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EVENT: Chicago Ribfest '08 ARTISTS: Company of Theives, Skybox, Treaty of Paris DATE: June 7, 2008 WRITER: Tasha Schalk
A little bit ago, I attended a two-day rib pig-out-a-thon along the intersection of Damen, Lincoln and Irving Park: the Chicago Ribfest. Noted restaurants such as Calvin’s BBQ, The Fireplace Inn and Freddy’s of Chicago had tents set up selling their smoked delicacies. The Malt Shoppe and Coldstone Creamy sold ice cream to help beat that mid-spring heat. And my favorite, the Chicago Chocolate Company, was also there, with their mouth-watering chocolate fountain that looked good enough to swim in.
The entertainment consisted of two stages with 10 to 11 acts per day. Primarily, I was interested in the Bud Select Stage on Saturday, June 7, since several noted local bands were playing. Unfortunately, I missed the first two bands, Boho Paisley and Rafter, and arrived just as Company of Thieves was setting up their equipment.
As a fan and photographer, I have been to several Company of Thieves shows, each one better than the last. Since the Chicago-based rock band released their debut CD Ordinary Riches in May 2007, they have received innumerable positive reviews, including one on Yahoo which claimed that the CD was, “hands down, one of the best debut albums of 2007.” CoT, as their fans call them, have played countless venues around the country, including Rockefeller Center in New York City and The Metro in Chicago, and are frequent festival headliners. They recently played Milwaukee’s summer festival (aptly called Summerfest) on June 29th.
With the credentials listed above, one naturally expects Company of Thieves to deliver a great performance. I have never been let down.
They opened their set with the acoustic version of fan favorite “Oscar Wilde.” Singer Genevieve Schatz’s powerful vocals easily carried the tune, and guitarist Marc Walloch gave it his all. After the second song, the rest of the band - drummer Mike Ortiz and bassist Bob Buckstaff - took the stage to add some electric energy to the show.
Despite the sparse crowd (most likely a result of the nasty forecast) Company of Thieves played as if they were in front of masses of fans.
Halfway through the set, the projected forecast became a reality and the sky opened up, covering the audience with an unrelenting spring shower. Undaunted, CoT continued to play their song “Pressure” as the sound techs rushed to cover any exposed electrical equipment.
As a testament to the sheer power of their live performance, and to the dedication of their fans, the crowd stayed to see the entire set, despite the water plummeting from the sky. As Schatz sang one of the last lines of Pressure (fittingly, “I’m waiting at the bus stop, in the morning, it’s pouring…”) festival management pulled the plug on the show until the rain tapered off.
Undaunted, Schatz joined the fans in the rain because she “felt bad for them getting all wet while she stayed dry.” For the next fifteen minutes, Schatz and Thieves’ fans cavorted under the pouring sky, until the show was finally given the green light to continue.
After returning to the stage, CoT finished their set with two songs, a cover of “Say It Ain’t So,” and an original, “Under The Umbrella,” to great applause from a multitude of wet fans.
Anxious to dry off, I took shelter during most of the following band’s set. Skybox, a local Chicago favorite, is an interesting four-piece who describe their sound as “spacey indie-pop.” I only caught the last few songs, but it seemed an accurate description of their unique sound and stage presence.
Headlining the Bud Select Stage that night was Treaty of Paris, the first band signed to Airport Tapes and Records, Andrew McMahon’s new label.
Since signing, Treaty of Paris has recorded a new album entitled Sweet Dreams Suckers, and has toured the country with the likes of Jack’s Mannequin, The Spill Canvas, Yellowcard, and many others. A Chicago indie-scene staple for years, Treaty had hordes of local fans who braved the inclement weather to see the show.
Despite the set almost being canceled several times due to the weather, Treaty of Paris finally took the stage around 9pm, much to the delight of their fans.
Touring has been kind to Treaty; they started their show with an energy that shocked me. They sang several songs from Sweet Dreams Sucker, including the extremely popular “Waking Up The Dead,” and “Hello Nurse.” New bassist Nick Fonzi wowed the crowd with his energy, while guitarists Dan Wade and Phil Kosch played expertly; drummer Chris Insidioso didn’t miss a beat. Lead vocalist Mike Chorvat sang to the crowd, and even climbed up the side speakers to reach out to fans a few rows back.
I could not have wished for a better beginning to the outdoor concert season. The rain, the bands, and the food at Ribfest made it one of the more memorable concerts I have been to in the past year.
