WEEK OF 12/6/2019

Emily Blue / all 📷 : Tina Mead

Six LGBTQ+ performers came together to create Iconic, a showcase benefitting Brave Space Alliance. Brave Space is a black-led LGBTQ center on the south side of Chicago. It is a vibrant community of support far from Schubas, but sometimes spreading the word to further corners of the city can be a great way for a non-profit to improve their reach and impact. I was glad to learn about their work, but even more grateful for a reason to see this not-to-miss lineup.

The party kicked off with Flora’s killer drum beat and glitzy attitude. The crowd was ready for a hopping party and happily started grooving and dancing to Floras patent mixture of pop, Motown, and jazz. They gave us bouncy walking-down-the-street beats, slow jams, and dance numbers so banging- Max Miller almost played himself off his seat hitting the keys with so much fervor. Lead singer, Ryan O’Toole, put his heart into the music, dancing and whipping his body around as he let the music flow through him. It set the tone for a night of killer performances.

SuperKnova held the stage solo with ease, even after an energetic band like Flora. She set up beats and layered guitar parts with a looper. When she was really happy with a track, she took a few beats to bounce around and feel the music before she approached the mic. Her voice came in, delivering sharp simple poetry with LGBTQ messages, especially her personal experience as a trans woman, but she really shined when she stepped back from the mic letting her guitar vocalize the melody. The way she played and moved her body in complete concert to the music, the guitar truly seemed like an extension of her voice.

Blending swagger with sensual body rolls and sprinkled with a little twerking, Thair’s music had everything I want from from gay pop. His voice was beautifully faceted. Operatic levels of power and control complemented by some killer beat-boxing. He used the looper to build layers of harmony back-up with vocal runs so fast and perfectly textured, Mariah would bow down; I was entranced from the first song. Luke Angle’s drumming rolled under the music and iced it with cymbals. He closed his eyes to feel the music, completely one with his kit. Having a live drummer really added that something. It made Thair’s music come alive. Thair dubbed everyone in the room “gay” regardless of how you identified before this show, then he improvised a song that blew me away (record it, puh-lease!) and “Thotty Dysmorphia” closed out his set with a banging get-everyone-dancing energy.

Everything can be improved by adding an amazing drag performance. Brunch. Bingo. Storytime. So really, a no-brainer for a gay fundraiser. Girlboifriend gave us that perfect intermission in the middle of the show. Performing to a seamless mix of “Glory Box” by Portishead, “Shutters are Shaking” by Tone of Arc, and “Living it Out” by Planningtorock, I was entranced from the minute I saw her spiked heels. She stomped and strutted her way up and down the Schubas floor with true diva energy.

The first time I saw Carlile, she set herself apart from other pop/electronic artists. She delivers pop hooks, but she also has a visionary layering of elements that show her to be an amazing producer, and that was as a solo performer. To see her with four talented musicians backing her up was a real treat. The keys/synth players created the dreamy landscapes, and the rhythm section made our bodies move. I’m always happy to see Michael Cantella (bass) and Ryan Person (drums). They have to be two of the most talented performers in the Chicago music scene. Carlile was able to relax into the performance, moving to the music and singing her feelings with delicious depth. She beamed with joy as she sang “Back Seat,” easily my fav song of the night. The refrain, “This is my fuck you song,” turns a fun banger into an anthem I will def return to again and again.

Killer pipes, rock attitude, and a stadium-sized performance makes Emily Blue a Chicago performer that I would def line up to see. The glitter-plastered dancers grabbed everyone’s attention. They framed Blue, giving her a powerful presence that didn’t wane even after they left the stage. That first song, (so new it is still untitled), was memorable AF. Starting as a great pop tune we love her for, we were all shocked when the music turned thrash and Emily showed us her heavy metal chops. This band is perfectly tuned to move through the music with all the passion and power necessary to back her up. I’m loving the way she is infusing her music with other genres. She has been evolving, and I think that the resulting blend of genres in her performance was like watching her discover herself. As she said, no one can tell you how to be yourself, or who to love; the way you express your feelings is your own. Own your identity and be the kind of gay that feels right.

-Tina Mead