đˇ : Tina Mead / âď¸ : Aaron Pylinski
It was a dark and rainy evening sneaking up on Lincoln Hall on January 18th but that didnât stop the throngs of people piling to the front of the stage for a triple stack of bands ranging from jazz to hip-hop to rock ânâ roll.
The first band to come on was Late Nite Laundry, a soulful quartet from Chicago laying down jazz thatâs as chill as their name suggests. The band consists of guitarist Ari Lindo, bassist Emily Burlew, keyboardist Brenden Cabrera, and drummer Alex Santilli. Together, they brought love and light to the evening and we were off to an amazing start.
Opening with âI Canât Waitâ and then rolling into âHi, Can You Hear Me?,â these songs showcased the cohesiveness of the band as a whole; though there were moments where you couldnât help but revel in Cabreraâs key skills. Lindoâs carefree trips up and down the fretboard didnât go unnoticed, either. Late Nite Laundry rounded out their set with three amazing tracks. âSizzleâ began like a slow burn and opened up to a sci-fi keyboard breakdown the entire crowd loved. When âFree Timeâ started, Burlewâs voice came through with âI get a little less free timeâ and the mood was set.
The song expanded and contracted like wind through a sail. The bass line alone was like calm seas, velvety and smooth. They ended with âCecilâs Pleasure,â a cavalcade of futuristic beats, rocketing jazz into a whole new galaxy. Behind the entire set was drummer Santilli, meticulously ticking like a clock, he is graciously groovy and exceptionally talented.
The fun didnât stop there! Detroit artist Stoop Lee was second in the rotation and brought six-piece band The Culdesac with him. It shouldnât be any surprise that Stoop Lee is a head turner in Detroit with his infusion of everything from hip-hop to jazz and soul drips with 90âs hints. For his first time in Chicago, he delivered an amazing set. Right from opening with âTHA FANTASTIC FOXTROT SUITEâ the crowd was enjoying the backing band filling the room with so many incredible vibes.
This continued on through âbloo sox interludeâ, which got an epic guitar jam treatment. There were a handful of beautifully put-together songs placed perfectly in the middle of the set. âLYCHEEâ started with a âKilling Me Softlyâ nod and then expanded to a delicious back-and-forth with the band and the crowd.
They rolled into ââ03 FUBU JERSEYâ opening with soft keys and precise lyricism and ending with epic stadium rock, a slight departure from the studio cut.
Everything about this set screamed excellence. The brilliance of Stoop Lee and The Culdesac generated incredible energy and set up the headlining act. They closed with âKombuchaâ as well as an audience invasion.
This song alone showed a true appreciation for clean guitar that was prevalent throughout the set.
If it was guitar rock the crowd was looking for, they would certainly get it with Late Night Drive Home. There was no doubt that this band was the crowd favorite. Based out of El Paso, Texas, they may be far from home but they had plenty of family in the crowd. Guitarist Juan âOckzâ Vargas was playing Uno with some fans at the front of the stage just before going on, and there were multiple birthday wishes for frontman and guitarist, Andre Protillo.
Everyone had their phones out getting pre-show selfies with the band and popped up throughout the set, capturing every song on video.
Late Night immediately worked into a rock block that showed influences from Nirvana and the Strokes. This came through best on âStar Loveâ which delivered an ethereal flow of crisp guitar cuts and angsty vocals behind Freddy Bacaâs bouncy bass line and Brian Dolan working the drums.
When they played âPerfect Strangersâ and âPainted Ladyâ the band showed their balladier abilities. âStrangersâ rocked amazing guitar breakdowns, but also managed a poetic reprieve through precise finger picking. âPainted Ladyâ however brought out a more intentional love song aura paired with a tinny, high treble offsetting the barbershop quartet vocals.
The best song of the evening was âFalling Apartâ. Itâs a 4-minute burn that captures all the best elements of new wave, alternative, and DIY and crams it into one killer song. It showcased everything that is amazing in the band, and drummer Dolan tied the whole piece together, matching every beat to a lyric or string pick. They followed that up with âStress Reliefâ and âOver The Gardenâ, both songs inviting audience participation. âOver The Gardenâ brought in some prog rock hinting to the 80âs when you could do a lot with just guitars and good timing.
They closed the set with âBest Friendâ following in the same prog rock vein from earlier in the evening. Whatâs memorable is Protilloâs lyric delivery. I canât help but see and hear a little Kurt Cobain in his voice. Weâre all lucky to have artists like this - whether they know it or not - carrying the torch for great music and bringing it to an obviously appreciative audience.
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