I walk into Schubas and it feels like all eyes are on me. Out of about fifty people in the room, not only was I one of the youngest, but I was the only girl.
Half the crowd looked like accountants; the other half seemed like a reunion of an Altamont-era Hell’s Angels. Although the audience became a little more diverse throughout the evening (both in age and gender), that initial impression still sticks out in my mind. Who says rock’n’roll’s for young people anyway?
Chicago’s own Del Ray started things off, immersing the audience with their instrumental math rock. An Albatross took the stage next with their tight knit set of noise rock led by singer Edward B. Gieda III, whose frantic hip shaking and crotch grabbing made him come across like Marc Bolan’s evil twin. Irreverent and fun with stellar musicianship, An Albatross made a lasting impression.
Formed in 1967, Blue Cheer is one of the most influential (if underappreciated) bands in shaping the sounds of hard rock and heavy metal. Playing the heaviest blues rock you’ve ever heard on fantastically overdriven tube amps, Dickie Peterson, Paul Whaley (“The New Guy” who has only been with the group for twenty years), and Leigh Stephens gave a riveting performance, captivating die-hard fans and newbies alike.
Listening to tunes like “Parchment Farm” and their massive first hit, a rendition of “Summertime Blues” felt like being hit in the gut with sledgehammer – but in a good way. Blue Cheer was arguably the loudest band of their time. Forty years later, they are still a frontrunner for that title. I left the show thinking that the next time my parents say music was better in their day, for the first time in my life, I might be inclined to believe them.
– Jamie Ludwig
Photo: Blue Cheer