It was a night of long band names at the Black Cat’s Backstage on Thursday, with Missouri’s Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Chicago’s Chin Up Chin Up. We’ve written about both bands before, and the place was sold out, something we don’t see too often, aside from Beck. Statisticians would argue that us writing about them –> sold out show is not a causal relationship, but we’re glad both bands are getting some love.
SSLYBY opened up with their poppy indie rock, reminiscent of early Weezer or early 90s college rock. The crowd seemed to include a few fans already, maybe because of their acoustic show earlier in the day at Olsson’s. However, the songs didn’t display as much variety as their record, which is more Elliott Smith-ish and less straightforward and mid-tempo than we heard. The drummer impressed, but they also seemed a little rough — they later told the crowd they were working on some of the songs for their next album. The crowd didn’t stir much, which is not unusual at the Black Cat, and while we weren’t blown away, a friend who went with us said he’d add them to his list of must-see bands. They’ll be back March 19th at the 9:30 Club, so he won’t have to wait long. And you’ve gotta love the band’s name.
We’ve been fans of Chin Up Chin Up for awhile, but were a little let down the last time they played at the backstage, when the band sounded a little muddy. The mix was much better this time, letting their complex, sped-up shoegaze come to the front. Lead singer Jeremy Bolen (who looks a bit like Jon Heder) sings in a semi-whisper, which sometimes didn’t come across well live, but fits the songs. The songs are busy and layered, with Bolen’s high notes on guitar intertwined with more good drumming, atmospheric keyboards, bass and fuzzy guitar. It’s one of those bands where you could pick one instrument and listen to it the whole way through. The crowd continued to be pretty still, but we enjoyed the set, which included songs from both the band’s albums.
Personally, we hope for a long band name Lollapalooza – CUCU, SSLYBY, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and a few more would make for a great lineup. But barring that, at least there were a big group of people at the Black Cat’s bar dressed like pirates.
Photo of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin in New York by MaryanneVentrice
