Music that took away the summertime blues
August 23, 2010
Unlike many of DeKalb’s college students, DeKalb’s music scene does not take summer vacation. It continues to rock regardless of the season, and if you took several months off to council campers in your hometown or backpack across Europe with your grandma, you missed some seriously epic shows. That’s why we present to you DeKalb’s top four summer shows.
When: Sun. July 11
Where: Otto’s Nightclub (118 E. Lincoln Highway)
On a night off from touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, this alt-country sextet found time to give Otto’s a taste of their angsty southern rock. With three guitars whining over their poignant and often morose lyrical vignettes, the Drive-By Truckers are a cathartic window into the moody south. With so much media attention, it was a rarity to catch the band in the cozy Otto’s Nightclub. “In my opinion this stands as one of the greatest shows this town has ever seen. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic, happy to see the band in such a small and personable club,” said John Ugolini of Kickstand Productions.
When: Wed. June 16
Where: The House Cafe (263 E. Lincoln Highway)
With two studio length releases, and a third announced to drop in 2011, the up-and-coming post-hardcore rockers sold out The House Cafe on a Wednesday night this summer. The California-bred musicians have become known for their violently energetic strain of hardcore, howling about friends and enemies in an apocalyptic battlefield. As the band has such a bright future, there was only a small window of opportunity in which you could catch A Skylit Drive at the local café in downtown DeKalb.
When: Wed. July 28
Where: Otto’s Nightclub (118 E. Lincoln Highway)
The Crash Kings have only one studio length album, and yet their single, “Mountain Man,” landed on the top of Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. The trio, consisting of a minimal drums, bass and keyboard dabbles on the experimental side, but is extremely listenable.
Open Mic at The House Café
When: Every Monday
Where: The House Café (263 E. Lincoln Highway)
Exploding with local talent, The House Café’s Open Mic consistently blends an enjoyable show of local amateur and professional musicians with a few special, out-of-state guests. Guest artists this summer have included Fire in the Circus, Asumaya, The Atomic Age, Run Forever, Mapmaker, and The Transatlantic, according to Matthew Clark, who emcees the event.
