International Pop Overthrow 5

The fifth annual International Pop Overthrow is currently underway in Chicago. Two great bands featuring Chicago scooterists play Wednesday night at Wise Fool’s Pub (2270 N. Lincoln): Jeff Tudor’s band The Shifties, play at 8:30 and The Sonnets, featuring Vee Sonnet and Mike Durso, headline at 11pm. The festival continues here through May 6, then continues at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where both bands will play later in May.

Revealed: Excerpt from Quadrophenia the Musical

Jimmy:What the bloody hell you doin’?

Postman:We could’ve killed you!

Jimmy: (Singing) Ah, fuckin’ heellllll!
Look what you’ve doooone!
You cuuuunts!

Postman: (chanting) Why didn’t you stop? Why didn’t you stop!

Jimmy: (Singing) You’ve killed me scooter!
Look what you’ve doooone!
Fuck off! Leave it alone!
Get off it! Why don’t you kiiiiilll me?
All of ya! Fuck off! (jazz hands)
(etc.)

Quadrophenia heading for the stage

First there was ABBA’s “Mamma Mia”, then Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” We even have the “Boney M” musical arriving in London’s West End later this year.

However, pretty soon it looks like we will have The Who’s Quadrophenia made into an on stage musical as well.

I wonder if they will have the scooters riding around on the stage?

(note: we just realized the linked story was from 2001… oh well.)

Waxon7 Headlines Double Door Thursday

Waxon 7 at Double Door flyerAs any longtime 2strokebuzz reader can tell you, Waxon7 is pretty much the house band of Chicago scooter parties. Abe (the “singer”) leaves his desk at Scooterworks every night to become the Patrick Bateman of Rock and Roll, stripping it down like a Lincoln Park Trixie layered-up in JCrew for a Chicago winter. Guitarist Vee Sonnets crashed my wedding in a red velvet suit. The other guys in the band, well, I’ve never heard them speak, they’re barely human, just some vaguely hispanic mutants Abe brewed up in his crawlspace to help him spread the word. Add some barely-legal go-go dancers and a crowd full of scooterists, and any basement shithole they play is magic. Thursday night just might be their definitive show, they’re headlining the Double Door, the biggest venue they’ve ever played. Cover is $7, or $5 with this flyer, and they’re handing out W7 t-shirts to their fans. Don’t miss it.

What Rocks Us: Stereolab

Super-ElectricStereolab:
“Super-Electric”
from the Black Sessions (French radio?)

Alfredo and I went to see Stereolab last week (thanks Alf!), and while the show was really really great, it was the first time I’d seen them without guitarist/backing vocalist Mary Hansen, who was killed in a bicycle accident in London in 2002. The band bravely and wisely went on without her, replacing most of her vocals with french horn and trombone, which works amazingly well. I only recognized a few songs they played, it was heavy on the newer stuff, which, again, is all very good, but their spiffy professional musicianship now lacks the slacky, noisy indie charm of their first few records, in the same way that today’s Belle and Sebastian just isn’t the same as “Lazy Line Painter Jane.” Both bands have always been tight and densely layered, but both have mellowed out sonically with age.

So in tribute to Mary and the concert last week, here’s a great live version of their first Too Pure single, “Super-Electric,” with Lætitia and Mary on vocals, from French radio circa 1993. It was my favorite Stereolab song until Vina and I decided to get married while “Jenny Ondioline” happened to be playing.

What Rocks Us: Edith Frost

wru_frost.jpgEdith Frost:
“If it Weren’t for the Words”
from It’s a Game
Drag City DC301

We start out with Chicago-by-way-of-Austin-and-NYC singer/songwriter Edith Frost. This song has been a WLUW staple for the last couple months, and the whole album is a mellow Sunday-morning classic must-have. I could name drop all the albums she’s appeared on, but I’ll let the song speak for itself. If you ever get a chance to watch Thrill Jockey’s Looking for a Thrill video, be sure to check out her story, it’s the best on the DVD.

The Vespas

Surely with bands out there called “The Scooters,” “Scooter,” (two!) “Lambretta,” and “The Lambrettas,” you just knew there’s a band called The Vespas. And you’d be right, you can find them in Detroit. They claim to sound like the Pixies/Breeders/Cure, but i think they’re a bit more grungy/punky than that, more like Screaming Trees (and there’s nothing wrong with sounding like Screaming Trees). Their logo appears to be an inverted (aka French) bloaty mod target, but other than that, they seem pretty cool, and they’re worth a listen.