LIVE: Yoko and the Oh No's, Ron Gallo, and Diane Coffee at TNK Fest 2018
Diane Coffee’s live performances have a magical and magnetic quality to them that are nuanced to the point of almost transcending description. Their performances are immersive in the sense that the richness of it all makes it impossible for audiences to think about or focus on anything else aside from what is taking place onstage. By all means, that is a skill and a power. Such a beguiling spell was cast over the audience at Lincoln Hall last Friday, who gathered at the beloved local venue to see the band perform during the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival- an annual concert series that takes place at Lincoln Hall and its sister venue, Schubas.
Chicago's own Yoko and the Oh No’s warmed up the crowd at 9PM sharp with their lively rock tunes, unfortunately playing their last ever show to the already packed house. The announcement of the final show had been made only the day prior, and friends and fans of the group had flocked to see the final performance. The four piece, fronted by the exuberant Max Goldstein, brought every last ounce of energy they could to the Lincoln Park venue that evening. Goldstein and his bandmates remained in sync the whole time, delivering a stellar show that had the audience hooked and hoping for an eventual reunion of the band in the future.
Nashvilles' Ron Gallo kept the high spirits going when he took the stage shortly after; kicking off his set with a trumpet, he monotonously read an introduction to his band and thanked the festival while a single spotlight shone down on him. Consisting of humor and good old fashioned rock and roll, Gallo's set had the crowd entertained from start to finish. The set contained some crowd favorites from his debut album Heavy Meta, like "Put The Kids to Bed" and "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me," but it also included brand new tunes from Gallo's Really Nice Guys EP, which had just dropped that morning. The audience reciprocated the energy that Gallo and his bandmates poured out onstage; moshing and dancing along to the music. Towards the end of the rowdy and fun-spirited set, Gallo even hopped off stage to join the crowd. If given the chance to see Ron Gallo, do not miss out on his engaging and energetic performance.
After the impressive opening sets, Diane Coffee earnestly launched into “Mayflower” - a brassy, energy-charged track with lyrics that serve as a delightfully tongue-in-cheek commentary on consumerism. The savvy selection of “Mayflower” as an opener allowed its palpable energy to serve as blueprints for the remainder of the set; blueprints through which Diane Coffee crafted an incredibly memorable and engaging performance.
Diane Coffee finds their identity in their exploratory nature, both in sound and performance. Therefore, the band is able to perform a sonically diverse setlist with a clear sense of cohesion numerous styles, tones, and influences - thus giving their music a universal appeal and multi-elemental appeal. A physical testimony to this was the fact that the audience at Lincoln Hall was noticeably diverse in age. Diane Coffee’s work contains just enough classic elements to make it timeless, and the perfect amount of innovation to make it fresh and new all at once. Elements of grit, lightness, realism, fun, and innovation have a continuous presence that entirely harnessed the attention of the crowd. These creative juxtapositions are something that does not necessarily make sense, but Diane Coffee is able to seamlessly merge these elements in a manner that results in an engaging listening experience and a dynamic live set. For the entire time Diane Coffee was onstage at Lincoln Hall, nothing existed outside of the venue doors. They possess the ability to make the audience feel as if the rest of the world is melting away, and that’s a definitive nod to their talents as musicians and as a live entity.
One cannot discuss Diane Coffee without mention of enigmatic frontman Shaun Fleming. Dauntless and charismatic, Fleming embodies all it means to be an artist and an entertainer in every sense of both words. With a habit of performing in outfits just as exciting as the music he creates, Fleming excels in mastering all aspects of live performance: he engages the crowd in a manner that surpasses the traditional “How are you guys doing out there?”, performs his work with evident skill and care, and has an ability to turn each venue he performs in into something of a warm community. His performance at Lincoln Hall was certainly no exception to this magic. If Diane Coffee has proven one thing through their performance this weekend, it is that they are a group of artists who knows how to consistently deliver. That in itself is a noted key to success, and Diane Coffee has taken that key and swiftly unlocked the door.
Relive the magic of the evening by checking out our photo gallery of all three bands, shot by Rachel Zyzda.
Yoko and The Oh No's and Ron Gallo review written by Rachel Zyzda
PHOTOS: Cut Worms with Cafe Racer and Okey Dokey at TNK Fest 2018
Day 2 of TNK Fest 2018 included a stacked line up at Lakeview's Schubas Tavern, with Cafe Racer, Okey Dokey and Cut Worms. If you missed it, check out our photo gallery of their sets below!
Can't get enough Cut Worms? Check out our interview with Max Clarke here!
PHOTOS: Helado Negro and Cuco at TNK Fest 2018
Last week, Helado Negro and Cuco played to a packed house at Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, January 17th, kicking off the annual TNK Fest. Check out photos from the show below, and check out the rest of Cuco and Helado Negro's tour dates here.
Listen to Cuco's Songs4U in full below
PHOTOS: Tennis at Metro 1.13.18
Listen to We Can Die Happy--the latest EP from Tennis in full below!
PHOTOS: Insecure Men and The Nude Party at Mercury Lounge 1.11.18
The Nude Party and Insecure Men rocked the Mercury Lounge on Thursday night in NYC. Check out photos of the show below, and see the rest of The Nude Party's tour dates here.
Chicago! The Nude Party will be at The Empty Bottle tomorrow with Rookie and Sundown Club. Don't miss out and snatch your tickets here. Get ready for the show by listening to their album Hot Tub in full below.
LIVE: The Wombats with Courtship and Nation of Language at Brooklyn Steel 1.10.18
The Wombats stopped at Brooklyn Steel during their highly anticipated return to the U.S, in celebration of their upcoming album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life. Nation of Language and Courtship got the crowd warmed up.
At 8PM sharp, the lights in Brooklyn Steel dimmed, and the Brooklyn-based trio Nation of Language hit the stage with a burst of energy. As their synth-driven mix of post punk and new wave filled the venue, it felt like we had all been transported into a John Hughes film. The three piece had actually been added to the tour last minute, to fill in for UK band Blaenavon, who had unfortunately had to cancel their U.S tour due to medical reasons. However, the crowd instantly warmed to Nation of Language’s refreshingly nostalgic vibes and lead singer Ian Devaney’s vocals that pull elements from the likes of Talking Heads’ David Byrne and The Cure’s Robert Smith. Their 30 minute set included their tracks “I’ve Thought About Chicago” and “On Division St,” which the band mentioned had just premiered that day via Stereogum.
Courtship (stylized “courtship.”) took the stage next, donning matching yellow jumpsuits and immediately displaying their excitement and gratitude to be at the New York venue. As the LA based duo of Eli Hirsch and Micah Gordon and their band enthusiastically played their infectious indie pop tunes like “Sail Away,” “Perfect People,” and the unreleased “Bad Fun,” their happiness and energy filled their entire venue. During their short but sweet set, they never stopped showing their appreciation to be on the stage and on tour with The Wombats; at one point Hirsch addressed the crowd saying, “Literally in eighth grade my number one band on earth was The Wombats,” adding that he once hid in the basement of one of their 21+ shows just to hear them perform. Hirsch also mentioned that he and Gordon had only written their first song together just about a year ago in their bedrooms, making the opportunity to play at a packed venue in NYC that much more special to them. Seeing a performer that happy and excited to be where they are makes the performance that much more special to watch, and the crowd was extremely responsive to courtship.’s energy.
The Wombats burst onto the stage following a 30 minute changeover, kicking it all off with new song “Cheetah Tongue,” from their upcoming album. The three piece consisting of Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis, and Tord Øverland Knudsen have been making music together since 2003, and their album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life will be their fourth studio album, following up 2015’s Glitterbug. With about 15 years of playing music together under their belt, the trio exuded an incredible chemistry on stage last Wednesday night; whether they were playing one of their oldies or another new song, they were perfectly in sync with one another. The band also crafted a diverse and dynamic setlist that pulled songs from all parts of their discography, like “1996” and “Jump Into The Fog” from This Modern Glitch, “Kill The Director” and “Moving to New York” from A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, “Give Me a Try” and “Greek Tragedy” from Glitterbug and last but not least, new singles like “Turn” and “Lemon to a Knife Fight.” Every song by The Wombat’s features clever and thoughtful songwriting, full of lead singer Matthew Murphy’s impeccably descriptive and witty writing, but they’re also known for their upbeat and catchy melodies. At their Brooklyn Steel show, they maintained an incredible level of energy, with Murphy working the entire stage, often wandering out onto the speakers at the front of the stage while he played guitar, and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen thrashing around the stage and jumping along to the beat. The audience did a great job of keeping up the pace, but as the set wound down, Murphy encouraged them to get even rowdier, saying, “The paramedics are outside for a reason, so please go as wild as you can possibly can for this next one,” before the band launched into “Techno Fan.” Their classic and crowd-favorite songs in their live set often featured fleshed out introductions and arrangements; for example, the aforementioned “Moving To New York” (which Murphy said has and always will be dedicated to NYC) contained a built up and suspenseful introduction that led up to its recognizable guitar riff that kicks off the studio version. The night closed out with “Greek Tragedy,” which was the band’s lead single from Glitterbug, and everyone filed out of the venue with a grin on their face.
Check out photos from the high energy evening, and see the rest of The Wombats’ tour dates here.
TNK Fest 2018: Five Must See Acts
Ahh, it's January in Chicago, which means snow and sub-zero temperatures. On the bright side, it also means it's time for Tomorrow Never Knows Fest, the annual multi-venue, 5-day, indoor (thank god) festival. Last year we wrote about our five most anticipated bands playing the festival, but we also discovered some new favorites, like Dream Version, Overcoats, and Acid Dad. While we're excited for pretty much all of the bands playing this year, and looking forward to even discovering some new favorites, here are our top five most anticipated acts of TNK Fest 2018.
HINDS
This Madrid quartet consisting of Carlotta Cosials, Ana García Perrote, Ade Martín, and Amber Grimberge crafts irresistibly lively and light-hearted lo-fi rock tunes with melodies that'll get lodged in your head for days, but their live show is where it's at. The four piece exude crazy chemistry and project so much positivity and energy whenever they take the stage, making their set at TNK 2018 one you absolutely cannot miss. Although they're based in Spain, 2017 saw HINDS over in The States quite a bit, performing at Coachella, and co-headlining a tour with Chicago's Twin Peaks. It's been a minute since they headlined a packed Empty Bottle here in the city back in May, though, so make sure you snag a ticket to welcome them back to Chicago.
When/Where: Lincoln Hall //January 21st, 9PM. Grab tickets here.
Start With: "Bamboo," "Garden," and "Warts"
ANCHR Recommended Local Bands Playing The Show: PEEL
For Fans Of: Twin Peaks, The Big Moon, Cherry Glazerr
Photo By Aaron Serrano
Ron Gallo
Speaking of incredible stage presence, the Nashville-via-Philly singer songwriter Ron Gallo puts on an unforgettable show. 2017 was quite the year for Gallo, which saw the release of his debut solo album, Heavy Meta, following Gallo's time with his band Toy Soldiers. Heavy Meta sees Gallo exploring serious subjects in a quirky and blunt way, wrapped up in raw and rowdy rock tunes. Gallo toured heavily last year as well, not only touring Europe and The States, but appearing heavily on the festival circuit; playing Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, Lou Fest and more! This year he's already been booked for Coachella and Hangout, but help him kick things off by grabbing tickets to see him with Diane Coffee at TNK Fest! You can get ready for the show by re-visiting our interview with Ron Gallo here.
When/Where: Lincoln Hall //January 19th, 9PM. Grab tickets here.
Start With: "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me," "Put The Kids to Bed," and "All the Punks are Domesticated"
ANCHR Recommended Local Bands Playing The Show: Yoko and the Oh No's
For Fans Of: Cage The Elephant, The Districts, Naked Giants
Photo by Rachel Zyzda
Snail Mail
The brainchild of the Maryland musical prodigy Lindsey Jordan, Snail Mail brings honest alternative rock narratives that deserve your full attention. Following her 2015 and 2016 EPs, Sticki and Habit, Jordan toured extensively with the likes of Waxahatchee and Beach Fossils in 2017. This year is already filling up quickly for her, with Snail Mail being booked for Coachella and national tour dates announced through April. Help Snail Mail also kick off a sure-to-be successful year by coming to her show at Schubas Tavern, which features a stacked lineup of fellow badass bands and artists, including Stef Chura and Ratboys.
When/Where: Schubas Tavern //January 19th, 8PM. The show is sold out, but you can grab TNK 5-day passes here.
Start With: "Thinning," "Habit," and "Slug"
ANCHR Recommended Local Bands Playing The Show: Bunny
For Fans Of: Priests, Japanese Breakfast, Beach Fossils
Photo By Audrey Melton
Liz Cooper & The Stampede
Nashville based trio Liz Cooper & The Stampede blend multiple genres together to create a recognizable yet refreshing sound. The nomadic and multi-talented Liz Cooper fronts the group, and the trio's folk rock melodies mesh perfectly with Cooper's soulful and raspy vocals. The group has caught the eye of many lately; recording Audiotree sessions and performing at their annual festival last year, as well as making an appearance at the massive ACL Festival in 2017. The three piece will perform at Lincoln Hall with Rayland Baxter, and you can get ready for the show by re-visiting our interview with Liz Cooper & The Stampede here.
When/Where: Lincoln Hall //January 20th, 9PM. Grab tickets here.
Start With: "Mountain Man," "Hey Man," and "Dalai Lama"
For Fans Of: Desert Noises, Big Thief, Julien Baker
Photo by Rachel Zyzda
Okey Dokey
Also from Nashville, the duo of Aaron Martin and Johny Fisher (guitarist for The Weeks) blend retro and soulful tones into psychedelic rock tunes that completely capture their listeners with the stories told in each song. Okey Dokey's show at TNK fest marks nearly a year since the release of their debut album, Love You, Mean It, which brought on an incredible year for them in 2017. Their show at Schubas will undoubtedly showcase their fun and dynamic spirit, and the lineup also includes former Chicagoan Cut Worms and Sonny Smith, so don't miss it!
When/Where: Schubas Tavern //January 18th, 8PM. Grab tickets here.
Start With: "Wavy Gravy," "Coffee Boi," and "Low Rent/ Blue Skies"
ANCHR Recommended Local Bands Playing The Show: Cafe Racer
For Fans Of: Mt. Joy, Omni, Hoops
Photo Courtesy of Okey Dokey
There you have it! Again, this list is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the full line up here, and make sure you get to all the shows early. So many of our favorite hometown bands are playing these shows, and they all need to be on your radar this year! Lastly, get ready for the show by listening to the official TNK Mixtape below.
Twin Peaks Ring in 2018 With a Three Night Run at Thalia Hall
This past weekend, Chicago's DIY rock heroes Twin Peaks proved that you can go big and go home, with an incredible three night, sold out run at Pilsen’s Thalia Hall. Taking over the historic building from Friday night through New Year's Eve, Twin Peaks not only cultivated a diverse support bill of local up and coming acts, but all three nights included an intricate stage set up and special appearances that celebrated the current Chicago music scene. One of the band's latest songs from their Sweet '17 Singles series "We Will Not Make It (Not Without You)" acted as the theme of the weekend, paying homage to the friendly and familiar dynamic of the Chicago scene; a dynamic where artists lift up fellow artists in the buzzing collective of talent that the city has to offer.
The first night of the weekend's all local lineup began with Sun Cop music, followed by Knox Fortune as the main support. The brainchild of musician and producer Andrew Humphrey, Sun Cop's set immediately displayed the attitude of friendship and supportive nature that threaded throughout the weekend, with Twin Peak's Colin Croom joining Sun Cop's live band lineup for the night. Croom's appearance on stage proved to be another common theme, when he also joined Knox Fortune for his biggest show in the city yet. Although Knox Fortune has attracted attention over the past couple of years working with the likes of Chance The Rapper, singing the hook on the hit "All Night," he only played his first official show in November this year; a sold out headlining set at Lincoln Hall. Knox Fortune's set highlighted this city's ability to show support and collaborate across genres, and it also featured a special appearance from his frequent collaborator Joey Purp.
Twin Peak's set on night one set the bar high for the entire weekend, but each night only got better, with them continuously delivering the high energy and rambunctious sets that their fans have come to know and love, with all sorts of surprises. Twin Peaks is already unique enough with their lineup in that they all pitch in to write the songs, and four out of the five members alternate singing lead and are multi-instrumentalists, but these shows featured an even bigger and more layered sound than what the core members can create on their own. Joined by a horns section and local duo OHMME singing backup, Twin Peaks filled the Pilsen concert hall beautifully. The production of the night also added in another facet to these special shows, with props including pine trees and an actual motorcycle suspended from the ceiling. Of course, the night also ended with a shower of confetti raining down on the audience from the balcony.
Night two only amplified the magic of the previous night, with a whole new set of support acts and another fun spirited crowd ready to reciprocate the energy that all three bands exuded from the stage. Warming their fellow Chicagoans up on the frigid Saturday evening, trio DEHD captivated the large room with their retro garage rock tunes. The group includes NE-HI's Jason Balla and Lala Lala's Emily Kempf taking turns on vocals, and drummer Eric McGrady forgoing a full drum set to create a unique setup with floor toms. Next up, psych rockers Post Animal cranked up the volume, performing some of their most popular songs like "You Were Not There," "When I Get Home," and "Special Moment" with refreshed and fleshed out arrangements that showcased their skills as guitarists. Post Animal supported Twin Peaks for one of their Thalia Hall shows last December, and have since had one hell of a year, touring with Twin Peaks, WAVVES, White Reaper, and recently announcing their signing to Polyvinyl records. The local scene and now the national rock scene have come to love the group for their massive stage presence and ability to shred on the six string, and their set on Saturday only got even more bold when part-time band member Joe Keery made a rare appearance for the last song in the set. With Post Animal, it seems you can never have too many guitar players.
Twin Peaks' second set of the three-night stint once again featured the same expanded lineup, as well as the confetti and custom stage setup, but the band did a great job at diversifying their setlist each night. Every night, the set heavily featured a lot of the group's latest material that has come around the past several months as part of their Sweet '17 Singles series, but they rearranged the order each night to keep the crowd guessing. One of this year's singles "Shake Your Lonely" features vocalist and friend of the band's Marisa Nakamura on the studio version, so of course they brought her out every night to sing it with them. Each night also had the Twin Peaks staples like "Making Breakfast," "Butterfly," and "Walk To The One You Love," but the band mixed in some rarities to all three sets. On Saturday, they also ended with another staple "Boomers," although they played it second on the first night and in the middle of the set the third night.
Just like that, the final night of Twin Peaks Thalia takeover fell upon the city, and another sold out crowd quickly filled up the concert hall on Sunday night. Thanks to the Twitter humor of the NYE performers NE-HI, every concert-goer that evening had the opportunity to chow down on a complimentary Chicago dog, courtesy of Goose Island. With full bellies, the crowd watched Today's Hits kick off the show at 9PM; their set once again highlighting the friendly nature of the local music scene, as both Cadien Lake James and Colin Croom dropped in during Today's Hits short set. Today's Hits lead singer James Swanberg returned the favor later in the night, making an appearance during Twin Peaks' set.
Hot dog heroes NE-HI took the stage next, lead singer Jason Balla taking the stage for the second time that weekend. Like most of the artists who were a part of this NYE weekend extravaganza, NE-HI have also had an incredible year, touring nationally, releasing their sophomore album, and performing at Pitchfork Music Festival. The four piece put on an unforgettable show every time, with Balla thrashing and jumping around as he sings, while other members James Weir and Mikey Wells follow suit and gain some serious air while leaping around. Their set featured a mix of songs from their self-titled debut, 2017's Sophomore record (Offers), and some new material.
Twin Peaks' final set of 2017 began just an hour before midnight and once again had some rarities and a rearranged order in their setlist. The crowd surfing commenced during the first song and lasted throughout the night as it had the previous two nights, but everyone seemed to be giving even more of their energy back to the band since it was their last show of the year. The show paused right before midnight with a collective countdown between the band and the crowd, followed by confetti and some giant balloons entering the pit. The show continued on into 2018, wrapping up with the weekend's theme song "We Will Not Make It (Not Without You)," which bassist and vocalist Jack Dolan dedicated to everyone in the room. Even more confetti showered the room as the song wrapped up, providing the weekend's final surprise.
Twin Peaks' weekend at Thalia Hall celebrated more than just the new year and a fresh start; it celebrated the creative community of Chicago and promoted kindness and friendship among artists and fans alike. These shows had a revitalizing energy and an unwavering spirit that you can only feel while watching live music played by a group of friends, with all your friends. 2018 holds even more promise for more nights like this in Chicago as so much of the city's music scene continues to grow.
Relive some of the magic of the weekend by checking out our galleries of all seven bands from across the weekend.
December 29th Gallery featuring Sun Cop, Knox Fortune, and Twin Peaks, shot by Christian Heinzel
December 30th gallery featuring DEHD, Post Animal, and Twin Peaks, shot by Rachel Zyzda
New Year's Eve featuring Today's Hits, NE-HI, and Twin Peaks, shot by Rachel Zyzda
