This past Saturday, I headed out to my favorite place to catch music in Chicago, Schubas, to catch Great Lake Swimmers. After sitting through a couple of unmemorable opening acts Tony Dekker and crew finally hit the stage around 11:40.

They opened with a couple of my favorite tracks, “Backstage With The Moden Dancers” and “Various Stages.” During “Various Stages,” I leaned over to my buddy and said how shocked I was that Tony’s voice sounded almost exactly like it does on their albums. I have read a few reviews saying that the real trick to their sound was where they recorded. Music halls, silos, churches, etc. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Schubas does always sound great but the Great Lake Swimmers were really humming on Saturday.

The rest of the set was mostly pulled from their last two releases including “Your Rocky Spine”, “Passenger Song” and “When It Flows.” While Dekker is the focal point of the band, it should be noted that Eric Arnersen adds a lot of the spice that takes each song from bland indie-folk song to giving a unique sound with loads of texture. Arnesen skillfully plucked his banjo through most of the set and also worked in a little electric guitar as well.

Seeing Great Lake Swimmers is not one of those shows that have you sprinting out of the venue full of adrenaline, but it was tight hour and twenty minute set that highlighted Dekker’s vocals and the skill of the band as a whole.

Great Lake Swimmers - I am Part of a Large Family

Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine