SHOW REVIEWS
Reviewed by Theresa Killebrew
The M's
Sometimes you go out on a friend’s recommendation expecting all the wrong things. I was this way with the M's. I was expecting something in the vain of Built to Spill, What I got was about an hour of blown away. With a basic four piece configuration, the M's brought all the energy and funk of a Parliament Funkedelic show, all the trippiness of a day with the Other Ones, the songwriting skills of Built to Spill, the Shins, and maybe even a little of the sweetness of the Velvet Underground. Still, they somehow manage to keep their Chicago roots. I sat on the side of the EXCELLENTLY equipped and meticulously teched Subterranean stage at the Wicker Park Summerfest with eyes glued to the stage. It was frequently easy to see which member could form which future offshoot, like watching Pavement and understanding where Stephen Malkmus was headed, and where Spiral Staircase was headed, or watching Uncle Tupelo and seeing the future possibilities of Sun Volt and Wilco. That doesn't take away from the experience though, it only adds to the miracle of their tightly symbiotic sound. The M's push the edge of a jam band, but they seem to stop right before it gets boring, and still just after you realize you are amazed. I can't wait to see them again.
