I went to Chicago once, in 1996. I wasn’t there for very long and don’t remember too much about it. We had the Budweiser account in London, had been to the brewery in St Louis and now were visiting the Chicago agency. I recall row upon row of copywriters as far as the eye could see. In London we had one corridorful. America – it’s similar but on a much bigger scale.
The Chicago suit took us out in the evening and we went up a skyscraper to a revolving restaurant. I recall some old buildings and sitting beside a vast lake. That’s kind of it. If I went now I’d do more prep and take more time.
Meanwhile in 2023 a new wave is crashing in from the Great Lakes. Or a storm of change is brewing up in the Windy City. Choose your metaphor.
I was delighted to discover in the course of my research a vibrant young Chicago music scene. Some of it is based around a core group centred on the Hallo Gallo fanzine, the epicentre being Horsegirl, the only group we’ve played before on the programme. Their pals include Lifeguard, Dwaal Troupe, Post Office Winter and Friko. They’re all very young, some of them still at school. The future looks limitless.
But there are other artists beyond the brigade with the Sonic Youth record collections. Orisun, Kara Jackson – whose album “Why does the earth give us people to love?” is being mentioned as one of the albums of the year – and NNAMDI all give us new hybridised sounds that go to highlight Chicago as a cradle of musical innovation.
See what you think. Nearly all these tracks from the last couple of years.
Setlist:
Five finger exploding heart technique, OK Cool
Thousand times, Dehd
Spiked seltzer, Scarlet Demore
Billy, Horsegirl
Sudafed, NNAMDI
Dickhead blues, Kara Jackson
Alarm, Lifeguard
Some blood for Luna, Dwaal Troupe
Spoken word, CalicoLoco, Porkboii
Wake, Post Office Winter
Half as far, Friko
You turned off the light, Sharp Pins
Funhaus, Orisun
Promises, Bnny
Limited edition, Cusp