THE LOVELY PUBLIC
SCHANDE
BATTLEHOOCH
The Rickshaw Stop
Oct. 3, 2007

DJ Radio Randone was kickin out the jams all night long, spanning genres from hip hop to techno to rock and reaching across the decades to get the party started.

And of course the bands were incredible. As Olivia welcomed the eager throng to the show and then announced the first band, Battlehooch, an almighty ruckus suddenly erupted in the vicinity of Rickshaw Stop’s front door. It was the men of Battlehooch, forming a runaway train of percussion including an assortment of drums as well as pots and pans. They chanted and banged their way to the stage, and that’s when they really let loose.

Battlehooch is a six-man riot of snotty garage rock and jammy Latin rock. There were plenty of horns going on, adding the Latin flavor, lots of buzzing guitar riffs and extended solos, and a whole lot of groovy jams. Battlehooch keeps the energy up, which was good because there was a big crowd in front of them and that crowd was itching to move, by god.

Schande hit the stage next and took the show to a whole new level, at times mellowing the tone out considerably and at other times reaching powerful crescendos. They played a handful of selections off of their album I Scored an Ocean, and singer/guitarist Jen Chochinov’s voice was as smooth, melodic, and endearing as ever. They played a few newer tunes, too, which allowed lead guitarist Will Cline to show off some of his noisier chops.

Headliner The Lovely Public also played a number of familiar and new tunes. The songs that they played from their album Burning Tape at the Mystery Dinner sounded as deeply nuanced as they do on the recording: multiple guitar and bass parts playing off of eachother, keyboard flourishes suggesting whole new dimensions, and drums that keep it all moving along at just the right speed. The band also played a slew of new songs that show the band developing their sound to include higher highs and lower lows. (Incidentally, it was also announced that keyboardist/guitarist Chris is leaving soon, so check the classic lineup out while you still can!)

The night benefited Feministing.com, a local feminist blog and always a good read. Special thanks must go to DJ Radio Randone as the eclectic crowd at the show was not necessarily made up of all rock-lovers, yet he managed to play something for everyone. A good time was had by all and many hundreds of dollars were raised for yet another great cause.

Keep checking the site for the next benefit show!

[Mike G.]

[STREAM] The Lovely Public: Various Tracks  

[STREAM] Schande: "The Revolution Wears Fairy Wings"  

[STREAM] Battlehooch: Various Tracks