Chicago’s JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound play at the Highdive on Friday, April 20. Doors are at 7:30, the Thin Souls (who are quite difficult to Google effectively, sorry) take the stage at 8, and JCBUS go on at 9. Tickets are $10, both in advance and at the door.
If you’ve heard of JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, it’s likely because of their cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” embedded above. The band hails from Chicago, but this is their first visit to Champaign-Urbana.
Post-punk soul is the most common descriptive term attached to their name, which seems fairly accurate. I spoke to Billy Bungeroth, JCBUS guitarist, on the phone on Monday evening, as he was attempting to avoid being blown away by the wind. When asked to describe his band’s sound, Bungeroth explained, “I think it’s representative of the music we like, which includes a lot of R&B, and music from the ‘60s, which includes a lot of soul music, rock music, but also we listen to a lot of music that’s happening right now. It incorporates everything from soul to modern indie.” So, between that and “post-punk soul,” you’ve pretty much got the picture, right? Still no idea? You’re right, neither one of those descriptions is very helpful. Well, how about another video?
Bungeroth is an assistant director at Second City, the venerable Chicago comedy troupe, but is taking a break from that gig “because the band has become very busy.”
When asked to recommend the experience of attending a JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound show for our readers, Bungeroth said, “We put on quite a show; it’s got a lot of energy. I would say that one thing we wanted to do is create a really good live show. Of our influences from the ‘60s in the James Brown live show, something that you really have to go out and see, not just the band playing through their songs. And involve the audience, that’s what we try to do.”
So, if you’re in the mood to dance, head down to the Highdive on Friday evening.