Our Poster Kids

Chicago's beautiful Museum of Contemporary Arts hosted a gala celebration Sunday, October 7th to kick off its new exhibit Sympathy for the Devil. The museum has made admittance free for 40 days as well as for the afternoon of Illinois alternative music. The show was outdoors, but in a giant stuff tent on a bizarre 90 degree day in October.

Despite the setting the event was a major success. The highlight for me was a rare Poster Children show. Oddly enough, the museums event coincided with it being the 20th anniversary performance for the Poster Children. Fortunately for me, my first P-kids show was 12 years ago in Austin and have seen them at every chance I get. Unfortunately, although they deserve to be getting all the riches and fame of stardom (not that they want it), true talents like the Poster Children don't receive airplay, don't get publicity, and are basically making their amazing music for the love of it and for those of us who believe.

From the start of the show to the finish, the kids blasted the crowd with driving rhythms and cutting licks. As always, Rick's singing was dead on and so was Rose's stage act. It's funny, last night I was reading some old entries from the Poster Children's web sit from 1997 after they had to follow Nashville Pussy. Roses entry stated the obvious. It's hard as fuck to follow the dual bimbos with tits everywhere act, especially with a 6 foot blond who breaths fire. Sure that crowd may have been lost on the Poster Children, but Rose has truly one of the most amazing stage presences not to mention she can play the fucking shit out of that bass.

The afternoon also featured 1900, Eternal, and Califone. Though I hadn't previously heard 1900 they featured a 7 piece group with four males and three females. They just didn't do it for me so I saw some of the Sympathy for the Devil exhibit.

Califone, the direct descendants of Red Red Meat they hypnotized the crowd with its experimental search sound. Their use of discordant noises to complement the hypnotizing rhythms always seems to build till it just feels like you're about to slip into the most perfect trip of your life, then pulls you back and leaves you feeling huh what the fuck just happened.

Anyway, it was a great way to kick off the exhibit. Thanks

Above are some pictures of the Poster Children. Look at their kids intensity. Now tell me that Rose and the kids shouldn't be superstars.