It's always a pleasure to see local acts take the Thalia Hall stage. Even better is when you get three amazing acts like Kinsella & Pulse LLC, FACS, and Circuit des Yeux to satisfy Chicago music diehards with an unrelenting wave of incredible music. All three have released fantastic albums this year, so it was an ideal way to experience the new songs and bask in the experimental, avant garde glow of their sounds.
First up was Kinsella & Pulse LLC, the duo of Tim Kinsella and Jenny Pulse. The band once known as Good Fuck (and always will be in my heart) played their damn fine brand of art rock while twisting imagery was proijected on Thalia Hall's brick wall. The night was rife for loud and noise sets and Kinsella & Pulse delivered as they traded off vocals and let the guitars and synths go wild.
FACS followed that fun set by raising the sound level a bit more with their booming post rock. I've always been a fan of frontman Brian Case's bands and FACS certainly ranks high in his vast roster of project. Their latest album Wish Defense, which we recently reviewed, is a shining example of the band's unrelenting nature punctuated by experimental moments that always ends up falling right into place. Everyone in the band was giving themselves into the heavy sounds: Jonathan Van Herik's bass was grooving along, Noah Leger's drumming was massive and powerful, and Case's guitars and mad vocals sealed the whole package together wonderfully.
It's hard to believe that the first time I saw Haley Fohr live was nearly a decade ago, opening up for Xylorious White at Schubas. That set left me completely awestruck, causing me to go into a dive into her early work the second I got home. As Circuit des Yeux, Fohr had a pretty sizable discography that has only grown deeper with every passing album. Latest release, Halo on the Inside, is a very welcome addition to her catalog as it sees Fohr at her most beautifully monstrous.
Circuit Des Yeux's set was a dark and dreamy realm where Fohr could completely let loose and express herself fully. Whether it was letting her deep and mesmerizing voice wash over the crowd or dancing behind/in the floating window draped in flowing cloth, Fohr was completely at ease and in charge of Thalia Hall. Every song felt like a complete transportation into her dense and complex songwriting that was pushed forward by her intensity and excellent band. There was never a single moment where Fohr wasn't as enthralling as her music. The two melded together in a masterful performance that embodied the experimental and unique heaviness her music brings, giving Thalia Hall an incredible experience.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.