Welcome to Local Show Recap #3, not that I’m keeping track!

Today I’m writing about the 3/19 show at Reggie’s Music Joint with The Hazytones, Numerical Control Society and On The Sun.

Numerical Control Society posted the event in the Chicago Doom Confederacy Facebook group and I noticed it the day of. It seems that SXSW generates a considerable amount of band tours through Chicago, and Montreal’s The Hazytones was one of these – happy to check out a band I probably wouldn’t have another chance to see for a while and support a new band to the scene at the same time, I headed out.

On The Sun



I got into the venue roughly 15 seconds before the show started, so having no time to assess the bands as they set up operations, I had no idea what to expect. On an early-ish weeknight show it’s pretty much no holds barred, y’know? Sometimes you get bands that fit pretty well, other times it’s more of a variety show – both can work just fine, but it absolutely is a little strange walking into a venue and not knowing what you’re about to hear.

Fortunately, On The Sun, the first band of the night, wasn’t too coy about what they play – a funky brand of rock with plenty of variety that got right into action. Vocalist Derek Ault was instantly on the move, gesturing into the crowd, twisting and turning, all while issuing a powerful performance. This probably wasn’t the most packed show they’ve played (there were people there, but as is customary at the Music Joint they mostly lined the walls and booths), but you wouldn’t know it from the way he commanded the stage and made good use of the real estate.



I wasn’t able to dial in my manual-focus lens quickly enough to get Derek’s hand in focus here, but I appreciate him interacting with me regardless!

Nestled in against the pipes and knick-knacks at the back of the stage sat Matt Torossi, responsible for both drums AND gong – rather separate concepts, all considered. For this show the band used no-frills equipment, with all acts using the house set and limited pedalboards in sight, but from pictures on Facebook it seems the drummer has a kick-ass set of octobans (hope to see those deployed next time!).

Regardless, Matt played the house setup (which is never gonna feel *quite* right, from experience) like he’d sat in front of it every day of his life. In one of the last couple songs, “The Abyss”, he laid out a frighteningly tight hi-hat groove with some perfectly placed kick doubles to lock it in place – of course, he put plenty of solid rock drumming in throughout the set. Last thing I want to mention – this man uses TWO cowbells, and we all should learn from his example.



The string section of the band took up position on the left and right of the stage and didn’t stray far from their posts. Bassist Fred Nettnin oversaw stage right, executing some facial expressions I believe would be considered “bass face” as he kept a steady groove in place.



Jay Septoski, wielding a six-string, struck up a commanding pose on stage left. I got the impression looking at Jay that he was pretty damn good at guitar. I mean, hearing his playing confirmed this, but I didn’t really need that additional information to make this judgement. No wasted motion, no frills – just a general aura of skill. I should note that the side of the stage he was on had this extremely bold, yellow lighting all night, causing anyone under it to look like they were chiseled out of amber.

The Hazytones



Next up were the Hazytones, the touring act that was top billed for the night. You might be looking back at my post title and be thinking “what about Numerical Control Society?” – oftentimes on weekday shows the headlining act plays in the middle so that if they need to get going early they can – it also ensures fans who came to see them play can catch the whole set. For a tightly run early show like this, it might not have been necessary, but actually I liked how the running order played out musically.



Montreal-based The Hazytones have a clear air of experience, wasting little time getting on stage, setting up and starting up the show. Frankly, the tones here were not hazy. No, instead they were quite thick and satisfying – here we have heavy stoner rock, with a single guitar approach lending to a focused sonic attack and the occasional wailing solo.



Guitarist/vocalist Mick Martel was frighteningly easy to photograph well and managed both guitar and vocal duties expertly – he mostly stayed near the mic stand but occasionally would step away to bend over his guitar to finish off a particularly ensorcelling instrumental.



Victor Tremblay displayed a almost-unsettling level of enjoyment throughout the set as he pounded away at the set with a dramatic and skillful flair. Seriously, look at the photo – have you ever been this excited about something in your life?

Bassist Zolla Marc kept away from the mic and focused on his instrument, adeptly providing a low-end backbone to his bandmates as they went from upbeat riffs to mournful passages without a hint of disharmony. Once, he nodded at me as I approached for a photo. Caught unprepared, I went for the classic – and lame – thumbs-up.

I got a hint of early-70s King Crimson levels of progressive intent at times during the set – not backed by as unusual instrumentation, but it definitely kept me hooked. The Hazytones are phenomenal at creating hard-hitting rock that doesn’t stay in any one place for too long.



One minor thing caught my eye later on during the set – neither the bassist nor guitarist use a pedalboard. Just pedals straight on the floor – definitely unusual for touring bands. Folks, don’t try this at home (well, on stage) until you’ve played enough gigs to make it look cool like these dudes.

Numerical Control Society



The first two acts on this show were dynamic rock groups with one guitar/one bass setups – Numerical Control Society, henceforth abbreviated to NCS, shifted all that and went for a slower, instrumental approach with two guitars. As the last band of the night, NCS served as a kind of cathartic winding-down that still delivered plenty of interesting moments.

With dirge-tempo riffs laid out in a low-tuned rumble, NCS aimed for emotion through repetition. Most songs featured cyclical, twisting riffs set out in lengthy chunks by guitarists Matthew O’Dell and Samuel Bloom. Subtle variances, like shifts in a bass groove or a key shift, helped provide sonic variety while keeping the motifs consistent.

Noise and texture flutter, enticingly, beneath the all-consuming riff.

I got another King Crimson vibe from NCS, but this time I was reminded more of the dissonant musical patterns they experimented with. I’m starting to think I just really like King Crimson, but I suspect there’s actually an influence here. Also of note – entertaining song titles here; I believe the second song was titled “Circular Reasoning for Squares”.

Bassist Michael Klayman had approached me before the set, having noticed my camera and wondering how mirrorless cameras were to shoot versus DSLR (I wish I knew, it’s the only real camera I’ve owned) – he’s a super nice guy and you can kind of tell that on stage as he applies a certain level of mischief to his playing, the solidity of which helps underpin the twisty Cyclopean madness the guitarists are perpetrating.

NCS’s drummer Steve Kiraly was nearly expressionless, producing a steady groove with a calculated approach. Not much showy stuff, but there was just the right emphasis in just the right spots. Playing slowly like NCS’s music demands without putting in goofy fills is highly undervalued – the percussionist here threw in just enough rippers to make sure you were paying attention.

The band wrapped up with an intense burst of melody that certainly generated the most motion I saw from the group – this was well timed for impact. I think there’s something to say for getting some of that out there early to hook people in, though. Then, you give ‘em six boring songs and finish up with something fun they remember! Am I speaking from experience? Uh… no, of course not.

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Thanks for reading! Big thanks to all the bands who played this show and kept it both on time and enjoyable!