And your ears shall hear…

Youth Group is a great band!  They take a page from Tim Booth and James, but have a big sound that is not unlike U2, Coldplay, and many of the greats that have come, gone, and are still with us.  Simply stated, they do pop rock well!  They are incredible musicians, really down to earth people, that love what they do!  They are stars in their native Australia, and even in the U.K. they have graced the biggest stages.  Yet on this windy night in the second city, they seem to be content with playing to the fifty-some people, in this quaint, dimly lit room which is Schuba’s.  They have been a staple on my iPod  since ’05 when they released “Skeleton Key,” and I finally got a chance to see them do their thing in support of their latest masterpiece “The Night Is Ours,” last week here in Chicago!  Youth Group literally blew away every expectation and pre-conceived notion I had.  It’s hard to use the word amazing, now, because it has become a social term to describe something that is just “good.”  But honestly, I could have watched these guys perform for three hours and still have not gotten my fill.  The conviction this band plays with is captivating. There is a tightness of sound, a crisp mix of vocals versus the instrumentation; guitars, keys, and drums.  There is also a freedom amongst the players, mainly because there are no egos, as they bare their soul to the audience with each new song.  Youth Group is truly a “band,” in the purest form!  Toby Martin is the lead singer and you could even call him the band leader at times, moving rhythmically across the stage in his  skinny jeans and gigantic afro.  The difference between him, and say a Chris Martin, is that he doesn’t flaunt his role as a traditional front man.  Every player  in the this band seems to have an equally an important role, at least that is the perception you get when watching them perform together onstage.  There is no Mick Jagger here… nothing to distract from the passion of the songs and the moment being created.  They choose focus and mood over salesmanship, something that comes highly regarded.    They opened with the dreamy “Good Time,”  worked into “One For Another,” then played the title cut off their classic, first record “Skeleton Jar!”  Man, those three alone had everyone in house hootin’ and hollerin, and rearing to go!  From here they spattered about classics like “Two Sides,” “Forever Young,” and one of my overall  favorites “Shadowlands!”  The energy was high as Youth Group played songs from all four of their releases, but spun out of control when they encored with “The Frankston Line!”  Of course, I was yelling for them to play this, and wouldn’t allow the guys to leave until they did!  That’s what type of show this was, the kind where you felt like you were in your living room watching your friend’s band play, shouting out your requests.  But, your friend’s band was really good, and you were actually in your unfinished basement!:)