The art of booking shows is one that is much more delicate than most would think. The venue, the line up, the night of the week- all these things come in to play through a nearly endless combination of possible outcomes depending on how they compliment one another. Chicago’s own Betta Promotions is a master at this art, constantly putting together showcases of local talent that include lineups of bands similar enough for fans to relate to one another but different enough to nurture new tastes. One such Betta production took place at Wicker Park’s Subterranean this past Thursday, October 14th where one of our favorite burgeoning bands were featured on the bill. Along with Chaperone, Elephant Gun, and Dylan Kloska, the folksy city dwellers Dastardly took the stage to a surprisingly filled room despite the number conflicting concerts taking place as Chicago was swarmed with fall tours. Though the quarters were cramped, the six members of Dastardly piled on stage along with their impressive array of instruments, including by not limited to, a banjo, accordion, and a sizable stand up bass. Front-man and role model to any young man who has ever hoped to grow a beard, Gabe Leibowitz, was in top form as he playfully bantered with the mixed bag of an audience, which ranged from barely legal sorority sisters to cross armed hipsters- there were even a few mothers and fathers present.
One of the things that we love most about Dastardly is that even though the band is relatively new, they’ve already begun to evolve in their performances. In the handful of times we’ve seen these six live we’ve witnessed reinvention of the old as well as introductions to the new. Though at their core Dastardly is saloon door swinging, barn raising, jug blowing kind of band, they stop themselves just before crossing the line into a full-blown hillbilly hootenanny. At Subterranean more so than ever the band showed a likeness to contemporary influences such as The Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear, implementing an array of spacey guitar and off kilter rhythms. Allowing their drums to share a conversation in “Brief Thoughts on Death”, drummer Andy Taylor was joined by Liebowitz and singer/accordion player Sarah Morgan for
a cheer inducing percussive back and forth, just one of the many instances of Dastardly asserting themselves as much more than a country band. The marriage between old west folk and the ambiguous genre of “indie rock” makes the songs of Dastardly a palatable playlist for those who aren’t normally attracted to cowboy crooners. In fact, by the sound of the screaming girls heard at Subterranean, we’re pretty sure the band was responsible for converting quite a few pop princesses into banjo loving broads. Experimental enough to feel fresh but traditional enough to feel familiar even to first timers, Dastardly is a band that asserted itself as notable early in the game and now can enjoy the steady rise to local fame they’re guaranteed.
The band will be releasing a new EP in the coming months and in the meantime curious listeners can download their demo, The Living Room Tapes Vol. 1 for free at www.dastardlytheband.com
Read our interview with Gabe Liebowitz, Sarah Morgan, and August Sheehy
Tags: Chicago, Local Music, Show Review, Video
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