I recently had the opportunity to see Okkervil River at Schuba’s on the north side of Chicago. Pretty much any show at Schuba’s is great due to the small size of the venue. Having never seen Okkervil, I had this marked on the calendar for awhile and was expecting great things.
Simply put, they exceeded expectations and then some. A friend of mine who I saw the show with said, “That’s something I will always remember.” I can’t argue with him on that. The soundboard did the band justice as the wide blend of instruments sounded as one throughout the show.
Then there’s Will Sheff. Okkevil’s lyrics are a bit darker, and of a more personal nature dealing with child abduction, murder and war criminals to name a few subjects. Typically not the stuff to get the party started. But Sheff makes the experience very intimate, as if he’s trying to share his pain with you on a personal level. His stage presence is fantastic and you find yourself hanging on every word.
Okkervil deserves a wider audience and Will Sheff’s name should be thrown around with such great songwriters as Tweedy and James. If you can’t check them out live, delve into their collection.
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I added an Okkervil River station on the sidebar for those that haven’t tried them on for size.