Local Legends #4
Venue : Bookclub
City : Chicago
Line Up : Rise of Leo, Antillion, Intoner
Ever since I saw Scott Pilgrim back in the early 2000’s it has been a dream of mine to take a dumpy city bus through a snowstorm to a secret rock show. If you know you know, but if you don’t, you’ll have to imagine my excitement when I saw that Bookclub doesn’t advertise its address. I’m very glad I got a direct invite from one of the bands. Without giving too much away, the hideaway venue is on a 2nd floor in a building so unassuming that it feels like a place hidden from non-rocking muggles. The sound is excellent for the size of the room, and the staff are insanely friendly. I could see the venue being hard to fill for some bands but if your audience is young, even just in spirit, and into the full swing of rocking out then I wouldn’t skip it if you have the chance.
Now, on to the bands!
Up first, Rise of Leo. The first thing you’ll notice is the kick ass hair of their lead singer but that’s only because light travels faster than sound. As soon as they start playing, and you hear a song like "Useless”, you’ll have to forgive yourself for ever thinking rock might be a dying art form in the modern space. The attitude from the beefy guitars paired with the commanding drums demand your attention but it’s happily given. Their stage presence is surprisingly warm and fun given that one of their coolest songs is called “Nobody Wants You”, and the members themselves are simply too cool for school. Definitely glad I was able to catch them and I hope to see them on a lineup in the future.
Next, and the reason I got an invite to the show, Antillion. I’ve been a fan of this band since they played the very first “Local Heroes Showcase” house show we put on and I’m so happy to report they’ve only grown more powerful since then. I would call them my own personal emo band but they’re so much more as they cross landscapes between something like Fall of Troy / HRVRD with a Fall Out Boy twist. Don’t let me paint them into a corner though because they simply work, and rock, too hard on stage for that. I mention these different bands because this sonically-tight-and-talented 5-piece can impressively do it all while still sounding like themselves. Go listen to their newest banger “Ending (On A Bad Note)” and you’ll see what I mean.
Closing tonight’s show was the impressive Intoner. If the first two bands were high energy rivers, this band represents the waterfall at the end that pours over your very soul. With a song like “Kids” you’ll find yourself metaphorically (or physically) laying on your back watching the world spin beneath the clouds in an audio-haze searching for musical meaning. It’s not all distorted existentialism though, cause the next minute you’re dancing in your Chuck Taylors and jeans to a song like “Too Far”. The four piece is as solid as they come, with a focused drummer that has excellent control over his kit and a bass player that has everything a true frontman needs minus the microphone. They can definitely count me amongst their newest fans.
