📷 : Tina Mead / ✏️ : Aaron Pylinski

Bats, cut out of black construction paper adorned the walls of the Golden Dagger on October 26th. A setting befit for a pseudo Halloween party. The ‘Halloween’ came from Elif Geris and the ‘party’ came from Partywatcher. As always, the event was an intimate affair where Partywatcher celebrated the release of a new single, “I Ain’t Got Anything For You.”  

Elif Geris is a Chicago singer-songwriter who recently dropped her EP, Brought Up, earlier this year. At the Golden Dagger performance her sound evoked the macabre and her voice rang true to the spirit of the season. Her style of classical piano dashed with Turkish influence, the sharp edges woven into the natural fabric of the music scene here in Chicago. Geris began with a bone chilling set of melodic jams, opening with the title track from Brought Up. She dedicated the song to drummer Scott Palioan and bass player Doreen Vanunu. She went into the ghoulishly delicious, “Black Cat” next. On stage, the song was paired down allowing for Geris and co. to continue the Halloween vibes. 

The crowd erupted when Geris went into a cover of “Toxic” by Britney Spears. My favorite of the set was “Inside” which hit like drop-d tuned desert-jazz dripping with melodic erotiicism. “Our Song” and “Run” bounced through with a galloping staccato. After dedicating a song to her sister in the crowd, Geris closed with, “The Sentence,” a song so new, “I don’t even know if I’ve heard it before.” Once the band cleared the stage, it was time to grease the walls and squeeze in the next act. 

Partywatcher is Jochy Saldivar, born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He is now based here in the Windy City and has been spending the last decade polishing his sound. This evening, he brought a party vibe wrapped in an incredible seven-piece band, and delivered his message through straight forward lyricism.

The single release celebration opened with “I Ain’t Got Anything For You” and immediately the power of the band was felt behind Saldivar’s vocals.

The dance party was in full effect jamming through “Company” and “Paradise,” Partywatcher’s first ever release. The song reminisced of leaving home to make your way in the world, giving us a glimpse of what ten years ago looked and sounded like for Partywatcher. 

Saldivar paid a tribute to family, praising his mom and dad for exposing him to all the music he listened to as a kid. This tribute was made more special by playing a cover of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” which got the crowd dancing and singing along. 

The band then took a moment to recognize people facing mental health issues. Partywatcher went into the powerful “Why Can’t I” a song that echoes with the continuous internal struggle of a sense of normalcy and peace of mind. They transitioned straight into “Solitude” which could easily fit as a b-side.    Keeping in the spirit of the evening, the band brought back crowd favorites “Mario” and “I’m Not Him” opening the floor for more dancing, even getting Saldivar off stage and into the crowd. 

They closed the night with “Si Tu Te Vas” prompting singing from the audience. This song has a Caribbean soul, through and through and exemplified the contributions from the entirety of the band. The crowd chanted for one more and Partywatcher played a cover of Spooky Black’s “Without You” as an encore. 

This show was yet another great example of what you can find on a random night in Chicago. Partywatcher will be playing again before the end of the year, so be on the lookout for tickets. As always, go out and see live music (safely) and keep surfing, Chicago.

-Aaron Pylinski