Clinic soothes Chicago with some Bubblegum

November 11, 2010, at Lincoln Hall

By Lesley J. Smith
Published: November 15th, 2010 | 7:00am

A year after its grand opening, Lincoln Hall was buzzing with a mix of old school punk, pop-laced rock, and a few soothing ballads from the legendary Clinic and well-paired openers, the Fresh & Onlys. The San Francisco-based Fresh & Onlys started things off with their impressive harmonies, luring fans to the front of the stage. Lead singer Tim Cohen’s rich vocals were accompanied by playful drum arrangements and an enticing, progressive energy that moved from vintage surfer sounds to modern rock. Everything about these not-so-new newbies was sharp and addictive. "Waterfall," from the recently released LP Play it Strange (In the Red), showcased their lyrical talent while fast-paced tunes like "You're Known to Wander” and "Fascinated" kept concertgoers moving to the beat.

By the end of the set, it was standing room only, and no one was giving up their spot for the next act. Conversation about the lords of revitalized punk oscillated from "What's your favorite Clinic song?" and "This is my fifth show" to "I've never actually seen their faces," a reference to the band's habitual surgical mask costumes. One loyal fan even brought their own.

Clouds of smoke prepped the stage for the cult favorites from Liverpool. A few seconds of silence from the crowd erupted into jumps and screams as the foursome immediately commanded the audience. New tunes like "Lion Tamer" and "Bubblegum," a pleasing transition from the older, sometimes blurred sound, were anything but sleepy. Though the tour promotes Clinic's newest album, Bubblegum (Domino), the crowd was treated to tracks that spanned the band's 13-year repertoire.

Each song was trimmed with an unconventional element, either through the hypnotic sounds of Ade Blackburn's melodica, their signature organ keys, or overlaid electronics. Oldies but goodies, like the rarely performed "T.K." and "The Equaliser” were welcome surprises, and Blackburn had everyone swaying and singing along to "Distortions," the dark, intoxicating number from 2000’s Internal Wrangler (“You'd never know how often / I've pictured you in coffins / My baby in a coffin / But I love it when you blink your eyes"). There was little banter from Blackburn and co., but that seemed to suit the fans as Clinic instead focused on providing the audience with an explosive set well worth the ticket price.

__

Clinic official site

Clinic MySpace page

Domino Records

The Fresh & Onlys MySpace page

In the Red Records