Sickbay

The Fireside Bowl, Chicago's most beloved punkhole, scheduled Sicbay and Grand Ulena for the same bill on October 26, 2001. I was ready to get my drink on to the soothing sounds of an informal, incomplete reunion of early ‘90s protospazz greats the Dazzling Killmen, and the opportunity to write this article punched me in the arm like a dollar’s worth of blackberry schnapps. Nick Sakes‚ last band, Colossamite, released an alpine chunk of antiharmonic guitar scorn and slam called, All Lingo’s Clamor, an EP that ultimately left me feeling like I had missed the boat. The chance to interview Sicbay was a line thrown from the heavy, heavy heights of rocks cruiser deck. Latecomer redemption, if you wish.
So it was with a fluttering heart and fingers full of shakes that I ventured out to the Fireside. After missing the opener, Iowas Vida Blue showered their stylings like a lefthand Hot Water Music that had inadvertently detoured along the GSL byways. Sturdy and basic, eager for divergence without the commitment. Grand Ulena’s guitar spines and firing drums found complement in the convulsive bass and facial expressions of ex-Killmen Darin Gray. A rolling tide lapped at anticipation’s flanks as, to the amazement of fellow Sakes fans and I, the crowd thinned while Sicbay prepared for their set.