We have all had those nights. Friends from out of town visit, the bartender over serves you, you wake up with a half-eaten pizza and 22 responses to your blackout texts. The Kickback is a little bit those nights- “all over the place,” intoxicating and a hell of a lot of fun. The band makes no apologies, nor should they.
True to form, the Chicago-based indie rock band destroyed the Mercury Lounge stage Saturday night. Lead singer, Billy Yost opened with the steady building “Fanger.” The calm and reassuring lyrics of “You don’t have to worry/ you know I’ll always be there,” eased listeners in and then the shrill of the guitar hit the audience’s ears like an oncoming train. The crowd was transfixed.
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
Yost shed his blue sporting jacket foreshadowing what was to come. The quartet needed all the space they could find as they jammed and staggered across the stage. Yost was out of his mind as he sung “Sting’s Teacher Years,” while Ryan Farnham smashed his drums in defiance. After watching Eamonn Donnelly (bass) and Jonny Ifergan (guitar) perform it was hard to argue that Yost was the frontman. Both were so lost in their playing that they often bumped into each other.
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
The band played five songs from its debut album, “Sorry All Over the Place.” The EP, produced by Jim Eno of Spoon, is a comprehensive display of the group’s talent. There are soft ballads, over the top guitar riffs, strong vocals and sound weavings that echo rock, electronic and classical music. The album, like The Kickback’s performance offers something for everyone.
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
As into providing the audience with best live show possible, their act was not without commentary. Yost asked those in the crowd who had divorced parents to cheer and poked fun at Mark Bachara, who recently directed the video for “Scorched Earth Brouhaha,” as he thanked him for his support. But what do you expect from a band who sites David Foster Wallace as one of its inspirations and claims that their interests include fast things, Hunter S. Thompson, landline telephones, Muppets and entitlement? At the end of the day, The Kickback are just four guys who don’t take themselves too seriously and want to rock. They will continue their tour through March and stop in Austin, Texas for SXSW.
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
The Kickback
Article: Alx Bear
