I’ve been itching to catch The Damn Choir and Paper Thick Walls on the same bill in their hometown of Chicago since first hearing both, and last Friday I had just that unique opportunity as the bands were billed together in celebration of the release of The Damn Choir’s sophomore album. They we joined by Boston band Kingsley Flood.
The show took place at The Hideout, a small gem of a venue that is aptly hidden amongst a bunch of buildings. I walked in the back door with the bands for soundcheck and was greeted with a ceiling full of twinkling lights and a venue that’s probably about the same size as Cleveland’s Beachland Tavern.Venues of this size allow the crowd a certain level of intimacy with the performers; they allow you to feel a part of what’s happening onstage, rather than just an onlooker sitting or standing far off into the distance.
As Boston’s six-piece barnburnin’ band Kingsley Flood took the stage, people swarmed inside as moths drawn to flame. I can’t blame them. I had taken my usual spot towards the middle of the room, but found myself inching closer as frontman Naseem Khuri drew us in with his nuanced performance.
The way he swung his guitar and sang into the microphone worked the crowd, as the firewater-infused folk rock band delivered solid tunes that featured the menagerie of instruments across the stage. Their harmonies were gorgeous. Closing out with “I Don’t Wanna Go Home,” the band left a lasting impression and set the bar high for the two Chicago-native groups to follow.
Next to the stage was Paper Thick Walls. The band was dressed to the nines in shades of black this evening, perhaps to embrace the darker set that was to come from the usually effervescent group.
What will always get you about Paper Thick Walls is how powerful their music is, whether they are exploding into louder moments that embrace a more rock ‘n roll vibe, or are delicately wrapping you in a lighter sound, laced in iconic keyboard or violin lines. Singers Kate Schell and Eric Michaels weave tales with an impressive musicianship that can be appreciated by the trained and untrained ear alike.
Michaels laid down his acoustic and took to his electric guitar for most of the set last Friday. The band is definitely moving in a new direction, embracing a grittier sound. They debuted two new songs, most notably of which was “Smoke Perfume,” a swanky piece that oozed the blues, showcasing Schell’s strong voice as the band remained reserved, with the occasional guitar line that dripped sexiness.
Closing their set was “Infinite,” a song that has an ethereal feel coupled with the familiarity of sixties pop-rock at times. For some reason, I was hearing the Beatles in this on Friday. The band lays down a murky sound layered in rich bass and guitar, laced with keys and drumset. It’s a cloudy darkness that is only overcome by the fiddle line that breaks through the band’s murkiness, like the first rays of sun after a terrible storm you thought could not be weathered. Floating above Jacques Hebert’s hopeful fiddle is the angelic voice of Schell.
This song gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. It breathes fresh air into its listeners and it’s that quality that makes me think that this is a song that can stand the test of time—and this is the band to deliver you a little hope when you’re lost in the dark.
Last to the stage was The Damn Choir, the six-piece celebrating the release of their sophomore album, You’re My Secret Called Fire.
This band has transformed quite a bit since the first time I had seen them, having faced a few trials and tribulations in the past year. Guitarist Otis Duffy has amicably left the band and former guitarist Steve Stokes has stepped back onto the stage with them. While the presence of Duffy is greatly missed, Stokes commands his corner of the stage with his impressive playing. A new leaf was turned for the six-piece on Friday as they delivered what was undoubtedly their most solid performance to date.
Singer Gordon Robertson left his soul on that stage, giving everything over to the crowd. The band’s standards, as well as two strong covers (The Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and The Cure’s “Lovesong”) made for a very strong set. Though the solid set was a given, the costume changes from percussionist Jack McClain and confetti cannons set off were a pleasant surprise.
While playing “Road,” they pounded the stage as if they to stomp some demons out. The band’s transitions were the most solid yet and seamlessly from one song to the next. They caught fire and dropped down, showcasing somber lines from the cello, and then swelling into huge guitar riffs with the gritty voice of Robertson always on top.
The band also played “Noah.” Every time the band plays this tune, my ears are dying to hear the crowd chime in, a ghostly choir of equally tattered souls. It would have been really moving to hear the sold-out crowd at the Hideout singing along.
Singer and lyricist, Gordon Robertson is in a good place—he’s in love and happy, which is much different from the tortured soul who penned their first album. There’s a whole new canvas that Robertson can explore with his passionate writing and it will be exciting to see where he goes with these new hues and tones.
The Damn Choir exhibits a compositional understanding that is so often absent in fledgling bands which sets them and fellow Wine From The Moon-managed band, Paper Thick Walls, apart. If these acts continue to push themselves in this new direction, I think they could very well be signed in the next year.
Photos: Eric Slager
