Thursday, July 11, 2013

Please Be Somewhere Tomorrow Night


Photo from the Mimi Betinis Facebook page.

Power pop fans in Chicago will have an opportunity to see one of the genre’s true pioneers tomorrow night when Pezband headlines a four-act showcase at The Hard Rock Cafe on Ontario. Admission is $10. The Hard Rock’s website shows Alice Sweet Alice kicking things off at 9:00 PM, followed by Spectors at 9:40 PM, and Jacob’s Cabin at 10:30 PM. Pezband is slotted to perform from 11:40 to 1:20 AM.

Led by singer guitarist Mimi Betinis, who had replaced  Cliff Johnson, Pezband made a strong impression with its self-titled debut in 1977. “Please Be Somewhere Tonight” and “Baby, Its Cold Outside” garnered a fair amount of FM radio airplay, and other standout tracks included “Runaway” and “When I’m Down.” The group followed with the Laughing In The Dark LP, as well as the live EP, 30 Seconds Over Schaumburg, which was from a WXRT Budget Concert recorded at the B'Ginnings rock club.

Pezband has seemed to come and go over the years. The last time I saw them was during a short set they did at the Haymakers Reunion at Durty Nellie’s a while back. In 2010, Betinis released the solo CD, All That Glitters, which carried on in the Pezband spirit, and found him dabbling in other musical styles. The Pezband Reverb Nation page promises a new release in the near future. Maybe those in attendance at the Hard Rock Cafe will get a preview.  

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