12 Mar 11

Hey, blogpsot readers, Chicago's in a river of green for St. Padddy's Day! After taking in the traditional city parade, SouthSide continued her long weekend around town with not one but two hot shows in the Lakeview neighborhood. Her first stop took her to Elbo Room to riot with pals, Riot Inside before heading to Schubas with number one fan, Joe, to see The Bright White and The Parlotones (South Africa). Also performing at Elbo Room were SouthSide's other good friends, Arma, Social Hero and Echoson. This reviewer's sad to report that this was Echoson's last performance on stage however the two principal members of this rockin' band, Alex and Brynn, will return again under a new name, blogspot readers.

They're back ...and in a rockin' good way, blogspot readers! SouthSide's good pals, Riot Inside did a rare opening performance which featured a "new" sound, look and feel to this popular local band. She didn't mind that the band dropped its dapper Speakeasy wear for something more comfortable and ready to cause a riot on stage. Gary (front man) and the guys rocked as if they were actually rioting from the grittier as well as dirtier hardcore guitar rock sound blasting throughout the basement lounge. While the Riot band played harder the more Gary emitted vocal powress into the mic and when he did that, the band in turn added more umph into the music especially during Wicked Games. SouthSide had never heard (or seen) them make the audience feel the emotions (from Gary's voice) and the rip-roaring riffs vibrantly coarsing within this song. And this Riot energy wasn't solely self-contained to just this one song. They gave it their all during Riot ("...let's start a riot..." - this should be the band's anthem as it incited fierce screaming from their loyal fans), Satisfy (Castro's hot drum solo/intro always a bonus feature to Riot's shows before adding twitterpating guitar riffs everywhere to the mix) and Sex On Sunday (a whole lot of Gary sex appeal happens here, ladies, as he shows off his charismatic [shirtless] side). Overall, blogspot readers, this "new" Riot was a rockin' exciting fun and this reviewer hopes to see more shows like this soon. Visit http://www.riotinsidemusic.com or http://www.myspace.com/riotinsidemusic for more information about this band.


...anyone who celebrates drinking, I'm in... ~ The Parlotones


After rioting with Riot Inside, SouthSide was ready to hit Schubas with her friend, Joe for more rockin' fun and music. Besides The Bright White and The Parlotones, the lineup also included a Chicago debut performance by Xylos (New York) in which this reviewer recommends seeing despite not liking the one-sided retro 80s electro/pop sound and soft female vocals. Though rockin' the stage with lively ear-popping music, this band performed with twinkling lullaby/melodic rhythms to non-technical instruments (i.e. tambourine, cowbell, etc) to give their songs a unique feel. The music at best was simplistic however after the third or fourth song Xylos began sounding too repetitious ...repeating certain hooks and melodies to SouthSide's ears. The female vocalist did emit some powress from her voice but solely done in gradual stages to be heard above the rockin' sound especially with a keyboard positioned next to her. Overall, blogspot readers, Xylos' performance was good in generating excitement and danceable tunes for this Schubas' crowd but not so much for this reviewer. On April 5, this band's debut record will be releasedd yet in the meantime visit http://www.xylosmusic.com for pre-order information and more.

SouthSide highly recommends checking out the soulful yet dynamic vocal power (by front man Matthew) and rockin' Brit pop/alternative rock of The Bright White, blogspot readers. This band literally blew this reviewer away that she found herself deeply intrigued as well as mesmerized by the vocals more than its music throughout this performance. Matthew's vocal powress and charismatic presence commanding the stage not only fueled the rest of Bright's momentum but the crowd's too. Song after song this front man generated passionate screaming from the ladies whenever he belted such dynamic vocal tone over the microphone to make the lyrics pop to life. And yes, blogspot readers, he also generated a subtle hint of sex appeal (from his dance moves) especially while hitting those high falsetto notes during Red Summer Rose (track 1 off debut CD - Until Then). Fans will enjoy the simplistic yet melodic tone that gave a "feel good" vibe permeating throughout the crowd from this song's catchy hooks and rhythms. This vibrant sound was also felt within Upon The Wall (track 3) and We Are More Than Animals (track 2) in which SouthSide liked the radio-ready energy and lively tempo off the guitar riffs in both songs. Bright's These Are The Days should be taked as the millennial message of the decade for its realistic words of hope and brighter future. What a show, blogspot readers, full of falsetto vocal power and charismatic charm behind a rockin' melodic pop sound. And ...thanks for the shout out, guys. Visit http://www.thebrightwhite.com or http://www.thebrightwhite.bandcamp.com for more information about this band.

Quite popular in UK and Europe, The Parlotones brought their crescendo of melodic rhythms and vibrant digital beats to their adoring Chicago fans. This band from South Africa rocked the Schubas stage with a vibe and energy which kept this packed venue grooving to the music with enough strength to grant them an encore at the end. SouthSide liked the electro/pop feel causing excitable momentum within many to sing along with The Parlotones to their favorite songs such as Welcome To The Weekend and Push Me To The Floor. And like The Bright White, this reviewer was mesmerized by the dynamic falsettos by the front man, Kahn (also on guitar). Behind the epic-sounding melodies, The Parlotones' vocalist emitted heartfelt emotions heard within his voice especially during the acoustic moment of the set. Even while in a downtempo pace, he demonstrated how dynamically powerdul his falsetto range can get during Don't Stop and Remember When - it simply blew away SouthSide's ears, blogspot readers. What she also liked about The Parlotones' set was how each member passionately rocked the stage ...giving it their all so the fans would be drenched in this energetic type of momentum having the best rock show experience ever. There wasn't a moment when they weren't singing and/or dancing between shouting requests to hear favorite songs like The Stars Fall Down to Beautiful (the most requested song of the night). SouthSide highly recommends blogspot readers catching The Parlotones while on their US tour (they will be touring Europe in April starting in Germany) as well as snagging a copy of their new album - Stardust Galaxies. Visit http://www.theparlotones.net or http://www.myspace.com/theparlotones for tour details.

Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide