Author Archives: Marta Kubica

Chicagoans packed a nearly sold out House of Blues last Friday (5/4) to witness Minus the Bear perform their album Planet of Ice in its entirety, along with support from opening act The Coathangers. Spanning a nearly 15 year musical career, Minus the Bear has developed a sound entirely their own that falls outside of a single genre classification—merging indie, math, prog, and experimental rock.

The first leg of their tour was accompanied by label mates and punk rock queens, Atlanta’s The Coathangers. When is comes to opening up a show and pumping up a crowd, these ladies truly provided. Apparently singer and guitarist Julia Kugel had been battling a cold for a couple of days but still managed to show up and kick ass, proving that nothing can get in the way of these ladies performing a truly spectacular set.

Minus the Bear is currently celebrating 10 years since the release of Planet of Ice (Suicide Squeeze Records, 2007) by performing the LP in its entirety. The crowd was a diverse mix of true blue MTB fans who sang each word of every song throughout the entire show. MTB finished their set with an encore of “Pachuca Sunrise” off of their Menos el Oso album (2005) as well as crowd favorite “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse” (Highly Refined Pirates, 2002).

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Chicagoans packed Lincoln Hall Saturday night to watch a truly stellar sold out show featuring Screaming Females, accompanied by opening acts Radiator Hospital and Chicago’s very own No Men.

Giving a snarky punk performance, No Men kicked off the show with an electric stage presence that commanded the attention of everyone in the room. They definitely set the tone and energy for the night ahead. The crowd danced and rocked their way through indie pop-punkers Radiator Hospital’s set which got everyone amped up for the night’s headliners. As the band was setting up the stage to perform. the energy of the venue was a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and sheer elation. Some of the concert goers had never seen Screaming Females perform, while others were seasoned professionals having seen them live countless times.

Once Screaming Females hit the stage and opened with their single “Glass House” off of their new album All at Once (released February 23, 2018 on Don Giovanni Records), the crowd’s vibrancy was almost as powerful as Marissa’s powerhouse vocal vibrato. As always, a Screaming Females performance hits the mark perfectly. It’s the gestalt of the performance that captures the spirit of the band as well as capturing the attention of fans, both new and old.

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