LuminoMagazine.com - Pickpockets steal spotlight

Pickpockets steal spotlight

Written by SHAWN FEAKINS, photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN

Friday, 13 May 2005

Open mic nights are a crapshoot. You're just as likely to hear incoherent whining as you are raw talent, Thankfully, the Pickpockets managed to raise the bar at Elbo Room's Chicago Rock Club Monday night, providing an example of a solid sounding band to the previous nerve-wracked performers.

A local band dating back as far as 2001, the group professes to large amount of influences, proven by the fact that their sound is difficult to place snugly in comparison to others. There's traces of the Cure, which is overwhelmed by the Pixies, which merges into Jesus and Mary Chain, which morphs into Brit-pop, which becomes? etc. and so on.

The guitar hooks are catchy, but the detail that honestly separates this band from others is the honeyed alto voice of lead singer Kiri Klawitter. With a voice than can summon a throaty Joan Jett growl in one song, only to scale back to a Mazzy Star vibe in the next song illustrates a range that many singers don't have.

The Pickpockets

Entertainment

Art

Elbo Room
Chicago, Ill.
April 25, 2005

The first song was noticeably rough, with the vocals and muddy guitars being swallowed in the Elbo's underground venue as the band shook the free drinks out of their systems. But the opening anxiety from the punkish opening number downshifted readily into the very listenable "Lies in Stereo", which began the first portion of the evening's dance competition as two girls bobbed in front.

Guitarist Brian Baseggio took over the vocals for the energetic ballad "Eyes For Light" But the true highlight of the evening came when Monday night open mic regular "Eddie", a grey-haired senior in jogging suit began dancing gloriously spastically to "Glimmerless" and beckoning girls to dance with him. Two of which (one of which being this proud writer's generous and gorgeous girlfriend – forgive the alliteration) surprisingly did, causing lyrics to mirror reality as Klawitter crooned, "You made me lose my mind."

The standard newish band rough patches occurred, with one song transitioning clumsily into a decent cover of the Pixies' "Gigantic" and bassist Allen Duarte snapping a string at the end, causing the band to cut their set short with only Klawitter and Baseggio on stage closing with the dueling duet of "Never Turn Around Again."

Still, a decent band gave a solid performance that converted a few listeners and made old men dance with nubile girls. One can't ask for more given a $3 cover.

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