Local Legends #2

Venue : Brudder’s Sports Bar
City : Chicago
Line Up : Polarizer

Don’t let the fact that the venue is a sport’s bar distract you. Brudder’s was once my neighborhood hole in the wall but has now put some serious faith in the local musicians of and around Chicago. They removed 2 whole dining booths in favor of an actual stage and sound system, but the acts are expected to bring the rest so you’re bound to get a mix of fresh bands as well as local titans that just love to do their thing. This leads me directly to the band of the hour(s): Polarizer.

I went expecting the standard 3-band-line-up sort of deal that comes with most local music shows, but was treated to a wonderful 3-hour evening with a band that has a sound physically larger than the greater metro area of Chicago. In fact, while you read this, go to their bandcamp or Spotify and play “Sink Into The Ghost” because I am. They’re an epic, spacey rock 5 piece that fills every room to the brim with sound and carries a refreshing energy from start to finish. Whether it’s some of their earlier songs like ”Wirewalker” and “Rivals”, or something newer (did I mention “Sink Into The Ghost” yet?) you know exactly who you’re listening to.

Especially when Taylor starts to sing. *Chefs kiss*

Don’t get me wrong! Ian, Stan, Chris, and Johnathan are all obvious masters of their respective instruments. One does not simply 100% “Tom Sawyer” in the flesh by being anything other than excellent. Everyone shines, especially in tonight’s closing cover of “Sabotage”, but I think even they would agree that they have a secret weapon on the microphone. Every time Taylor starts to sing, I think about that scene in Rockstar when Mark Wahlberg is in L.A. auditioning for Steel Dragon* and I feel like I’ve discovered something that the world is going to lose its collective mind over. Taylor never hits a wrong note and if there’s any shyness in his personality it certainly doesn’t come to his performances, well deservedly.

If this band doesn’t take over the world, it will in no way be any fault of their own. Catch them before they have to be surrounded by security as they enter stadiums near you.





*technically it’s not Mark Wahlberg, it’s Steelheart’s Miljenko Matijevic singing “We All Die Young”.