Bishop Briggs released one of the biggest songs of 2016 with “River.” Live, Bishop really brings the energy and her vocals are passionate. Check out this soulful version of “River” I shot during her recent set at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland.
I recently did a quick live interview with two members of the up-and-coming indie group GGOOLLDD. The Wisconsin-based band played Sound Machine, an event at the RecordBar curated by Kansas City label The Record Machine.
GGOOLLD at the RecordBar, 11/11/16
Check out my interview and the video for “Boyz” below:
Deep in the Chicago night, Ex Hex put on the sweatiest show I caught in 2015. The Washington D.C.-based band’s debut album, Rips, was one of my favorite releases of the past few years. Live, the songs had even more raw grit and punch.
The Empty Bottle, tucked in the Ukrainian Village section of Chicago, was packed all night. The gig was an after show for the Pitchfork Music Festival 2015. It is a really intimate venue and a perfect fit for Ex Hex’s hard-edged indie jams.
The band hit the stage at midnight. The interplay between guitarist Mary Timony, bassist Betsy Wright, and drummer Laura Harris, lit up the sold out crowd. It was a brash, gutsy performance and they brought the energy throughout their hour set. They dug deep into their songs and smashed the crowd. It was a sticky set and one of the best I saw all year. Hot, sweaty, glorious indie rock mayhem.
Here’s fan-shot footage of some of Ex Hex’s Empty Bottle set:
I have attended and covered over 400 concerts over the years. t got me thinking: What do I look for in a quality live show? You can listen to the audio piece here.