Tuesday, April 19, 2022

A Double Dose Of IPO This Saturday


International Pop Overthrow - Chicago
has its first 2022 showcase this Friday night at Montrose Saloon (see my 4/16 post), and will follow that bash (pun intended) with two separate lineups on Saturday. IPO Founder/CFO David Bash has additional shows scheduled at Montrose Saloon through April 30. Most of the 60+ acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors.

This Saturday’s first showcase starts with a 2:00 pm set by singer-songwriter Frederick Julius, who describes his approach as lo-fi indie pop with harmonies. His album Fixers and Elixirs earned a nod from Bash as one of the best albums of 2019. The Davenport, Iowa acoustic pop duo Douglas And Tucker return to IPO - Chicago for a performance at 2:45. Matt Specht, a Wisconsin native and guitarist/piano player with the indie pop band Rainy Day Crush, will perform at 3:30.


IPO - Chicago veterans Phil Yates and The Affiliates have three albums worth of catchy, guitar-driven pop to draw from for their 4:15 pm set. They’ve been known to take a humorous approach with their lyrics. Minneapolis band High On Stress adds a bit of country twang to their indie rock music, and their 5:00 pm set will likely showcase tracks from their 2020 album Hold Me In. The Thin Cherries are led by adventurous rock musicians Steve Delisi (Phenomenal  Cat) and Mark Lofgren (The Luck Of Eden Hall). Their latest single, “Weird World” has been picking up airplay on local stations. They’re the last act of the afternoon set, going on at 5:45 pm.

 

The Saturday evening showcase starts at 7:30, and as with the afternoon version, each of the six acts will have a 45-minute set. Bash is pretty good at keeping things on schedule, so you can do the math on starting times. Big Blast recording artists The Mark Watson Band kick things off things with their energetic power pop music. (Watson will be back on stage later that night, as he’s now also a member of The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club.) Power pop band The Queue has a new six-song EP titled Get Out Of Now, and recently performed live on radio station WZRD.


The Unswept features cousins Charlie, Ryan, and Liz O’Brien, who, legend has it, performed in Sheffield, England before moving to the Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago. Their clever material combines the original British Invasion with a more modern edge. They might just have copies of their new album Fast Casual for sale at Montrose Saloon. The Burkharts will be coming from Buffalo, NY for their IPO gig. Their new single “Be Your Lover” features Beach Boys harmonies set to an energetic power pop arrangement. Penthouse Sweets are celebrating 20 years of fun and often wild performances on the Chicago rock scene, and have recorded four albums of rough-edged indie rock. The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club continues its tradition of creating energetic power pop with its recently released new single “Hold You Up.” It’s a preview of their upcoming Big Blast Records album Please Stand By.


Check out the International Pop Overthrow website for the festival’s full schedule. 

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