The people were growing restless. Winds were shifting, heavy raindrops splattered against empty sidewalks. Heavenly bongo sounds echoed in children’s ears. Only one thing was certain: The Greeper was making his way across Chicago.
Geordie Greep, formerly the frontman of English rock band, Black Midi, is a truly captivating force in today’s music. His solo debut, The New Sound, was released in October 2024. And while it was reminiscent of Black Midi’s frantic jazz-baked melodies, The New Sound portrays a more humorous side of Geordie. In the opening track, “Blues”, he wails:
“Can you feel it, you can feel it.
You can feel it, see, there’s a universe in this room.
You scrounger of toilets and pillager of tombs,
you don’t have to work because working is for schmucks.
You know God will light your way,
you are ready to admit to murder, to assault, to robbery, to pederasty, to fraud.
You are ready to take the blame for every crime of all men
but the jury is out to lunch.”
Then he muses: “Do beggars still play accordions? You should pay one to follow you around and play your theme.” Strangely enough, I’ve often thought the same thing.
I was lucky enough to see Mr. Greep and his band (aptly named “The New Sound”) perform Thursday night at the Empty Bottle. The 3.5 hour spectacle was amusing, impressive, and at times reminiscent of what I imagine a really good church service feels like. Geordie’s enchanting aura was matched by his incredible backing band, consisting of keys player Cameron Campbell, percussionist Santiago Moyano , drummer Charlie Schefft, bassist Dave Strawn, and guitarist Ethan Marsh.
Geordie’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics combat intricate basslines and heavy percussion. While I loved hearing this jam-packed album live, I became intrigued with Geordie and his band’s interactions onstage. Throughout (improvised?) jam sessions and a cover of Willie Colón’s “Cua Cua Ra, Cua Cua,” Geordie and his band remained incredibly in sync with each other. I pictured these musicians floating above the audience as one unit, bestowing upon us an auditory mirage from above. I’m not sure what Geordie meant by “The New Sound,” but I’m pretty sure that was it.
Whether or not you enjoy the rambling Greep lyrics, I can say without a doubt this was one of the most musically impressive shows I’ve ever seen. It was just as fun to hear the songs live as it was to see the band interact and bounce off one another in the moment. I also walked away with a newfound appreciation for the bongos, which I realize have been widely underrepresented in my music listening. To quote The Greeper himself, “bongo season is sweeping the globe.” And by the looks of it last Thursday, Geordie Greep and The New Sound appear to be sweeping the globe as well.