Mark Solotroff
Friday November 17, 2006
"Working Frameworks"
Conaway Center at Columbia College
Chicago, IL
Thanks to everyone who came out to the show on Friday night. It was really cool to see so many out-of-town people there, including Shawn, Daren, and Andy from Racoo-oo-oon, Sword Heaven, Lambsbread, Shane from Milwaukee, and Alex from Void Books. Thanks to all local friends for making down before the after-party... Pete, Jeffrey, Nicole Rococo, Nicole N.C., Coughs folks, Hector, Blake, and of course, Marlene, for videotaping. I appreciate everyone who stuck around for my quick seven-minute microphone set, in light of the long, unorganized program of performance art. Thanks to Mark and Aaron from Sword Heaven, for asking me to join in on the event, in the first place. It was also nice to meet so many other great Columbus, Ohio people. I am looking forward to getting back there as soon as I can.
The late show at Mr. City was excellent! Binges started off the night with a great set that kept the audience right up against the band the entire time. Mayor Daley continues to hone their sound and develop into an increasingly unique and prominent unit each time that I see them. Lambsbread kicked out a really dark, intense, sub-10-minute set of nasty guitar filth. It was really nice to have them back here so quickly. Sword Heaven managed to leave the lumber-supported ceiling intact, but they still tore down the house with yet another brutal, primitive, beat-driven set of total fury. Mark on guitar added a bit more of a "Filth"-era Swans element to the sound, but aside from feeling like they were demons summoned from the early-industrial era, Sword Heaven is in no danger of sounding like anyone else. They just are --- and they just destroy. Amazing!
