Arriver Photo

Arriver played a tremendous show last night at the Empty Bottle, as part of a full-on heavy bill of some of Chicago's finest. Alma Negra also ruled, as always; I finally got to see Planetexploder do their stoner/psychedelic low-end ritual; and Beak brought a level of crushing intensity that makes the post-metal tag seem irrelevant with them. Great night! Mariah Karson took tons of great shots of Arriver and I easily chose the least amazing one, which she will be pissed about, simply because I wanted to include a full group shot, even though her close ups are each mini works of art.

Time Out on Rabid Rabbit

A nice preview for the band's Sunday (4/29) show...

http://timeoutchicago.com/music-nightlife/music/15289991/rabid-rabbit-at-empty-bottle-concert-preview

Rabid Rabbit at Empty Bottle | Concert preview

Chicago doom purveyors drown their sorrows in low end.
By Areif Sless-Kitain

 

Rabid Rabbit

Photo: Mariah Karson

Don’t let the name fool you. Rabid Rabbit moves at an ominous, glacial pace. The Garfield Park group has grown into a unique and potent purveyor of doom, with an outlook that extends from a placid grimace to an imposing scowl. After several iterations, the lineup has solidified into a quartet unified in vision and intent, featuring not twin guitars but two basses. The subsuming low end is hardly the only way in which the band deviates from its peers.

That much is startlingly evident on the band’s impressive second album, last year’s Czarny Sen, which translates to black dream in Polish, a nod to vocalist-bassist Andrea Jablonski’s homeland. Her haunting monotone approaches a drone, set against guitarist Dan Sullivan’s grim power chords and pro shredding. Her voice lends tonal variation to an otherwise proudly bleak palette. Second bassist Arman Mabry and drummer Mike Tsoulos thicken the concoction to a cosmic funeral dirge.

The group’s talent for the unlikely includes improvisation, as saxophonist Dave Rempis demonstrates via scalding skronk both on the record and often live. He’s not on hand at the Bottle tonight, but Rabid Rabbit’s devastating art-sludge never fails to leave a glorious stain on the local scene.

Rabid Rabbit - 12-11-2011 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL - Photographs

On December 11, 2011, Rabid Rabbit played at Reggie's, in Chicago, in support of the legendary group Psychic TV.  This was the broader public unveiling of the new Rabid Rabbit LP on BloodLust!, "Czarny Sen."  The band were kind enough to ask me to join them for "Suicide Song" (AKA "Gloomy Sunday"), which appears on the album.  Mariah Karson was there to photograph the show, and I recently saw her excellent shots of that night for the first time.  The full Rabid Rabbit set is here.

Anatomy of Habit - December 2, 2011 - Cactus Club - Milwaukee, WI

A small selection of photographs by Mariah Karson during our recent Milwaukee show with Russian Circles and Young Widows:

Anatomy Of Habit - December 3, 2011 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL

Great new photographs of Anatomy of Habit taken by Mariah Karson at Lincoln Hall:

More AoH 11/5 photos via Wierd

A new photoset from 11/5 is up on the Wierd Flickr page. While it includes some of Mariah Karson's work that we already posted, there are many new great shots taken by esteemed Wierd photojournalist Phil Maier.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wierd/sets/72157628094469656/with/6330978046/

AoH - 11/5 - Photos

A slew of photographs are now online from the Anatomy of Habit show at Saint Vitus, with thanks to Mariah Karson, Chris Goudreau and Thomas Watkiss!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloodlustchicago/sets/72157627957900253/

Rabid Rabbit promo image

As the release of the Rabid Rabbit record gets closer, ace photographer Mariah Karson spent some time with the band...

Two new Anatomy of Habit photo sets

With thanks, as always, to Mariah Karson, for her extraordinary work!





August 7, 2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloodlustchicago/sets/72157627133642361/show/


September 17, 2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloodlustchicago/sets/72157627499990272/show/

Anatomy of Habit - 7/16 Photos - Part 2

Here is a larger batch photographs from Saturday's show with Cages at The Empty Bottle.  Our thanks go to Mariah Karson for supporting us, as always, and for taking these beautiful photos!