Words & photos by Eliana Siegal
WCR's Eliana Siegal was at House of Blues last Sunday to catch Blue October, Stars in Stereo and Chicago's own Empires. Check out her thoughts on each band's set below, and head over to the Saudade Photography Facebook page for many more photos from the night.
Stars in Stereo:
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| Stars in Stereo |
For a band that had only been around for a few years, Stars in Stereo's set surprised me, since it was delivered with more skill than I had expected. The band played a few strong original songs before they went into a sexy rendition of the Nine Inch Nails' song "Closer"; the audience's eyes widened and then crinkled with recognition at the song they knew. This performance was even more blush-inducing than the original. Becca Hollcraft, the singer, was reminiscent to me of a young, jaded Amy Lee: a powerhouse of sound and of searching lyrics. The rest of the band was not content to leave the spotlight to her--they joined in on the frantic jumping and excited head-shaking themselves. Stars' confident performance made for a great introduction to the bands that followed.
Empires:
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| Empires |
This show took place on the Quiet Mind tour, which was Empires' first time supporting a band on a full tour; the new, bigger, venues were definitely suited for their boot-rattling rock sound. Singer (and occasional tambourinist) Sean Van Vleet gazed heavy-lidded out at the crowd as the set began, as though he was singing "Hello Lover" to each watching face. The band seemed happy to be back in their hometown, and the enthusiasm they all put into the performance showed it. As, of course, did their grins. The third song, "Hells Heroes," was introduced as "a song for those who wake up on Sunday morning and just don't feel like going to church." Van Vleet's emotive voice made it clear that he included himself in that group of people. Guitarists Tom Conrad and Max Steger wielded their axes with the "fire in their gut" Van Vleet mentioned had been a result of the band's explosive Lollapalooza set in August. Bassist Julio Tavarez was almost as eye-catching as the singer, playing his instrument like it was a lover, and making what seemed like every possible face as he did. Drummer Mike Robinson kept up the rythm with just the right amount of power the songs called for. The seven-song set went by far too quickly, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the room who wished they'd had a few more tunes.
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