By Don Jacobson
Today we introduce a new feature for The Beachwood Reporter’s all-but invaluable music page. We call it “I Shot the Band.” In this groovy new feature, we’re aiming to create a Chicago music fan’s guide to the seemingly unending stream of local band videos available on YouTube.
Now, we’re not talking about the slick, professionally made kinds of videos done by paid filmmakers who obviously one day hope to be directing $50 million slasher movies. You can see those anywhere. Nah, what we’re talking about here is tracking down, sorting out and ultimately holding up for praise or ridicule the bajillion gigabits-worth of amateur works produced by people who aren’t slinging a camera for the money, or for professional advancement, but for the sheer devotion to the bands they’re filming.
Their works are labors of love, to be sure, so it probably wouldn’t be fair to just totally lambaste them because they’re out of focus or have crappy sound or something. After all, some of these vids are shot on the sly . . . I will give points for such chutzpah. But because their makers are slapping them up there on YouTube for everyone to see, we feel we have the right to apply a little critiquing action to them. After all, there are thousands of these band videos to choose from . . . there needs to be some kind of standards by which to sort them all out. I have volunteered to pore through these videos so you don’t have to. You can thank me later.
I’m going to concentrate on Chicago-area bands to begin with, mainly because I also see “I Shot the Band” as a way to give the local music scene some exposure. It may expand beyond that . . . probably depending on how long I can stand watching video after video of middle-aged white guys dressing up like the Blues Brothers and jumping around to some half-assed Elmore James cover. I promise I’ll weed that kind of shit out.
No, I really promise.
Anyway, on with the first “I Shot the Band,” starring the Chicago buzz band Company of Thieves.
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Posted on June 16, 2008
