Arriving early at the cavernous Congress Theater on day two of Lollapalooza, I was able to grab a pint (a bargain at $7, as they were asking a fiver for a small bottle of water) and a standing position next to the soundboard for one of the more buzzed-about official after shows. Ridiculous bar prices noted, a roped-off balcony and dodgy sound were the primary problems of the night, although the bands did their part in making the evening enjoyable.
|
| |
Lollapalooza After Party with Flogging Molly, Smoking Popes and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
|
 Entertainment
Art
Congress Theater
Chicago, Ill.
August 2, 2008
|
| |
|
|
Austin Texas’ Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears opened things up with a set of retro-soul, indebted not only to classic James Brown and Booker T, but recent revivalists Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Lewis, a former oyster shucker, sounded appropriately world-weary (despite his mere 26 years), since the set drew on Howlin’ Wolf, chicken scratch guitar, horn arrangements and dirty blues (the band’s “Bitch, I Love You” was hysterical).
Chicago’s own Smoking Popes took the second slot and drew a middling reaction from a sizeable (if not capacity) crowd. The reunited line-up, featuring Matt, Josh and Eli Caterer, along with hard-hitting new drummer Neil Hennessy (ex-Lawrence Arms), tore through a few of the old hits (“No More Smiles,” “I Know That You Love Me”), but really came to life on cuts from the newly released Stay Down. For all the talk of the band’s early influence on 90’s pop-punk, it’s evident that these guys were weaned on The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. and have a field day pushing a certain amount of feedback and distortion into the mix.
The night’s headliners and biggest draw, Flogging Molly, hit the stage to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” and worked the crowd over with an Irish punk sound no doubt beholden to The Pogues, but winning on its own terms, as well. Led by Dave King (ex-Brit hard rock band Fastway), the band covered all the familiar bases (drinking, fighting, love and death) with considerable energy on traditional instruments like accordion, tin whistle and fiddle. Dedications to spiritual forefathers Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer accompanied a lively “Selfish Man,” a rollicking “Requiem for a Dying Son” and a rolling “If I Ever Leave This World Alive.”
Quibbles with the Congress Theater aside, this Lolla after-show was pleasant enough and a better time, I’m sure, than being crushed in the throng that turned out for Rage Against the Machine at Grant Park.
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
