Remember the kids who rocked the gymnasium at your high school’s variety show?
These were the kids with real talent, the ones who transformed into stars in the right forum, even if it was just for one song at center court. Lucky Boys Confusion, a band hailing from the Chicago suburbs, exudes that nostalgic vibe.
LBC (the widely used nickname for the band) played the Galaxy last Saturday, intriguing the small crowd with a high-energy show.
LBC’s sound has roots in rock and ska, but is also injected with reggae and rap. Their lyrics reflect the experience of teens in suburbia: friendship, struggle for independence and identity, conflict with authority and the omnipresent theme of drugs and alcohol.
The band formed in ’97, a marriage of remnant members from two dissolved bands. Since then, LBC’s accessible sound has won them a wide fan base in the Chicago area, where they have sold out gigs at respected venues like Metro and House of Blues.
The show at the Galaxy brought LBC back to its humble beginnings: playing for a few dozen people in a smoky bar. But friendship is a catalyst for onstage chemistry, and LBC reacts until they draw you in.
Lead singer Kaustubh Pandav’s voice is rich and versatile, though his stage presence can be defiant. Adam Krier, guitarist and supporting vocalist, balances Pandav though vocal harmonization and banter with the audience.
Drummer Ryan Fergus, bassist Jason Schultejann, and guitarist Joe Sell can work a crowd into a frenzy with their collective energy by pounding, slapping and jumping all over the stage. The five seem to be a tight-knit group, a vibe that the audience picks up on.
The set list from the Galaxy was almost identical to shows played since ’98, but it seemed to please the crowd. They delivered “40/80,” a tune that depicts a run-in with a police officer who “Tried to fill his quota book/ Stopped us no reason just the way we look.”
Other staples on the menu were “Back Then” and a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” Their sound is alternately untamed and mellow. Pandav and Krier can combine their voices to create powerful vocal chords or to croon, like on “Arizona Stand.”
On the LBC web site, Pandav reflects about the self-prophecies in his songs that seem to be coming true. In “City Lights” he laments, “Looks like this episode should end/ And I’ll miss my friends.”
The Galaxy show was a stop on LBC’s first ever Mid West tour (with Grasshopper Takeover), and this spring the band is poised to blossom even further into the mainstream. They signed on with Electra, and their first major league album, Throwing the Game, will be released on May 8th.
Starting in March, they will be opening for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in gigs across the country. For more information visit their regularly updated web site: www.luckyboys.com
