03 Aug 10

Hey, blogspot readers, it's always nice helping out a friend in need. A fundraiser event was held in The Branded's honour on Tuesday night to help replace gear and equipment lost due to recent flooding. Fans, friends and members of the local scene (i.e. Digital Mindy, Lucid Ground, Model Stranger, Bambi Raptor, etc) generously donated what they could for towards the cause. Even Matt (bartending tonight's benefit) donated all of his tips received to The Branded. The benefit included raffled prizes ranging from CDs to t-shirts and many other items as well as five dollar Branded Bombs (1/2 Jagermeister, 1/2 Jameson and 1/2 PBR) served by the lovely "Molly" (SouthSide promised not to post her real name). Plus there was rockin' acoustic entertainment featuring Rob Nicholas, Bambi Raptor, Ryan Powers with Mike Charvot, Your Little Ponies, Kelsey Montanz, Matthew Alfano (of Mason's Case) and The Branded. SouthSide was able to stay for the Rob Nicholas and Bambi Raptor performances before heading downstairs to see A Crush On Yesterday (from Germany). The Branded has set up an online link for donations ...please support this local band by giving what your can at http://funds.gofundme.com/thebranded/floodloss.

Rob Nicholas begun the evening's lineup of entertainment for this benefit with a lively acoustic performance. After having good friend, Mike Haracz (of The Branded) open with him on the first song, this reviewer was amazed by the talented singer/songwriter. She enjoyed the dynamic vocal power of his subtle voice behind the heartfelt lyrics heard within his songs. SouthSide highly recommends adding his self-titled CD to your collection and take notice of tracks two (Searching) and five (Lost Yourself). Also catch him performing again at Schubas in September. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/robnicholasmusic. Meanwhile, Bambi Raptor, though unplugged, didn't tone down the split personality of their music. They simply amplified it acoustically. SouthSide could still feel that cry for help and the need for anger management counseling from Roger (front man on vocals) and Kenneth (bass and vocals). She had a fun time listening to Bambi's short playlist which included Gunslinger and Alaska. It would have been interesting to hear their View To A Kill (not the Duran Duran cover) in an acoustic setting. However, the guys did rock out the crowd with their version of Disney's Kiss The Girl (from The Little Mermaid). Sebastian (the crab) may not approve the noticeable hint of anger/frustration in his song but SouthSide does. Catch this band rockin' the stage at the House of Blues on August 28 for the I AM Fest. For more details and information, visit www.officialbambiraptor.com or www.myspace.com/bambiraptors.

Now it was time to head downstairs to meet the duo from Magdeburg, Germany known as A Crush On Yesterday. Chris and Hans were finishing their US tour with a stop in Chicago's Elbo Room before heading home. SouthSide enjoyed the vibrant feel of this duo's music though it being simplistic and quite flowing in tempo. Yet, there were moments when the sound was calming and gentle while in others very vibrant and energetic especially when Hans played his acoustic guitar like an electric. The lyrics alone conveyed a clear image as to what each song was about. This type of music offered more of a romantic side heard within Crush's poetic ballad that brought out the emotions in Chris' voice. Think of it as the lost art of troubadour style singing being revived while listening to this band's music and lyrics combined. Performing songs like Writing Words In The Sand and Sinking Ships & Pale Seas, this reviewer liked the lively tempo in the song Two Days that had her rockin' during the instrumental bridge. This reviewer highly recommends getting to know the poetic music and feel of A Crush On Yesterday - vibrant romantic music your heart will definitely enjoy. Hopefully they will return again for another US performance but in the meantime, visit www.myspace.com/acrushonyesterday for when and where this duo's performing.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide