I have very strong feelings about how bands should behave at shows. It is my feeling that the performance is only a fraction of the appearance. Time should also be spent, especially at small venues like Soda Bar or the Casbah, "shaking hands and kissing babies" as they say in politics. It leaves a huge impression on the audience if a band takes the time to meet and greet fans before and after shows.
Occasionally, however, there are exceptions to this rule. This Thursday at the Casbah would be one of those nights, when the Orwells of Elmhurst, Ill. roll through town. You see, the band is made up of Mario, Grant, Dominick and Matt, and they are all only 17 years old, which means they'll be waiting outside before their performance and quickly ushered out when they're done.
The high schoolers perform what could fall in the vein of punk or garage, and their songs are about things one would expect from high school boys. The question will be whether they can pull off their sound live. By the grit of their hit, "Mallrats (La La La)," my guess is they'll do just fine. If you want autographs, however, you'll have to meet the band at their van.