Review Thu Sep 17 2009

Live Review: Bad Veins @ Subterranean 9/15/09

By Michelle Meywes

One of my favorite albums as of late has been Bad Veins' self titled debut--from start to finish. The album reminds me a lot of The Killers' debut Hot Fuss--over-the-top, danceable indie-rock with the same longing in the vocals. Bad Veins have a lusher, more orchestral sound though, and aren't afraid of their softer side. You'll find yourself singing along, yelling the full-of-feeling choruses --I often get them stuck in my head and catch myself singing 'I would be lyin if i said i never hated you!' around my house.

While their name might not be in your musical lexicon quite yet, drummer Sebastien Schultz and keyboardist/guitarist/singer Benjamin Davis have gotten quite a bit of attention lately with their single "Gold and Warm" popping up on indie radio stations, as one of MTV's Bands You Should Know, and songs appearing in Gossip Girl and The City.

On Tuesday night, the Cincinnati duo played at Subterranean opening for LA group Division Day who they are currently on tour with. I walked in just in time to see them take the stage, and turns out they had just arrived as well--Davis saying that his eyes were still adjusted to the van and that there's something to be said for that downtime between rolling in and actually playing. They didn't sound affected however, making a whole hell of a lot of noise for two guys (although maybe it was a little too loud for that small of a room--but lets attribute that to the venue's eager sound-tech). That lush multi-layered sound could be attributed to their third "member" Irene--a 1973 reel-to-reel tape machine that took center stage.

The whole time watching them, I couldn't remember which song was my favorite because every time they started into one, I thought 'oh, I love this one!' It was hard to tell if I was the only one in the audience mouthing the words, but the modest crowd did take notice, shifting to the front of the room during "Falling Tide," which is probably their hardest rocking song. They closed with "The Lie," Davis singing into a megaphone, distorting the vocals just so and creating a sense of distance. My only gripe of the evening (besides the loud buzzing feedback between songs) was that I wish they would have played more than a 30 minute set.

If you missed them this week, then consider this a preview because they're coming back to Chicago in about a month with The Subjects--a clap-along indie pop group from Brooklyn. The show is at Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) on October 8th. Tickets are $3 in advance, or $8 at the door.