📷 : Tina Mead / ✏️ : Aaron Pylinski

Cole’s Bar was the place to be on a Thursday night this past week. The backroom feel at Cole’s was the perfect setting for a trio of Midwestern post-rock bands promising a swath of good, fast music. It was a kaleidoscopic journey of hard riffs, harmonious vocals, and fun; just damn good fun. As the night unfolded and evolved, so did the music.

Strobobean is a femme-forward trio heralding from Cincinnati and the first to take the stage. They are steeped in fuzzy post-rock sagas projected through Katrina Eresman on guitar and lead vocals, Rae Fisher playing bass, and Jake Langknecht on drums. As the set opened, the band’s mix of thrash and garage wove through the gnarly and melodic in the same way Poe wrote about the macabre.

“When You Won’t Look” showed how synchronistic Strobobean is. They stayed in tune with each other as they explored the music with movement, and something similar to love floated in the stratosphere above the ruckus. What started out harmonious, traveled into metal angst as Langknect played the drums like he was a floating head on top of a bajillion arms.

As the music pulsed along, there was a transition between moody metal and space-y math rock. You heard that best on “Boo” drawing inspiration from the likes of King Crimson and really bringing out those prog rock sounds. “Pinch” really pushed the envelope traveling into the jazz guitar world. Fisher was owning the stage. Her moves were rhythmic, enticing the drummer and guitarist into a frenzy.

They closed with “Kitchen”, their latest single, giving the crowd a super sweet and harmonious ending. Every second of Strobobean’s set was a real treat. The next time they’re in town, they’re definitely worth checking out. If you’re a fan of Finom or Blonde Redhead, this band is what you’re looking for.

Cincinnati was repping in force as the second band, Leggy took to the stage. Katrina Eresman from Strobobean was on double duty playing bass this time around. They opened with a concoction of psych-leaning sounds. When they went into “Eden” the band showed they weren’t afraid to jam. Alessandro Corona on keys and Veronique Allaer on guitar and vox added a horror element, while Chris Campbell pounded through on drums in a sweater and beanie cap; boss move.

They played new songs from their latest album, Dramatica, set to release at the end of March. Songs like, “Lipstick on the Mic'', which showed off Corona’s skills on the keys, juxtaposed to the pain felt in Allaer’s voice. “Burner” and “Prosper'' were two stand-outs from the set. Both were slathered in heavy surf and low-fi vibes and sped the crowd into “My Room” next, giving off metalesque overtones. They went into “Grrls Like Us,” churning up some surf vibes before closing with the lo-fi banger, “Not What You Need.” No doubt about it, Leggy is a band that should be on everyone’s radar here in Chicago. If you’re into Tacocat, Bikini Kill, or The Coathangers this is a band you’ll dig.

Ovef Ow is awesome. They headlined the night. If you’re living in Chicago and haven’t seen them live or heard their music, it’s time to change your diet. Bassist, Marites Velasquez packs a punch and sports a killer snarl while singing. Sarah Braunstein plays drums and sings as well, Nick Barnett rocks surf guitar riffs second to none while Kyla Denham ties the whole sound together on the keys. 

Holding tight to the surf sound, they opened with “Hootie Hottie'', a song that delivers vintage guitar riffs with beachy keys, setting the tone for a seven-song sonic set. Next up was “Elevator” taking Ovef Ow in a different direction for a moment in time, trimming out the surf and dropping in great rock n roll. They played “Wurm'' next, a new song from their forthcoming full-length debut, set to drop in August. The song showcased Barnett’s guitar, making it hard to think about how far away August is.

The rest of the set zig zagged through the crowd much like the tamale guy, who we managed to miss, twice. With their new music, you can tell Ovef Ow’s sound can’t just be pigeonholed into surf alone. Their music brings back the women-powered rock from the 90s, shining a spotlight on an often overlooked part of our cultural past. It’s encouraging to see so many awesome femme-powered acts out there. The whole evening was a celebration, spotlighting the heart and soul of good music and great people. 

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! 

-Aaron Pylinski