Tucked into
North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago seems to be a pattern of bar/restaurant,
abandoned storefront and inventive small business all the way into the forest
of skyscrapers downtown. Two blocks south of Irving Park road on 3855 North
Lincoln Ave is Martyrs, a gem of the Chicago music scene. The venue, (capacity
for about 150 at standing room) crafted from an abandoned old post office in
1994, has had many Chicago musicians pass through its glass doors at one time
or another. Playing independent bands and the occasional band on a music label
(Black Keys, Pete Townshend) there are fresh surprises, rockin’ good nights up
to the midnight hour and the occasional clunker of group/artist that is missing
the right pieces or has a few screws loose. I still bite my tongue to not swear
in frustration at missing out on the show Death Cab for Cutie played at Martyrs
years back.
Though I can’t
remember my first visit, I know I’ve been coming to Martyrs since before I left
for Ireland over six years ago. Arranged in a long rectangular fashion, Martyrs
has a long bar (with a decent range of beers and ciders) at one corner and
stage large enough for a twelve piece band taking precedence a few feet above
the open floor and tables. The lighting is so dim for shows past nine you have
to read the limited menu by tea lights at the table. When the artist performing
plays with a soulful tune or an electric anthem, the crowd drops their
conversations to a whisper or ceases to utter a sound, save for a sip of their
beer, for their respect of the men and women on stage. Affordable enough, the
Speed-Fi Productions show I saw last night was $7 dollars ahead of time, $10 at
the door.
Speed-Fi
Productions is the creation of my old friend Mike Przygoda. After years of
being a Renaissance man of music with writing, recording, producing, conducting
and performing, he decided to make a small label named Speed-Fi with longtime
friend and engineer on many of his albums, Steve Jansen. Having a true ear for “this
note up, that harmony tighter” Mike also has an eye for keeping up working and
personal friendships with some of the most talented musicians in Chicago, many
of which played last night on August 10th at Martyrs. Six bands performed
from 9pm to well after I left Martyrs at fifteen minutes to midnight. Of those
five that I has seen, let me elaborate in order of appearance.
Mike
Biederman – Having met
the warm personality of Mike a few times and seeing him perform with REGO, I
had no idea how soulful and echoed his voice could be. His five song set reminded
me of a solo version of that Kentucky band My Morning Jacket’s haunting song Where to Begin. Whether accompanied on
either side by fellow performers that night or taking solo to the microphone
with acoustic guitar and harmonica, Mike Biederman and his songs from his album
The Great Circle Track is one of
those pleasant surprises.
Nick Gutierrez – I’ve been watching Nick perform
with Mike Przygoda for over five years in their former groups of The Cynics and
The Pawns. Those fingers gliding across the keyboard, his voice is one made for
rock and roll and church choirs, many of whom know him from Sunday worship came
to visit him at Martyrs last night. A great musician and an even nicer guy, Nick’s
ability to rock your socks off was none the more evident than with the Beatles
cover of I Want You (She’s So Heavy) that he and his band closed his set with. Though
previous to find him pen a tune, you can know enjoy his EP entitled On the Mend.
Diana
Lawrence – Plain and
simple if you have never heard Diana solo or with her band Diana and the Dishes
you are missing out on being blessed by a rare voice and songwriting talent. The
audience welcomed Diana and her two bluegrass voiced angels onto the stage and
off the stage for great selections of Appalachian tunes and mix of rock that is
Ms Lawrence’s own. At times her voice reminded me of that bluegrass legend
Allison Krauss. Mike Przygoda has worked with Diana for years, producing her
recent EP To: Aging Children.
Purchasing a copy, I witnessed Diana’s unique personal touches on a slip cover
that resembles a white paper package in the mail, each with a letter on her
exploration of coming-of-age tales being molded into songs. She even invites
her listeners to write her back via a P.O. Box with stories that could help her
craft that Aging Children EP into a
full album. These letters are why artists work until 1am, cry over their
keyboards and laptops, and flash brilliant smiles as Diana did at Martyrs with knowledge of their success
– they realize is no dividing line between art and life.
Gus
Stagg: Knowing
Mike well, I could tell he could see much of Steve Goodman and Bob Dylan in Gus
Stagg’s selection from his album, New
Songs for Old Souls. The crowd didn’t give Gus as much attention as he
deserved. Perhaps they weren’t ready for a great cover of Dylan’s Subterranean
Homesick Blues. I know the fools I passed by on the way to the bar were not as
they said to one another “Man, this guy is too slow…I like the dubstep they
played in-between the songs.” Take your hipster hat, perfectly arranged sloppy
tie and shirt with four days of manicured stubble and get – people like Gus
deserve better. Martrys playfully described him on their webpage with this
nugget: He is “basically an old hippie who somehow survived the
sixties...got off the Magical Mystery Tour, and is currently ripening. "’Pick
me before I rot, please.’"
Mike Przygoda – Assembling a talented
backing band, Mike belted out tunes in a Dylan-esque perhaps even Billy
Corgan-like (the good tunes) from his new album All my Heroes are Gone. Whether Mike plays a killer electric guitar
while Nick Gutierrez sings the track I Dream of You or Mike injects his unflappable
mix of satire and light cynicism with a song called Your Boyfriend is a Hick,
the man puts on a great show. Steve Jansen and others spoke with wonder of “how
Mike does it all sometimes.” Maybe it is because of his lack of sleep. I’d like
to think that creative curiosity will only cease when he chooses too, which
like any true artist is not often.
You can see
these artists further described on the Martyrs webpage:
No comments:
Post a Comment