Goat and Meshuggah Live in Chicago, by Mark Erickson

After some deliberation on my part, e.g., Silver Apples at the Bohemian National Cemetery under a full moon, and the trading of a work shift of one son, I ended up attending two separate concerts by two very different bands from Sweden: Goat and Meshuggah. Goat released its debut album, World Music, in 2012. I passed on their 2013 tour, but decided I had to attend their show on Friday in part because it was held at a venue, Thalia Hall, that was new to me as it had opened its upper level to live music in 2013. Thalia Hall, http://thaliahallchicago.com, achieved landmark status in 1985. Situated in Pilsen, this limestone and brick fortress has interior walls that are double brick thick (like the exterior walls of the traditional Chicago bungalow), and includes a state-of-the art sound system.

The Chicago Reader describes Goat as deploying fuzz guitar, West African blues, Pakistani qawwali, Latin boogaloo, and other genres. My ears heard ’70s funk riffs, chanting and less singing, Fela Kuti, and polyrhythmic percussion. Both singers are females who prance and twist incessantly. Both wear elaborate costumes and headgear, and the rest of the band (two guitarists, bass, drummer, and conga player) also don costumes and shield their identities. The first two bands were quite lame, but Goat was a 75 minute pleasure filled with funk, rhythm, dance, and tribal celebration.

On Sunday, Father’s Day, I took my two sons to see Meshuggah who is touring in celebration of 25 years of togetherness. Meshuggah, which means “crazy” in Yiddish, is known for its unusual time signatures and metal mayhem. Obzen (2008) is quite simply masterpiece. Its song “Bleed” has an unreal drumline that I wondered if it could be duplicated live. According to Wikipedia, “one particular example of [drummer] Haake’s use of polymeter is 4/4 against 23/16 bimeter, in which he keeps the hi-hat and ride cymbal in 4/4 time but uses the snare and double bass drums in 23/16 time.” Meshuggah’s music did not disappoint, and the laser show was fantastic! Check out this mashup featuring said drumline and Lady Gaga.