12 Nov 10

...let's get weird... ~ Dastardly


Hey, blogspot readers, it's another action packed weekend! SouthSide's latest adventure has her covering the hippest and hottest local acts rockin' this town. Tonight, she's sitting in the crow's nest at Metro to see Aktar Aktar and Jon Drake & The Shakes with Dastardly opening. This reviewer highly suggests checking out the lively Americana pop/alternative sound of Chaperone. The energetic as well as unique music combination kept the crowd rockin' along with the band throughout their set. There was plenty of soulful passion and emotion heard in the vocals within Chaperone's toe-tappin', feel good rock groove. Also they had some of the yummiest cookies at their merch table. For more information, visit http://www.chaperonemusic.wordpress.com or http://www.myspace.com/chaperonemusic.

SouthSide enjoyed the folksy-Americana sound that rocked the Metro stage during Dastardly's opening act. This group of lively musicians bursted with a thrilling bang of music featuring an array of instruments from three guitars to an accordion and banjo. Simply imagine your ears immersed within this eclectic rock explosion, blogspot readers, while listening to All the Rag and Lovin' Jeebus, Villian and new song, The Middle Ground (off Dastardly's upcoming album due December 9th). The energy projected from this local band blew this reviewer away especially when adding Bluegrass/hillbilly to their rock sound. Even their "naughty" song featured a haunting accordion chords and gypsy folk music too. Besides the rockin' Americana sound, Dastardly also impressed SouthSide with their vibrant vocal harmonies complimenting each other while in acappella finishes for a couple of songs. Though this was a relatively short set, this group packed a lot of music and fun into their performance for the crowd. This reviewer highly suggests visiting http://www.dastardlytheband.com or http://www.myspace.com/dastardlytheband for more details and where this band's rockin' the stage again.


...buckle up, kids...


Though recently involved in an accident, Jon Drake along with his organic orchestra-like band, The Shakes, rocked down the Metro stage with a BANG! This lively group can cover an eclectic range of genres which at times can reflect the individual tastes of each member. From Blues and Bluegrass to Folk as well as pop/alternative, fans can expect to hear plenty of energy and catchy guitar hooks. Even while taking the momentum down a notch, there's still sparks of life and energy from Jon's string section (cello and violin) which defined the song's mood and rhythm. One can definitely say his music kept the crowd in a dancing frenzy throughout the performance upon feeling the vibe found in songs like Rattles N Shakes and EJ. SouthSide also recommends listening to Fisherman's Blues, Margie and Mary that highlights the soulful passion and falsettos found in Jon's voice. For more details and where this band's rockin' the stage again, visit http://www.jondrakeandtheshakes.bandcamp.com or http://www.myspace.com/jondrake.


...we f-in' made it...


Yes, they did, blogspot readers! A year ago, this newest member to the Chicago Noise Machine was the opening act. However tonight Aktar Aktar was poised and ready to rock the Metro crowd and stage as the headliner! And what a difference a year has made for this local band. Retaining their original Americana/alternative sound, Aktar also added a bit of pop rock (off the keyboard) into rhythm thus sparking MORE energy. SouthSide noticed this quartet rocked their fans with more sound than the last time she reviewed them ...mixing the rock music with some of the classic and modern together. This had the crowd grooving to favorites like Ghost of a Man, Evolution and Lost In Transit (SouthSide's favorite) with its fun, upbeat tempo. Even while slowing things down a bit, Aktar's guitars pumped life and momentum into the songs keeping their fans in a frenzy until the end. Visit http://www.myspace.com/aktaraktar for more details and where this premiere rock band's performing again.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide