Warlocks @ Logan Square Auditorium

ARTICLE BY MYCHELLE PETERSON
PHOTOS BY THE WARLOCKS

CHICAGO—NOV. 9 | The Warlocks are one of those bands I’ve always wanted to see, but I have never been in the right place at the right time. Having missed them for years, the anticipation for tonight was great and expectations were high when the band rolled into Chicago in support of their new release, Heavy Deavy Skull Lover. Critics are describing the band’s fourth album as “much darker” than previous releases, and a few have even gone so far as to say it is a “Halloween” album that could not have survived a release date outside of October. Although the tone is dark, I don’t think of Heavy Deavy as a concept album about jack-o’-lanterns and terror. That’s an easy, clichéd conclusion to come to if you don’t actually listen and absorb what’s going on in the music.

Here’s the thing: The Warlocks are on a journey, and you’re invited. Whether you choose to join them and give yourself over to the music, the mood and the illusion is up to you. Naysayers dismiss the band as campy throwbacks to the Velvet Underground, but that’s only because they’re not embracing the beauty of what The Warlocks create both on record and on stage.

The Warlocks wisely asked Darker My Love to open for them on this tour, and the pairing is an excellent one. Augmented by Chicago’s own Grimble Grumble, the triple bill started with lush, fuzzy guitars and moody bass lines, and that sound escalated with each band. Darker My Love’s music is much stronger live than on record, with their songs taking on an urgency and really setting the stage for The Warlocks.

Once the stage was fully covered in manufactured smoke, I knew the time was near for Bobby Hecksher and the gang to take the stage, and I was ready! With this genre of music, I enjoy these live shows in a completely different manner than any other. These are not visual spectacles in the least. It doesn’t matter where you’re standing, and it makes no difference if you’re the short girl standing behind a 7-foot giant. The impact is not lost when seeing a band of this ilk because it’s all about the sonic journey.

To say I was blown away might actually be a slight understatement. The band’s aural assault is courtesy of not one, but two incredible drummers who keep their eyes on each other all night in order to keep the beat going, while the rest of the band provides the grooving guitar jams and sultry bass lines. Hecksher’s vocal wails spiral around the bass lines on such tracks as “Zombie Like Lovers” and then fade away to reveal long, uninterrupted guitar solos. Much of the fun lies in the gradual build up and subsequent contrast between the melodic dreamlike sequences, as they give way to the pure force of heavy guitars and pounding drums. At one point, I truly felt a bit of Iron Maiden-style metal emanating from the stage.

That’s not to say every track is a long, drug-induced heavy metal jam. Title notwithstanding, “Shake the Dope Out” is a total pop track, akin to the Dandy Warhols. It starkly contrasts with the reverb-heavy opus of “Cosmic Letdown” and mellow drone of “Hurricane Heart Attack.” Throughout the set, there’s plenty of time for dancing, swaying and just existing with the music. The balance is a delicate one, and the band seems very aware of the ebb and flow of their tracks, opting for a set list that teeters back and forth between two extremes: heavy guitar rock and fuzzed out, droning mood music.

Audience interaction isn’t high on the list of The Warlocks’ priorities, but as I’ve mentioned, for bands of this genre, it’s really unnecessary. The Warlocks don’t need to rely on stage banter or the singer’s charisma to carry them. Hecksher thanked the audience for coming out and commented on going to Hell and back to get this record done and get back out on the road, but that was the extent of the conversation.

Although the crowd was a bit smaller than I had expected, they were an appreciative, patient bunch, especially when the band came back for an encore that involved a bit of improvisation and fiddling with a lot of pedals and knobs. When the smoke finally cleared and the lights came on, people looked around and realized that they had indeed been on an incredible journey that transcended space and time.

The Warlocks, along with Darker My Love, make their way to Los Angeles on Nov. 17 for a show at the Troubadour before heading to Europe to play several dates with Scenestar favorites Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

The Warlocks w/Darker My Love @ Troubadour, Nov. 17

Comments

[paulag]

fuck yeah!!!!!!! nice!!! i remember the good times, back in los angeles, seeing this band and enjoying the drink and the tunes.

new album rocks, definitively warlocks are bombastic.

woo woo woo woo woo woo

[cheryl]

Great job! :)

[juepucta]

...And my love for the Scenestar ladies continues to grow :P

-G.