AM Taxi to hit DeKalb in the p.m.

By Aurora Schnorr

Tonight, all you people 21 and over drop what you’re doing and head out to Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, for some good, old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll featuring AM Taxi.

AM Taxi blends old school punk with mainstream rock sensibility and just a dash of reggae. Lead singer Adam Krier sounds just as good, if not better, live as he does on the group’s album, We Don’t Stand a Chance.

Some of the members of the Chicago-based band might seem familiar. Fans of Lucky Boys Confusion will recognize Krier and bassist Jason Schultejann. The guys began the band American Taxi in 2007, and eventually shortened the name to AM Taxi due to similarities to other bands.

The band was signed to Virgin Records in April 2010 and We Don’t Stand a Chance was released that June. The studio album lived up to fans’ expectations, staying true the band’s live sound. In a review on the website Brooklyn Underground, Jordan Reisman wrote, “Believe me when I tell you that this does not sound like a watered-down major label band. It is honest punk rock ‘n’ roll music straight out of Chi-Town.”

In the following nine months, the band members grew increasingly frustrated with their label. In March they posted their split from EMI and Virgin, stating that they felt the label had held them at a stand-still.

As an added angry goodbye sentiment, and a reassurance to fans that the band will keep moving forward, AM Taxi recorded a cover of the Sex Pistols’ “EMI” and released the link to the video in the post.

Tonight will be AM Taxi’s second show at Otto’s this year, and if its Jan. 13 performance was any indication of how it will be, then prepare yourself for a good time. Chicago punks the Frantic and the poppy alternative Dash Cunning will be opening. The show cover is $10 and starts at 9:30 p.m.