I woke up sick the day of this show, with my throat killing me. Did I care? No. There was no way I was going to miss Dillinger Four again (selling out, jury duty). So I went, and here I am, preparing this review for those who may be interested in one of the bands, or the tour itself. Not only will I describe this show band by band, but I also plan to give a little description of the Logan Square Auditorium, as it turns out most people from Chicago have never been here and are a little curious as to how it stands in comparison to the Fireside. So, I’ll separate this review into sections. Skip to whatever section you want to read about.

The Logan Square Auditorium

The venue ‘s entrance is found smack dab in between two entrances to a café type joint. It’s a small door leading to a few flights of stairs. So, right away this brings up some issues if you have friends in wheelchairs. I think there may be a separate entrance in the back, but I don’t think an elevator is present. Might be best to call up the venue and ask ahead of time. So, after the stairs, you step inside a huge banquet hall with a small 3 foot stage in the back, speakers on each side of it. There are tables lined up on each side of the room, with the bar in the left corner as you walk in. All in all, I liked the place. It was a pretty big place (800 capacity I believe), but I highly doubt MP Shows will book a show that big anytime soon. And if they decide to, more power to them. At least we won’t be paying TicketMaster bullshit charges, eh? There seemed to be some issues with the sound in the beginning, but it seemed fine by time D4 played, and they should have that all fixed up as they do more shows. The show was only 10 bucks, too, so it’s not too different from the Bottom Lounge, which is nice.  So yeah, it’s no Fireside, but it’ll do.

Vee Dee

I waited patiently in the smoke filled hall for these guys to start. I had never heard them before, but I had heard good things from the Chicago community. Finally, the three-piece hit the stage and started rocking out. The band played some energetic rock n’ roll, and wasn’t half bad really. However, halfway through, the tuning was a little off, and they neglected to take care of it. Their timing was a little off, too, but they were still fun. I hear their recorded stuff is pretty rockin’, so if you like tunes by such bands as Rocket From the Crypt, maybe give these guys a try. They aren’t a carbon copy, but I can see some similarity. Overall, pretty good.

None More Black

Alright, Vee Dee cleared the stage, and I made my way to the front. I was definitely looking forward to these guys playing. I’ve been spinning their full-length for nearly a year now, and I’ve loved it. After a super long sound check, the boys catapulted into “Ice Cream With the Enemy,” and didn’t slow down one bit. The only bad thing about the performance was the lack of vocals, due to some sound problems, which is too bad, because I think we can all agree that Jason Shevchuk has a great voice. Sound problems aside, NMB played a great, fast-paced set, never slowing down. I highly recommend catching this band or checking out their recorded material. Set list (in no real order):

Ice Cream with the Enemy
(A new song)
(A new song, or a really old song I’ve never heard)
Everyday Balloons
Dinner’s For Suckers
The Ratio of People to Cake
Banned From Teen Arts
Bizzaro Me
Wishing There Were Walkways
Nothing To Do When You’re Locked in a Vacancy

The Briefs

NMB exited, and everyone in the room shifted towards the stage. Except for me, I walked towards a table. I had never heard the Briefs before, and decided I wanted to just watch and listen, rather than be in the pit. I was, however, excited to see the band, as I had heard great things from this very website. The band took the stage, all with blonde hair and sunglasses. The first song started, and the pit went crazy. Everyone was jumping around and singing along, and the band only fed off of this energy. They went from song to song, with little to no banter in between, which was great for the crowd. The Briefs play some great, catchy punk rock, and I’m glad to say I’ll be seeing them again in a week’s time at the Bottom Lounge (well, a week from now. Who knows if this gets posted anytime soon). If you like the Briefs, you have absolutely no reason not to see them, and if you just like plain ol’ fashioned punk rock, you need to be listening to this band. Sorry, though, no set list. Not very familiar with the band, remember? Maybe someone can post it as a comment.

Dillinger Four

I honestly think more people came to this show for the Briefs than D4, but that’s just fine. Less people to climb over. If you’ve never seen D4, there’s one thing you need to know. These guys are hilarious. Well, to be correct, bass player Paddy/Patrick/St. Patrick is hilarious. “This year is the year D4 finally sells out,” started the show’s theme. Jokes involving what you can/can’t do with a girl when you are on major label, how they sold Green Day “DOUBLEWHISKYCOKENOICE” and they turned it into “American Idiot” (listen to the two songs, there’s a similarity for sure), and how you have to have great teeth to be punk rock in 2004 are just a few. In between the jokes, D4 has a habit of playing music. And they play it well. Always spot-on, D4 really never fail live. There is no doubt, as a fan of punk rock music, you should see D4 every single time they come to your town. Here’s the set list as far as I can remember, again in no real order:

Mosh For Jesus
Our Science is Tight (I was surprised they played this, and that so many people knew it)
O.K.F.M.D.O.A.
DOUBLEWHISKYCOKENOICE
Noble Stabbings!!!
Fired-side Chat
Suckers Intl. Has Gone Public
Let Them Eat Thomas Paine
Maximum Piss and Vinegar
(Ok, there was probably more. But, I have sort of forgotten)

So overall, the show was great. If you like any of these bands, or you’re just looking for a good show to spend the night at, I highly recommend this tour. It’s just about done, but oh well. Catch these bands when you can. As for me, I’m sick as hell and I think I’m going to go puke all over myself.