American music is a lot of different things, so it may seem a little presumptuous to call a tour “This is American Music.” But, hey, the four bands touring under this banner are pretty much what you would expect from that title — gritty, loose, rambunctious, drunken roots-rock Americana. The tour came last Thursday (Nov. 29) to the Hideout in Chicago, with Two Cow Garage, Grand Champeen, the Drams and Glossary. The show got started a little late — and Glossary showed up even later — because the Glossary van’s tires were all flat following the previous night’s gig in Kansas City. The musicians in all the bands looked a little bleary, and the show was a little sloppy, but that was exactly what the fans wanted. The thing that made it special was the way the four bands traded off musicians all night long, rapidly rotating spots on the stage with short sets and joining together for many of the songs. There was a real sense of camaraderie.
See my photos of the “This Is American Music” concert at the Hideout.