By Jodi Root

My experiences with Friday the 13th are usually pretty tame and unmemorable, the only reminders of this cliché superstitious date is an abundance of lame facebook statuses or overheard generic chit chat on the el. I’m pretty sure this past Fri 13th, however, has succeeded in trumping all past occurrences to date – both as far as an overall eventful evening and on the creepy factor. I have the much buzzed about San Francisco band Girls to thank for this.

Headlining their second consecutive night playing Chicago’s Empty Bottle, Friday’s set was long sold out, packed to the brims with fans eager to see if this Pitchfork darling duo’s performance could live up to the hype. All lame puns aside, it was kind of ironic to see that a group who goes by the name of Girls maybe lured out 5-10 females total in its hipster crammed audience—the stuffy, congested crowd was definitely one mass sausage fest—but no complaints from this gal, I haven’t seen that long of a line to the male’s restroom since the Robyn concert.

Quality conversation with a friend and an abundance of $2.50 312’s fogged my memory a bit and my scribbled notes are definitely what you would consider illegible. As a result, my experience last evening is a bit of a dreamy haze—but this isn’t by any means a bad thing. Flashing back to the dream sequencey set, Girls took to the silver and gold illuminated stage at five after midnight. The four-man line-up kicked off their hour long set with the ever eerie, “Ghost Mouth.” Christopher Owens’ vocals were crisp and piercingly on, creeping the crap out of me as he channeled the Buddy Holly like 50’s nostalgia rock vibe and desperately crooned, “I’m too scared to get out and get into heaven.”

Owens’ repetitive references to fear and god can’t help but get under your skin when you remember his past growing up as a member of the cult Children of God. I’ve read that the debut “Album” was heavily influenced by both Owens’ aforementioned past as well an influx of drug abuse—and both the song content and delivery makes this abundantly clear. There were some moments in last night’s show where I felt like I was in a graveyard. Or at a Raveonettes show—but if they were both dudes on a lot of smack. Or at a 50’s surf shop beach party, but if David Lynch had taken hold as the host of festivities.

The music was loud, soft, melodic and flat. The performance itself may not have been the most memorable—the guitarist definitely seemed more of a lifeless prop, barely pulling his weight at times, but Owens’ presence and the overall presentation was definitely an experience. The combination of unease, nostalgia and desperation delivered were bone chilling and the sound quality helped perfect the message. At one point I had turned to my friend and slurred, “Are we in Twin Peaks? I swear this would be the perfect soundtrack to Laura Palmer’s demise. . .” to which he simply smiled and pointed at a group of dudes behind me who were contemplating the exact same theory.

Following opening track “Ghost Mouth,” the majority of “Album” was accounted for, with additional tracks including “Headache,” “Summertime,” “God Damned,” “Laura,” “Big Bad M**********r,” and single “Hellhole Ratrace.” Of course, the ever poppy “Lust for Life” closed off the set, prior to Owens taking the stage solo for a few remaining numbers. I went into the show hoping for a deeper appreciation to one of 2009’s most hyped records, and after last night’s performance that’s exactly what I got. Not everyone will get the novelty of catching such a fantastic night of music on one of the year’s spookiest calendar dates, but I recommend it thoroughly regardless.

Buy: Girls – Album
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MP3: Girls – “Lust For Life”

By Jodi Root

It’s 11:30 PM. The Empty Bottle has a pretty packed floor, with a various sea of indie kids, country fans and a pack of diverse folk who have nothing better to do on a Wednesday evening. PBRs and High Lifes are clutched in several sweaty fists, and the soundtrack up until this point has consisted of a blend of folk, twang and alt-pop—both pleasant and suitable for the occasion, courtesy of LA based Dawes and the local Chi outfit State Champion. It’s getting late, but no attendees seem in any hurry to get anywhere, except maybe closer to the stage as the headlining quartet subtly approaches the stage for a quick sound check.

Lemon lime neon lighting illuminates the relatively small cluttered stage of the Bottle, and the crowd grows quiet–if even only for a moment, before the haggard, handle bar mustache and flannel sporting frontman, John McCauley steps up to the mic stand. Beside him stand a suspiciously young looking bassist, a guitarist awkwardly fashioned in an original airbrushed t-shirt featuring a bottle of blue Gatorade and flying bats, and a plump drummer, fit with a massive, and very impressive, full faced beard. This is Deer Tick, and they are headlining tonight. McCauley rasps, in his deep muppet like way of speaking, “I had a dream last night. I got a blow job, a gram of cocaine, and my iPod started working again. When I woke up, none of this was true—which was ok. Actually, I don’t know what I’m talking about, this is all completely unacceptable.” The crowd roars in agreement.

An addicting drum beat quickly builds, pulsing into an increasing gallop, with collisions of cymbals, leading into some intense sliding guitar work. And this is just the beginning. The music is loud, demanding and deafening. It is merely the introduction of the first song, and as McCauley croons his gritty, yet smooth and somehow sexy scratchy vocals—the results are almost epic. It’s country. It’s rock. It’s classic southern twang, but with hints of rockabilly. Upbeat, soothing, impatient, immediate. All of the above. It’s amazing. The crowd is all on it, with sporadic and enthusiastic loud bursts of applause. The whole house seems to know what’s coming with each new song—as alt country ballads transition to sweet pop duets, and then again to stand up bass featured stomp fests, there is never a track featured without a solid rock basis.

The fan following and loyalty is amazing, as demonstrated by the wild and dancing crowd, especially for a group who’s only had two albums—both released under a single year’s window at that. Highlights from the set included not only material from last year’s War Elephant and June’s recent Born on Flag Day; but also new material from next year’s upcoming release as well (believe the song was titled “Axe is Forever,” but I had a hard time deciphering his garble).

Highlights included “Easy,” “Ashamed,” “Friday XIII,” “Smith Hill” and “Little White Lies.” I’m pretty sure I also caught the beginning of a Tom Petty cover as well. Lots of harmonica, stand up bass action, thundering percussion, and some serious guitar work laid a seamlessly fierce night of pure rock n roll. At first impression, I would have thought twice about checking this show—the whole “alt-country” term is thrown around so loosely it’s difficult to decipher the real standouts in today’s scene; and sure the dudes have the appropriate facial hair and dress code—but the music is undeniably motivated and pure. I now consider myself genuinely lucky to have witnessed such a powerful night of real homegrown rock and roll. Do NOT pass up a chance to see these dudes; the live translation of the material was unbelievable.

Buy: Deer Tick – Born On Flag Day
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Myspace: Deer Tick
MP3: Deer Tick – “Easy”

Last night in Chicago Menomena reminded everyone how great their 2007 Release Friend and Foe was, and how desperate everyone is for its follow up. The Empty Bottle crowd was on hand for what turned out to be a 32nd birthday celebration for Brent Knopf, who, as you can see in the pictures below, blew out the candles, then helped the band through a blistering set of material.

Those hoping to hear some new material got their wish. By my count there were two (possibly three) new tunes, but the majority of the set drew from Friend and Foe, which drew no complaints from me and my crew. Check the photos from Daniel Brielmaier and drop a comment with your thoughts if you made the show.

Those hungry for new Menomena material can get their fix via Brent Knopf’s new Ramona Falls project until a proper studio record comes around.

Buy: Menomena – Friend and Foe
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Myspace: Menomena
MP3: Menomena – “Wet & Rusting”

Made the trek to Chicago last night with some friends to catch Blitzen Trapper’s early show at the Empty Bottle. It was my second time seeing the band and my first time at the venue. How great are early shows? Seriously. My adoration for Blitzen Trapper on record is evident in naming of Furr as our favorite album of 2008. My only other live interaction with the band was burned out by the bright lights of the Fleet Foxes first play in Madison and therefore rendered whatever high points Blitzen Trapper offered that night completely unforgettable. I regrettably missed their set at Madison’s High Noon Saloon opening for Stephen Malkmus late last year, which, by my friends accounts was one hell of a performance.

I can’t say that last night’s performance cements the band as one of the great live acts touring the states these days. They’re tight and they keep things pretty much note for note. Their set was obviously heavy on Furr material, which was just fine by me. The closing selection of “Wild Mountain Nation” was both predictable but a necessary send off as it’s definitely one of their best numbers. For me, it doesn’t get much better than “Black River Killer,” one of the best songs from last year and certainly a galloping burner in a live setting. The scream at the beginning of “Love U” was just as great as I’d hoped/expected and “Saturday Night” was probably my second favorite tune of the evening.

I learned a valuable lesson about shows at the Empty Bottle last night. You definitely want to be as far away from the bar itself. That area tends to accommodate the scenesters out for a conversation over a couple brews. The sound was much better and less obstructed by the chatter in the room by the soundboard. Once we planted ourselves there the band sounded great. Overall, I thought the band played a great selection, but didn’t really leave me with anything other than a good performance. I snagged a copy of Furr on vinyl (finally) on the way outside of the show.

Discuss: Did you make either of the shows last night? If so, which one and what did you think? What did you think of opener Alela Diane? Please leave your thoughts/reviews in the comments.

Buy: Blitzen Trapper – Furr
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Myspace: Blitzen Trapper
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Furr”