It’s the Friday night of Halloween weekend in Chicago, Illinois. Drivers impatiently honk their horns at the car bumper in front of them even though the light’s red. Young pedestrians rush down the street, careful not to spill their open containers. It’s only 5 p.m. but the haunts have begun. Being Dead, the weirdo punk band from Austin, Texas, sit idly in their tour van just outside the Empty Bottle. It’s only hours until this trio takes over the rockinest venue in the Chicago west side’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood. At homes all over the city, fans are getting ready for the show and debating if Halloween weekend is this weekend or next. Meanwhile, this silver-bullet mystery machine of a van’s windows are rolled down, allowing the crisp air of a late October evening inside. “We’re chilling,” said Falcon Bitch, the band’s sometimes drummer, part-singer and occasional guitarist. “Get in.”
Welcome to the “Being Dead Halloween Special.”
“I’m going to be Qui-Gon Jinn,” said Being Dead’s touring bassist, Nicole.”I got my lightsaber in the van here somewhere.” “I had a friend who had a bat fly into her head on Halloween,” said Shmoofy, Being Dead’s other sometimes drummer, part-singer and occasional guitarist. “Speaking of bats, I’m going to be a cool vampire.” “I hope you shimmer like they do in Twilight,” said Falcon Bitch. “You’re going to be a tween heartthrob.” “Do you want some sour patch kids?” Shmoofy asked.
The reason Being Dead are sitting in a van passing those ziplock bags of unwrapped candies available at any drug store for approximately three more dollars than they’re worth is because their new album EELS is only a month old and a bunch of rock fans are eating it up like overpriced Walgreens snacks. Except, unlike kid shaped sour gummies candy, EELS is worth whatever the price of admission is. It might be worth more. And those fans are hungry for this concert. It’s a part of the band’s ongoing US tour.
EELS is weird, charming, quick-witted, nerdy and thoughtfully commentates on the state of this modern world.
“Do you want some Kit Kats?” Shmoofy asked, offering up another ziplock bag with unwrapped candy inside. “I’m going to be a tomato,” proclaimed Falcon Bitch. “I made the costume, check it out,” she excitedly continued, holding up a green crocheted stem before handing it to Shmoofy, who is wearing all green. “You’re like a fried green tomato,” Falcon Bitch laughed. “Or the Jolly Green Giant,” Nicole chimed in. “This would be very good for a scarecrow too,” Shmoofy said. “You were going to be a scarecrow last year but then you decided you didn’t want to put on your costume” Falcon Bitch reminded. “Yeah.” Shmoofy sighed. “Every single time we come up with outfits, I’m the one that has to wear the bad outfit. It’s super fucking uncomfortable. It’s super itchy. You know what? No, I’m not doing that. I’m putting my foot down.” “This is going to be a sweater,” Nicole cheered, swooping in and showing off a beautiful yellow yarn-shaped soon-to-be-sweater. “Can you pass me back the Sour Patch Kids?” asked Shmoofy.
As this All-Hallows’ Eve weekend gets going, fans start filing into the Empty Bottle. There are not just ‘camo hat wearing for the sake of irony’ rock fans on this ghostliest of nights. There are also folks ready to get groovy, dressed to the nines in Austin Powers’ costumes complete with lace cravats and lace dress shirts. People bought copies of EELS before the show got started. “Just in case they sell out,” one concertgoer assured their friends, who hadn’t asked. “I’m still going to dance while holding this.”
Over the next 45 minutes, Being Dead slammed out a number of tracks from EELS, including the modern American work ethic commentary “Van Goes,” which features a protagonist who cannot complete any of their hobbies like painting because their demanding day job always demands more. They also performed the ripping fuzzy punk track “Firefighters,” where firefighters fight fires. Being Dead even played “Muriel’s Big Day Off” from the 2023 LP When Horses Would Run.
The band also has its charmingly sweet and philosophical songs. The closest thing to a lullaby a band called Being Dead could write is a track called “Problems,” where Falcon and Shmoofy sing about throwing a party and getting sad after. “What do I do when the people in the problem is self?” This problem is my problem // How can a person have a problem with themselves?” It’s a deep moment from a band that acts goofy yet asks listeners to really hear what’s going on from time to time, all while still finding the kindness to ask if you’d like some Kit Kats, too.
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