Friday night, The Out Crowd made their way to the somewhat grimy venue we call The Empty Bottle in Chicago. The band are in the middle of their seven-date Midwest/West Coast tour in support of the debut album Then I saw The Holy City, which was just released last week making it the first release for Washington, DC, based Kora records. In contrast to the other bands on the bill (Dead Meadow, and headliners, The Warlocks), The Out Crowd’s music creates a softer sounding vibe that makes you want to sip on a warm drink and contemplate. Maybe this is what some of tonight’s crowd was doing. Many people in the audience were still and motionless for most of the set, absorbing frontman Matt Hollywood’s (formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre) soft spoken voice and the warm, light guitars of the band. It was Matt and Elliot Barnes who started The Out Crowd after leaving prior music projects and figuring out that both had “certain occasional social awkwardness” which led to the bands name. This “occasional social awkwardness” probably had influence on the creation of the band’s sound as well, because most of their songs are about seeking and questioning love, anger, romance and emotions. The Out Crowd’s artistic expressions entail all of these emotional traits for those wanting music to heal their troubles with a significant other.
Nonetheless, the performance’s dynamic switch would turn on and off throughout, setting the vibe with tracks like “Little Elf”, which is the first single off the album. “Treaty Breaker” also paved the way with heavy, marching band-style drums woven in and out, all laid out for lyrical content that was slightly hard to make out. The band rocked it with a last track that was heavier and high pitched than most and is not on the album, an unofficial track by the name of “Jesus Never Played guitar.”
If you seek that soft element which leads to romantic or compassionate emotional discovery, then keep The Out Crowd in mind.
Source: Sergio Flores
- Live – Jason Collett & Feist Play To Sold-Out Chicago Crowd
- Live – Jesse Malin Bonds With A Sold Out Schubas Crowd In Chicago
- Live – Longwave Bring Their Tsunami Of Sound To Chicago
- Live – M.I.A. Lives Up To The Hype In Front Of Sold Out Chicago Crowd
- Live – Portland Orgy In NYC: The Out Crowd And Dandy Warhols
