📷 : Tina Mead / ✏️ : Aaron Pylinski

It was a dark and rainy evening sneaking up on Lincoln Hall on January 18th but that didn’t stop the throngs of people piling to the front of the stage for a triple stack of bands ranging from jazz to hip-hop to rock ‘n’ roll.

The first band to come on was Late Nite Laundry, a soulful quartet from Chicago laying down jazz that’s as chill as their name suggests. The band consists of guitarist Ari Lindo, bassist Emily Burlew, keyboardist Brenden Cabrera, and drummer Alex Santilli. Together, they brought love and light to the evening and we were off to an amazing start.

Opening with “I Can’t Wait” and then rolling into “Hi, Can You Hear Me?,” these songs showcased the cohesiveness of the band as a whole; though there were moments where you couldn’t help but revel in Cabrera’s key skills. Lindo’s carefree trips up and down the fretboard didn’t go unnoticed, either. Late Nite Laundry rounded out their set with three amazing tracks. “Sizzle” began like a slow burn and opened up to a sci-fi keyboard breakdown the entire crowd loved. When “Free Time” started, Burlew’s voice came through with “I get a little less free time” and the mood was set. 

The song expanded and contracted like wind through a sail. The bass line alone was like calm seas, velvety and smooth. They ended with “Cecil’s Pleasure,” a cavalcade of futuristic beats, rocketing jazz into a whole new galaxy. Behind the entire set was drummer Santilli, meticulously ticking like a clock, he is graciously groovy and exceptionally talented.

The fun didn’t stop there! Detroit artist Stoop Lee was second in the rotation and brought six-piece band The Culdesac with him. It shouldn’t be any surprise that Stoop Lee is a head turner in Detroit with his infusion of everything from hip-hop to jazz and soul drips with 90’s hints. For his first time in Chicago, he delivered an amazing set. Right from opening with “THA FANTASTIC FOXTROT SUITE” the crowd was enjoying the backing band filling the room with so many incredible vibes.

This continued on through “bloo sox interlude”, which got an epic guitar jam treatment. There were a handful of beautifully put-together songs placed perfectly in the middle of the set. “LYCHEE” started with a “Killing Me Softly” nod and then expanded to a delicious back-and-forth with the band and the crowd.

They rolled into “‘03 FUBU JERSEY” opening with soft keys and precise lyricism and ending with epic stadium rock, a slight departure from the studio cut.

Everything about this set screamed excellence. The brilliance of Stoop Lee and The Culdesac generated incredible energy and set up the headlining act. They closed with “Kombucha” as well as an audience invasion.

This song alone showed a true appreciation for clean guitar that was prevalent throughout the set.

If it was guitar rock the crowd was looking for, they would certainly get it with Late Night Drive Home. There was no doubt that  this band was the crowd favorite. Based out of El Paso, Texas, they may be far from home but they had plenty of family in the crowd. Guitarist Juan “Ockz” Vargas was playing Uno with some fans at the front of the stage just before going on, and there were multiple birthday wishes for frontman and guitarist, Andre Protillo.

Everyone had their phones out getting pre-show selfies with the band and popped up throughout the set, capturing every song on video.

Late Night immediately worked into a rock block that showed influences from Nirvana and the Strokes. This came through best on “Star Love” which delivered an ethereal flow of crisp guitar cuts and angsty vocals behind Freddy Baca’s bouncy bass line and Brian Dolan working the drums.

When they played “Perfect Strangers” and “Painted Lady” the band showed their balladier abilities. “Strangers” rocked amazing guitar breakdowns, but also managed a poetic reprieve through precise finger picking. “Painted Lady” however brought out a more intentional love song aura paired with a tinny, high treble offsetting the barbershop quartet vocals. 

The best song of the evening was “Falling Apart”. It’s a 4-minute burn that captures all the best elements of new wave, alternative, and DIY and crams it into one killer song. It showcased everything that is amazing in the band, and drummer Dolan tied the whole piece together, matching every beat to a lyric or string pick. They followed that up with “Stress Relief” and “Over The Garden”, both songs inviting audience participation. “Over The Garden” brought in some prog rock hinting to the 80’s when you could do a lot with just guitars and good timing. 

They closed the set with “Best Friend” following in the same prog rock vein from earlier in the evening. What’s memorable is Protillo’s lyric delivery. I can’t help but see and hear a little Kurt Cobain in his voice. We’re all lucky to have artists like this - whether they know it or not - carrying the torch for great music and bringing it to an obviously appreciative audience. 

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