📷 & ✏️ : Tina Mead

There was a crisp edge to the friendly atmosphere of the Bottle, as little clusters of happy chatting formed, pulled together for the warmth. It was the kind of cold that gets me excited to move, like bouncing while waiting for the bus. Good thing the night’s lineup of bands were primed for moving.

“See Where It Goes” gently pulled us into Smooth Rogers’ orbit with a rolling washy scape. When the beat came in full force, the audience let it move their bodies, swept up in the motion of the music. Song after song, vocalist Zac Bron swayed the crowd. It wasn’t three songs into the set when I realized I felt the cold no longer, thanks to Bron's killer psych pop. 

Even as they slowed things down for unreleased track, “Early Birds” the soul of the music kept its hold, pulling me into a kind of meditative sense of renewal. Bron lazily growled the lyrics of “This Fine Dream” as we drifted on the waves of the music. The song takes oncoming heartbreak and makes it dreamy, soothing the pain while dissecting it, “The tension is bubbling inside, oh my, and now we have nowhere left to hide, the valley of love is where we lie tonight…That soul-crushing guilt, I know we both felt, the pleasure has died, then what was it for, nothing but our pride.” 

The band played with a glistening joy. Jackson Davis on synths let the music move him from toes to rolling shoulders. Drummer Jesse Paolino, picked up power and pace like he was propelling the band up a huge crest of melody, which crashed with sudden and satisfying release into their closer “Pieces Within.” We will definitely be keeping an eye out for a release date for their debut album due out later this spring.

The second band, the Roof Dogs, had a lot of new music in their set, which bodes well for their forthcoming album Here You Are, to be released by Earth Libraries in June, and beyond. From the first bars of their first song, “Technoanthropology,” I couldn’t help but be drawn to guitarist Jesse Cheshire. He stirred, ground, and swirled the music with hypnotic movements. As they moved into a harder driving beat for “Big Premiere,” it seemed every song brought a new groove and a new movement from Cheshire. He pulled the crowd into the bounce, then shuffled, then swayed.

Andrew Marczak moved from playing guitar to synth and Chesire took the lead vocals on “4 Leaf Clover.” The Korg really expanded the range of their sound, and I couldn’t help but love the wavering bouncy melody. Throughout the set, Marczak and Cheshire tossed the melody back and forth and harmonized warmly in all the right places, while drummer Jack Brereton and bassist Sean Maher anchored the center of the stage. As they started the “Real Dancing” Maher tapped his toe. As the intensity of the music grew Maher’s tapping became a full body rock, pulling the vibe of the band into full swing, proving, as Marczak remarked, that having a happy bassist is very important.

Their recent single “Weather” was an obvious stand out during the set, and led into their last two songs of the night. “Shrimp Shack” had a glistening moodiness that was reflected in the final refrain, “Believe me when I say there will be hell to pay.” They transitioned seamlessly into the final song “All Red.” The track seemed to blend and meld many of the styles the Roof Dogs used throughout the night. They started with a driving, barely contained aggression, fueled by drummer Brereton staring into the horizon with malicious eyebrows. Suddenly the music exploded into a bouncy joyous Korg fuzzed groove. The end was a swirling maze that I fully lost myself in.

Daydream Review took the stage with echoing vocals, shifting soundscapes and guitar riffs weaving around each other, courtesy of Manuel Miller and Elijah Montez. As their sound clarified and then muddied, the music explored the line between melody and atmosphere. “Dazed” grabbed everyone’s attention with a killer bassline from Tyler Marofske. They moved with loose exploration as the rocking mellow warmth entranced the crowd and elicited hoots.

The vibe grew with “Sensory Deprivation” causing the band to move more and more. Their pleasure was clear as they looked at each other with smiles, questions, answers, and appreciation. They ended the set with their strongest songs of the night. The unreleased “Never Know” hit us with power along with their signature psych. It's the kind of music that makes you want to dance like a flower child, with complete loose limbed abandon. Kudos to Marofske for bringing that groove and the Bottle’s lighting designer for finding the perfect mood for that moment, colors pulsing and changing with psychedelic joy. They heightened the stakes with “Blossom.” Jangly guitar, sauntering bass and Montez’s confident echoing vocals come together to make a perfect feel-good closer. 

When shouts for an encore rose from the crowd Daydream Review was quick to oblige, my favorite way to handle an encore - just go for it! They broke into “It Happens Slowly,” which will be on their debut LP, Leisure, out April 7th on Side Hustle Records. It was an instant hit with the crowd and had folks moving and taking up space, a joyous end to a groovy night of music.

As always, Chicago, tell us your stories. If you’re interested in contributing words, photos, or videos, let us know. We want the people to tell Chicago’s music story. Keep surfing, y’all! 

-Tina Mead