If there’s one thing that I love about Witching Hour, it’s the comedians who perform. Tonights performers were Caribbean-born comedian Janelle James and Chicago-bred Liza Treyger.

The night started right off the bat with Janelle James opening statement being “Ima talk about my titties and shit,” which received numerous laughs from the audience.

James was an amazing performer, speaking as if she were talking to close friends, anything and everything rolling off her tongue. Those are my favorite kinds of performers — ones that don’t sound too scripted and are able to create a feeling of closeness with the audience.

James had the audience rolling with the themes she was talking about, one notable one being the topic of catcalling. She recalled a time that a man in NYC told her “You look like you got a juicy pussy!” and other horrendous tales of men in New York.

She briefly touched on more political issues, like the Me Too movement and Louis CK, but for the most part strayed away from political humor. She went on to talk more about her family life and relationships.

If you thought that Janelle James had a vulgar set, then you were in for a treat when Liza Treyger came on stage.

Liza Treyger came out on the stage, guns blazin, show ready to start. Her comedy routine started out talking about her time at Iowa State University getting arrested for drunk driving (longer bit below).

She has a particular style of comedy that is kind of self-demeaning but very self-aware. Personally, I have a terrible sense of humor where nothing is off limits, so I find this type of comedy funny. Not to mention, it seems all-too-relatable right now, as that self-deprecating type of humor is sort of “in” right now.

Treyger continues on talking about a getting out of a previous relationship and described her depression as “Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka but instead of other people in bed with me, there were food and dildos.” I honestly don’t think I have laughed that hard in quite some time.

Treyger also talked extensively about porn — the kind she likes to watch, some porn subscriptions she has, and the difference between when men finish versus when women do. If you’re not the kind of person that likes to talk about or hear about porn, then Liza Treyger is probably not the comedian for you. She’s very open about her sexuality and porn preferences, like ai deepfake generators and the like, which made it fun to laugh along with her about these things.

One of her best acts was getting some audience interaction and asking different questions for the men and for the women. For context, she created a situation where you hook up with someone and then are telling your friends about it later.

For the men, she said “Clap if your buddy asks you if you came,” followed by silence. When she asked the women, nearly every woman in the room clapped. It was totally a “You had to be there” kind of moment, but I think she really put her sociology degree to work there.

If I were you, I would definitely check out some of their comedy on YouTube and Netflix because there was not a moment where I wasn’t bubbling up with laughter.

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Opening with one of her most popular songs, “Sleepwalker”, Byrne’s show helped me find the joy in her music. Each of her songs seemed livelier and genuinely happier live, as she exuded a calming euphoria. She made jokes about living in New York and referenced the “Double Rainbow” YouTube video. Apparently, she almost named “Follow My Voice” double rainbow, until a friend showed her that video.

Byrne’s intricate guitar playing was the only musical accompaniment, but it often felt like there were more players with her. At times, her guitar was playing so many notes it seemed impossible that it could come from only one guitar. Yet, Julie Byrne sat alone on the stage.

Her voice sounded strong in the space, delicate yet not hidden. She rose above her surprisingly robust guitar playing, which seemed more urgent. At times I worried her guitar playing would overtake her voice, but she was always present. Byrne’s voice was calming and beautiful in the space, which felt intimate. Audience members sat on the floor near her and milled around at the tables but kept silent. Once she began, the entire room felt entrapped in her playing.

At one point in the show, Byrne played a cover of Nico’s “These Days” a choice which both surprised me and made complete sense. The song, a beautiful and nostalgic ballad, fit completely with her set and was greeted with excitement from the crowd. Her voice seemed perfectly suited to the song and she slightly adapted it to fit her sound, yet no major changes were necessary. The song felt as if it belonged to Byrne in that moment.

After playing “These Days”, Byrne asked the audience what their favorite lyric from the song was before naming hers as, “I had a lover, I don’t think I’ll risk another these days.” Then, she went into “Emeralds” off of her album “Rooms With Walls and Windows” before coming back to continue her story. She spoke about the fear of being hurt inherent in Nico’s lyrics before exclaiming love was perennial. Joy and optimism overcoming doubt for her, a worldview cemented with the happiness of her show.

The set wandered throughout her two albums, yet it never felt disjointed. Byrne has a sound so defined that her older songs sounded right at home next to those off her most recent album. It never got stale, as her guitar playing switched around enough. Her lyrics also felt invigorated in the space, with audience members seeming to agree with her ruminations on loneliness and related to her wanting to escape New York.

Byrne ended her show with her song “Marmalade”, which was greeted with a loud cheer from the very hip-looking kid next to me. She continually thanked the audience and seemed surprised at the genuine and enthusiastic response she received. She shouldn’t have been; the show proved Byrne is adept at performance and deserves all the love she received that night. Her show was joyful and a delight altogether.

For another great Julie Byrne live performance, check this out:

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hair intermittently came straggling up to the stage with beers in hand. The unabashed first chords of their opening number burst through Gabe’s, fitting of Commander’s description on the Witching Hour website: “We’re a band. Some of our songs are loud and fast, some are less loud and less fast.”

Guitar and percussion heavy, Commanders’ inventive rock sound has an unyielding focus on beat that reverberated into my bones. Shawn Haigwood, the lead guitarist, tackled countless solos, each more complex than the last. Overlapping guitar melodies between Haigwood and the other two guitarists, Dustin Kelly and Ben Minniear, created a revolt of sound that materialized the overall vibe of unruly freedom in the music. The final piece to the puzzle, Dan Davis on drums fueled movement with his driving beats.

To compete with the intensity of sound from the instrumentals of Commander’s music, strong vocals are necessary to cut through the pulsating rock base. That is exactly what you get from lead vocalist, Chris Burns. Powerful belts stuck out yet complimented the fascinating mania of the music. Though sometimes he tiptoed into shouting territory, Burns’ voice handles subtle melodies and climaxes equally well, impelling you to listen.

Burns was a enchanting figure to watch on stage. He swayed and shimmied along to the beat, even cradling the microphone at moments during the performance as if his life depended on it. The physicality and devotion Burns brought to the stage made each song its own unique experience.

The majority of the set hailed from their 2017 debut album, “Stones, Stooges and Spacemen”, but they featured a couple songs from their forthcoming EP, “Odd Disasters”.Though not available for streaming yet, Little Village’s review of the EP signals it as a promising showcase of experimentation for the band.

Hardly pausing between songs, the band members were of few words and let their music do the talking. “Go Back Down,” a high-energy track with simple lyrics and a catchy guitar hook, was my personal favorite.

Each member seemed fully absorbed In the middle of the set; a PBR can knocked over on stage and they weren’t even fazed, Haigwood simply sliding the still-fizzing beer out of the way with his foot while completing a guitar solo.

Finishing out the night with the cacophony of noise that is “Under the Feral Spell,” I felt like a groupie for a rock band as the final guitar chords faded out to the whoops and hollers of the crowd.The carefree nature of their sound transferred into the demeanor of the audience as well, a few listeners hopping up and down around in front of the stage, just free. Toeing the line between rock and metal, the Commanders music could make anyone bang their head along to the beat.

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Puddles the Clown took the stage at the historic Englert Theater last night in a truly astonishing fashion. With everything from physical comedy, audience participation, and a wickedly powerful yet beautiful voice, Puddles owned his performance.

The environment of this concert was something I never have experience before. It was filled with both a heightened sense of excitement, but also a large amount of playfulness. This sense started when Puddles walked all around the balcony, and floor seating before the show started. He took the time to shake hands, greet, and hug as many people as he could before he took the stage.

This adorable act of love and kindness was something to behold, but I was happy to see how Puddles made it a point to shake hands and thank all the Englert’s ushers and workers before beginning his show.

Once the show started, Puddles started with an onslaught of hilarious physical gags that caused the audience to be in humorously tense anticipation, with people calling out from the audience through out to support the clown performer.

The amount of time Puddles spent taking audience members to the stage and including them in on gags and his powerful performances was something I was shocked and delighted to see. The way he graciously greeted and treated all the participants was something that warmed my heart.

The audience was definitely a great aspect of this concert, with nonstop love being shouted at the stage. The cheers of joy when seeing Puddles accomplish something as wacky as skidding a stool across the stage was something that made the show a warm place to be.

I was shocked to see that the age of the audience ranged from middle age to toddlers. I won’t lie, I was shocked to see such young children love this 6-foot-tall clown, but it was a heartwarming sight to see them run up and tackle him for a hug.

The main aspect of this concert that made it great was Puddles’ amazing voice. I have never heard someone carry such a beautiful tone in person before. His voice created a wall of sound that wrapped around you in a way you never knew a voice could.

He was also extremely expressive when singing. Not only putting in the occasional gag, but to see the real emotions these lyrics were bringing out of this white pastel face performer. The huge presence he brought physically was minor compared to the mammoth size presence of Puddles’ voice.

Hearing songs such as Pinball Wizard, Royals, and REM’s “Losing my Religion”, was something I was so excited to hear in person. I have been a fan of Post-Modern Jukebox for a while and thus became a big fan of Puddles, a frequent collaborator.

Hearing these songs be sung by someone with such a new style and powerful voice definitely added a new depth of love for these songs. For anyone who has not looked into Puddles the Clown, I highly recommend him. His music covers all generations and his voice will find a spot in your heart that you never knew you had before.

For some videos of his songs see the links below.

Royals 

America’s Got Talent 2017 Puddles Pity Party

Space Oddity 

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Squirrel Flower sounds like driving home in this tunnel of simultaneous half-remembered youth and ancientness.

Ella Williams has a way of sucking the air out of the room with her arresting yet understated ballads on love, memory, time and loneliness. With a voice as bright as a jet stream, she sings terrible truths in an unassuming way. I feel what is said before I hear it. When she sings “Condtions”, and the heavy rock sound underscores her singing, I feel a restrained anger pacing beneath the chords.

Don’t look at me like that, like you’ll kill me

I can outrun you and I’ll do it gracefully

‘Cause I’m gentle but I can’t move slowly

Don’t you dare say you do not know me.

Both awful and hilarious for its complete surreality, Williams tells us that “Conditions” was ripped off by a popular Russian rapper. She says she imagines the thousands of presumably hyper-masculine Russian men enjoying the performance of her song. It is an incongruous image with a song that is laced with undeniable female nuance. The emotional and lyrical themes of “Conditions” strangely reminds me of Gwen Harwood’s poem, The Lion’s Bride.

… she came daily with our special bowl

Barefoot into my cage, and set it down:

our love feast. We became the talk of town,

Brute king and tender woman, soul to soul.

In the end, the lion devours the woman in a fit of delusion over what he believes she is over her humanity. Squirrel Flower offers an antithesis to this in her marble-smooth voice in “Not Your Prey”.

Feel you lurking, on the move, eyeing my back, making me shiver.

But if you touch me I won’t be still.

You’re no predator. I’m not your prey, I’m not your kill.

Unerring as an arrow, Williams’s lyrics land true. Understated but no less powerful for their stripped back honesty.

As she takes the center stage alone to finish out the set, the lights dim until only two green lights remain. Two green searchlights illuminate her, and these eyes glow as she paints a mist of time and loneliness over the room.

For a second, she sets a thousand mile stare over the audience into a memory that we can’t see, and she can’t reach. Midwestern Clay is a vignette from the grasslands of middle America and feels like the musical equivalent of watching a sunrise alone.

I got no idea what’s keeping me in the air

But nothing’s keeping me on the ground.

//

I got no idea what I’m doing here

But I’m here cause I got no place else to be.

There is an interesting distinction between ‘no place else to be,’ rather than ‘no place else to go.’ There is a kind of passivity, a sense of floating from place to place rather than actively swimming.

If you enjoy the kind of grungy sound and lonely girl rock of Mitski and the suburban nostalgia of Lorde’s “Pure Heroine”, Squirrel Flower is a must listen. Listen to her most recent album “Contact Sports” below, and find her on social media.

Instagram

Facebook

Bandcamp

Twitter

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