The Canopy Club’s Discover series has long been a great way to find local bands on the rise. Recently, we have seen an uptick in touring bands. Oct. 3 attracted Chicago’s Madame Reaper along with Peoria’s The Blank Stairs and Red’s Head, an Urbana-based band.
From theatrical synth-pop to punkish shouting and guitar solos, this round of the Discover series managed to be both extremely varied and stunningly cohesive.
The Blank Stairs (Indie Rock)
Song of the night: “EAT ROCKS”
The night opened with a crowd of 10 attendees staring back at The Blank Stairs. Despite how isolating this can feel to performers, the band continued to exude an energy that would rouse any of the house shows and local music festivals they have frequented over the last five years.
The Blank Stairs have many desirable traits for an opening band. In the potentially unresponsive reception of a small crowd, their well-timed wit, bold sound and initiative to outright change the boundaries of performance helped to lay the groundwork for everyone coming after them.
Admitting to common vocalist blunders like “I drank bubble tea before this” made them feel relatable and easy to digest, almost as if spending an evening with friends. Cami Proctor, guitarist and one of two singers for The Blank Stairs, also shared their boundless enthusiasm about the lineup, smiling giddily and saying “I’ve been so excited to see Madame Reaper since this show was announced.”
After priming the audience with a steady stream of banter, the band launched into “Sidestep,” a song they performed as if the venue was packed. Josh Sweeney (bass, guitar, vocals) laid down laid down a grunge vocal performance while Proctor broke the confines of the small stage to shred the electric guitar as far as the cord could take them. It added an air of fun and rock ridiculousness that was easy to get behind.
Another night-defining moment arrived in the form of “EAT ROCKS.” Proctor revealed that the song was about their struggle with POTS, a heart-related condition that often entails fainting, lightheadedness, increased heartbeat and other adverse symptoms that disrupt daily functioning. Proctor went on to say that their diagnosis helped them find a supportive – and fairly sizable – community of other musicians with disabilities.
“But I am fine, I’ve just been tired for a very long time / Ticking timer in the back of my mind / Waits to feel better / Watchin’ it collapse / There’s really nothing I can do but laugh / In the quiet comprehension that / It won’t get better (Oh)”
– “EAT ROCKS” by The Blank Stairs
The song features some of the band’s best and most experimental vocal performances among their released music, with the recorded version marking a major step in their production quality. Played live, it has become an opportunity for them to deliver a showstopping performance filled with captivating guitar solos, honed showmanship and outstanding skill from drummer Abbey Haste.
During the last song of the night, Proctor started forgetting lyrics, but the hiccup was met with encouraging cheers and shared laughter between the audience and the band. It was yet another moment transformed into an opportunity to share the humor and vulnerability it takes to expose one’s soul to the public as an art form.
The Blank Stairs were full of jokes, talent and relatability; traits that came naturally and are likely to draw a sizable fan base with future live performances. With their production on an upward trajectory, they run a great chance of amassing a fan base outside of Illinois.
Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club (‘Vampire’ Synth-Pop)
Song of the night: “Feast (an album)”
Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club is a callback to all of the best parts of live pop performances: Unbridled theatrical flair, extraordinary levels of cardio and wildly dynamic vocals. Affectionately labeling itself “vampire synth-pop,” the band takes their art seriously, but not themselves.
Kira Leadholm, who plays the titular femme-fatale persona for Madame Reaper, decided not to don her signature red wig for this stop of the tour, essentially discarding the band’s calling card. This was the first of many signs, that although the band revolves around a recognizable mood board, it is far from relying on gimmicks or the sort of shock factor showcased in its music videos.
The second sign arrived shortly after.
The ear-catching synths and complex vocal layering on “Alright Tonight (This)” transported listeners on a space-age voyage with Madame Reaper. The story follows a fictional woman through her upbeat – and disturbingly real – sacrifices for fame on a not-so-distant planet. Leadholm was not afraid to enter the stage jumping, crouching and high-kicking her way through the spacey walls of sound.
“Our rig isn’t rigging,” Leadholm said after finishing the first song. Despite the risk of technical difficulties being a momentum killer, the forced intermission was taken in stride and converted into an opportunity to charm the audience with humor and wit. The band pivoted right back into their antics the second the smoke cleared.
The galloping synths of “Olympia (because)” and playful lyrics of “Feast (an album)” were a delightful storm of classically refined vocals combined with rigorous running, arm waving and similar telegraphic movements. Despite such ferocity, Leadholm made all of it look easy and avoided the pitfall of frantic desperation or uncontrolled flailing. Every action felt intentional and served to enhance the backing from Kevin Shepherd (guitar) and Joey Butler (drums).
“Did your mama never tell you to stay away from maneaters like me? (Tell me please) / And has no one ever told you to politely shut the **** up?”
– “Feast (an album)” by Madame Reaper
Although much of the set entailed jumping around, the band smartly inserted a break for their lead singer while also showcasing their softer, story-focused finesse in “Chloroform.” While she was no longer punching, kicking and running about, Leadholm was still putting her entire body (and face) into the performance. Despite having an uncharacteristically somber tone, it fit right into the setlist and cemented itself as one of the night’s highlights.
At the end of the night, Madame Reaper revealed that along with a rigorous cardio routine, she had also created the band’s merch and artwork, preferring a hands-on approach to everything from videos to marketing.
The band’s balance of campy conceptualization and narrative-driven songs would likely attract the cult followings of pop stars like Allie X, MUNA and hemlock springs. Fans of early Lady Gaga are also likely to get a kick out of the band’s homemade aesthetic and calculated absurdity.
The band’s unapologetic art-pop sound and self-crafted aesthetic are likely to make them a powerhouse within their home of Chicago’s DIY music scene.
Red’s Head (Indie Singer-Songwriter)
Song of the night: “Message in a Bottle”
Red’s Head offered a more subdued and improv-focused palette cleanser to round off the night of stage-defying antics and high-powered presentations. Mixing and mic issues robbed a bit of the bite from the performance, but overall the band made it clear that they could indeed survive purely off of live performances.
Red Garcia, the lead singer for Red’s Head, took up the ukulele as their weapon of choice for this bout of the Discover series. Although it may have been where they felt most at home – aside from the piano – it was an element that fell flat due to mic placement. Between the ukulele wrestling with the rest of the mix and the gentle swaying of Garcia, the ukulele was never given a fighting chance.
One of the key pieces that stood tall despite the oversight was Garcia’s voice. Their history of posting covers and original music dates as far back as 2018, and the experience shows. In a genre that prioritizes emotional vulnerability and the ability to croon it out, Garcia excels in a meaningful way.
Songs like “Frogs and Fairies” and “Alien” spin whimsical yet all-too-real tales of body dysmorphia and the turmoil of rocky interpersonal relationships. Garcia’s easy shift between chest and head voice burned bright in both of these songs, the latter of which clawed its way into the top three performances of the night.
Following suit, the rest of the band proved to be just as technically impressive. A mix of funky guitar solos and energized percussion performances in songs like “Daydream” gave the other band members a chance to shine. After declaring themselves avid practitioners of jazz-infused improv on Sven Johnson’s local podcast “Champaign Is Also A Band,” they held true to their word and seamlessly the dial from moody folk to a bluesy improv interlude.
Again, we must commend the Canopy Club’s tech team for enhancing these solos by rebalancing levels on the fly. To the audience, not a single hiccup was noticeable during the exchange between musicians. For the players, it was a different story.
Sweeney, a guitarist borrowed from The Blank Stairs, was not hesitant to keep calling for boosts in his monitors between (and during) songs. Perhaps there were some troubles on the backend, but overall, unbalanced guitars and percussion during songs like “What You Seek” were locked in shortly after.
Rounding out the set, Red’s Head tackled a sweetly delivered “Coffee” by beabadoobee, then ditched the ukulele for the fiery “Message In A Bottle,” an original song that oozes a sense of urgency and need to escape claustrophobic mental and social spaces.
Garcia fully engaged with the crowd here and showed they were more than capable of pushing into the sort of confidence it takes to run a local venue (named Red’s) and operate – seemingly purposefully – off-the-grid outside of live performances.
Red’s Head took much longer to warm up to the crowd than the first two performances but sprinted across the finish line. Seemingly nervous glances between bandmates eventually gave way to rocking out in full force as a unit, backed by the audience’s cheers.
Red’s Head was a fitting addition to the Discover series and would likely share fanbases with artists like Leith Ross, Sophie May and Laufey.
Final Thoughts
This round of the Canopy’s Discover series visited three separate genres and artistic visions in a way that felt both cohesive and independently striking. Although there were some mix issues, the tech team balanced the varied instruments and electronic (rig-based) elements quite well and in a way that felt fitting to the atmosphere built by the separate bands.
In a series all about giving artists a place to hone their edge and get exposed to new people, it was a largely successful night in a string of other successes.
Tune in after Nov. 2 to catch our review of the final show of the Canopy Club Discover series. The finale is sure to be a night to remember with a sleuth of Ilinoisian heavy hitters like Emily How, Lys Allen (formerly Taurus Hate Club), Sitrus Sol and Grey Slush.
- All photos taken by Tayon Swift ↩︎
