I know that you, the savvy ears of our readers, need little to coax you to see a performance from the sublime joy that is Stereolab. The bulk of you will make the extra effort to hear Bradford Cox’s dreampop excursion as Atlas Sound. If you enjoy either of those bands then you are truly in luck as a beautiful thing awaits you if you arrive just an hour earlier. In an age of packaged tours with little leeway for the booker’s of large clubs to find a spotlight for local bands, this is something that the 930 Club has always done well – they just don’t get the chance to do it as often as the past – which is open the evening with a sympathetic act and expose them to a bigger crowd than they would have on their own. Tuesday brings one of those wonderful instances and you would do very well to be sure to arrive in time to see Chessie take the stage first.
When DC’s finest shoegazers, Lorelei, went on hiatus, Stephen Gardner paired up with Ben Bailes to create moody soundscapes based around an inspiration culled from a love of trains and the locomotive chug and churn. Their instrumental output over several albums has reminded me of such masters as Talk Talk (high – and deserved – praise.) It is the sound of the middle of the night. Contemplative with long stretches of subtle tension, it is achingly beautiful in composition and will set the mood for the evening perfectly.
Make no mistake about this being a special performance either. Chessie necessitates a growth spurt to achieve its music in a live setting, and this evening will cull together some the top performers in DC. Besides Gardner and Bailes, Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Matt Dingee (Lorelei and Lu) and Justin Moyer (Edie Sedgwick and Antelope) will fill out the stage. If you don’t trust my sensibilities in making this recommendation (how dare you by the way) then just take a look at the accreditation of those involved.
It is not often that you have the opportunity in this town to see three bands making an evening so perfect. The groups are far from carbon copies of one another, but rather innovative and sympathetic so that the flow from one to the next will be smooth and fulfilling. Also highlighted is the unique relationship Stereolab has had with DC, going all the way back to the landmark show with Unrest and Lorelei that was the beginning of Gardner’s long friendship with the members. Let Tuesday become the beginning of your friendship with Chessie.
Photos from the band’s myspace profile
