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Concert Fri Nov 16 2012
Preview: Making Americana Pop with Exit Ghost @ Double Door 11/20
Recently named one of "Paste's Top 10 Illinois Bands You Should Listen to Now," Exit Ghost has steadily been building a following around town playing traditional venues along with galleries and theater spaces over the past few years. Their recently released album Move Alone (which can be heard in its entirety on their soundcloud), hits a sweet spot between Springsteen's anthemic pomp and Harvest's nonchalant, folky swagger. On Tuesday, November 20th, the local country-rockers will be playing the Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee, after capping off a late-summer tour of the Great Plains.
On record, lead songwriter Evan Holmes takes on the many disparate strains of mournful Americana blazed by artists like Neil Young and Springsteen with renewed optimism, giving each song a pop sensibility similar to peppy indie-poppers like Tegan and Sara and an attention to atmospherics on loan from The National. The result leans more toward classic pop than dust-bowl Americana, but the songs pack plenty of gnashing guitars, densely layered production and sincere lyrics throughout to keep listeners guessing. On stage, the newly minted five-piece band gives the tracks from Move Alone a three-guitar attack, with as many as four members offering harmonies to help each chorus swell. The band often plays new and unreleased material from show to show, the result of constant demoing and Holmes's workman-like approach to songwriting. Tuesday's show continues their upward streak, showcasing the band's attention to contemporary detail and reverence for their past.
Check out their video of "Delicate Man" on Show Me Shows, a monthly music video series based in St. Louis, MO:
Exit Ghost will be followed by headliners Rah Rah, with Violet Lights and Parallels and Lies opening at the Double Door on Tuesday. Tickets are $5 at the door and $7 online, and can be purchased here.