Watch : Doomsday Student - "World Without Teeth"

You know who these men are. They have been other men. 

Who they were before does not matter. What matters most is who they are now. 

These men, with two menacing guitars, violent drums, and persuasive words will control your thoughts. They will build bunkers out of your bones. They will make weapons out of your teeth. They will drink your tears and feed on your meat. 

They will.

Filmed at Empty Bottle.

European tour is wrapping up.  Check the dates.  Enjoy.  

Watch : Thee Oh Sees in Missoula, Montana.

Missoula's beauty is impossible to avoid.  It's essentially nestled in between a gigantic mountain range, and the whole downtown is in their shadows.  When we first told people we were visiting, a good lot of great folks in Chicago had a lot of positive things to say.  Alex White told us to go to Ear Candy Records.  Many told us of good spots to eat, venues to hit up, and people to meet.  For that we're grateful.  After the visit in August, for many reasons, we decided to move here for the winter, and return to Chicago in spring.  More on that later.

Sadly, a great DIY spot called The Lab shut down just before we jumped ship over here for the winter.  We missed Total Fest by mere weeks.  However, what we did realize upon arrival, is that many here share the same ideals as those in Chicago, and everywhere in the world.  They love playing music, creating, and helping each other make a good environment people feel comfortable in.  It's nice to be back in a state where the "shake a day" is considered normal.  The music scene here is surprisingly strong.  

Regardless, we'll get more into that as we keep digging into this scene.  So far, we've tagged along on a roadtrip to a show with bands like The Magpies and Skin Flowers.  Shot a birthday party for local radio station KBGA, and filmed touring and locals alike.  There's some great things going on here, and the vibe is unlike anywhere else we've ever been.

To kick things off, here's a wild set by Thee Oh Sees.  Dwyer talked with us a little about the Coachwhips reunion happening soon.  It was a great show that reminded us of the rowdiness of the city we left.  Missoula can get down when they want to, and I'm sure as people try to shed the grasp of a bitter winter, we'll dig a little deeper down into what people are really all about here.  This was filmed at a local clothing and arts collective called Zoo City Apparel.  ZCA is ran by some great folks a few of you may know, and it's ran like a DIY venue, because that's essentially what it is.  Entry is cheap.  You bring your own beer.  It's refreshing to see kids turning out for most of the shows.

So, this is the first of many videos we'll be posting of our new environment.  Chicago will still be a main focus on this blog until our return in the summer, as we have a ton of unposted footage and things we're working on.  We'd definitely suggest you follow the Facebook and Twitter for some juicier, hyper-local bits, but we've never been big on "upcoming show" posts or news you can find 800 other places.  Thanks to Thee Oh Sees, ZCA, and Missoula in general for such a warm welcome.   Enjoy. 

Watch : Pile's Rick Maguire sing us a few songs solo after a set at Swerp Mansion.

Pile is a band from Boston.  We originally heard about them when a buddy from Milwaukee wouldn't stop raving about their record "Magic Isn't Real", and they just so happened to be playing Casa Donde the next night, so we went to check it out.  As you can see in that video, they're great live.  Pile used to be just Rick Maguire, playing the songs he has written.  He's since recruited a stellar team of hard hitting cohorts that are really something to see live.  He was nice enough to play us a few songs solo after a show we set up at Swerp Mansion.  We'd suggest you catch Pile when they come through your town.  They're spectacular.  Rick is joined by Fax Holiday's Erick Schermerhorn, and the songs include "Haunt", "The Moon", and more.  Enjoy!  

UH BONES : Live at Swerp Mansion

Chicago continues to pump out killer newer bands happy to give a nod to old classics, or in some cases, tear up new alleyways.  While Uh Bones aren't re-inventing the wheel, they're certainly putting a good spin on it, and garnering themselves good enough press in the meantime..  Just recently adding The Yolks' Nathan Johnson on keys certainly should add some good layers to all of this.  Folks from Get Bent and Sex Beat have stated "Chicago, your secret is out" and "you ought to have a new favorite band."

Killer bands like Lechuguillas, Running, Piss Piss Piss Moan Moan Moan have and will continue to blow your eardrums for months, or even years with little to no attention outside a core group of kids getting their minds blown comfortable in dark spaces.  Some of these acts lay waste to basements and houses for years, stoked to just be able to play for kids who love it and want to be there.  They break up at their most potent.  It's what our favorite moments, and this website, has tried to cautiously purvey over the years.  They want to play, for you.  Shit, you want a tape?  Take it.  Want a shirt?  How much do you have?  Uh Bones are no exception.  A welcome addition to Chicago's roster of fuzzy rock n' roll, they're great, and just warming up.  This was a show we recently hosted in 2012 at Swerp Mansion that included newly formed Massive Ego, New Diet, and Boston's PILE.  One of the many bands with a song on that killer Manic Static compilation.  Underrated, for now.  Enjoy.

Bellini - Live in Chicago - 2012

Bellini is a band "from Catania, Sicily, Dallas, Texas & New York City, New York."  They were in town to record their newest LP with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, so they played two shows at Quenchers.  Opening each show were a wide array of friends including Coffin Pricks, Ifihadahifi, and Fake Limbs.  Technical difficulties of night one aside, we thought it was still a damn fine show. 

Some info from their site Snowing Sun : "Bellini is a rhythmic, tight, beautifully aggressive quartet consisting of Agostino Tilotta, his wife Giovanna Cacciola (both also of Italy's famed Uzeda), bassist Matthew Taylor (the Romulans) and drummer Alexis Fleisig (Girls Against Boys).  Though retaining some of the basic elements of their former selves, Bellini are more focused, more structured and more rhythmic than ever before.  They embody the true spirit of perseverance and punk rock, making uncompromising, honest music strictly for the brutal love of it."

Damn straight.  Look for that new record soon.

Watch : Heavy Times - "Lantern Trail"

We could talk all day about how good Heavy Times are. I think you should just watch this new jammer called "Lantern Trail". It's the flip-side to the new "K-9" 7" in Windian's subscription series. You should be able to buy it without the subscription in the next few days. Soon to take over the world. In fact, they're playing a show with Guided By Voices right now.  This was filmed at Roxaboxen.  Buy stuff from HoZac, while yer at it.

Watch : New :: Magic Milk - "Girls"

Magic Milk - "Girls" from GONZO CHICAGO on Vimeo.
Remember when we said we really hope new drummer Maggie sticks around?  Well, she has.  The smiliest drummer on the planet, her pounding adds a good lot to this new song with some slick bass and good yelps.  Instead of popping off confetti and jumping into the crowd, a fierce but subdued Magic Milk ooze out this new jam with steady patience and a swift hand.  It works!  It rules!  Magic Milk!  Girls!  A combination for the ages.  Filmed at the Burlington in 2012.   You can listen to an even fuzzier recorded version here.  Enjoy!

We're heading west for the winter....what does it mean for this space?

Dear heathen followers,

We're heading west for the winter, to Missoula, Montana, and will be back in spring.  What does it mean for this blog?  Surprisingly, not much.  We have so much back-footage, we're actually pretty stoked to dig through it and give you some deep cuts of Chicago past that we haven't been able to get to.

Sure, some of the hyper-local aspects will be lost, but we hope you'll follow us on this journey west to document Missoula, Portland, and it's surrounding areas.  We've been connected to some really solid folks out there.  Thee Oh Sees are playing with Sic Alps in early October.  If you're a touring band heading out that way, hit us up and we'll try and set you up with a show.   As a courtesy,  the Facebook and Twitter accounts will remain local, and up to date about the best shows you SHOULD be going to.   Follow them.

Regardless, Chicago is our home, and we will return around April, you can bet your bottom dollar on that.  Upon coming back, we should be in a position to have every aspect of this site be stronger, faster, better.  Like that one movie!

When we return to Chicago, we plan on launching an absolutely staggering, bonkers project we've been tinkering with for quite some time.  You can also expect a banger of a return show.

I'd like to thank you again for your support over the years.  This is not the end.  Be on the lookout for a ton of killer Chicago footage that's previously unreleased, with a few "Gonzo West" post peppered in, and a peek into a different scene for a brief period.  As always, if you have something you'd like to say : hotmetaldobermans@gmail.com

Watch : SHINER reunite at Bottom Lounge.

SHINER - Reunion : Bottom Lounge. from GONZO CHICAGO on Vimeo.

Shiner.  Uttering the name can bring a sparkle to eyes of even the most jaded old music fan.  Often times, it's followed by a conversation about how they were the best band too few seemed to notice in their prime.  Their final two reunions shows were held in Chicago.  In a flurry of reunions as of late, this one stuck hard.  The most hard-to-impress folks I know were raving about it.  It really was something to behold.  I was lucky enough to be back-stage as they went on and finished night two.  I hugged a very sweaty Gerkin, caring not for myself getting drenched in the process, and told him it meant a lot to finally see them play those songs.  It really did.  Finish this joke for us : I haven't seen that many old dudes freaking out since...

Watch : Mannequin Men's "Farewell Show"

Mannequin Men : The Farewell Show. from GONZO CHICAGO on Vimeo.

I'll spare you a mushy backstory and keep it simple.  Mannequin Men have been a Chicago staple for almost a decade.  They rounded up their favorite bands like Football and Outer Minds, both spectacular in their own right, to send bassist Miles Raymer off to NYC.  While I have a hard time believing this is the end of the band entirely, those who missed this probably won't be seeing anything soon.  A stellar send-off, and the closing of a chapter in Chicago music.  Enjoy!