If there was any theme to Tuesday night's show at the Bishop - a quadruple bill of Midwest electro indie acts headlined by locals Chandelier Ballroom - it was omnipresent ebullient thank-yous from the people on stage. With the evening's festivities finally winding down at 1 a.m. on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and with Brett Dennen and Blind Pilot playing a show down the street at the Bluebird at the same time, only about 30 attendees were present to see Chandelier Ballroom, Chicago's Loyal Divide, Bloomington's !Mindparade and the Twin Cities' Night Moves offer their varying takes on the tried-and-true guitar, bass, drums and electronics formula. Those who were there, though, got a treat.
First up was Night Moves, a Minneapolis guitar rock act that veered into some dangerously Jeff Buckley territory but kept a pulsing enough rhythm going throughout the set that they managed to feel not only modern but exciting. They played to almost no one, but their fist-pumping set was one of the secret highlights of the night. !Mindparade played next, and after far too long of a set changeover, their bass synths broke halfway through the first song, leading to even longer delays. They never quite got their groove back, and despite a valiant effort they were an undeniable low point for the evening, although the fact that they sounded so compelling with just guitar and drums and so superfluous with their artificial bass repaired probably has something to do with that as well.
Loyal Divide from Chicago played the best set of the night by far, their four members breathing unbelievable amounts of life into the guitar, bass, keyboards and, crucially, the half dozen other unrecognizable instruments and gadgets they brought on stage. Even the best songs from the Bodice Ripper LP come off stronger live. The fog machine and light show successfully intensified the set, and the entire thing felt far more high-budget than it actually was. These guys could be playing thousand-capacity venues and the bodies there would be moving just as enthusiastically as the 30 who were at the Bishop show. The grand prize of the night can be awarded fairly uncontroversially to Loyal Divide, and we wish them many happy returns.
Chandelier Ballroom went on last, and they certainly didn't disappoint. The Jeff Buckley elements that I couldn't avoid mentioning in my review of their recent Long Division EP are even more prevalent live, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. Despite the music picking up beyond the Dream Brother's usual pace and intensity, some of the vocal passages felt like the closest I'll ever get to seeing the dearly departed Grace singer live. Fatigue was setting in by the end of their 45-minute set for this reviewer and most of the audience, but the Ballroom pushed through and closed out strong.
No one left at 1 a.m. seemed to be disappointed they stuck around.
Post by Brad Sanders; Photography by Steph Aaronson
