Califone – May 18th at The High Noon Saloon

Califone is a critically-acclaimed experimental post-rock band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, a long-standing manufacturer of audio equipment commonly found in schools, libraries and businesses.

After the disintegration of Chicago’s blues-rock innovators Red Red Meat, the band’s four remaining members struck out on their own, initiating several varied endeavors but never straying too far from their home base, or each other. Ben Massarella and Tim Rutili revived their Perishable Records imprint, Brian Deck opened the Clava recording studios, adjacent to the Perishable offices, and Tim Hurley recorded and released his own Sin Ropas project on the resurrected label. Amid the flurry of activity, all four also found the time to contribute to the ill-fated, A&M-commissioned Loftus LP. While enduring the fluctuation between crisis and monotony inherent in the daily operation of a small, independent record label, Rutili began work on his next musical project, Califone. (read more from Allmusic.com)

Califone’s latest release, Roots and Crowns (Thrill Jockey) has been highly praised by many trusted critics and should not be overlooked. It boasts bits of dark americana, delta blues, electronica sealed with exceptional songwriting. Those of you longing for an amazing experimental alt-country live experience should plan on attending this show.

FS