I told myself when I started this review, it wasn't
going to be about me. Well, I lied, but just a little and I'll keep this short. This
was my first time to the Hideout, and this more then any other club in the city does have
the right name. I'm just telling you now, it's hard to find! But on the up side, the place
is cool and the vibe was great! And adding to that vibe was the band that I was
there to see - Kissinger.
The first time I saw Kissinger they were opening for Sour Deluxe over at the Beat Kitchen.
I only caught the last two songs, but I was hooked. So I bought one of their CD's, went
home listened to it and became a fan! But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Kissinger is a four piece band out of Austin TX, that plays garage rock (a 60's term
that was first used with bands such as, the Animals, the Shadows of Night, early Stones,
the Seeds, and so on). It's what the first wave of punk rock was based on. Today we
have bands such as the Hives, the Vines, and White Stripes, and many like them, the list
goes on and on. It's rock and roll, and I like it. I like it yes I do. With that
said, when I found out that they were coming back to town, I knew that I had to be there.
Once in the club I found myself a place to sit, and waited for the sound of the first
chord like a prizefighter waits for the bell to ring. Lead singer Chopper, who’s
6 foot 5 if he's an inch, took the stage, guitar in hand, and they were on their
way. Much like the first time I saw them (well almost saw them) the energy level was
high and I have to tell ya, this band doesn't stand still for second. The stage at the
Hideout is small, but that didn't stop Chopper from jumping off the amps and, when more
room was needed, off the stage! OK, the energy level is high, the band sounds cool,
but does that make for a great show? Well, it does when you combine that with great
songs, songs that you want to sing along with. Kissinger does fall a little this side
of pop than most would think, given the style of music. But, at the same time, if you
don't think that they play heavy, consider this; Lucky, the bass player, broke 3 strings.
I have never in my life seen a bass player break a string, never. Guitarist Steve
Garvey also put out a wall of sound, but never sacrificed power for melody. Rather, Garvey
brought power and melody together, which is just cool! Adding to all of this is, drummer
03 slammed his kit like a pro wrestler hitting the mat!
Let me get back to the songs for a moment. When I bought the EP, Clipped, I was
hoping that it was going to be what I heard at the show, and it was. It also brought
into focus how well they can craft a song, as opposed to hammering and nailing one
together that’s just hard and loud. Songs like "Urbia" and
"Consider Bridgette," once heard, will support my point. So, I guess what I'm
saying is that when you do the math (and I did) Kissinger adds up to an A+. They have
the songs, and they have a show that you will be telling friends and co-workers about on
Monday! If you like this type of music, you have to see this band and I know they'll
be back in Chicago soon. After all, if you ask Kissinger, they will tell you that they
have "A carefully wrought plan for world domination". My parents always
told me to set high goals for myself, apparently their's did to. Here's to rock and roll
domination!
