| Subterranean Café & Caberet served as host to
the CHaT Electric Showcase on July 1st. CHaT (Chicago Harmony and Truth) is an
organization that works to help working musicians and industry professionals in the
Chicago area. I will provide more information on CHaT at the end of this, or should I say
these reviews. With that said, there were four bands on the bill this night.
Opening the evening's festivities was the pop band Gidgets
Ga Ga and I should say power pop band because they have the ability to bring the two
together seamlessly. Now I love pop, hell I love anything that goes pop, and this band had
me as happy as when Mail Box etc. lets me play with the bubble wrap. Mike Flores and the
boys put on a very tight and very fun 30-minute set. I had the good fortune to have heard
their promo CD 9 Ways before going to see them and the three songs on this CD blew
me away. So much in fact, that I wondered if they could be as good live as they were on
the CD. Well they were, and in some ways even better. I could instantly see that this was
a band that I was going to be seeing again. If you like Material Issue, Big Star or Cheap
Trick then there's a 99% chance that you will like Gidgets Ga Ga, they're just that good.
The next band to play was Preston Klik's new band Karma
Sutra. This band's intoxicating blend of western beats and electronica mixed with the
sounds and vocals of India will have you spellbound. Most of the singing is in Hindi and
Mona Jethmalani's voice is both beautiful and hypnotic. In addition, Amy Spina provides
percussion that is just perfect. To help bring you further into an hypnotic state of mind,
Karma Sutra set up a screen behind Mona with images like a trippy lava lamp. Very cool,
very cool indeed. Some would say that this band sounds like a world music Cocteau Twins or
the Dead Can Dance and they would not be far off. What ever you want to call Karma Sutra,
they are an experience and one that you shouldn't miss.
The third band on the bill was the Voodoo Kings. Their bio
has them as a high voltage hybrid of American roots music with rock, blues and funk. They
also throw in some reggae for good measure. The Voodoo Kings are one of the tightest bands
that I have seen in a long time. They play a straight forward set that has you dancing
because the groove from this band is so great. Michael Kranicke's guitar playing and
vocals are first rate and this band comes right at you. Believe me, they don't stop. I
love the blues but I have to admit that I was happy that this band was more than just
another blues band doing the same old thing to death. The Voodoo Kings have an original
sound that gives the listener a different and fresh approach to this style of music. I can
confidently say that if you like blues with some funk and rock thrown in, then you should
check out the Voodoo Kings.
Headlining the night was Echosend. I had previously heard
their song "Home" and it was one of those songs that I could not play enough. I
mean it, I must have played that damn song a hundred times and it's just great. Their
brand of pop is well crafted and executed to perfection. But anyhow, Echosend live is a
band that just seems to do everything right. First off, Ivy's voice is amazing and so is
her stage presence. Dan deRamos' guitar playing fits perfectly, he seems to have melded
old and new school playing into a style all his own. As I was watching Dan play, I
couldn't help but to wonder if he was going to pull out an Ebow (he didn't). The sweeping
keyboards wash over you like a wave, only to be underscored by Ivy's voice. Drummer Kurt
Puckhaber and bass player Steve Smith lay the foundation for this great band and they do
it in spades. Pop is a broad term and in this case when I say "pop", what I'm
saying is that this band is radio friendly and what they are doing is something that is
very original. Echosend is a great band and one that you should not miss.
In closing these reviews I would like to say a little bit
about CHaT. Chicago Harmony and Truth is an organization to aid working musicians and
industry professionals. So if you are a singer or songwriter, a producer, sound tech or
anything else related to music in Chicago, then you should be a part of CHaT. Every band
should be involved in CHaT because every band needs contacts. Every band needs to network.
Every band needs to get the word out and create more opportunities for themselves. With
CHaT, they will be able to do just that. I could go on about this but I'm not going to.
All I'm going to say is that this is a wonderful organization for working players and
anyone in the industry. I sincerely hope that more people will get off their asses and get
involved. For more information visit the CHaT website at www.chatmusic.com.
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