Gus Dapperton and Friends at The Subterrannean

The neon lights flicker and Gus runs down the spiral steel staircase behind the stage with a half empty can of PBR and a white hooded sweatshirt on. Hood up. Tied tight around his face. Its paired with a pair of transparent red sunglasses. He jumps from the stairs with his white Stratocaster to join the band as they play Prune, You Talk Funny. The song has an easy beat to sway to and he immediately settles in to the feel of the room, grabbing the microphone from the stands and bouncing back and forth, swinging his arms.

The bar is small. Besides the subtle sign outside the front door saying showtimes, The Subterranean in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago and doesn’t look like a giant concert venue or multi-floor bar. The bouncer ushers people inside the door and up a flight of dimly lit stairs. A beat up wooden floor creaks as people file in and glasses clink behind the bar at the back of the room.

I’d estimate a total of one hundred people could comfortably fit in the room. At the front, the stage is only risen about a foot off the floor and if you’re tall, the ceiling hangs pretty close down, opening only to the view of the floor above. People peek in from upstairs, leaning over the railing as they get drinks and buy merch on the floor above.

From above the stage, a more intimate view of Gus jumping, kicking and dancing back and forth.

Gus, Amadelle on the keys, Tommy Sibila on drums, and his back up vocalist and guitarist, Ian "Yen Dawg" O'Neill, are all clad in casual wear - jeans, hoodies, beanies and, well, PBR. It’s as if they just practiced in someone’s garage before the show, hopped in the van, grabbed a beer and hit the stage. There’s something intensely refreshing about a show this simple.

As the show progresses, Gus grabs the mic and jokes around in between songs. “You guys are reaaalllyyy going to love this one”, he mumbles at an exaggerated low tone. “Please dance so I’m not the only one bouncing around.”

Dapperton addresses the crowd during a song break.

They go on to play I’m Just Snacking, which, as their most streamed song, is quite a hit to the audience. The whole crowd taps back and forth, and since the venue is small, there are pockets of empty space throughout the audience for people to move. They giggle along with Gus as he smiles and drinks his beer, and even when bassist, Ian”Yen Dawg” O’Neill stage dives, carry him throughout the crowd with his instrument.

Twist and Shout, the 1963 Beatles classic is their last song. Choosing a cover as a last song is always risky but when its something this upbeat and engaging, you can't go wrong. That, and the underground grittiness of Dapperton's voice bring the song to life. After, the band quickly scatters of the stage without having debuted their new single World Class Cinemas. Within one minute of the crowd encoring - they’re back down the spiral ladder instruments in hand and jump right into the song.

What’s unique about concerts like these is that there isn’t a disconnect between the crowd and the band. You see the smiles on the band members faces and being close enough to see the sweat in their hair, get a more realistic look at a live concert.

Yes, seeing sold out shows in Madison Square Garden is cool. I’m sure the bands that play there absolutely love it, especially when they get that paycheck, but seeing a band jump around on a tiny ten foot long stage drinking cheap beer is such a different experience. It gives the artist a chance to really showcase their talents without any distractions or big productions, and gives the audience a chance to eat up a raw show.

Gus Dapperton and friends did just that.

Xoxo,

S

Samantha Miller (@samantharachelmiller) is a freelance writer from Chicago. She prides herself on her occasional wit, her keen eye for design and her undying love for iced almond milk lattes.

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