Unfortunately, I completely missed the boat on The Jesus Lizard. Just as my interest in most underground music had begun to branch out, this phenomenal Chicago band was just calling it a career. Everything I have learned about the band to date comes from first-hand accounts of their live shows, relentlessly listening to albums, and scouring the internet for any information I can find on them. I do have faint recollections of seeing a few of their records in the BMG/Columbia House catalogs that I used to order from, however I was too busy buying Anthrax, Cannibal Corpse, and Exodus records to take much notice. I am in no way belittling my metal upbringing, but I clearly missed out on something special.

Luckily for me, a DVD was released earlier this year that Netflix finally had available, and I was able to get a small taste of what so many others had reveled in for years. After sitting through the entire live show, filmed in 1994 at the Venus de Milo in Boston, and watching the bonus footage of a 1990 show at CBGBs in New York, I believe why Touch and Go Records says that "To put it bluntly (or perhaps merely state the obvious), The Jesus Lizard were the greatest live band of the last decade of the 20th century. Mr. David Yow will forever be the frontman to end all other frontmen. The Chicago live music scene may never be the same again and for that, we are eternally grateful."

The Boston show isn't filmed extraordinarily well, but it's not deficient, either. Rather than the bells and whistles of many other music DVDs, the footage captures the band amidst a show that was probably on par with a typical Jesus Lizard show. To clarify par for the course, I would automatically be putting the band in a rather select group of bands who, when playing live shows, not only deliver in terms of stage presence, but also stunning attention to the songs themselves. Frontman David Yow constantly engages the audience, jumping into the crowd by the 2nd song and losing his shirt before the end of the 4th song. He paces back and forth on the stage, pausing every so often to stare into the crowd, and unleashes some truly guttural vocals into the microphone, making me sit back in amazement and wonder how such sounds can emanate from such a relatively small dude. It may be hard to understand what he's singing 95% of the time, but its 100% clear that he is doing all he can to give the audience their money's worth. Even from this one show, it is clear to see why David Yow belongs in the discussion of the greatest frontmen in rock history.

With all of the attention sometimes going Yow's way, it is imperative to know that he could have just as easily been another crazy singer in a mediocre band. The Jesus Lizard would not have been the band they were if not for David Wm. Sims, Duane Denison, and Mac McNeilly. This trio of musicians managed to hold the songs together while Yow flailed away, and this DVD is yet another great example of that. While Yow is being passed around the crowd after yet another stage dive, the band carries on, unaffected and clicking on all cylinders. McNeilly is an atomic bomb behind the drum kit, hitting every piece as if it was going to be his last, and Sims is always right in the pocket, playing thumping bass lines as he stares out into the crowd, well aware of the frenzy the band is whipping the crowd into. Denison creates guitar parts that one would not normally expect from a rock band, but the results are an integral part of what defines The Jesus Lizard sound.

To summarize, a Jesus Lizard show is kind of like trying to explain the effects of a particular drug to someone who has never experienced it... you can't fully comprehend it until you've tried it yourself. Perhaps a DVD is second rate version of the experience, but it is all I have to go on. I have a really difficult time getting into music-related DVDs because I really don't think one can truly get a feel for the moment. The Jesus Lizard DVD is the first I have seen in quite some time that, because of the simplicity of the shots and the clarity of the sound, really make you feel as if you could have been there that night in October 1994. If you were ever into The Jesus Lizard, or if you are looking to see what the epitome of a great live performance looks like, I highly recommend buying it or finding another means of checking it out.

Here is a preview of the DVD on youtube of the song Boilermaker:

9pm @ the Empty Bottle.

I have mentioned Locks before in previous articles, and just like that, here they are again. Patrick Scott and Theo Katsaounis will be releasing their new EP entitled Bad Words on the Static Station Records collective. I was made aware of these shows by some well-timed emails containing links to youtube videos that I found rather entertaining. Of course I'm gonna share:

They will be joined by Lichens (Rob Lowe, ex-90 Day Men bassist), Soft Circle (NYC), and High Places.

I still can't decide whether the fact R Kelly is from Chicago is a good thing or not. He seems to have such a devoted following among those one would least expect it from, and even then, his exploits seem more like a novelty than something people actually get into. I mean, is it really that funny that he allegedly pissed on an underage girl and is facing 14 criminal charges of child pornography? Any way you cut it, R Kelly has gained worldwide notoriety for his exploits, and his legend continues to grow.

That being said, his latest installment of Trapped In The Closet is downright hilarious. I first saw chapters 1-12 in November of 2005, and I was absolutely floored at the ridiculousness of it all. Once again, I couldn't decide if it was so bad that it was actually good, or if I truly missed the point of the epic hip h-opera. If you haven't seen it, I recommend checking it out by any means neccessary. Chapters 13-22 are being released via the Independent Film Channel's website, but don't watch them until you are caught up with the first twelve, or you may really find yourself scratching your head and wondering what the hell is going on.

I just wonder how many people actually take R Kelly seriously. I'm not passing judgement on those who do, but I'd be lying if I said I can take his body of work without a grain of salt. More importantly, how seriously does R Kelly view his own work? In my view, it seems the line has become so blurry between playing the jokester side of his Trapped in The Closet series and his attempts to be a legitimate musical icon in the world of Chicago hip-hop and R&B. I don't consider myself to be particularly knowledgeable in the world of modern hip-hop, and perhaps that fuels my indecision. Somebody... please enlighten me.

Chicago, like most of the Midwest, endured a few harrowing hours of storms last Thursday. I am completely going to use that as an excuse for my lack of updates, but I did manage to see some great bands this week in between power outages, dodging downed trees, and huge puddles. Today I'll get caught up with the Jai Alai Savant, and hopefully tomorrow I'll have some time to write about another amazing show I went to last night.

First off, the free Monday night series at the Empty Bottle is a great way to see local talent without going broke. Even if you don't know any of the bands performing, chances are you'll see something you like before the night is over. There are not always just Chicago bands performing, as was the case last Monday night when Professor Murder (NYC) headlined the show. Another important selling point: the drinks are always cheap!

The Jai Alai Savant are Chicago transplants by way of Philadelphia, and I'm glad they chose Chicago as their new home. They opened the show with "Thunderstatement", a song from an EP with the same name, and really had the crowd into it from the beginning of their set. They usually begin their sets with this song, and is always punctuated by beginning with no stage lighting, and when the drums and bass kick in, a brilliant white light is triggered on, and remains for the rest of the set. The band also gets my vote for best dressed band in Chicago, and you really feel the effect of the all white outfit getup when those lights kick on.

Guitarist/frontman Ralph Darden is quite the charismatic leader on stage, often encouraging the crowd to get involved and dance along. Given the style of music they play, however, it really doesn't take much encouragement to want to showcase your best dance moves anyways. The dub/reggae influence is strikingly apparent in just about every song, but its infused with an infectious brand of punk rock that keeps the set moving along at a good clip. The rhythm section of Dan Nash and Michael Bravine are about as tight as they come in the city of Chicago, and with each live show they continue to strengthen their craft. Both are relatively new to the band, but you would never know it from catching their live set. Most of the songs played on Monday night came from their new full length, entitled Flight of the Bass Delegate, and they also managed to slip a few new songs into their setlist.

Here is a video for "White on White Crime" by the Jai Alai Savant, which appears on their new record.

Here is a little mix I whipped up of some good ol' Chicago music. It's Chicago bands who are still around (albeit some more prominently than others), and it represents a lot of what I like about the music scene here. I did one of these a few years ago for a mix cd party that I attended, and I decided to do another one this week. There are plenty of bands that I did not cover, but that leaves the possibility open for volume 2.

Enjoy!

(dowload it here)

The tracklist:

1) Polly Gray - Pinebender
2) Pink & Sour - Califone
3) Astra 3B - The Eternals
4) Want Out - Mt St Helens
5) Fluxus - Chicago Underground Duo
6) Stolen Mountains - Chinup Chinup
7) Fields and Parks of Easy Access - Town and Country
8) String Ray and the Beginning of Time, pt. 2 - Exploding Star Orchestra
9) Son of the Son of the Kiss of Death - The Narrator
10) Mr. Squeezzy - Icy Demons
11) My Donuts, God Damn! - Haymarket Riot
12) Political Mysticism - Make Believe
13) Quit Fanning Yourself You're Making Me Hot - Locks
14) Last Call - The Vandermark 5
15) Death Rides a Horse - Russian Circles
16) Parasol - The Sea and Cake
17) To The Rooftops - Watchers
18) Steady as She Goes - Shellac
19) They Have Monkeys Like We Have Squirrels - Dianogah
20) Stay of Execution - Sleepout
21) Akebono - The Jai Alai Savant
22) Seneca - Tortoise
23) From the River to the Ocean - Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake