Enough beers and time (and a quarter Ms. Pacman machine), can make anything tolerable, however - yet we were all about moving up front and getting stoked when the energetic, fresh-faced five person outfit took the stage. Two things caught my eye in particular - 1) the typical crowded Empty Bottle was maybe 1/3 - 1/4 full to capacity, which really shocked me seeing how much blogosphere attention this troupe has been gathering since their debut dropped five years past. While I've been sold from the get go when they released their initial release, Nine Times That Same Song, they managed to keep me a loyal fan throughout the years with 1,000 Things Keep Me Up At Night and the recent March release, 2wo Thousand and Ten Injuries. I've read countless praise on their live performances and was astounded that I was one of maybe 60 to show up. 2) 95% of those that were in the audience were male. I guess the gays are suckers for quirky fun dance pop. But jesus, I figured there'd have to be some pretentious indie girls in the scene, but I guess not.
Whatever, dudes. From the moment this group kicked it off with 2010 Injuries' "Bigger, Bolder," I was lost in an internal dance frenzy. The sound was loud, clammoring and full of fun - authentic beats. No synthesizers or drum machines. Just guitars, bass, drumkit, a sax player and the infinity adorableness of leadsinger, Josephine Olausson and her yelp/shriek childlike vocals. Smiling humbly, she announced how "very happy they were to be back in Chicago," and I'm pretty sure I singled out a few relatives of the band, an older gentleman with a white handlebar mustache Colonel Sanders would envy, a frumpy yet determined older female counterpart, and an uncle/cousin with non-stop rocking/swaying dance moves in a mean pair of birkenstocks and cargo shorts. I kinda wished they were my family.
Keeping the music flowing, next up was their debut releases' "Talk Talk Talk," and then a cover of the 80's hit, "Mexican Radio," which was particularly a drunken and astounding pleasure for yours truly. Olaussen, sweetly chirping in her childlike demeanor introduced the next track, " This next song could be about any other day than today, because we slept in, maybe about you because you might have had to wake up early for work, but not me. And tomorrow neither, because I'm only going to Champaign," giggling, she set the mic in its stand and the band broke out into 2010 Injuries' shitty morning anthem, "Early Warnings."
This must have been when I noticed all the dancing gents surrounding me, b/c in my drunken scribble of notes I managed to decipher the side bullet, "sausagefest." Innnnneresting. "Wishing Well," from 08's 1000 Things Keep me Up At Night, and I again, danced my little girly ass off in my best Molly Ringwald/Ally Sheedy Breakfast Club fast feet dance moves possible. More fun dancey beats folllowed, but I quit keeping such accuate notes. I remember an equal representation of all 3 records, and cameos from "Make Out, Fall Up," "Kungeon," "New Beginnings" and lots of dancing, smiling. Kinda wished "Rumors" would have made an appearance, but I survived.
Post-show, the members of the group were all about mingling with the few fans, graciously thanking them for showing up and taking pictures. I picked up a band cargo tote bag with the band name slapped on it, above a pic of a tomato. "This is awesome," I told Josephine. She smiled, "Thank you ever so much, I made these in my kitchen in Sweden." Total sweetness, pop purity and awesomeness. Chicago, you missed out on a spectacular show. Don't let it happen again.
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