| Check Engine - Chicago, The Metro Friday 14th February 2003 |
The largest “indie” venue in town is The Metro. I arrive with Steve and as they are the only band here, they need to do a sound check for the sound guy to get some sort of level for the 9 bands playing tonight. This is one loud PA! I need earplugs standing at the back – jees!
The show is kicking of mega early at 18:30, and at 18:00 there is already a long line of punters waiting outside. By the time Check Engine take to the stage as third band on, the place is heaving – maybe 800 people here. The compare comes on to introduce the band as “a band who drink more drink and smoke more dope than any band he knows” – well the drinking bit is true!
They launch into a no-nonsense 15-minute set and the crowd stand there open mouthed. All the bands on the bill tonight are pretty straight down the line - hard-core, rock, or whatever – but Check Engine have them partially dazed. Slick time changes and quirky tunes have the young crowd interested and smiling. Young crowd, yes – it’s an all ages show and some of the punters cannot be more than 13-14 years old. Good on them I say! Stop listening to the drivel on the radio and get and see some live bands. All ages is the way to go.
Anyway – all the songs were new to me and very sharp. Always an enjoyable band to watch, but with only a 15 minute set it wasn’t long enough – even if their normal set is 18 minutes long! This band needs to picked up by a decent label and given a chance – there’s a lot of talent and promise waiting in the shadows.
Chris then proceeded to become keg-master backstage, instigating keg-stands with anyone who walked passed. Consequently the one keg of beer for all the bands lasted about 30 minutes!
There’s a nice local scene going on in Chicago – not the scene you think of with the more well known bands from this city, but the lesser known bands who have the “Chicago” thing hanging over them and usually holding them back. Lots of small fry getting together and creating something that’s nice to be around.
Thick Records did a fine job of organising the gig - and everyone even got a free CD 'Oil' with 19 bands contributing to the recording in only 15 days. True spirit.
I would have stayed to see more bands but I needed to get to the Fireside Bowl to check out Ten Grand again. I did manage to catch The Ghost before I left, who looked about 10 years old but somehow played like demons – nice!
skippy
