30 Jun 10

Hey, blogspot readers, let's get ready to rumble ...again! The Elbo Room was hosting the I AM Fest Battle of the Bands. The I AM Fest is a day-long event (this year held at House of Blues) which features not only a taste of what's rockin' within Chicago's local scene but also art (freeform, modern, etc), photography and independent filmmaking. Some of the bands that performed last year's premiere event (at the Congress Threatre) included Phat Cats, Lucid Ground, Digital Mindy, I Fight Dragons, 72 Hours and Your Little Ponies to name a few. Tonight's eight card lineup were battling for the last final spots to perform during this music showcase. Two notable performances off this lineup were by Nate Z and Beneath The Stares.

Nate Z demonstrated to the audience (and judges) the dynamic power of his vocals during his acoustic performance. Though a mere sample of what to expect at I AM Fest, this singer/songwriter impressed SouthSide with the range of vocal emotions expressed in his songs. For example, listen to the tenderness and pain within a lover's lament in which the lyrics pop with vivid imagery in My Queen. Or feel the fire and passion spouting raw anger and frustration behind Nate's fierce acoustic riffs in Tell Me. Yet it was the showstopper when his high falsettos matched the vibrant acoustic rhythms (as if played like an electric guitar) while creating incredible riff/chord ranges during the closer, Alone. This reviewer highly suggests fans checking out Nate Z wherever he's acoustically rockin' the stage again. For more information, visit www.natezmusic.com.

Though this was their first performance as a full band, Beneath The Stares thoroughly impressed this reviewer with its dark haunting epic rock. Think Lacuna Coil or Evanessence (however more depth and feeling) as Lisa (femme fatle of the band) captivates you with the dynamic power as well as passion featured in her voice. Wow - the vibe off ehr chantenuse vocals was like a siren's call luring the audience deeper into Beneath's hardcore sound. Yet SouthSide was expecting more body language to express the emotion of lyrics as well as more microphone for when Erik (on guitars/bass) sings backup along with Lisa. The music itself consisted of long epic-sounding instrumentals (to immerse the listener into its fierce guitar rock) with a touch of classical overtone. Fans should listen to Tropic Of Cancer (pt1) for its fiery energy after a downtempo intro ...lots of thundering head banging rock and Tropic of Cancer (pt2) more haunting and darker than its predecessor yet the downtempo sound still retains that burst of energy as heard in the first one. Despite this being a sample what people can expect during I AM Fest, SouthSide cannot wait to complete a full review on Beneath The Stares soon. For more information, visit www.beneaththestares.com or www.myspace.com/understares.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide