On a freezing Friday night the last thing you want to do is wait outside for the doors to finally open. For sure I don’t want to wait behind a huge line snaking around the block with my camera equipment. Perhaps I am spoiled these days but it’s unusual to tell the press to go to the back of the line, especially when I am the only press person there. Yet that’s what I was told when I arrived to the Metro that evening for a late night show.
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The Gutter Twins and Great Northern
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 Entertainment
 Art
Metro
Chicago, Ill.
March 7, 2008
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Not only was I told to go to the back of the line when I arrived, but the guy couldn’t even give me the starting times to plan my night accordingly. Normally this wouldn’t be as big of an issue, yet tonight I was not just here for the headliner but the opener as well. The results of being treated like shit, I missed the first few songs of LA’s Great Northern.
Great Northern is one of those bands that have been building up steam after releasing their debut in the spring last year. Perhaps you aren’t familiar with the name but you may recognize their track “Home,” that has been prominently featured in a Nissan ad more recently. In fact it was one of the many that graced our screens during the Super Bowl this year.
The three-piece (plus touring bassist) hit the stage somewhere around 12:30 AM, setting the mood for a delicious late night of musical gloom. Lead singer/songwriter Solon Bixler and Rachel Stolte took turns taking on lead vocals and keyboards, making it a wonderful two-fist power punch. Tonight’s set showcased and I suspect introduced the crowd to their debut, “Trading Twilight for Daylight.” What can I say? I wasn’t too sure of this band to be honest. When I learned that former guitarist of the mediocre 30 Seconds to Mars - Jared Leto – led band, was starting his own, I had my doubts. Yet they quickly changed my opinion and my bad mood. The songs are good on the album but it’s live where they really shine. The atmospheric beauty is nicely accented by Solon’s guitar work. This is a band you really need to see live in a small cramped stage.
You may have never heard of the Gutter Twins, but I bet you know the two singers that make up the so-called twins. Greg Dulli burst on the scene in the ‘80s with the song “Debonair” as the lead singer of the band, The Afghan Whigs and later more recently with The Twilight Singers is one part of the equation. Part two is the dark unique vocal stylings of Mark Lanegan. Lanegan career began with the grunge band the Screaming Trees, but these days he’s probably more known for the guy who occasionally comes out of the shadows to sing lead at a Queens of a Stoneage show. Either way, this unique musical collaboration has spanned an album on Sub Pop and now a tour.
I guess it was only a matter of time, these two have been collaborating on and off for some time including three of the four Twilight Singers albums. Now with their own album, released last month entitled Saturnalia, Dulli and Lanegan have created a sound not too far off from the Twilight Singers previous efforts. With that said, the combination of the two bring a nice dark sound and was exactly what I needed to close my night.
Backed by a three-piece band, Dulli and Lanegan complimented themselves nicely bathed in a back light of a sea of red, blues and greens. The boys defiantly brought the heat to the anxious crowd, many who spent a portion of the night freezing their asses off in the cold for the tardy show.
Lanegan was his usual stoic self, as the chain smoking Dulli swayed back and forth in his little spot, moving like every bit the rock star he is. It’s nice to see Lanegan sticking around on the stage for the whole show. He’s got to be one of the more under-rated singers out there today and one who barely survived the grunge era. Lanegan through the years has proven himself as a survivor and commands a voice all his own.
“You do’in alright? We’re gonna be here a while,” Dulli proclaimed to the thrilled crowd. Dulli has his way of playing the cool everyman part preacher of the streets on stage, as Lanegan just nods along in acceptance. These two both know their parts after having being friends for some time, and seem to have the perfect balance of cool and rock star grandeur.
Closing the night with the Twilight Singers “Number Nine,” began slow that eventually turned into an all out jam. The Gutter Twins are one of those great collaborations that come around ever so often. So do yourself a favor, go out and pick up the albums by both the Gutter Twins and Great Northern. That way when they play your town you’ll know the tunes.
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