Saturday, December 2, 7 p.m.
Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304 East Third Street, Davenport IA
Described by The A.V. Club as a group whose “jangled Brit-pop influence buoys its subtle post-punk flairs,” the Chicago-based rockers of NE-HI perform a Moeller Nights concert in support of their 2017 album Offers, a sophomore released lauded by Paste magazine as “proof of a band that is growing up and is prepared to bring more deserved attention to the Windy City’s ever-electrifying rock scene.”
The four members of NE-HI – guitarist/vocalists Jason Balla and Mikey Wells, bassist James Weir, and drummer Alex Otake – formed their ensemble in the summer of 2013 as a favor to a filmmaker friend who needed a score for his new movie, and when the project was canceled, the quartet decided to instead start a band. Based around Animal Kingdom, a DIY basement space on the city's Northwest Side, the foursome began to build a loyal area following through their energetic performances and catchy songs, and NE-HI's self-titled debut album was released by Manic Station in March of 2014.
With Paste praising the album for its “visceral groove and reverb-laden guitar-scape” and the Chicago Tribune ranking it number-four on the “Top 10 Local Indie Albums of the Year” list, NE-HI began touring with the likes of Twin Peaks, Car Seat Headrest, and the American Wrestlers, and released its second album Offers this past February. Among the release's numerous raves, Chicago Mag praised the band's ability to “balance the turbulent and the tranquil,” while The A.V. Club extolled NE-HI's “attention to detail” and “tightly constructed and effervescent” songs.
NE-HI plays Davenport's Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel with an opening set by Road Soda, tickets are $10, and more information on the night is available by visiting MoellerNights.com.
