Sound Check

It was a bit of a wild week for Sound Check, given that we dodged thunderstorms, screaming cougars and bucking broncos and lived to write about it.
We started the production cycle by charging through flooded streets to see Brandi Carlile and Gregory Alan Isakov play to a sold out Tower Theatre. We arrived in time to see the bulk of Isakov’s set and it reinforced our belief that everyone should check out his Iron and Wine style of folk.
Carlile then took the stage, accompanied by her acoustic band and launched into a set that included plenty of new material and radio hits, as well as a pair of Beatles covers. Carlile didn’t refrain from unleashing her gritty-yet-powerful pipes on the historic Tower as she did on her hit “The Story” near the end of the 90-plus-minute set. The Seattle-area native spent plenty of time storytelling from the stage as the Tower’s resident hoard of cougars engaged in a game of “Which Chardonnay Drenched Woman Can Yell the Wittiest Comment and Embarrass Everyone.” But still, Sound Check gives Carlile two thumbs up and bestows on her endless street cred.

Emma Hill. Not pictured: Her totally awesome Gentleman Callers.

Laughing and listening, we do both here at Sound Check. We also play checkers, draw crayon depictions of famous U.S. landmarks (we do a friggin’ awesome East St. Louis Public Library) and like to take our shoes off under our desks when no one is looking, but that’s all probably beside the point.
But anyway, we started this news cycle (that’s what we call a “week” when we’re trying to impress people like you) by getting the last couple seats at Randy Liedtke’s comedy show at the Summit Saloon and Stage. The packed room got its laugh on early with a set from loveably drunk comic Kyle Kinane who told jokes about suicide, drunken driving and leaving babies in hot cars, which was hilarious…but you kinda had to be there.