Photo from the Elephonic Facebook page.
International Pop Overthrow - Chicago continues its 2024 run at Montrose Saloon tonight with a six-act showcase. See my 4-19 post here on BHT for all the info.
Looking ahead, IPO - Chicago will wrap up its 2024 run at Montrose Saloon with a pair of showcases this Saturday; one in the afternoon, and then the finale at night. Looking at both Saturday showcases, this last day serves as a prime example of the eclectic approach IPO Founder David Bash takes in choosing the acts. They’re from the Chicago area unless noted otherwise.
The afternoon showcase kicks off with singer-guitarist Steve Delisi, who promises to deliver a batch of new songs from an album due out later this year. Two of those songs, the bluesy “Edinburgh” and mid-tempo, melodic “Will We Run?,” can be found on his Bandcamp page, along with three previous singles. Delisi is one of those adventurous Chicago acts who have travelled across the pond to perform at IPO - Liverpool. Michael Steven Cohen has explored a variety of musical styles throughout his career; including power pop with The Abbeys, harder-edged pop with Pop Dollys, and Phil and Don covers with the Everly Hillbillies. And then there’s his current solo project of covering vintage love songs and standards. Cohen’s IPO - Chicago performance this Saturday afternoon—his 28th overall—will touch on much of that history, along with a brand new song. San Marcos, CA singer-guitarist Scott Samuels’ IPO - Chicago gig will mark his first visit to his old hometown in several years, and he’ll be backed by his high school bandmates. He’s come up with a few new melodic pop songs to go along with the ones from his most recent EP Sunshine And Starlight and previous releases.
Detroit-based Big Stir Records artists The Incurables released their Inside Out And Backwards album of non-stop energetic and often humorous garage rock earlier this year. The highlights include “Soda Pop,” a bass-driven tribute to the fizzy beverage, and the hard-edged rejection voiced in “Go Away.” Status Foe has taken its hard-edged, melodic rock to venues around the country, including Nashville and the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Songs such as “Call It As It Is” and “Peeled And Faded” from their 2022 album Falling Awake have a driving beat and provocative lyrics that are well suited to the ambitious videos the band offers on its website. Chicago power pop band The Second Summer released their debut album undertow this past January, and it’s filled with catchy tunes graced with well-crafted harmony vocals. These guys aim for songs that tell a story without losing the beat. The energetic first track “The Reason” would be a good choice for a single, and other highlights include the likewise energetic “Invisible” and “Wonder Why.”
An hour after this Saturday’s first showcase ends, the International Pop Overthrow - Chicago finale kicks off at 7:30 with Elephonic. The Milwaukee-based septet crafts an appealing power pop sound by adding cello and violin to guitars and drums arrangements. Elephonic’s 2023 self-titled debut album offers melodic gems such as “Until The Sound” and “Rapid Transit.” Longtime IPO fans will be interested to learn this band features guitarist-vocalist Mike Jarvis, formerly of the power pop masters The Lackloves. Deep Cricket Night can often be found performing on the Chicago club scene and has been releasing albums since its self-titled debut in 2006. Songs such as “Sometimes When She Sings” and “Dead Calm” on the band’s 2023 Song Of The Siren Saved album evoke mystery via ornate yet energetic arrangements. Led by vocalist-guitarist Anthony Calderisi, The Band Calderisi offered 11 tracks of catchy power pop music on its most recent album Years Gone By. Highlights from that effort include “Nothing Left To Save” and “Pent Up Frustrations.” They’ll likely perform tracks from Years Gone By, as well as some new music at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago this Saturday night. Anthony Calderisi has also been known to post solo acoustic performances of Beatles songs, such as “I’ll Follow The Sun.”
Since forming in 2018, the trio 6Kitty has performed at a number of venues on the Chicago club scene, including Montrose Saloon. Their 2022 album Tux drew inspiration from acts ranging from Courtney Barnett to The Pixies, with hard-edged songs such My World,” “Tidal Wave,” and “Starfish’r” being among the highlights. High On Stress has released seven albums since 2005, including a Greatest Hits collection and Live At First Avenue. Over the years, the Minneapolis-based quartet has successfully balanced catchy rock songs with Country and Western flavored ballads, predominantly from a workingman’s point of view. Their 2020 effort, Hold Me In, kicks off with the energetic “Work Release” and also gives us the acoustic ballad “Life Can Get So Long.” The Queue will bring this year’s International Pop Overthrow - Chicago to a close late this Saturday night, and they're long-time regulars at this festival. Their 2018 EP Fire And Lies offered the hard-edged pop of “Heart on Fire” and “Take Me Dow” while the “Come On Brother, Come On Sister” single, released last year, matches revolutionary sentiment to a melodic Brit pop arrangement.
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