Sleigh Bells teases Chicago

October 27, 2010, at the Metro

By Josh Darr
Published: October 31st, 2010 | 7:00am

As the chilly autumn winds blew through Chicago, the city's night crawlers congregated in a neatly filed line down Clark Street waiting to enter the Metro. With eagerness and excitement, fans filled the venue's capacity for the twilight performance of Sleigh Bells, the highly buzzed about noise pop duo who made a splash in the music scene around this time last year. Anticipation grew as mediocre opener Picture Plane arrived on stage late and danced about, nodding along with the anomalous beats and melodies composed on the table of mixers as a strangely masked blonde pranced around in the background. In the brief hiatus between performers, surrounding teenagers enthusiastically Tweeted about the recently unveiled eight Marshall amps which stood ground centered to the rear of the stage as though it was the big secret behind the pair's explosive stage presence.

The intensity rose as the lights dimmed and the duo’s intro death metal number blared from the aforementioned speakers finally ceasing in an echoing skipping effect. A rumble of cheers and applause reverberated throughout the venue as Derek Miller ran on stage, strapped on his guitar, and ripped into the opening chords. Alexis Krauss crept out, bewildering the crowd that was jumping along with the heart thumping “Tell 'Em.” Dressed in a black leather jacket and cut up Madonna T-shirt displaying her florescent pink bra underneath, Krauss gravitated near the edge of the stage, hovering above the congregation. The next 30-45 minutes were a blur as the animated pair played through their catalog of songs with vigor while Krauss teased the audience, grasping at hands and closely serenading fans, completely extinguishing the concept of personal space. The sea of people waved from left to right as the set came to a close and Krauss dove into the crowd, ultimately returning to the stage to peel off her shirt and hurl it into the air as groupies skirmished for the sweaty garment, clearly yearning for more.

Sleigh Bells official site

Sleigh Bells MySpace page

N.E.E.T. Recordings