PRINTRed invasion
The Redwalls paint the town
Photo Illustration by Lindsey E. Douthit
The Redwalls' sound is unmistakably '60s. The band would have been a welcome addition to "The Ed Sullivan Show."
March 20, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Shaggy hair, trendy vests, catchy hooks and a foursome armed with instruments are invading Columbia. No, it’s not the Beatles. It’s The Redwalls, a British invasion-influenced band that hails from Chicago suburb Deerfield, Ill., performing at Mojo’s March 29.
The Redwalls’ sound is a throwback to ’60s pop songs with snappy rhythms and an emphasis on percussion. Vocalists and brothers Logan and Justin Baren sound deceivingly English and eerily similar to Oasis despite their Midwestern roots. The band might sound familiar; its ragtag melody “Build a Bridge” is featured in an AT&T commercial that aired recently as part of the company’s “more bars in more places” campaign.
What: The Redwalls
When: Sat. March 29, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Mojo’s
Cost: $6
Call: 875-0588
Baren, the band’s bassist, says The Redwalls have no qualms with comparisons to British rock ’n’ roll.
“We love The Beatles, we love the Kinks, we love The Stones; we love all those groups,” he says. “I wouldn’t say that’s all we’re into or that’s all we’re trying to do, but that’s a big part of how we learned to play and why we learned to play.”
The band will return to Columbia, fresh from South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The band is on the road promoting its third full-length album, The Redwalls, released last October.
The sound on the new album, Baren says, is both heavier and more experimental. He attributes the progression to the three years the group has spent on the road.
“We’ve been all over the world,” Baren says. “We’ve met all these different people and had all of these different experiences in the industry. I just think now it’s easier to express what we want to get across. We have a little more experience with that.”
Miles Raymer, music columnist for alternative weekly Chicago Reader, has seen The Redwalls perform as a British-inspired cover band called The Pages. Raymer says that there is much to be seen at a live performance of The Redwalls.
“They’re confident and swaggering in a way that some people take as cocky, but that also makes them a very compelling live act.” Raymer says. “They’re not an introspective indie rock band or an emo band. They’re up there talking about their feelings as much as they’re making rock ’n’ roll music.”
