Elgin bands to headline New Year’s Eve show @ Metro
Two Chicago pop-punk faves are ringing in the New Year* at The Metro. Swoon-worthy gods of the mall, Alkaline Trio will be headlining the evening, but they’ve enlisted the aid of legendary, and recently regrouped, locals The Smoking Popes to insure that everyone is happy, no matter which camp they belong to. (source: Chicagoist)
This is sort of old news. But I suppose better late than never. The show is long sold out of course, but I thought it was pretty neat. Both of these bands were part of the Elgin punk scene back in the early 90s.
Alkaline Trio started when guitarist Dan Andriano, a St. Ed’s alumnus, met Matt Skiba at an Elgin show. They haven’t looked back since. Smoking Popes lead man Josh Caterer lives in Elgin as does quondam drummer Rob Kellenberger, if I’m not mistaken.
New Years…that reminds me, 2006 is almost over so I guess there’s little hope for a 10-year Slapstick reunion. If you didn’t know, Slapstick was a phenomenon, kings of the Fireside Bowl and the most influential band Elgin has ever produced. It broke up in 1996 to spawn bands like the Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, Colossal, etc.
Universally-acclaimed Colossal is now Elgin’s reigning band, but I dont know if they’ve ever even performed in Elgin. Elgin is no longer known as a center for all-ages music, as it once was–yes, people used to drive out from Chicago and beyond to participate in the scene here. Now shows are booked at Dundee’s Clearwater (yes, it should have been Elgin’s Crocker!), House Cafe in Dekalb, etc. Elgin is no longer on the map. It’s surprising that Colossal bothers to identify themselves as an Elgin band.
Under the Taliban clique led by Ed Schock none of this will change. They are prepared to subsidize the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra that is absolutely unknown outside of a ten mile radius to the tune of $125,000,000 (for their concert hall) plus probably another $500,000 a year, while they will put up every regulatory hurdle to prevent the world-famous bands that were born here from ever performing in their hometown. And I kid you not, the bands with roots here tour the world, appear on television, and have recorded dozens of recordings on major labels. The same cannot be said of the ESO, which doesn’t even make an appearance on YouTube.
I’m listening to Slapstick as I write this. I think I burn 200 calories every time I listen to Slapstick. And I will never hear them live. I have to resign myself to that? Can’t somebody start a Slapstick cover band? Call it Johnny & the All-Star Band.
* Old posts on the Elgin music scene
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