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Noah and the Whale + Chicago, it’s a love story.

April 29, 2009 at 1:15 am 1 comment

I have a tendency to forget to post about shows. This will not be one of those times.

With a slated start time of 10pm, I decided to begin my trek to Chicago’s Empty Bottle for a night of folk-love fun, Noah and the Whale style, at around 8:30pm. A train and bus ride later, I found myself alone in the heart of Humboldt Park at the corner of Rape & Assault walking three blocks towards a venue that had so many times denied me the joy of live music for simply being unable to purchase alcohol in accordance with U.S. law. My resentment towards this ludicrous piece of legislation is something the Whale boys are all too familiar with, much to my embarrassment, but luckily they’ve been known to sympathize. But alas, this is not a time to dwell on the past. Oh no, it is time to focus on the goods. The Future.

Taking the stage at a quarter past 10, Chicago’s own Anni Rossi brought the small still-gathering crowd to silence as she opened her set with “Machine”, plucking her viola and stomping on the floor in time. Although distracting chatter could be heard coming from the bar throughout her set, Rossi managed to keep the crowd at the front of the stage captivated with her unique playing style and dulcet voice. Ferraby Lionheart and company were up next. With a set comprised of songs from his debut Catch the Brass Ring and a handful of new material, Lionheart’s lighthearted, pop-folk sound set the tone for what would follow–Noah and the Whale. 

The Whale boys wasted no time in setting up their gear and before any notes were played, the oohh’s and ahh’s and declarations of love began flowing from the crowd, from sober and inebriated males and females alike. Allowing the anticipation to build, Noah and the Whale finally took the stage a little after midnight much to the delight of the packed room. With no acoustic guitars or ukuleles in sight, it became obvious that we were all about to be treated to Noah and the Whale, electric style. Exciting.

Opening the show with “Blue Skies”, a new one which will also serve as the new records’ opener, the song would prove to be one of the slower and more quiet numbers of the night, along with an album version of “Mary”. Songs like “Give a Little Love” and “5 Years Time” saw the band channeling the energy of their punk-influenced side project, The A-Sides. And for a minute during “Slow Glass”, the band often referred to as folk and ‘twee’–whatever that actually means—became a noise band à la Sonic Youth as Charlie began holding a variety of objects, including an electric toothbrush, over his pickup, creating warped guitar noises and successfully driving onlookers wild.

The crowd, half of which had been intoxicated even before Noah and the Whale took the stage, was more than willing to oblige when Charlie requested audience participation during the climactic ending to “Stranger”. Handclaps and sing-along’s galore went down during album favorites “2 Atoms in a Molecule” and “Rocks and Daggers”. Although the audience responded very well to the new material, it was obviously “5 Years Time” that drove the packed room into a joyous frenzy. After a fun, good-time cover of The Smiths’ “Girlfriend in a Coma”, the boys closed their set with “The First Days of Spring”—title-track from their upcoming second album—a song that slowly builds up into an explosion of energy with the sound of the violin at the epicenter. I swear, if I could have babies with a song it would be this one. The last time I saw Noah and the Whale was at an all-ages show that had been organized last minute, resulting in a relatively weak turnout. Although they played an incredible set, the majority of the crowd seemed too timid to show much enthusiasm. This time, it was fun to see the band feed off the excitement and energy of the crowd, so much so that they returned to the stage for an encore, ending an incredible night of music with “My Door is Always Open”, purposely leaving the crowd with a taste of what’s to come.

More photos from the night: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catalinaaa/sets/72157617358522154/

Video #1: 

Video #2: My Door Is Always Open

For now, Noah and the Whale will return home to finalize plans for their second album, The First Days of Spring, which will be accompanied by a feature film written and directed by Charlie himself. The band hope to have the album/film out by the Summer, allowing them to return to the States in the Fall after touring the UK. So in the meantime, keep your fingers crossed, eagerly await the new record, and go see them live if you’ve got the chance! They have three shows left on their US tour: Paradise Rock Club/Boston – April 29, Bowery Ballroom/NYC – May 1, Black Cat/Washington D.C. – May 2.

Entry filed under: Music: Live, Music: US Tour 2009. Tags: Chicago, live, LOVE, music, Noah and the Whale.