Uncommon Ground – May 29, 2010

June 24th, 2010 · 46 Comments

Shirey drinks a 9-dollar Bloody Mary – the best he ever had.

Valentiger made a trek in the Ford Focus Wagon to the Jeff Buckley-famous Uncommon Ground in Wrigleyville, Chicago.  Just down the road, Members of Morphine and Jeremy Lyons (whom the boys had met while on tour in Boston) was playing the Double Door.  The band had a funny feeling of things “coming together,” which somehow prompted Shirey to order a 9-dollar Bloody Mary.  It was the best he ever had.  The Rain Vodka was soaked in garlic and the actual beverage held several vegetable sticks.

Zach Blew took the stage first, projecting an incredibly soulful voice to a tight and personable audience.  And then it was Valentiger’s little piece of the pie, as they crammed a tiny floor tom converted into a kick drum into the minimal performance space.  Shirey and Kehoe were about ear-to-ear but all felt comfortable, just coming off the tour.  “Oh My God! This Weekend” and “Oh, To Know” shone for their first all-on acoustic appearance, while the classic Power Lines tunes backed them up.  Rider spotted a few patrons singing along to “Leaving Town” and then it was all over with a quick “Lament.”  Nelken then took the stage to play an incredibly pleasant set of folkish rock, including a cover of Dylan’s “You Aint Goin’ Nowhere.”  Overall, it was a great Saturday night in Chicago and the band got a chance to talk to almost everyone who attended the show.  Shirey even made a stretch down to Wrigley Field to hand out about ten singles, finding one person who’d even previously heard of Valentiger.  Morale was high for the drive to Michigan and with a little help from Burger King, it was a safe trip.  I think Kehoe is definitely annoyed by Burger King’s requirement of a fork to eat their pies.  Thanks to Rachele Eve!

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