Hey did anyone hear
the pop explosion? 13 days and 140 bands worth, now that’s some serious TNT!
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, snap and crackle ain’t shit without
pop! Don’t let the other two fool ya. Anyhow, I was lucky enough to make three nights
of IPO in Chicago, but it’s April 11th at Double Door that I’m going
tell you about.
I walked into the Double Door armed with my Official Program & Guide, found me a seat,
and anxiously awaited the first band, The Daybirds. This band blew me away right out of
the box. Vocals and more vocals, they were like the Wondermints meets The Sun Sawed in ½,
with a bit of Jellyfish. They put this whole thing into a blender and came up with a pop
cocktail that has power to its punch! The Daybirds are from Kansas City but they said that
they come up this way every couple of months, so when they do, go see ‘em!
After The Daybirds was a band that has been a fav of mine for sometime, the Rosenbergs. It
really doesn’t get much better then this band when it comes to power pop! They are
hands down one of the best out there. Their new CD Mission You was on my top 10
list last year and still finds its way in my CD rotation. Songs like "After All"
and "Secret" will hook you upon first listen, just as they will live. This was
my third time seeing the Rosenbergs and their IPO show was killer! They don’t stand
still for long and one of these days bass player Even Silverman is going to kill him self
jumping off that bass drum. Yeah, they jump around, they run around, but most importantly,
they sing and play their asses off. It’s a show with a lot great music, so don’t
miss the Rosenbergs when they come back to Chicago.
The Girls were up next and the band is reminiscent of Blink182 or Green Day, more punk
than pop, which had me wondering why they were performing at IPO. It’s not that I
didn’t like their set, which had some fine moments, but I felt that it was out of
place at a power pop fest. Two things, 1) there are no girls in the band and 2) the lead
singer looks like Moby (there, I said it). The best part of their set came when they
covered a Who classic. Not only was it a cool version, but the lead singer climbed the
pole that’s about a foot or two off stage right and hung there motionless, just
looking at the audience. The band tried, but I never had the feeling that the crowd was
into it. The Girls may be a very fine band, but one that I would like to see in a
different setting.
Next to step up to the plate was Johnny Monaco who, for those of you who don’t know,
is also the lead guitarist for Enuff Z Nuff. His set was pop to be sure, but Monaco put
some muscle into his catchy melodies, making for what struck me as a fresh take on what
could otherwise have been just another Beatle-esque spin off. He seems to have it all,
strong songwriting, a great voice, and more then enough talent. I just wonder, can MTV be
that far off?
As I said, Johnny Monaco plays guitar with Enuff Z’nuff, so right after finishing his
set Johnny did a quick turn around and played another. Enuff Z’nuff has long been a
favorite of mine and to see them live is to see some of the best power pop ever! They
opened with the Beatle classic "Revolution", but they rocked the shit out of it.
Donnie Vie’s voice has never sounded better, and the same could be said Chip
Z’nuff’s as well. The way they sounded on this night is the way a fan would want
them to, just like the CD! This band, after all the years that they have been together and
some 10 CDs later, has not lost a step. It was one hell of a show.
It would be tough for a pop band to follow Enuff Z’nuff, and it was up to The
Vandalias to do just that. This Minneapolis band did their best, but as much as I like
what they are all about, I was just not feeling it. In the guide book they are described
as "Archies/Raspberries meets Weezer", and that’s not far off. What I like
about The Raspberries and Weezer are their songs, and I just wasn’t feeling The
Vandalias songs. But the crowd was feeling it, and people seemed to be having a great time
with this band. So for me, maybe it was just the night, or maybe that I just got through
seeing Enuff Z’nuff, but either way I wasn’t with the crowd on this one.
The last band to perform on the bill that evening was Million Yen. This Chicago band has
been around for three years that I know of, but this is the first time I’ve been out
to see them live. After watching their set I wanted to kick myself in the ass for waiting
so long! Their song "7 Days" has long been a favorite of mine, and they played
it to a tee! Million Yen’s sound runs akin to Cheep Trick, as they definitely have
strong (Cliché Warning) pop sensibilities and they spent their time on stage showing it,
song after song. This is a band I have to see again, and one that you should too.
As all great things must come to an end, alas, so did the IPO Festival on April 12th. I
hope that David Bash, the founder of this wonderful event, will bring it back to Chicago
again next year. In previous years it’s been held in LA, with the exception of last
year when it was held in New York as well. It’s rare that fans of any style of music
have a chance to see this many bands, and that in itself is what makes the IPO so great.
It was Mary Poppins who said Supercalifragelisticexpialedosius, and that’s what the
IPO was to me. Here’s hoping for next year!
All Photos Provided by Beth Shandles DLL Productions © 2002
More ChicagoGigs.com Reviews
Chicago
Music Discussion Board
|
