12 Jan 12

...are you a reporter... ~ fan from Schubas' Tomorrow Never Knows show

Hey, blogspot readers, it was a dark and very snowy storm night for this On The Town adventure! Yes, SouthSide braved the snow, cold and whipping winds to head out to Schubas for Day 2 of Tomorrow Never Knows - an annual multi-venue event in which new, up and coming bands/artists (locally as well as national and international) are showcased on stages like Lincoln Hall, Metro and more. You never know, blogspot readers, some of these names - Mannequin Men, Plants and Animals or Com Truise might be big one day like Bon Iver who got his start during TNK. Tonight, SouthSide was checking out the melodic/folk trio Herman Dune (France) opening for headliner Plants and Animals which also featured performances by Canon Blue and Cloudbirds.

SouthSide highly recommends blogspot readers checking out the melodic lively sounds of folk music amidst heartfelt storytelling type of lyrical style of Herman Dune. This reviewer enjoyed the vibrant yet energizing sound and vibe with an electric sound that flowed throughout the venue during this band's TNK performance. She liked the danceable feel to each song even while in a downtempo rhythm that would leave the crowd wanting more after wowing them with powerful finishes. Yet this reviewer liked the heartfelt words behind the songs in which the vocals popped to life under such imagery as heard in the song I Hear Strange Music. Besides the triple vocal harmony that's accompanied within this particular song, this reviewer liked the poetic words that seemed to pop to life inside the vibrant melodies and electric guitar riffs ... the thundrous percussion added to that umph sound to rock the stage. It was one of a couple of songs she liked by Herman Dune. She also highly recommends listening to Tell Me Something I Don't Know (another favorite of the night) for the vibe of heartache and pain heard not only from the lyrics (especially when hearing "...tell me / tell me / tell me something I don't know...) but from the music too. Despite being a somewhat "sad" song, it had an upbeat tempo after a gradual guitar momentum and buildup at the intro. Plus she enjoyed the emotionally expressive lovesong in which David (front man on guitar) truly emitted some strong tenderness within the words. Yet, blogspot readers shouldn't forget to also take a good rockin' look at Herman's eclectic music sound too. This trio rocked the Scubas stage with an organic folk instrumental sound besides the electric pop/rock vibe. To SouthSide's ears it had the elements of an Americana folk sound but not really ...it was more contemporary with a lively pop tempo especially when adding a shaker to one particular song. This band is totally big on making a presence hear, felt and known while on stage though creatively using very little to produce feel good music for its audience especially while closing out their Chicago TNK set with Shadow of a Doubt with a rockin' bang. It was energizing until the last note died, blogspot readers, that some in the audience wanted one more song. Though Herman's current album is not released yet stateside, after hearing a few of the live versions, SouthSide hopes the band decides to do it soon in 2012. In the meantime, visit http://www.hermandune.com for more tour details and music.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide