Tonight, the combination of Chicago natives Treaty of Paris and Company of Thieves will fill Legends with their fantastic indie-rock flair. Both bands are just taking off, and the concert promises to be a great one. After tonight, we may very well be able to name Legends as the point where two incredible bands claimed their initial fame.
Company of Thieves, composed of singer Genevieve Schatz, guitarist Marc Wallach, and drummer Mike Oritz, is a relatively new group. While known in the Chicago area, the band is still looking to make an impression farther from home. Their CD, "Ordinary Riches," will be released in February, and has the potential to be an underdog hit. Schatz has a Sara Bareilles-esque quality to her tone, and one initially expects a piano-pop love ballad to emerge in one of the early tracks.
But instead, the band rarely uses piano in favor of an edgier, classic combination of drums and guitar, forming a harder indie rock tone. Tracks like "Pressure" and "Oscar Wilde" are sure to make the album popular, at least in some sectors.
Their sound is fresh, combining good instrumentation with great lyrics. The band looks to classic things - like the writings of Oscar Wilde - as their inspiration, and has named the album a tribute to their favorite artists. After the performance here, the band will be touring with Thriving Irony.
The better-known band of tonight's performance is Treaty of Paris. This group is popular in Chicago, and the odd video for "Waking Up the Dead" has gained international attention. The band got its beginnings when guitarist Dan Wade and drummer Chris Insidioso met in high school, putting out a CD in 2001 with singer Mike Chorvat joining them. Treaty of Paris as it is now known, with Phil Kosch on guitar and Nick Fonzi on bass, formed in 2004 and put out an EP, Behind Our Calm Demeanors, in 2005. The EP sold well in Chicago.
The band's first full length CD, Sweet Dreams, Sucker, was formed in collaboration with Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate fame. The album was released on McMahon's label this past September. Treaty of Paris will no doubt thrill the audience with great songs like "Here Goes Nothing," "Waking Up the Dead," and "Rollerskates." These songs are fun to listen to, catchy enough that you'll be singing along before the song is done, and fast enough to bop around to. The band has a pop-punk sound, much along the lines of Jack's Mannequin, Motion City Soundtrack and Fall Out Boy.
Treaty of Paris has toured with Yellowcard, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, and My Chemical Romance. They will soon be on tour with Jack's Mannequin and Fun (the band formed by two former members of the folk-band The Format). They were also on the Vans Warped tour this past June.
So really, there's only one thing to do tonight. The show will be enjoyable and full of fresh sounds, something to be enjoyed buy both fans of the band and those who are going just because they are curious.
