Aweful

DS Show Review and Gallery: Motoblot 2023 Sunday with Aweful, Sabbatha, The Surfrajettes, Tiger Sex, and The Delta Bombers Chicago (06.25.2023)

July 10, 2023 | 7:55 pm

Motoblot, the annual motorcycle-focused street festival in Chicago, continued its blast of rockabilly, punk, and rock ‘n’ roll on Saturday, June 25th. The festival featured seven bands that delivered the rock on an excellent outdoor stage next to Cobra Lounge. The crowd was treated to a mix of local and international acts that kept them entertained and energized throughout the day. The first band to kick off the event was The Bama Lamas. Unfortunately I was unable to arrive early enough to cover them this time. However, I’ve written about them in the past and they are a fantastic act. I definitely did myself a disservice in my tardiness.

Up second was Aweful, a gritty post-punk trio from Chicago. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them play at least 10 times now. Traci Trouble, Lucy Dekay, and Izzy Price all performed on point as I’ve come to expect. Aweful delivered a raw and powerful set that showcased their catchy hooks, snarling vocals, and punk attitude. They played all the old favorites as well as new tracks that will appear on their upcoming record. Their set was spiced up but not upstaged by the lineup of motorcycles in front of the stage, revving their engines to take a lap in the spirit of the festival. It was no surprise Aweful once again displayed that they are anything but awful (that was terrible, I apologize) and that they are one of the most exciting bands in Chicago right now.

Next up was Sabbatha, an all-female tribute band for Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, and Dio. The band hails from Chicago as well and consists of four talented ladies who share a love for heavy metal legends. Sabbatha rocked the crowd with their faithful renditions of classics like “Bark at the Moon”, “Paranoid”, “Crazy Train”, and “Holy Diver”. It’s always interesting to hear familiar songs with a different voice, and their voice worked extremely well with their setlist. Justice was done to every song they played. Sabbatha impressed the audience with their skills and passion, and made everyone feel like they were witnessing the real deal.

The fourth band to take the stage was The Surfrajettes, a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto, ON, Canada. The band charmed the crowd with their clever breed of reverb-drenched surf music. They also sported sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner, completing a fitting, unified look and vibe. The Surfrajettes played songs from their debut LP Roller Fink, as well as some covers of surf classics. I admit I did not know the names of the covers, but the melodies were instantly recognizable. The band had the audience dancing and grooving to their fun, catchy tunes.

Up fifth was Tiger Sex, a wild and raucous punk rock band formed in Las Vegas but hailing from Cincinnati, OH. With Kelly’s voice leading the charge, Tiger Sex assaults their listeners with Kei on guitar and Troy on drums. The band unleashed their fierce and frenetic set that included songs like “I’m Not Your Baby”, “Bad Boy”, and “Tiger Walk”. Per usual, they had some antics on stage, such as Kelly bringing an audience member up to do their interpretation of the tiger walk dance. Later she brought Tracie from Aweful up to help her use a dirty old traffic cone off the street as a beer bong. Tiger Sex coated the stage with intense energy, giving everyone a wild ride. Not to be confined to the stage, Kelly brought the mic into the crowd showering the audience members with all of her intensity.

The second to last band of the fest was The Delta Bombers, a Las Vegas quartet that has been tearing up stages since 2008. The band pulled no punches with their high-octane blend of rockabilly, blues, and garage rock. They delivered a memorable selection of songs from their catalog spanning 14 years of recordings. The crowd devoured their energetic and charismatic showmanship, as the band radiated their vibrant breed of sonic power. All and all The Delta Bombers proved once again that they are one of the best rockabilly bands around

It is with further shame that this photographer was unable to stay for Supersuckers, but I have it on good authority they provided a commanding end to a fantastic lineup of bands. Day two of Motoblot 2023 was a spectacular day of music that showcased the diversity and quality of the bands that played. The festival was a celebration of the culture and lifestyle of riders, drivers, and spectators alike. It was another year to remember for everyone who attended.

Check out some photos from the day below. And Check out MerGold‘s coverage of day one here!

by Staff Writer manvsfriction

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DS Photo Gallery & Show Review: Aweful / Alternative Radio / The Side-Bets (Liar’s Club – Chicago, IL 1/21/2023

February 9, 2023 | 5:01 pm

There were good times to be had at Liar’s Club in Chicago on Saturday January 21st. Traci Trouble of Aweful put together a fantastic lineup for the night: a trio of power trios! Three bands with three members each. Let’s dig in! It’s a bit of a surprise I haven’t seen the SIde-Bets before. Local […]

It’s a bit of a surprise I haven’t seen the SIde-Bets before. Local to my Chicago scene, they’re self-described as loud, rowdy, and minimal garage rock, and my description of them would be no different. These boys started the night off right. Dougie Ramone laid out some catchy bass lines that meshed great with Joe’s tight and punchy drum beats. Brendan topped off their sonic footprint with a great driving, crunch guitar sound and grungy solos. Led by Dougie’s snarling vocals, what more could you ask for? If that sounds like your bag, check them out immediately. Side-note for the Side-Bets, they were the only band where none of the members fell down, or laid down on stage for the night.

Alternative Radio filled out the middle of the evening’s entertainment. Hailing from Milwaukee, this was their first time playing in Chicago. If I had to describe them I’d say mix a fair amount of 70’s rock ‘n roll with some 80’s punk edge. The first thing that went in my notes about them was their drummer performing lead vocals on all the songs; you don’t see that every day. The second were his stylish red leather pants. Yes. This dude played drums in tight leather pants. I can’t imagine how sweaty and uncomfortable that must have been but it didn’t slow him down at all. Their bass player had some very fashionable shoes on that may have been his downfall, literally, as he tripped over a cable and fell on his ass. To his accord, he didn’t miss a beat. He did start a trend though, as it wasn’t long before their guitar player was down on the stage too, kicking his feet in the air while rocking his guitar parts. Alternative Radio put on a damn good show, give Milwaukee some love.

Aweful ranks way high amongst my favorite currently-active Chicago bands. I’ve seen and photographed them numerous times before, and boy howdy was I excited to do it again. They just keep getting better and every new song is better than the last, it’s been awesome following them. They came out of the gate strong with the song, “Bubble,” which is an older song but will be coming out on their new album soon. Rocking hard, Bubble brought everything I’ve come to love and expect from Aweful. The stage was full of energy and movement as the girls romped around with a whole lot of head-banging and hair flips. The first thing to draw me in was Traci’s unmistakeable thick-ass bass tone. It filled the whole room with her earworm bass melodies, sure to be stuck in your head. And when she kicks on the distortion it absolutely crushes. I never cease to be impressed with Izzy’s phenomenal drumming, he makes a very minimal drum set sound like a much larger kit, not a lot of people can do that. After the show I was talking to him about his excellent drumming facial expressions and he let me in on the secret. It’s all a reaction to, or an effort to prevent, the stinging of sweat in his eyes. Drummers take note for your own photo charisma. Lucy’s power chords and guitar licks tore up her signature sparkly leopard print SG. Her distinct phaser effect always brings a great atmosphere to the set. The interplay between Traci’s dark vocals with Lucy’s backup singing brought great dimension, making the songs even more memorable. At the culmination of their closing song, Time, Traci and Lucy followed the trend started by Alternative Radio, rocking out laying down on the stage floor. I have to say, besides being awesome musicians the whole band is so friendly and welcoming. I really love them ❤ And you should show them some love at all of their shows.

I’ve never had a bad time at Liar’s Club, but this show knocked everything up a notch. Check out the photos below!

by Staff Writer manvsfriction

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alternative radio alternative radio band Aweful aweful band chicaco

DS Show Review + Gallery: Rock For Rights Chicago w/ Boybrain, Aweful, Djunah, and Heet Deth

August 23, 2022 | 1:03 pm

Story and Photography by Meredith Goldberg Liar’s Club, always supportive of members of the Chicago punk rock community, often hosts fundraisers for various individuals/causes. Recall, the venue sponsored one of the Dying Scene Resurrection Shows recently. On Saturday August 6, 2022, Liar’s Club was the site for one of several local shows benefitting the Chicago […]

Story and Photography by Meredith Goldberg

Liar’s Club, always supportive of members of the Chicago punk rock community, often hosts fundraisers for various individuals/causes. Recall, the venue sponsored one of the Dying Scene Resurrection Shows recently. On Saturday August 6, 2022, Liar’s Club was the site for one of several local shows benefitting the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF). Venues in Chicago and elsewhere have been holding similar fundraisers in wake of the of the Supreme Court of the United States’ 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns landmark SCOTUS decisions in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and endangers numerous other privacy related rights. The announced amount of money raised for the CAF came to almost $2,000.

Boybrain turned on the show’s engine with a hair swirling, brains (of all genders) smashing performance. The dizzying actions of the band members were matched by their striking physical appearances. Suited up in matching half uniforms of t-shirts with “Abortions” written across them in a font reminiscent of rec league baseball jerseys, and athlete-style black grease marks under their eyes. Boybrain slammed though a tight set featuring “Blood Wolf Moon,” off its 2022 debut album In the Company Of Worms. The band is comprised of punk rock veterans from the Chicago area and elsewhere: Patti on guitars and vocals, Inga on lead guitar, Colin on drums, and “Dr. Doom” (whose first name is actually Lauren. Come on though, Dr. Doom is a pretty cool moniker) on bass and vocals.

Aweful, which we featured in the aforementioned Resurrection Show, once again offered its talents to an important cause. The trio, made up of Traci Trouble, Lucy Dekay, and Izzy Price, as always had the crowds pumped and their fists pumping. They ripped through tunes including “Far Away,” “Bubble,” “Just Like Me,” and one of their most popular singles, “No Avail.” Whipping around the stage, guitarist Dekay displayed her usual flair, whilst drummer Price and bass player Trouble fueled the backbeat. Trouble’s gritty vocals matched her stage presence as well as those of her bandmates. It’s always a fun moment to see how she and Dekay go back to back literally, appearing to be simultaneously competing for flashiest performance and joining together to create a single, more powerful organism. So powerful that watching both women then fall away from each other, as if ripped apart, collapsing onto the floor seems the natural next occurrence. Even on the floor, Trouble and DeKay, are at times, still attached, playing a sort of punk rock patty cake with their sneakers.

Djunah, an electrifying two-piece group from Chicago, is comprised of Donna Diane and Jared Karns. Diane pulls triple duty on vocals, guitar, and Moog Organ bass, as Karns powers through on drums. It was a rousing and hypnotic set. Thus far, 2022 has been a busy year for Diane, between recording vocals for Jason Narducy‘s Verboten the Musical, and the band playing festivals and sold-out shows, with at least two more upcoming fests. Those events being Louisville’s PRFBBQLOU2022 in late August-early September, and Milwaukee’s Bay View Bash, in mid-September.

Heet Deth is another 2-piece band from the Windy City. Formed in 2018 by best friends, Julia B on drums and vocals, and Laila E on guitar and vocals, Heet Deth describes itself as operatic. Wearing matching blood red shortsleeve coveralls, with their faces garishly painted red, white, and black, they manage to create their own styles even as the likes of David Bowie and Monkey from the Adicts are brought to mind. Heet Deth’s theatrical appearance is equaled by its non-stop energy.

Good to see the punk rock community standing up for all of our rights, as unfortunate as it is that these rights have to be fought for so vigorously at this point in history. Alas, the fight WILL proceed and there will be great music to keep us inspired and energized.

More photos below!