📷 : Tina Mead / ✏️ : Aaron Pylinski

The moody interior of Sleeping Village was perfect for a blustery Tuesday evening in Chicago. We couldn’t ask for a better night to hear some live music and shake it with friends and loved ones. The lineup was a Chicago powerhouse with Pink Squeeze headlining and OK Cool opening the evening. Madison, WI duo Seasaw was in the middle of the hometowners sandwich.

It was Ok Cool’s first foray onto the Sleeping Village stage. I was ear to ear smiles the entire set. Right from the gritty start, I fell in love with the metal undertones that seemed to be hiding in plain sight. The set traveled between alternative bangers like “Time and a Half” or “Hypervigilant” and shoegaze-y math rock hits like “Drivers”.

OK Cool is Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist, both Weekend Run Club members. Stiebris brought the heat like a metal god and the band was on point. Drummer Josh Kayne had laser-like accuracy and guitarist Tommy Kessler, sporting a leopard print sweater, made his guitar meow on more than one occasion. No lie! They closed out with “Five Finger Exploding Heart Technique” which sounded like a culmination of their music, all wrapped into a nice neat package.

See them at Lincoln Hall on January 19! They open for Cheeckface and Girl K at Tomorrow Never Knows; sure to be a moving experience. Also, check out Take a Hike Records, Stebris and Blomquist’s record label, and get to know other artists in the local scene.

Up next was Seasaw, a delightfully decadent and enduring duo from Madison, WI. From the moment Meg Golz and Eve Wilczewski opened with “Met Your Baby” they showed that a guitar, drum machine, and a keyboard can go a long way. What sealed it all together was their vocals, which harmonized immaculately.

This is a versatile pair, they even swapped duties on guitar, synths, and drums. “My Heart is a Zombie” really showcased their creative back and forth, both lyrically and on stage.

Pink Squeeze closed the evening out. It was more like they blew the entire night wide open, which is fitting considering it was their last live set of the year. You gotta go out with a bang! They came out with something reminiscent of musical summer camp ice breakers, such a cool way to warm the audience up and make the set a group experience. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a self-proclaimed queer mom-rock band.

They opened with “Self Control,” delivering it with Clash-esque tones and as soon as they landed the first notes of “U-Haul” I was convinced that this is the funnest band in Chicago to see live. The set got more enticing with a special surprise cover of “Stacy’s Mom” which got the crowd more than willing to participate and then rolled into the pop punk anthem, “Mother”. Wanting to split old and new, they finished their throwback sets with

“Nightmare” and then followed that with a newer track that was a sing-along to the tune of “Amazing Grace” proudly subbing “Grace” with “Gays”. The band then wove in “Rainbow Hour,” giving us music to sway to, with a side of headbang. They closed with “Midday Midnight”, a beautiful song that captures the spirit of Pink Squeeze. The crowd was singing so beautifully along, it floated us all out of the venue on a cloud. 

From the first note to the last, it was a great evening. As always, we’re happy to cover all Chicago music, so hit us up with what has you excited these days. 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