I was lucky enough to attend a pretty spontaneous event held by Chicago based band, Sleep On It. Their newest album, Pride & Disaster, was released on September 13th, and on September 10th the group held a signing/listening party. They invited many to come; all you had to do was preorder a physical copy of the album and you gained entry.
The first half of the night was an acoustic set and signing held at Shuga Records in downtown Chicago. It’s a really cool record store, and the band showed up about an hour early to hang out with fans and browse the record selection. They took some pictures, bought records, and proudly showed off some of the first physical copies of their newest album they had ever seen. Then, we all gathered by a tiny stage and the acoustic set started. They only played five songs, but it was nice to hear some stripped down versions of songs that were really never meant to be played that way.
They started off with “Under the Moment”, and the crowd was shy at first. The boys quickly encouraged us to sing along with them, and the wall seemed to have broken. Everyone was smiling, dancing, laughing, and enjoying the music in a way I haven’t really been able to enjoy it before. Frontman Zech Pluister even joked about how he couldn’t sing it right, and it felt like we were all just a bunch of friends hanging out.
They played the other two singles off of the new album, “Hold Your Breath” and “After Tonight”. These songs were interesting to hear acoustically, and although many of the fans didn’t know the words yet, it was still fun and interactive. They closed the short set out with “A New Way Home” and “See You Around”. The set was very interactive and fun; the boys took sips of beer between songs and joked with each other and the audience the whole time, making it all very casual and laid back.
The signing followed, and everyone was laughing, joking around and congratulating the group on their achievements. It was a very celebratory part of the evening and was very laid back as well. I thought it was especially cool to hold that new piece of physical music in my hands and to finally see it come to life. Everyone was in high spirits as we all headed out to Dimo’s Pizza, right down the road and across the street from the Subterranean.
This was my favorite part of the night. First of all, Dimo’s is a cool hole-in-the-wall pizza joint, with a simple and minimalist style. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was perfect. When it came time to listen to the album, everyone was buzzing with excitement. With that being said, as soon as it started playing, everyone fell silent, an excited hush falling over the previously excited crowd of people. The band members families, friends, and partners were all gathered for the event, and it was really heartwarming to see so many people celebrating the achievements of Zech, Teddy, Luka, and Jake.
The next hour of listening was spent dancing and, honestly, crying. I had an amazing time with some of my closest friends, just jamming and getting a first taste of an album I have come to love. The boys walked around and took pictures and watched as we all danced and sang along to the singles, the smiles never leaving their faces. It was really cool to see them so proud of themselves.
After the album had played through, the guys ended the night with a playthough of All Star’s “Smashmouth”, and treated us all to a song that was cut from the album and will never see the light of day. It was a kind of “thank you” to us all.
Overall, the event was very special and a huge celebration of the band’s extremely hard work. It paid off in a big way for sure, and the whole night just felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, rather than seeing a band play live. It was truly something I will remember for years to come and I am extremely glad that Sleep On It felt comfortable enough to share their art with their hometown fans early.
