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Review Sat Jan 31 2015
Schubas Got Down with Saint Motel on Friday Night
It might've been chilly outside on Friday night in Chicago, but inside Schubas Tavern things were heating up -- fairy lights were twinkling, Panama hats were being sported, and a sold out crowd was getting down with LA indie popsters Saint Motel.
The night started out with The Moth and the Flame, a threesome of indie rockers also out of LA. Coming on strong with a weighty and sincere brand of indie rock, the group played a short thirty minute set, pulling from their 2013 EP & and their self titled 2011 debut album, but the highlight was the two unreleased tracks "Red Flag" and "Wishing Well." The band is set to release another studio album in the near future -- judging by those two new tracks it'll definitely be worth a listen.
Taking the stage next was the easy breezy fivesome of Saint Motel. Sporting a tiger-stripe guitar strap, square framed glasses and a winning smile, lead singer A/J Jackson led the crowd through the band's catchy, funny, slick 2014 EP My Type, playing "Cold Cold Man," "Ace in the Hole," "My Type" and leading an audience sing along on "Midnight Movies". Although for some reason it seems to have gotten less traction than the new EP, the band's 2012 album Voyeur is also a vibrant delight and the band opened with the boisterous and fizzy "Feed Me Now" and sprinkled "Benny Goodman," "Daydream/Wetdream/Nightmare," "1997" and "Puzzle Pieces" throughout the set.
Working with a keyboard, drums, guitar, and a heaping dose of sax, the band sounded just as polished and infectious as they do on their album. The band is exactly what you'd expect from their recorded work -- silly, slyly smart (their 2009 EP is entitled ForPlay, gotta give them a nod for that) and a lot of fun to be around.