Euphone in Chicago | No Show for You!

Instead of getting to see Bjork last Saturday night, me and a small crew figured it was a great night to head down to the South Side right near University of Illinois: Chicago (otherwise known around here by their call letters UIC). Euphone was booked as one of the openers for the show at South Union Arts — can’t remember who was headlining — and we got there right on time to find out that the band had canceled. Crap.

I’ve become a huge fan of the Euphone albums over the last couple years and I’ve never gotten to experience the drumming magic of Ryan Rapsys live. Well, that’s not entirely true — I got to see him open up for Hum as part of the indie power trio Heroic Doses. That band really needs to the subject of its own post sometime soon; their one-album genius is still with me on my iPod after all these years.

At any rate, Euphone is the brain-child of Rapsys and his love for musical experimentation. It’s sort of post-rock, sort of dub reggae, and a lot of amazing drumming. The core of the band is Rapsys, his drum kit, and his keyboard. He plays both at the same time, which is just oh so much fun to watch if you’re a fan of the craft (let alone the music itself).

I can say honestly that this is the type of music that I would want to make personally. The second half of the song just infects my brain, and it still gives me chills after all these years.

Euphone will be opening up for The Sea and Cake at the Empty Bottle show in Chicago on May 31. I’ll probably be there.