On March 29th I saw what might just be my favorite show, although I hate using such 'big words'. No, not some crazy sold out show in an arena, or even my favorite psych band from the West Coast making a tour stop at the Thalia Hall, or anything like that, really.
Nowadays my favorite shows are played by my friends.

I bought my ticket and walked over to Sleeping Village for the Harvey Waters record release show for the new album 'Guilt, Avoidance'. I'd seen them three times before, once in November, January, and February. Harvey Waters is the songwriting project of Dani Keyes. Dani is one of the most humble and soft-spoken musicians I have met in Chicago. Their music reflects their personality- an introspective, expansive, cascading and beautiful sound that fills the room as it wavers and wanders through its lush soundscape. They call their genre 'dreamo'.
It was a big occasion, but you wouldn't think so from Dani's soft mumbles at the start of the set. "All right, we're gonna try this", they mumble over the low hum of audience conversation. "Thanks... my pedals might fuck up but we'll just go for it".

The band begins with an ambient passage entitled 'Thorn', the first track on the new album. I'd never seen them lean into these ambient soundscapes live like they were here. No one had heard the record yet, as it was scheduled to drop the following week, so this was all new to us. The low hum of conversation slowly dies as the guitar feedback and keyboard arpeggios slowly morph into 'Laughing'. This one I had heard before, and set the tone for the rest of the show. The thundering drums, driving bass, spacey synths, and dynamic guitar work all painted the canvas for Dani and Manae's soft crooning to soar over.
The show moved along quickly, the band not stopping to say a word (other than the occasional mumbled "thanks" beneath Dani's breath). Ambient passages lead into dreamy instrumentals with smooth time signature changes and powerful crescendos as Nick hits the bass distortion and Mike crashes into his 23" Zildjian ride cymbal before the band fizzles out, giving way to more guitar and keyboard ambient passages. I know now that this is a defining characteristic of the new album, which the band perfectly captured in this live context.
The soft, swirling sound of 'Candle' eventually grows into a wall of echo and chorus as the band passes through 'Suffer' and into one of the standouts of the record, 'Awake'. Manae's keyboards cut through the dreamy mix with one of the album's catchiest melodies. Addy from Rat Tally, one of the opening bands, joins the group onstage, adding lush vocal harmonies.

Oh, man, they're sounding better and better. The dynamics of 'Awake' are unbelievable, with solo guitar passages, crashing builds, and a linear song-structure with grooves that constantly change and develop. The band seamlessly builds to the end of the tune, with distorted tremolo-picked guitar chords eventually giving way to 'Avoidance', the next ambient passage.
The audience has just a brief, fleeting moment to regather consciousness before they're back into the slow, pounding 'Listen' which lulls everyone back into a daze. Another standout from the record, the track slowly builds before a brief distorted bass break with the group re-entering with that familiar crashing wall of distortion. The audience roars in approval. I overhear a lot of "holy shit"s and "they sound unbelievable tonight"s as I eavesdrop from my spot at the front row, rubbing my neck to ease the soreness from my headbanging.
Another ambient passage, "Motionless", leads the band into one of their classic songs, 'Run', a tumbling, haunting, song that just. keeps. growing. I am reminded of Korgan telling me "when Harvey Waters is playing, class is in session". Tom-heavy drums and thundering bass lay the groundwork for beautiful vocal harmonies from Dani and Addy that glide through the rapid-fire strumming of the guitar and soft keyboard arpeggios creating a truly kaleidoscopic soundscape.

Then, it happens. This is where shit gets real. The groove devolves into a spacey passage with slow-strummed chords and volume swells, before settling into the outro's chord progression. Yes, that one. Dani plays it twice before Mike gives two strong snare hits to lead into what I can only describe as 'the loud part', my usual favorite moment of most Harvey Waters performances. The whole room shakes as the band pounds through the brief, maybe 30-second outro that always leaves me wanting more. Ugh, just inject it into my veins.
The last note rings out and the audience doesn't roar, they "wow". People look around in disbelief at their friends, jaws on the floor, for a brief moment, before Mike's slow drums and Manae's soft synths re-enter the fold, eventually forming into a soft, subtle dreamy ballad. As the vocals come in, the crowd murmurs again. "Wait, no way. They're actually playing this? NO WAY." It's Linger, by the Cranberries. A cover no one would have expected. As the crowd began to sing along it really started to feel special. This was more than just seeing a friend's band play some bar or some random venue. This was truly a moment.
The band drops out as the verse fades and Dani and Addy begin the chorus. "You know I'm such fool for you, you got me wrapped around..." and then it happens. They hit their pedals to let the feedback ring for a quick second before the full band enters with a power I cannot begin to describe. People were hugging each other, some lifting their hands in the air. "Did you have to? Did you have to? Did you have to let it linger?"
Another swirling soundscape forms during the bridge before another pause, pedal click, and before you know we're all bathed in a blanket of distortion again. By this point my memory of what actually happened is vague, but what I can never forget is what it felt like. The track eventually fizzles out, and we hear a quick "Thank you, thanks Addy" as the band begins to pack up. The audience claps and woos profusely. "One more song!" we yell, or maybe that was just me, and Dani quickly adds "we don't know anymore songs". I asked for the setlist and now I'm looking at it hanging from my wall in my music studio. It's still surreal looking up at it and seeing 'Linger' written at the bottom. Wow.

I bought a CD and two tapes at the show, the new album among them, and bought Korgan that beautiful blue Harvey Waters longsleeve. Nick had his Zoom recorder with him and sent me the audio of the full performance later that night. Thank you for letting me relive this moment, brother. I mastered it that next afternoon and still listen to it every week at least once.
I was up until 9am that night, or morning I guess. I only slept because I had to. I shit you not when I say that witnessing this performance played a big part in getting me out of a particularly depressive mindset I found myself in in the weeks leading up. I had brought a full squad of friends to the show, people I not only love but respect so much, members of some of the best bands in Chicago, and I feel so fortunate they got to experience this performance with me. They still come up to me at shows or practices. "Dude, you remember that Harvey show at SV? Holy shit". I will never forget it.
I hope this recount of the show inspires you to go see them play (I have seen them twice more since). Harvey Waters is one of the best bands in Chicago and this new record is fucking fantastic. It is easily my album of the year thus far, no questions asked. Buy their records, tell your friends, and support them in any ways that you can. One thing is certain, they deserve it.
Harvey Waters is Daniel Keyes on guitar/lead vocals/sampler, Manae Solara Vaughn on keys/guitar/background vocals, Nicholas Gonzalez on bass, Mike Higgins on drums, and Addy Harris on vocal harmonies for some songs, when she's around. They are my favorite band right now. Check out their new record, 'Guilt, Avoidance'.


Happy listening.

- Shrav