was terrible. Vocals were excessively quiet and the lead guitar was so loud I lost hearing in one ear part way through the show. Before the band I actually came for. It was upsetting.


The Crowd (3/5):
It was the typical Kill Hannah crowd in all honesty. I’ve noticed that the Kill Hannah audience does not have the same energy that the band they follow does. I love the fan community, I do, but I’ve seen how much they look up to these people-- they should act like it. You’re at a rock show for peat’s sake, not watching TV. Give back what is being thrown to you.

When filter made their surprise appearance, the crowd lit up like new years in time square and I think it primed them fro Kill Hannah. Which really turned up the energy of the overall show, but sit was still not the kind of energy I would expect.


The show itself:

Makeshift Prodigy (3/5)
This band has improved since the last time I reviewed them. I feel I owe my readers a bit of an apology, I was nervous when I wrote the original review as one of the people who work with them was going to be reading it, so I erred on the side of being nice.

These people are good, no question, but honestly they need more grab. They are great to listen to but there is nothing keeping me interested. They are one of those bands that I don’t actively listen to, but every time I hear one of their songs when my mp3 player is on shuffle I think, “wow, who are these guys?” and love it. But something isn’t quite making me actively seek them out. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly it is.

Part of it is they need to hone the coordination of their instrumentation and work on balancing the parts. Also front man, Anthony Banagara needs to articulate his words more clearly. He has a lovely voice, but it’s hard to understand the lyrics live.

I can tell you what they aren’t missing though: Energy and presence. These people are constantly in motion; Bangara is simply off the hook, literally doing back flips off the piano. All of them are in constant motion. You can’t help but watch.

Local H (4/5)
As a warning due to the above mentioned speaker issues I actually lost my hearing in one ear half way through their set so my review is little truncated.
What a pleasant surprise! I had only heard of “Local H” in passing, maybe seen them on a few lineups, but never really listened to them. For a starter, front man guitarist and bassist Scott Lucas’ voice has slight gravel to live that doesn’t exist recorded. It’s sexy. Lucas is of a slight build, so it’s quite a surprise to hear the voice of a seasoned gunslinger come out of his mouth.

Despite having seen just him and his guitar for most of the show, he had a strong presence and fantastic energy. He is playing was often dramatic, and very well done. I was intrigued to learn that on the albums he plays everything but the drums, an impressive feat indeed. Lucas’ lyrics grab the listener’s attention forcefully especially in the song “Hands on the Bible.”


Extent, catching, energy.

Kill Hannah (4/5): I adore these people; even half deaf they were a treat to see. Mat Devine has wonderful energy and presence with a band that is full of talented members, flawless coordination and with songs that are steeped in passion, jadedness, and hope all at once. I’ve previously gushed at great length about how dear Kill Hannah’s music is to me.

Mat also knows how to work a crowd, and his fans are devoted enough to know exactly how to respond. The result is an intimate give and take with wonderful, touching moments.

The band itself is also in constant motion, however it all happens so smoothly that its hardly noticeable until one of them is standing in front of you.

They are wonderful performers, very talented artists, and very kind to their fans.


I Have to add something here, I feel their tour guitarist, Michael Maddox, is a wonderful performer, and has a very good rapport with the fans. I would love to see him take the place of former guitarist Johnny Ratdke as a permanent member.


Great show, average venue to be honest. Truly wonderful cause.

Makeshift Prodigy at Schuba's Tavern

Venue:
Schubas (5/10)(Price range: 8$-15$): Schubas is what it is: a bar with a stage in back. I do love the place. The atmosphere is very relaxed. It’s the sort of place you can kick back with a beer and listen to local talent or small bands that aren’t quiet well known enough to open for anyone. The floor is lined with tables. Schubas is clean, which is nice and has a decent balance between the bar element and the stage element. There is an auxiliary bar toward the back of the stage area and the merch booth is squeezed in next to it just by the door. The stage feels a bit jerry rigged in places and security for the band is a bit lax, not that it’s needed for the sort of band that finds itself at Schubas. Allegedly they have food, but I’ve never seen it or where it’s served, so I will refrain from comment on that.

However, the sound quality is sub par at best and it really limits what a band can do on stage as all of the audio channels are set at the same volume: loud. The music is then pumped through sub par speakers.

I never saw the bathrooms so no marks on that.

The Crowd: (6/10) a sparse but lively bunch considering the fact that a) it was electronics rain out and b) the show was short notice. I’m sensing a cult following.

The Band: Makeshift Prodigy (7/10) I know a gal who works with them so I’d already been warmed up to them and they were no let down. Their recorded music is good; don’t get me wrong (review forthcoming). But live they really come to life. I wish I’d heard them somewhere with a better balance of sound and in venue lighting equipment. Front man Anthony Bagnara has a good range and a unique sense of how to use it. Bagnara uses the high notes to accentuate already intense emotion rather than impress the audience, though he accomplishes both. However, I’d encourage him to use his chest voice more as you can hear the strain on his throat in places. His smooth tenor voice meshed curiously with the other vocalist, Brandon fox’s rap. I have to confess; I was a little skeptical as to how the melodic, passionate tones of Bagnara’s voce would work with the sharp edged, pulses of rap. But work it did. Fox really brought an extra edge to the show and got the crowd moving. Both front men were extraordinarily emotive. Bagnara in particular was so caught up in intense emotion that he actually wound up on his knees for part of the show. Bagnara also paid as much attention to the crowd as was feasible in the venue, and seemed genuinely amused by the crowd’s antics, breaking into a grin in the midst of a relatively serious song.

Musically, its clear all of them have talent, however, they need to work on balancing their guitar work against the vocals. Bagnara has quite a soft voice and it’s easy for the louder guitar work to distract from it. The piano (Bagnara’s handy work as well) work was beautiful and had a degree of precision above the other instrumentation. Oddly enough, the electronics were very nicely timed and well done. The guitar work was alternately good and cacophonous, its clear guitarist Jake Foy, has talent but he sounds the least less talented of the band. While all of them are gifted artists, Bagnara’s work both on the piano and the vocals is a cut well above the rest.

I sincerely look forward to seeing these guys really come into their own, I don’t think they are there yet, but I have every confidence they will be very soon.

Sneak peek review: Makeshift Prodogy

This isn’t something I normally do but I’ve been meaning to talk about these guys for a while now.

Makeshift Prodigy  Call themselves "indy/rock"  however, their sound is unlike anything I've ever heard so I’ve struggled with how best to describe them for quite some time now.

If Bullet for My Valentine collaborated with Lifehouse. I think they’d sound a little like these guys. It's a sound I’ve heard parts of before, but as a whole it's something entirely their own. Melodic vocals, engaging piano work, with a slightly 80s feel but not so much that its hindering. Yet despite this mellow vibe, there’s an undercurrent of substance and innovation that is distinctly lacking in a lot of music these days, especially when comparing their first album to their new work.

Tomorrow I’m going to a show so a longer review is forthcoming. I just had to get the word out about these guys.

This show and this next album should be interesting indeed.