| It's kind of an unsettling time to be a rock
musician, particularly if you live in Chicago. To begin with, one of the most hallowed and
accommodating venues in the city closed last year (Lounge Ax) and another seems doomed to
meet the same fate (Fireside Bowl). Then there's this whole digital revolution, and how
it's subverting all traditional notions about how music is made and distributed.
The natural reaction to such uncertain circumstances would
be for musicians to get together and talk things over. And that's exactly what Chicago Harmony and Truth (CHaT) is
all about. While not necessarily created to address the alarming fluctuations in the music
scene, CHaT is conveniently suited to that purpose; it's an organization designed to
propagate the notion that musicians can teach each other the ins and outs of the scene as
it develops.
Oh, and sometimes they get together and rock out, too.
Which is what this, the second CHaT showcase, was all
about: Getting together in the back room of a local bar and slaying, man.
Four acts, representing four points on the rock spectrum
were on hand. From the bluesy rock of Lauren Brombert to the blue-eyed soul of Deana's
House to the groove pop of Moxy Blue and Sister Child, there was ample evidence to suspect
that in spite of all that's happened, there are still plenty of acts in the area that can
kick out the jams.
Singer/guitarist Brombert led her four-piece through an
earnest 45-minute set of straight up rock. Brombert is an understated leader; as on
"From the Strings," she allows her supple voice and guitar work to meld in the
force of her band.
Deana’s House go for a somewhat saucier, soulful
routine with lead singer Deana Kobrynski hopping back and forth across the line that
separates rock stars from Diva’s. On songs like "Closer Than Skin" the line
is completely blurred, with only the steady growl from the band to help you keep your
bearings.
Moxy Blue a decidedly more straightforward route: Their
crisp, hook-laden songs are gruff, but have an immediacy that seems more or less made for
radio.
Sister Child are just a tad more jam-and-groove oriented,
but no less affecting. As in the case of their signature song "Push," the
band’s considerable rhythm section were paraded through an up-tempo workout by front
man Stewart Riske, making the most of a shortened set.
Whether rock music is drowned in the changing currents of
major label-manufactured pap, digital murk and gentrification remains to be seen. But if
the talent on evidence at Gunther Murphy’s is any indication, there is at least hope
for the future.
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