02 Jun 09

"…I love the sweet, sweet taste of alcohol…” Outshine


Hey, Fearless fans, SouthSide’s summer season kicked off with a bang! It was one hot night of music covering all corners of the globe performed at the Elbo Room. The first half of the lineup consisted of alternative and acoustic rock by Vehicle and Robert Law (from Flint, Michigan). The second half featured hot performances by Outshine (from Gothenburg, Sweden) and Chief (Wisconsin). Appearing for the first time as a band, Vehicle (www.myspace.com/musicvehicle) impressed this reviewer with their opening performance. This young band handled the stage very well offering the audience a unique mix of rock alternative music.

SouthSide also recommends checking out the energized guitar rock of Chief (www.myspace.com/chiefsrocks). Whew, Fearless fans, their performance literally melted the Elbo Room’s sound system from start to finish! This trio pumped lots of loud, rip-roaring riffs and rhythms that took you deep into the zone and back. It was the type of head-banging performance which had this reviewer begging for more. She highly recommends listening to Chief’s Rollin’ (hot sweaty sexiness packed into one song), Diamond (their rock ballad), and Slaughter Stone (think Led Zeppelin meets Pink Floyd during the intro).

The Vikings have landed in Chicago …again! Fearless Radio welcomed Outshine back to the studio Tuesday to talk about their album, Until We’re Dead, and tour. Podcast is available if you’ve missed the original airdate of their appearance, Fearless fans. After the studio appearance, it was off to Elbo Room for one hot rock performance on stage. It was loud, hardcore and sexy as these Vikings showed how they do it in the lands of ice and cold. Performing songs like It’s Over and I’m Sorry, SouthSide enjoyed the anger in Outshine’s song, Fortune. Oh, you could literally feel that frustration dripping from EJ’s voice as he sang. Even the guitar riffs matched the mood set by the vocals. The highlight of the performance was during the awesome cover of Billy Idol’s White Wedding. SouthSide loved how Outshine brought the original tempo down a peg allowing the music to emphasize the tone of the lyrics. It was definitely not another “let’s imitate Billy Idol” cover version but a fresh take on this 80s classic. It's also featured on their album. The audience was treated to some Swedish sexiness at the end of the set with Save Me. Lots of sexy guitar sound which had everyone asking for one more song. Definitely check out these Vikings before they return home, Fearless fans, as they wrap up their spring tour in Wisconsin. Hopefully they’ll return in the fall to shower Chicago with more Swedish love. For more information about Outshine and their music, visit them at www.myspace.com/theoutshine or http://www.deadtreemusic.com/.

Until next time, Fearless fans, support your local artists and music.

Peace
SouthSide