SHOWS-A-GO-GO! Is a
party ever really over? The Smoking Popes certainly thought so when they recorded their final
guitar-fueled romp, Party’s Over, in 1998, much to the disappointment of their legions of
loyal punk minions. But nothing brings a band back together better than
nostalgia. When Chicago booking institution Flower
Booking turned 15 in 2005, the Smoking Popes
couldn’t resist an encore. Their performance at the Flower 15
Festival brought out all the old favorites, such as “Need You
Around” — and it felt like a party again. Courtesy of Chicago
emo/punk label Victory Records, a live album documenting the performance, cleverly named Smoking Popes at Metro,
surfaced. Now the original lineup, minus drummer Mike Felumlee, embarks on
a tour whose first stop is in our back yard. The Popes play at Illinois
Wesleyan University in Bloomington on May 16, an all-ages show brought to
us by the good folks at WESN (88.1 FM), a lovely little indie-rock radio
nook. The show starts at 8 p.m., and the cost is $10 for non-IWU students.
On Friday, the Alamo welcomes Chicago blues’ second generation, Ronnie Baker Brooks, the son
of Lonnie Brooks and
a heckuva guitar player in his own right.
SINGLES ONLY: I
can’t believe I’m writing about the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nine albums
out, the sock puppets are a distant memory, the Peppers’ headlining
slot at Lollapalooza feels more awkward than appropriate, and yet, despite all this,
the old boys may still have some steam left, although they won’t
write another Mother’s Milk. Another Californication? Perhaps. The single “Dani California,” from
the May 9 release Stadium Arcadium, feels tethered to the ’90s. A steady boom-boom-bap from
drummer Chad Smith and Flea’s signature funky bass lines build the
foundation for a mellow chorus and Anthony Kiedis’ off-kilter voice.
But kids these days are listening to emo rock, hip-hop, or New York
’80s electro-pop revival. Where does an old California rock group fit
in? Maybe they don’t.
BRAND-NEW: Welcome the
hard electric folk of the Black Angels into your life. They sound like Black Sabbath with the psychedelic whirr of Velvet Underground. These Austin
boys have captured the dark side of 1960s psych-rock. It’s a little
creepy. The Angels’ first full-length album, Passover, was released April 11.
This article appears in May 11-17, 2006.
