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indie-snob>+!#
ida (children’s shows, 10-4&5-03)
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 Photo by Chris Aque October 4, 2003 @ Schuba's Ida is a band who's been around since 1992, releasing more material than I could ever be expected to keep track of (well, perhaps not true, but certainly more than I could afford). Since that time, though, it appears as though the band has settled down a bit. The most surprising fact about this first tour in roughly three years (at least one that passed through Chicago) was that the main reason it WAS scheduled was for Liz and Dan to play this kid's show at Schuba's, a benefit for the local Hawthorne Academy (a neighborhood public magnet-school). Nonetheless, Ida has climbed to the top of whatever sort of "quiet-core" scene may exist. Even with their breif stint with Capitol Records, the band has maintained an elegant and beautiful style throughout their entire career. So, naturally, I was upset when the only show the band was playing here was 18+ (which Dan informed me was changed to a 21+ without any notification). Nonetheless, I usually find ways to see my favorite artists perform anyway, and this time it came in the form of a children's show. Liz and Dan have recorded two children's albums together called You Are My Flower and You Are My Sunshine, however I had heard neither previously. But I knew I was in for something good when Liz started by saying: "We'd like to perform a song by our favorite children's band: The Velvet Underground." It wasn't ALL interesting covers like that, though. Liz and Dan focused mainly on the more traditional children's song, but with the soft, pleasant vocals and lush acoustic guitars (not to mention all the little dancing kids), it was hard not to fall in love with what they were doing. They played "Ooby Dooby" (which certainly seemed to be the crowd-pleaser for the afternoon) and "This Little Light of Mine" and "Hey Bo Diddley" and so many other Americana classics. Obviously, it was cute, but there is no possible way that I can go on to describe this show in any sort of rock-concert sense. But certainly, if you're into the family music scene, then Liz and Dan create a wonderful atmosphere. Everything was just so heartwarming. After the shows, I talked to Dan and another older audience member (there with his young friend) about the difficulty of finding places to play for a band like Ida. Dan said something along the lines of: "I'm getting too old to play in a smoke-filled room." It was nice to talk to band members who actually TRY to book all-ages shows when they can. I guess that back in the day, Ida used to play at the Fireside often. Which, while an unexpected venue for the band, admittedly provided a nice place to play. While I cannot testify to the amazing live performance Ida has, what I can say is that I had more fun being surrounded by a room full of children under the age of 6 ever. Admittedly, I'm sure I looked like a pedophile standing to the side with my digital camera, but hey, if that's what it takes to witness some part of the miracle that IS Ida, so be it.
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