Wednesday 11/05/05 The Raveonettes, Autolux @ Double Door, Chicago

Long before the show even begins, a busker on the Washington platform nearly steals it out from under the noses of the Danish Brigade.  His gentle repertoire, including 'If I Were a Carpenter' and Seal’s 'Kiss From a Rose' is preposterously affecting, but his ‘stage banter’ is even better.  “Marriage,” he says, in recognition of the nuptial season, “I think it should just be ‘for better’.”  The O’Hare blue line approaches.  “Thank you for visiting the subway café,” he laughs, as the train screeches its brakes and it’s on to the Double Door.

After a series of high-profile tours with the likes of Secret Machines and Ambulance LTD, thunderous Los Angeles shoegaze revivalists, Autolux, in less than six months, has become as much of a fixture on the Chicago scene as the Virgin Mary stain on the Fullerton underpass.  They’ve played here so often that prior exposure to their debut, 'Future Perfect', is not even necessary to recognize changes, refrains, and riffs.  Should she ever become incarcerated and sentenced to a hard labor camp, drummer Carla will have no trouble whatsoever pounding boulders to gristle.  Should Jared Leto decide to retire from film in the face of outrageous flop, Alexander, guitarist Greg, his doppelganger, is ready for a screen test.  Should singer/bassist Eugene ever need someone to operate the sampler, we’re available.  To paraphrase the Carlsberg tagline:  Autolux, possibly the best band in the world.    
 
Two white Fender DeVille amps shimmer like phantoms in the soft glow of the stage. Roadies procure the ample set list (18 songs, not including the encore) on sheaves of paper long enough to contain the Declaration of Independence.  Declaring themselves free from the impositions of the key of B, The Raveonettes are back, bolstered to five, and ready for lift-off.  Sharin Foo has forsaken her bass to Spud from Trainspotting, but the drummer still offers a masterclass in multitasking, smoking whilst drumming (and wearing headphones!) and the support guitarist is even more gloriously spastic than ever.  His mid-song riff on disco-stomp showstopper 'Twilight' comes on like the breeze that follows when the sun passes behind a rare cloud on an August afternoon in Ibiza.  No small wonder then, that The Raveonettes have been selected to play Spain’s Benicassim festival this summer.  No other album of 2005, outside of Beck’s 'Guero', has such a summery feel to it than 'Pretty in Black', the heatwave driven home on songs like 'Ode to LA' and, what else, 'Red Tan' (“warm summer’s night / red tan”).  With any luck, Perry Farrell will secure a spot for them at Lollapalooza, allowing for stateside fans to bask in the heat.