We’re knee-deep in the spring concert season, and great shows are blooming up just about everywhere you look. Case in point, about three weeks from now Lady Lamb (aka Aly Spaltro) will be rolling through Chicago for a headlining performance at Schubas. If you’re not familiar with Lady Lamb and her music, allow me to provide a little bit of background. The year was 2013 when a young upstart from Maine unleashed her debut studio album Ripely Pine under the moniker of Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. It was a critically acclaimed work of depth and complexity, anchored by Spaltro’s harrowing vocals and lyrical poems that were intensely personal and powerful. A song like “Bird Balloons” does a fantastic job of capturing all of those qualities, to the point where I named it one of my favorite songs of 2013. This year heralded a new record called After, and the dropping of “the Beekeeper” from her name, most likely for the sake of verbiage. But just because she’s no longer tied to bees doesn’t mean she never gets stung. The album focuses on loss, be it a relationship, friends, family or even your sense of home. Spaltro gets even more personal with her reflections, and ferocious in her melodies. Perhaps the best thing about it though is how it manages to surprise at almost every turn, with many of the songs morphing over their duration so you never quite know what to expect. Take a listen to “Spat Out Spit” and “Billions of Eyes” (below) to better understand Lady Lamb’s sound and unique style. She’s more than worth checking out in a live setting too. Back in 2013 I had the privilege of seeing her open for Torres at the Empty Bottle, and it was an impressive showcase of her talents. Not only did Spaltro perform completely solo, but she managed to bring the entire room to complete silence by belting out her opening song completely a capella without even the use of a microphone. There’s just so much fire and passion in her voice that you’re compelled to stop whatever you’re doing and just soak it in. It’s my understanding that with this current tour there are some backing musicians to help flesh out the new songs a bit more, and maybe even add a bit of extra power. In short, you’re probably not going to want to miss this stop at Schubas on Wednesday, May 6th. There are very few tickets remaining for the show, so jump on it quick. Tickets are $12, it’s an 18+ show, and starts at 9PM. Hope to see you there!
