by Alex Danger Stewart
Who: Islands, Jemina Pearl, Toro Y Moi
Where: Subterranean in Wicker Park
When: October 15th
Why: That’s a silly question
Thursday night concerts aren’t always my favorite. On the one hand, you get the usual joys of going to a show and there are usually some pretty fair drink specials. On the other hand, the crowds are rarely as energetic as ones that have been pregaming since the afternoon. Plus most of my favorite television shows are on Thursday night. Despite these potential drawbacks, I made my way to trendy (and very geographically confusing) Wicker Park for a night of cheap Chicago indie rock.
I’m always one for full disclosure so I should say this up front. I have a total music boner for scary punk rock girls (and normal ones too) so I’m probably more likely to enjoy Jemina Pearl (pronounced Jemeena like Velveeta not JemIna like Aunt Jemima) than your average music enthusiast. Formerly of punk rock toddlers Be Your Own Pet, Pearl is essentially tough as shit. Beyond lyrics that make credible threats to take your virginity and beat you up with her bicycle gang, she has been known to let her fists do the talking. On the previous night in Detroit, a cigarette flicking heckler learned which petite blonde shouldn’t be messed with as she exited the stage and beat him bloody. Pearl and her band blazed through their album’s worth of bullet fast surf anthems, girl group rockers, and Stoogey garage burners (including a personal ode to yours truly D is For Danger). Early sound issues kept the crowd impassive; but once the sound guy turned everything up by the third song, butts were forced to move. By the end of the set, I had sweated through three layers of shirt. Always a mark of good times.
I know this is terrible journalism, but I honestly didn’t give a fuck about the other two acts. Toro Y Moi is one of those “Dude with a laptop” acts that I find difficult to get excited about. He played pretty good electronica and didn’t overstay his welcome. That was good. Islands can be a fun band (if one is so inclined to enjoy disco) but I was in the mood to break things, not listen to a less mentally ill Of Montreal. So I left. If you dig the indie sub-genre of “Guys in a cape making early Prince/Chic club anthems,” you’ll love Islands.
Final Verdict: 13 out of 15 Karen O’s (Fever to Tell era)
Alex Danger Stewart is on Match Dot Com and E-Harmony for all you scary punk rock girls out there.
