Old Shoe
Giggin with Old Shoe 
Artist Review
Like the article? Check out the two videos in the section below. Also there are a couple of pictures in the Pictures section, or if you have a picture from that night, send it to lmnandr@gmail.com and we'll post it for you! It's your scene, make it happen!
Americana Rock and bluegrass influences come together in the band Old Shoe from Chicago, IL. In this ARTIST REVIEW, Matt Robinson gives us an inside view of how his recent show, a surprise underground party, and how it felt to be on the stage side of the artist audience relationship. When asked to describe Old Shoe, Matt says, "Our grooves are dirt roads through green groves." Now that is a band I want to see and hear about..
In regards to most of the gigs we’ve played, for me, there usually is some level of pressure. Pressure to draw, pressure to perform at a consistent level, pressure to keep the right people happy. Some of it, perhaps most of it, is self-induced. Still, the end goals are to grab more fans and to get back in. We’ve learned to work the system as much as we can, to get the most out of each gig. We’ve learned to work all types of rooms, adapting our presentation of the show on the fly sometimes. Sometimes, it can take a lot of work to put on a show. So when we were asked by our new buddies, Barefoot Fred, to play a private party in Chicago, we were psyched. All we had to do was plug in and rip. Maximum fun, minimum work.
The location was situated in a part of town that was suitable to being loud and going late. There was yummy homemade beer(even a bacon beer), smoking, hoola-hoopers(really good ones), jewelry for sale, and a whole lotta dancing. It was a very groovy scene. The whole environment and experience was loose and chill. All the elements for a rowdy night were set up and ready to go.
For this type of show, it’s really hard to do wrong. People are set to fun mode, and their timers don’t expire till the sun comes up. We brought some new material to this show, both originals and covers. So in the spirit of our scene and the party atmosphere, we opened the night with ‘Scarlet Begonias.’ We love the Grateful Dead.
A lot of our laid back groove, I believe, is a direct result of how their music has influenced us. As we made our way through the rest of the night, different elements of the Shoe were served up: the reggae of ‘Mojito’, the funk of ‘Sunflower’, the vampy groove of ‘Day Rains Night’, the vibey and psychedelic ‘The Most Difficult Thing Love’, the blues of ‘Goin There’, the folk rock of ‘Rhett’, and the jammy ‘Welcome Home.’ Whereas, for some groups it’s good to have a concentrated style or focus, Old Shoe benefits from the changing landscapes. I believe it gives the overall show good dynamic and variety, as well as providing a little bit of something for everyone. We also brought up a few of the dudes from Barefoot Fred to sit in on a few numbers. Of the three tunes they sat in on, the jam in ‘Sand’ seemed to hit the ‘highest’ point. These guys are a lot of fun. They bring a great vibe to the show, they have great ears, and they can rip.
We’ve played in all sorts of scenarios: clubs, bars, festivals, bowling alleys, private parties, holidays, etc. And I gotta say, I definitely look forward to playing more shows like this one. We make new friends and build up new support for Old Shoe each time out. But never before have we accomplished that, while having so much fun. Stress free, plug in, and rip. A big thanks to all of those wonderful people that hosted the party and to those who took part in the fun. Between now and the next time we get back in there, I’m sure there will be a truck load of shows where things are a bit more formal and tight. Cheers to the next time we get loose with these party people again!
Editor's Note: Old Shoe will be hosting their own festival, Shoefest in Earlville IL on the September 9-11 weekend with other bands with whom they are friendly like the Henhouse Prowlers. There are plenty of other gigs upcoming for them also, so below this show's set list check out some upcoming shows for Old Shoe!
SETLIST:
Scarlet Begonias
Mojito
Sunflower
Southbound *
TMDTL
V
The Harder They come
Day Rains Night
Rhett
Let Yourself In >
Breathe >
Jam
Big River^
Sand^
Welcome Home
Going There
Key:
*with Shane & Ryan from Barefoot Fred
^with Brendan & Ryan from Barefoot Fred
Upcoming Shows for Old Shoe:
Apr 9 The Uptowner
The Uptowner Charleston, Illinois , US - 9:30 PM
Apr 16 Goose Island Brewery Wrigleyville
Goose Island Brewery Wrigleyville Chicago, IL - 9:00 PM
Apr 30 Duke's Ale
Duke's Ale Crystal Lake, IL - 9:00 PM
May 7 Widow's Peak Showcase Pre FEST Party
Widow's Peak Showcase Pre FEST Party Chicago, IL - 7:00 PM
May 14 TBD
TBD Dekalb, IL - 9:00 PM
May 21 Widow's Peak Music Festival
Widow's Peak Music Festival Earlville, IL - 4:30 PM
Jun 3 Liquid Blues
Liquid Blues Woodstock, Illinois - 9:00 PM
Jun 12 HOODILIDOO at the Willow Ranch
HOODILIDOO at the Willow Ranch Lacota, Michigan - 3:00 PM
Jun 17 Chicago Peace Fest
Chicago Peace Fest Chicago, Illinois , US - 7:00 PM
Jun 23 SLM Fest
Shawano, WI - 7:00 PM
Jun 24 Chicago Street Pub
Chicago Street Pub Joliet, Illinois - 9:00 PM
Jul 8 tba
tba Chicago, IL - 7:00 PM
Jul 15 TBA
TBA Earlville, IL - 7:00 PM
Jul 16 Minocqua Brewing Co
Minocqua Brewing Co Minocqua, WI - 9:00 PM
Jul 23 TBD
TBD Bloomington, IL - 10:00 PM
Jul 29 Peace Fest Campout at Vasa Park
Peace Fest Campout at Vasa Park Elgin, IL - 7:00 PM
Jul 30 TBD
TBD Dekalb, IL - 9:00 PM
Aug 6 GRATEFUL GARCIA GATHERING CAMP NCN
GRATEFUL GARCIA GATHERING CAMP NCN BLACK RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN - 5:00 PM
Sep 3 Minocqua Brewing Co
Minocqua Brewing Co Minocqua, WI - 9:00 PM
Sep 4 Minocqua Brewing Co
Minocqua Brewing Co Minocqua, WI - 7:00 PM
Sep 9 Stonehouse Park Campgrounds
Stonehouse Park Campgrounds Earlville, IL - 11:00 AM
Sep 10 Stonehouse Park - Widow’s Peak Music Festival
Stonehouse Park - Widow’s Peak Music Festival Earlville, Illinois , US - 11:00 AM
LMNR -
Wed, Apr 6, 2011, 1:19 P
Old Shoe plays Big River at the Road to Summer Camp 2011 Old Shoe 'Big River' - Summer Camp On the Road 2011, Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL
Check out the full article where Matt Robinson reviews the Old Shoe from his perspective within the band, the March 25 show in Chicago, IL:
http://www.livemusicnewsandre...
(More...)
LMNR -
Wed, Apr 6, 2011, 11:27 A
