Every January, Chicago morphs into a dark, grey, barren, ice-filled ghost town. Or at least it feels that way, as the ever-bustling nightlife of the city slows to a dull hum and warm weather month partiers settle in for some rest and recuperation following holiday spending sprees, aided by the growing popularity of “dry January”.
Chicago’s own Audiotree understands firsthand how this collective hibernation can impact your favorite independent venues and bars, which is exactly why they created Tomorrow Never Knows (TNK) Fest, a collection of the best and brightest up and comers booked in the heart of January.
I was very excited to attend the January 18 show at Sleeping Village: Geese frontman Cameron Winter in his second solo show ever, following the release of his monumental debut solo album Heavy Metal, with opening band Racing Mount Pleasant (fka Kingfisher).
A seven-piece band formed at University of Michigan, Racing Mount Pleasant took the stage around 9:00pm. Their debut album, released under the band name Kingfisher (their name change was finalized just days before the Sleeping Village shows), titled Grip Your Fist, I’m Heaven Bound was released in November 2022. The group combines indie rock sensibilities (soft guitars and mellow vocals) with dense instrumental harmony and lilting meter changes, resulting in a warm, enveloping soundscape perfect for escaping into during cold January nights. Their sound is reminiscent of artists like Black Country, New Road, and Bon Iver. Despite playing without their drummer until the last song, the band performed a tight set to a receptive audience, and the lack of drums actually somewhat set the stage for the upcoming headliner set. “Do You Think I’m Pretty” was the stand-out track of the set, with an infectious, singable horn riff.
Next, Cameron Winter took the stage accompanied exclusively by an upright piano. His debut album, Heavy Metal, was released in early December of 2024, to mass critical acclaim. The album feels timeless, like it could have been released any time in the last 50 years. Winter taps into a more intimate, raw, and introspective side on Heavy Metal, in comparison to Geese’s raucous, theatrical sound.
Winter controlled the crowd with little more than the pure strength and depth of his voice. Simply sitting at the piano with a white t-shirt on, he played through most of the tracks on the album, with a few unreleased songs sprinkled in. He stopped mid set to show the crowd a few items that had been tossed on stage, such as a Pokemon card, before continuing on, but Winter didn’t need to entertain the crowd with stage banter; the crowd was happy to witness the genius-in-the-making perform so early in his career. His candor and authenticity was a welcome and refreshing change.
The first time I heard Heavy Metal, I felt like I was being spoken to personally. On a literal level, yes, as Winter addresses a character named “Nina” throughout the album, but I was also moved by his surrealistic lyricism littered with introspection on the human condition. Cameron Winter has nowhere to go but up, and I look forward to his meteoric rise to indie rock icon status.