Wicker Park Summer Fest - Day 2

On July 23, 2006, I attended what I consider to be the best neighborhood Festival in Chicago. The Wicker Park Summer Fest featured local and touring acts that made up a fairly eclectic mix of music. Wicker Park is ultimately ground zero for hipsters in Chicago, but I have to admit that it’s a prominent artistic environment. The area definitely has a unique atmosphere. There are many hot shops and restaurants to compliment live music venues like Double Door and Sutberranean. But I’m not interested in the “scene.” I’m interested in events like the Summer Fest. Unfortunately I couldn’t go on Saturday when bands like Telefon Tel Aviv, Apollo Sunshine, and DeVotchka performed.

I took the Belmont bus to the Blue Line CTA and arrived at Damen and North around 5 pm on Sunday, just in time for Oh My God to begin. This group is a powerhouse threesome from Chicago with a line-up featuring bass (by the vocalist), organ, and drums. The singer resembled George of the Jungle as he jumped around shirtless waving his lengthy brown hair. He exclaimed “This is a perfect day!” and was telling the truth. We had been blessed with pleasant weather with clear skies and temps in the upper 70’s. Given Chicago’s terribly unpredictable weather patterns (trust me, if you thought Michigan weather was bad, Chicago is worse). I had heard the song “Get Steady” on MSU’s Impact Radio, so I knew to expect solid indie rock with organ cranked out with powerful distortion. It really rattles your brain, but in a good way. It’s always great to see musicians taking a tangent from what everyone else is doing.

Starlight Mints are a pop band from Oklahoma, but I can’t think of anything interesting to say about them. Maybe that’s a sign of their music. I did notice that they played along with prerecorded samples (the drummer wore headphones to make sure he was in sync), which reminded me of the Avagami set the previous night. Watching this group, I felt like it wouldn’t matter one way or another if their tour bus got lost in some obscure rural area of Idaho never to be found again. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I think it’s more realistic than providing some useless comparisons to other Oklahoma indie group the Flaming Lips, as most critics choose to do.

Next was Make Believe, who are an unclassifiable Chicago band. I reviewed their album earlier on this site. Their only consistent weakness is Tim Kinsella’s vocals. However, the guitar work is insane – like nothing I’ve ever heard before. Together with the bass and drums (the drummer also plays occasional keyboard while drumming!), they produce an extremely tight knit brand of futuristic punk. I think they will be appreciated more some time in the future.

I think this was about the time I picked up an orange creamsicle float from the Cold Stone booth. It was mouth watering and you should be jealous. I headed back to the stage for Dead Meadow, a psychedelic rock act from Washington D.C. I wrote them off a little early for being stuck in a dead era of music (hence the band name?). After a few songs, though, the threesome proved to be entertaining. Because they aren’t exploring new ground, the lead guitar is what really defines a band like this. Luckily their guitarist rocked, and their sound was often powerful enough while still going down smooth. Plus, they're signed on Matador Records, which I give them credit for.

The Gris Gris was an arty, abstract indie rock band from southern California. I didn’t pay too close attention to their set because it was the kind of music that you’d probably have to hear first on CD to appreciate fully. What I remember most about them is their X-shaped stage set. The drummer face sideways, and bass, guitar, and keyboard were spread out in the corners. In the end, Wicker Park Summer Fest was an inspiration. It was a display of creative, diverse music that needed no hype to draw people out. It was a reflection of what that neighborhood is, and where it will be heading in future years. Next I hope to write about the Pitchfork Music Festival, but it might take me a little while because there’s a lot more to tell. So be patient and stay out of the heat.

MySpace Links:
Oh My God
Starlight Mints
Make Believe
Dead Meadow
The Gris Gris