Calabrese in Chicago

[The Frankencop Monster]

So, into the venue I walk, back to the room with the stage, and who do I see standing in the back hall by the shitters? Our fearless trio, bullshitting with fans. It's great to see bands who are so accessable to their fans. I chatted for a bit with Jimmy "The Claw", who apparently can beat the shit out of one ninja, but not five. Bobby "Welcome to Puberty", who should be expecting a package of Frankencop goodies upon his return to the desert, and Davey "How's the Back of my Hair?", who admits that crack is a proper dietary supplement for successful drumming.

The Krank Daddies - fantastic band. Their music was about my three favorite things: The macabre, hot rods, and chix, with an 'x'. The sound was tight, loud, and infectious. There were virtually no pauses between songs as the guys played and played. If you are unfamiliar with the Krank Daddies, then become familiar. They have a wonderful "Johnny Cash went to Hell and punched the devil in his balls, then drank some beers and squeezed some teat" vibe.

The Afterdarks jumped headfirst into the deepend of their set and stayed there. There was a decent-sized contingency of fans and they were definitely rocking their shit. The music was tight, loud, and a shit-load of fun. Any band that tells you to give the finger in support of a song is a winner in my book.

Speaking of support, The Ugly support murder - and I completely believe them. I admit, this was a band I had never heard before. I was.....disturbed. I left their set knowing only that I never want to be anywhere near their basement. Musically, the set was tight and polished, but seemed to be plagued by a lack of volume. I was at the edge of the stage, and I could hear the guitar pick against the strings over the sound of the guitar itself. The low volume was a bit distracting, as I used a concerted effort to increase the sound in my mind to better capture the lunacy I was presented with.

Calabrese. Loud. Fast. Tight. The crowd was fucking buck-wild, with everyone singing along. The set was a mix from the three albums, and yes everyone there new all the lyrics to even the new album. The Claw, unencumbered by instrument, was awesome. He probably spent about a third of the time bent over into the crowd letting us sing along in the mic. As a fan, I appreciate that shit - that level of committment and interaction with the fans. The bass was spot on. You guys were right - he is a Black Savior for the band. The middle of the set was a special treat: Vampira, Demonomania, and Earth A.D. You have to respect a band that covers off Earth A.D. But, having heard the new album and felt the cut of it's jib with killers like "Blood of the Wolf", it's clear there is an Earth A.D. virus coarsing through the boys' musical veins. Davey provided a musical interlude like only Davey can (think: Davey's recent video post on their YouTube channel). More ferocious rock ensued, and an encore of several songs concluded with We Are 138 and Halloween. The crowd was apeshit throughout the set, with a decent sized and dedicated pit that kept me reacquainted with the edge of the stage most of the night. Jim had a couple issues with his mic, but it didnt distract from the music at all. The show started around 8:30, and concluded at 1:00am. That's four bands, 4.5 hours of music, at $10. Fucking A. And the guys stayed late and signed everything presented.

So that's a snapshot of the Chicago show. I'm sorry I had no pictures, but I'm sure someone else will post some. Guy's, thanks for coming to town and thanks for the music you make. Keep rockin, and come back as often as you can. Let me know if there is ever anything I can do to help get you here again. Let's not make it another two years between visits. Or I'll find you.
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I continue to believe that this world has no ultimate meaning, but I know that something in it has meaning and that is Man, because he is the only creature to insist on having one.