Southern Rock and Motown Soul: Valley Queen, Baby Money & The Down Payments and The Beat Bums @
- Patrick Clemens
- Aug 31, 2016
- 5 min read
Valley Queen
Los Angeles based Valley Queen brings their unique blend of Southern Rock tones and Motown grooves to Illinois for the first time in a vibrant and powerful performance at Chicago's Hideout. The band breaks into their first song, "In My Place," their latest single available on Bandcamp, showcasing the band's talent for matching catchy riffs with Natalie Carol's soulful lyrical delivery, the words clinging to one another before rolling off into the venue like a hesitating river. The gentle rock keeps flowing with the band's 2015 single "Who Ever Said." Gerry Doot and Neil Wogensen lock in on drums and bass respectively as they bounce back and forth between the song's verses and chorus, Shawn Morones' guitar filling in space where he can without obscuring Carol's words. It's a powerful display of songcraft and arranging that permeates throughout the night.
The band jumps from one song to the next with a repertoire of both released and unreleased material. Their style and sound is consistent throughout without ever getting dry or sounding repetitive. Much credit goes to each of the band members and their lively musicianship. Doot's drums may be casually rolling underneath one song with a traditional rock n' roll rhythm only to transform into a thunderous beat of toms for the song's next act. The band play's as tight as those from a major label or seasoned touring band, nailing their song transitions and drops time and again. Their blend of genres from rock's past produces a unique sound that brings to mind several other contemporary acts including Courtney Barnett, First Aid Kit, and Florence and The Machine.
While the organ, piano, and slide guitar on some of Valley Queen's recordings are missing, the band more than compensates for their absence with fun, inspired performances onstage. They save one of their best songs for last, showing off Wogensen's and Morones' harmonies and Carol's most dynamic performance of the night. In a moment of musical fandom after the show, Doot comments on a picture in the green room of Chicago native Mavis Staples singing on the same stage he just played on. One needn't look hard to see how such an appreciation for one of R&B's most soulful female icons has influenced Valley Queen's brand of rock. It's a beautiful balance of lyrical composition and musical arrangement Valley Queen brings to the stage that many indie rock acts strive for but few pull off this well.
Valley Queen has a handful of shows left in their Midwest/East Coast tour, with shows in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. Follow them on Facebook, Bandcamp, or visit their website for a full list of upcoming shows!
Photos by Megan McIsaac and Valley Queen
Baby Money & The Down Payments
Baby Money & The Down Payments have brought their midwest attitude and vintage rock 'n roll to the Hideout, complete with medieval times and mitten humor. The trio open with the fiery "Lil Red Money," off their 2013 single "Lil Red Vinyl". It's a haunting opening number pulling heavily from the old slave and work songs where the blues originated and introduces the crowd to Pamela Maurer's grit-filled voice. With the gathered crowd behind them now, the band dives into the catchy "Whenever You Want Me" off of their first full length album "In Memory Of John Doe." Immediately following John Doe is "Wait." One of the standouts from their newest offering on Bandcamp, "Wait" takes on new life during the band's live performance. A groovy bass courtesy of Dina Simone carries the listener through the natural build of the first two verses, setting the room up for the final act as Maurer asks "Won't you give me a sign," the band kicks into the next gear.
In between songs there is delightful, humorous banter about medieval times and the meaning of holding mittened hands between the band members and the audience, a side of Baby Money only briefly glimpsed at their show at Beat Kitchen. The larger, more interested crowd helps relax the band and spur them on as they continue into their second half of the set, playing fan favorites "Do You Want My Love or Do You Want My Money" and "Milk and Honey," the latter offering Simone the opportunity to get in front of the mic and provide some lovely harmonies to Maurer. Rounding out the set are a few songs yet to be released but boasting some fine performances from all three musicians, especially Sarah Neczwid on drums.
"St. Therese," which the band recorded a live performance of at DZ Records, is the perfect bookend to "Lil Red Money," bringing the struggles and tensions of an intimate relationship back into the spotlight. The song contains some of Baby Money's most striking lyrical images and a beautiful metaphor, intended or not, with the warlike destruction a failing love can wreck on an individual. It's a powerfully haunting song to see live and is a highlight of the band's set each night they play it.
Baby Money has a couple shows coming up in and around Chicago. Follow them on Facebook and Bandcamp to find out where they're playing next.
Baby Money & The Down Payments @ DZ Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3aOooqAPAQ
Photos by Baby Money, Bad Bad Meow, and Paige DeChausse
Beat Bums
Beat Bums, the brain child of electronic punk virtuoso Oscar Belasco, has gone through a handful of personnel since its inception. For his current tour, beginning with tonight's show at the Hideout, has condensed the act down to a one man, electronic band. After a brief prelude, Belasco strikes up a conversation with his drum pad and begins the opening notes to "At The Airport," a really catchy punk-pop song with an infectious melody and sound. Despite being outnumbered by musical parts at least 10 to 1, Belasco translates the song he recorded back in 2013 without stripping the song of its integrity.
Later in the set Belasco hits several more tracks off of his second EP, "Don't Hate, Demonstrate," including "O-r-G-a-N-i-S-m-S" and "Thing Love." The latter song hits on one of the prevailing themes of the night, relationships, the struggles of keeping them, and the dual emotions of sadness and freedom inherent in moving on. "Hollow Tipped Hopes" is a descent down a never ending spiral staircase that the whole room grooves to, with a signature piano motif juxtaposed to a bouncing drum beat providing solid foundation for Belasco to lay the song protagonist's pondering on top of. The crowd still wanting more after the short set, Belasco, picking up the drum sticks again, acquiesced with a reprise of "At The Airport," the crowd and the singer feeding off one another's energy and capping off a great night of indie music in the windy city.
Photos by Oscar Belasco
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