Tortoise – Words are Overrated

After my pal suggested I check out the Tortoise show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, I listened to a few songs online and headed over to the newer venue, thinking I had a handle on what the band was about.

I could not have prepared for this. The frazzled employees working the door showed the wear of truly fervent fans. The exasperated list girl asked, pleaded to know if we had tickets. The sold out show left a lot of last minute planners disappointed and this poor girl had clearly taken the brunt of their frustrations.

Once in, it was wall to wall in the 500 person venue and there was a palpable anticipation for the band to make its appearance. The reasonably sized stage looked cramped with the multiple drum sets, keyboards, guitars and xylophones – enough instruments for a small high school band. The five person piece was going to get around during this set.

And get around they did. Showing very little loyalty to their instruments, Tortoise proceeded to rock the hell out of their attentive audience for nearly 2 hours. This, while keeping the banter to a bare minimum – there were maybe 10 words spoken all night (mostly “thank you”s) and no lyrics to any songs. Pulling in some old favorites like “I Set My Face to the Hillside,” as well as several tunes off their latest, Beacons of Ancestorship, Tortoise hit most of the notes the crowd was looking for.

Even so, after a 90 minute set, the crowd still yelled for more and shouted their appreciation for the band. During one of the two encores, the band finally started asking for something back, in the form of a fairly complicated clap-a-long. Fortunately, the band performed better at their tasks than the crowd. Though, in their defense, the audience was also trying to balance their beers while keeping the beat.

Far from a standard jam band set, the clearly talented musicians kept the energy up throughout the entire set and impressed even the most casual of music fans with their outrageous rhythms and cohesion. It was nearly 1am when the lights went up and the exhausted but still psyched crowd made their way out of the venue.

*By Jesy, who, in addition to seeing a great band, has finally learned how to spell “tortoise” correctly. Thanks, Tortoise.

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