3 Bands in One Night Tear it Up at Sub T in Chicago on October 9th, 2016 By; Coren E. McLeod
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Bands in One Night Tear it Up at Sub T in Chicago On October 9th,
2016
Written By: Coren E. McLeod
Photos
By: Coren E. McLeod
This
past year has been a spectacular roller coaster ride of true inspiration for me
especially within the Chicago local music scene. I always tend to seek out music that is out
of the ordinary, has some sort of substance to it and is true to form. I still pinch myself on the daily and ask
myself, “Seriously, am I truly living this life? Is this my life?” And I always come to the same
conclusion: YES…. Yes.
This is my life.
On Sunday, October 9th, 2016 at Subterranean
in Chicago, a tornado of magnificent herds of home-grown bands gathered
together for an event that was genuinely mesmerizing. Werewolves at Hour 30 (WAH30), BlackGlass and
20 Watt Tombstone brought together their unique sounds to bring the
house down to an audience that wanted to overindulge in greatness.
Well, the show did have some drama that would lead to
some unwanted stress. 20 Watt Tombstone just finished up a tour and was
frantically driving to get to the Chicago show.
Well, all is fair in love and metal especially when your diesel truck
decides to break down in Iowa. According
to 20 Watt Tombstone’s lead singer, Tom Jordan, one must keep their cool during
a situation like that.
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| Tom Jordan of 20 Watt Tombstone |
Here is what Tom had to say, “Well...one thing I've learned over the years is to try not to freak out
over breakdowns. Is everyone safe and alive? No one’s hurt? That's the most
important thing. Our vacuum pump went and through our fans and friends asking
people they knew to help, we were able to have a total stranger come help us
get back on the road. Blew us away! I try not to get too far ahead of myself by
thinking too far past the present breakdown. Prioritize, fix van was first and
then shows... It doesn't do any good to think past the present bad thing. Till
you fix those issues, you can't plan on anything. Worst case scenario we would
have cancelled Chicago and had the van towed to a garage and possibly went
home. Luckily through, the kindness of strangers we made it to Chicago and had
a blast!”
The show at Sub T was to start
promptly at 8 pm. And with the lingering
thought of 20 Watt Tombstone not being able to make it, the members of WAH30
and BlackGlass were trying to remain chill during this uncomfortable
situation. WAH30’s guitar player Anthony
Defillippis was concerned for the band, “I was just hoping they were okay.”
Lead singer and also guitar player
for WAH30, James Marshall Duich, made certain that there would be a game plan
just in the worse was to happen. James
said, “We probably would have extended our sets. I know Silas (BlackGlass) can
go on for days, and the boys will go until their arms fall off.”
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| Silas Marshall of BlackGlass |
Well, thankfully, Tom and his
band mate, the phenomenal drummer Mitch, finally made it to Sub T with a huge
smile reaching across both of their faces.
And the spectacular show was about to emerge from the ashes.
The first band to conquer the stage
was Chicago’s own BlackGlass. Can I just
say right off the bat this band reminded me of The Black Keys and Cage the
Elephant. I was floored by the lead
singer’s stage presence. Silas Mishler
is a madman on stage. Seriously, this
guy does not hold his passion back while singing and playing his guitar while
laying on stage.
When I
asked Silas about what song he likes to play, he thought that was hard to
choose. Silas said, “Oh man- that's tough. It's like
picking one of your kids. I really liked bitter rind the last one. The end is a
release and feels authentic. I'm always moved by it. It's simply just ohs and
music- but I feel like it’s the most connected we all feel as a band. I
remember recording it and at the end we all were screaming the final OH’s. It always feels too short. But that's why I never get sick of playing
it.”
 |
| BlackGlass |
The bass player, Dan Jarvis, has a cool, chill vibe about
himself that lingers behind his cascading waves of hair. And I am all about chicks playing the drums
since I happen to play myself. Sarah Neczwid dishes out the beats like it’s no ones’ business. Her intensity secures her hunger
to rock out with the boys.
I
asked Silas what it is like to play with his band, BlackGlass and he points out,
“Playing with BlackGlass is something that is
so similar to what I do in other bands on the surface- but really when it gets
down to it - it's really different than anything I've ever tried. There is so
much fluid in the way we play.”
Now, with 20 Watt Tombstone making their remarkable debut
at Sub T, a crowd was forming. Here is a
little back ground information: I first
saw 20 Watt Tombstone back in April, 2016 when they opened for the wonderful
band Royal Bliss.
I was literally blown away with the simple yet gritty sounds Tom Jordan
and Mitch Du’Quan Ostrowski were generating on that spring weather Saturday
night.
One factor about 20 Watt that amazes me is there are only 2
dudes in the band. Yes… Only 2!
Yet their music is heavy, bluesy and all in your face round house
kick! I know the guys from WAH30 and
BlackGlass wanted to see this astonishment in action. And when 20 Watt started to play that Sunday
night, all mouths dropped to the floor.
The song that I love from these guys is what is currently
being circulated with a very funny video:
“Your Man’s a Jerk.” Tom’s
unflinching, southern voice is paired very with the true to life lyrics along
with a hypnotic guitar riff. Mitch’s
timing and meticulous drumming is a perfect match with Tom. I just kept hearing people in the crowd
saying, “This is the t-ts…” (More or
less… LOL…)
Now, onto the closing act of the evening. WAH30 was so ready to bring the 3 story
building down to its demise. One thing I
love about WAH30 is each member brings along their own variety of energy to the
stage. Andrew Mishler (bass player and
yes his brother is Silas) always floors me with his captivating moves while
playing his bass so hard his glasses serioulsy fell off his face. No joke Anthony Defilippis (guitar) has this
cool 1970’s vibe that lingers in the stage lights. Art Wito (Drums) brings on a sort of
professionalism while playing yet still makes his performance fun and
memorable. And then there is James
Marshall Duich (lead vocal and guitar).
His charismatic voice and alarming guitar skills makes him the perfect
front man for WAH30. These guys just all
blend together yet has their own identities within.
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| James Marshall Duich of WAH30 |
That night, WAH30 was treating the audience to new
songs. The crowd of local Chicago fans
and myself were grooving to the magical delights of the new sounds. One could tell WAH30 was feeding off the
energy in the room. (Hell, they are
Werewolves…) And it showed in the gusto
of the entire performance. Bravo guys!!!
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| Anthony Defillpis of WAH30 |
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| Andrew Mishler of WAH30 |
So, I would have to say:
this was truly a remarkable bill of 3 amazing bands that just meshed
very well with one another. According to
James of WAH30, “It was a great bill. Everyone fed off each other’s energy.”
I could not have said it better myself. Thank you so much to BlackGlass, 20 Watt
Tombstone and WAH30. You made a Sunday
night seem like a Friday night…. And I
applaud you for that!!! #Cheers
- More at UnRatedMagazine.com
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