Hospital Bracelet
Boundary Waters / Sugarpulp
Pretty Pleased
Beat Kitchen
January 8th
Hospital Bracelet / all đź“· : Tina Mead
Last Wednesday night, the Beat Kitchen brimmed with musicians and music lovers. Who would come out and party with live music on a Wednesday night, though? The evening would tell... The whole thing started off with Pretty Pleased. Before their set, I caught the band trying some twerk/skank hybrid dance in the crowd. They brought this playful attitude to the stage. Showing their real power, “Death By T-shirt Cannon” was by far their best song of the night. These dudes straight up broke into some Headbangers Ball metal riffs; it was as impressive as it was entertaining.
Speaking of entertainment, their guitarist had some jokes. What did the car wear to her senior prom? It was informal, so she wore a skrrrt. Funny, right? In between jokes and metal, the band put up shout-outs to new drummer, Kyle. He got mad love from the crowd. You can tell these guys love what they do. With all the head banging and Josh Kayne’s insane voice, it was a solid and captivating set. I love serious musicians not taking themselves seriously.
Switching gears, Sugarpulp brought in a slightly different crowd and sound. The first time I listened to Sugarpulp I knew I had to see them live.
They opened with “Two Little Girls” which seriously showed off Deb Chesterman’s stage presence early on. Her smile is frighteningly confident and snarling like she’s the spawn of Billy Idol. The entire band is stacked with talent. Sam Allyn on guitar showed off electric lighting bolts on the wings, Patrick Foley pounded away on a nasty-assed distorted bass, and Brian Becmer mangled the drums.
They also played “Underwater/Outerspace” and leaked that a video for the track is coming out at the end of the month. It’s dreamily delicious and horrifically smooth. I can’t wait to see the video. “Waiting in the Dark” is a horror/punk-rooted tune with a downright funky-assed bass line. When Chesterman really gets into the music, you get that sweet voice pouring from behind the sexiest, most sinister smile in Chicago.
For me, Sugarpulp brings back those old Sabbath days. That said, let’s talk about the next flavor of the night, Boundary Waters. These gents emote beautiful and soaring instrumental landscapes married to a boots and jeans post-rock sound.
Clint Bergen on the drums was a force on the stage. Singer Andy Brommel and bassist Jon Monteverde traded harmonies flawlessly while Tim Tsurutani was the lifeblood if each song on guitar. “Sour Patch” was a standout track where Bergen was rocking the entire set.
Between songs, Brommel declared, “Everyone in this room is my fucking hero,” lending to the tenacity of the crowd coming out on a Wednesday night. All told, the crowd was ready for the headliner.
Hospital Bracelets played their entire new record from start to finish. What a great fucking plan. I immediately fell in love with lead singer Eric Christopher’s voice, charming personality, and ability to riff on the slide. This wasn’t more prevalent than when the band played their first single off the new album, “Sober.”
Their set was short and sweet, and they poured through every song including the jumpy, punk-heavy “Happy Birthday.” Jokes were still the flavor of the night. With Christopher quipping, “I haven’t been to Popeyes in awhile. I guess you could say I’ve been on a Louisiana fast.” Waka! Waka!
The last song on their album, “Summer Friends” really hit home. It’s such a beautifully melodic refrain. So painful, and so pure. It was a pleasure to be able to experience this. Go see Hospital Bracelets live, it’s totally worth it.
I’ll leave you with this: There were many reasons for folks to come out and see these bands play on a Wednesday night. There were musicians supporting musicians. Maybe there were people just wanting bad comedy. For me, I wanted to see and experience something new. Most prevalent, I think, was everyone’s want to belong and come together as friends in a safe place centered on collective love.
