Half Waif and Company Offer Resistance and Hope in an Alienating Society @ Beat Kitchen
On the wall behind the bar at Beat Kitchen reads a sign in big letters, "REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS WELCOME HERE" followed by "No Muslim Ban, No Border Wall, Our Cities Stand Tall." Anyone familiar with Chicago is aware of the city's general disdain for the current president, his administration, and his embracing of anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-LGBTQ ideologies and policies. And while there is no stated theme for the evening, one need only look at the company of artists taking to the stage this to see that it would be something akin to, "Understand each other. Love one another. Accept all others, even if they are different, because we are all different." It's another night of exciting music and inspiring voices at Beat Kitchen, Half Waif headlines with supporting acts OHMME, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, and Ratboys. By the end of the night stories will have been told, distances crossed, barriers broken down, and young and old having shared many song and drink, will depart in the early morning hours, weary of what the next day may bring, but ready to resist it nonetheless. Still, they persisted.
HALF WAIF
Half Waif is the artist moniker of Nandi Rose Plunkett, also of the band Pinegrove. The daughter of a refugee mother and father with Irish/Swiss ancestry, the search for home and a sense of wandering are common themes throughout her songs. Whether on stage with the band or solo, Plunkett takes her listeners on soul searching journeys to find meanings and connections that hide under the surface. Her dreamy, ethereal soundscapes blend her classical and celtic interests from childhood and serve as the canvas to wander through, her lyrics acting as our guide.
Despite the use of electronic instruments, including Zack Levine's drum pad-acoustic kit combo, the songs never lack the natural, organic feel that other electronic based pop songs do. Her harmonies, via both a pedal and Adan Carlo on bass, help give weight and space to her lyrics. Her themes and harmonies are like if First Aid Kit was reimagined through synthesizers and drum loops instead of folk instruments.
In one of the night's intimate moments, she shares one of her newest songs, written about her grandmother. It's a gripping performance and lovely example of Plunkett's unique blending of musical influences. "Severed Logic" offers one of her catchiest melodies, which always suit the words without confounding the tone and feel of the songs, and the set as a whole works well together without any feeling out of place among the others. "Turn Me Around" is another stand out from the night, Plunkett's well placed pauses between lyrics allowing her audience to process each as she reveals the way forward.
Half Waif is playing the northeast through April 7, with all proceeds from merchandise going to the International Refugees Assistance Project. Click the button below to learn more and DONATE TODAY!
For fans of other indie pop offerings like Vagabon, Allison Crutchfield, Steady Holiday, and local acts such as Our Fathers and Scout Ripley, give Half Waif a listen or catch them on tour.
Cover art by Adan Carlo and María Aparicio Puentes
Photo by Landon Speers and Adan Carlo
OHMME
First things first:
"FINGERPRINTS"
It is without a doubt one of the most captivating and vivid songs to experience in person. Period. I loved it on their EP, and I love it even more live. It's just a fantastically cool fricking song! From Sima Cunningham's opening riffs and lyrics to the harmonies with Macie Stewart on the chorus lead up, into the catchy alternating calls on the chorus itself, each part is unique in its sound and energy, but yet the song never sounds like it's been stitched together. It stands out as one of the best examples of the duo's abilities as song arrangers, both in structure and in the tones and effects they use to create a much more expansive and polished sound than many indie bands offer. The duo call out together "I want to be better, I want to be better" reaching for the top before plunging down into the final chorus, now in full overdrive with a rocking drum kit underneath their fiery guitars.
While they're influences vary across artists and genres ranging from avant-garde to grunge, it is hard to place OHMME's signature sound into a single category or pin to a single act. Their's is an entirely unique and original take on indie experimental rock. Building off their powerful harmonies and power chord riffs they add atmospheric effects and bizarre riffs that come and go like a crack of dissonant thunder.
Another standout from the night is "You, Your Face," a brooding slow burn featuring Stewart on lead vocals. It builds into an epic finale as the electric guitars burn louder, rising up around Stewart's vocals, more defiant than ever that she is better off. Again, the guitar tones are a perfect blend of heavy lows and fuzzy highs without the earsplitting shrill that plagues many indie bands. This song, which is also featured on their EP, takes on new energy and life in person, as the power of Stewart's voice is amplified by the atmosphere of the room. It is a positively magical experience to see this OHMME rock out.
Cover Art by Liz Born
Photo by Katie Graves @ www.katiegravesphotography.tumblr.com
NNAMDI'S SOOPER DOOPER SECRET SIDE PROJECT
Local favorite Nnamdi Ogbonnaya and company brought their experimental Jazz-fused-hip hop to the Beat Kitchen, playing numerous songs off his latest album, Drool. His lyrics sound casual on paper but are delivered onstage with focus and purpose behind them. While the live act lacks some of the polish and finesse one may find on the album, it makes up for this in its sense of spontaneity and experimentation. There is an honest vulnerability to Nnamdi's lyrics, at times humorous and others grave and serious. The result is a unique expression of an individual's experience of and sense of identity in a changing world.
"let gO Of my egO" stands out as a fan favorite, the band leading the audience and lending their voices to the chorus calls. "sHOULD hAvE kNOwN," with its hypnotizing melody, throws the audience into a trancelike state as Nnamdi swings between hastily spoken rap and the stretched-out chorus repeated throughout. His set shines more light on the night's emphasis on originality and open-mindedness to new forms of expression.
Album art by Vanessa Barajas
Photo art by Nnamdi Ogbonnaya
RATBOYS
Julia Steiner's quiet, small voice immediately gives her songs a small town, down home feel. Atop catchy pop motifs and melodies she places simple lyrics dealing with every day circumstances and every life problems such as break ups and falling outs. Some songs are full on rockers, Steiner and company locking into classic rhythm and blues riffs with some contemporary folk wit and country humor, without ever being cliche.
"Folk Song For Jazz" is a personal favorite, with the really good hook "I got down on one knee" that sways the listener back and forth and the song as a whole is one of warm feelings and memories.
Besides Green Day enthusiasts, fans of indie garage rock, as well as the Omaha rock scene of the early 2000s, Bright Eyes, M. Ward, and Monsters Of Folk, should give them a listen.
Ratboys are currently touring the midwest, with shows in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa through April.
Album art and photo by Ratboys
