Post sponsored by
Indio Beer.

Let’s be honest, Halloween is all well and good but it’s always been a somewhat cheesy, pre-fab holiday. The Latin American tradition of Dia de los Muertos, on the other hand is a tradition that stretches back millennia where celebrants honor their dead ancestors and remind themselves that they too will someday be gone. Hola Indio has been on a mission to remind people of the holiday with their four city, Dia de los Muertos tour, which rolled into Chicago’s Metro on Thursday night, which happened to be the Day of the Dead proper.

Saint Etienne’s Words and Music has earned some high marks from music critics (including PopMatters) this year though the album has yet to be released officially in the States. Yet the fans here have taken the songs to their hearts and the audience was quiet eager to see Saint Etienne in New York as this was their first US tour in over six years. Unfortunately, overall the band is only out for a short stint in the US but they hit many major metropolitan areas before Election Day.

For some, the autumn season brings a flood of nostalgic memories that encompass far more than family gatherings, pumpkin pie, and crackling fires. Instead, the season ignites recollections of huddling in hoodies outside of dimly lit venues where second-hand smoke serves as a breath of fresh air. There is simply no better time of year to experience a punk show than in the fall. Fortunately, Cartel and The Early November provide just the dose of throw-back excitement that seems to be missing from the scene lately.

Claire Boucher, as Grimes, may be the most hyped indie act of the year. Her mercurial blend of dance-floor rhythms, Top 40 pop sensibilities, and outright weirdness makes for a captivating, unique persona—and one that the blogosphere has latched onto like a barnacle on the bow of a ship. Fortunately for Grimes, she has the chops to sustain the hype. Her recent show at D.C.’s 500-capacity U Street Music Hall sold out months in advance, and it was a great opportunity to see how her live show has evolved along with her place in the spotlight.

Kiran Ahluwalia’s free White Light Festival-kick-off performance went off without a hitch… except the only problem was a lack of room for all the people who hoped to attend. Sadly, some folks didn’t get to come inside and enjoy the performance in the small David Rubenstein Atrium and may not have had the patience to wait for the space to open up, though folks who managed to get seats earlier stayed. Of those left standing outside, I felt guilty watching one man’s struggle to enjoy the music—tapping his fingers on the glass as if he could hear the rhythms (hopefully he did). But what could I do, I wanted to enjoy the music too. Ahluwalia acknowledged those folks and suggested she should actually sing outside but in the end, she gave about 75 minutes on the small atrium stage.

Inside, the mostly quiet and receptive audience watched Ahluwalia’s performance rooted in South Asian music (Indian and Punjabi) but with some added contemporary elements like the electric and bass guitar (and an accordion substituting for the harmonium). Ahluwalia also truly represents world music, at least my characterization of it, as she adds global elements and traditions like fado, French or Celtic music to her work. Interestingly, while listening to her second song “Mustt Mustt”, I thought I sensed more a spacious ‘desert’ vibe to the tune. So when I did some research after the event, I saw that the song had been performed with the Tuareg group Tinariwen (who I caught twice earlier this year). Ahluwalia and her band went through songs off her three released albums plus a couple of exciting new songs. One of those, the song “Sanatta” also stood out from the rest as its desert blend charmed the audience. The charm was complete when, Ahluwalia actually did step off stage during that song to sing without a microphone for a brief bit, thrilling the lucky front row with her voice. All in all, this was an exciting performance… proven by the one individual in the back hooting, hollering and dancing along. Although maybe a bit disruptive to the silent throng, I have to admit, he had the right idea. Ahluwalia and her band gave a riveting and rocking performance that should have had more people on their feet.