Christmas came a couple of days early when we were treated to a big record release show at Metro for Sincere Engineer. They headlined a three band bill and it was a great way to ring in the holidays.
Canadian Rifle were up first. These Chicago natives have been a band for 18 years now and they played short, fast, hardcore songs but with good hooks. Very few of their songs lasted more than two minutes, but each one was packed full of energy, and just enough melody to suck you in and get you moving. They really are an excellent band and you should definitely go out of your way to check them out the next time they play. Their 30 minute set went by in a flash and left you wanting more.
Hailing from the out west, specifically Elgin, The Brokedowns were next. These guys were more melodic than Canadian Rifle, but still had a really hard edge to their songs. Their songs were really catchy, and lend themselves for a lot of singalongs, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. Another really solid band that was well worth showing up on time to see. They have released four albums, and based on their performance Saturday night, they all are worth picking up!
Sincere Engineer, the brainchild of singer/guitar player/songwriter Deanna Belos, has been on quite a role the past few years. The band released their third album earlier this year and it continued the streak of a flawless discography. Each Sincere Engineer album somehow manages to top the previous one, which is no small feat considering how good each one of those records is. Deanna Belos has an incredible gift of writing extremely catchy songs with memorable hooks and choruses that will get stuck in your head for days on end and keep you wanting more. For as catchy as the songs are, they have just enough “oomph” behind them to get the blood pumping and the body moving, without coming across as pure pop songs. She’s found that magic line between pop and punk and walks it perfectly.
The band has spent a lot of the past couple of years touring, supporting larger bands, but did their own headlining tour which concluded this night here at the Metro. It was great to see the club packed and nearly sold out, full of fans of multiple generations with smiles on their face, united by their love of Sincere Engineer. This show was a special one for Belos, as not only is the Metro the pillar of the Chicago punk scene, but it was a place that her mom used to take her to see the bands she looked up to, which are now her peers and even her equals. A headline spot at the Metro is a really big deal in this city for anyone, especially someone who grew up in the local scene. The band more than earned this title shot and boy did they deliver.
When the band took the stage, the crowd roared with applause as they picked up their instruments and started the night off with “Corn Dog” proceeded to play one great song after the next from all three of their albums. The band was in top form and it was clear that all the touring made them an even better live band than they already were. Deanna was really moved by the huge turnout, almost to the point of tears, and was incredibly humble and even a little nervous, but once they were playing you’d never know it as every song they played was done to perfection, and most of the crowd seemed to know the words to every single song, and sung along to the choruses!
The performance was so strong that the band’s 16 song set seemed to rush by in the blink of an eye. People never stopped singing and dancing, and nearly everyone was smiling, even us old jaded types standing in the balcony. Sincere Engineer put on a main event performance to a huge crowd and those crowds are only going to keep increasing as the band continues as it is impossible not to fall in love with this band. They are something really special and we are lucky to have them.
The band returned for a two song encore of “Landline” and “Trust Me” before the band said thanks and left the stage, leaving the crowd still wanting more. It was a fantastic thing to witness this growing band getting to headline such an important and legendary venue, and it is a night that will go down in history. Mark my words, this band is going to keep getting bigger, and don’t be surprised when you start seeing them sell out the Metro and even larger clubs in the future well in advance. Congratulations Sincere Engineer on this milestone on what we all hope is a long and ever-growing career!
