The Orwells, The Walters, & Delores, Schuba's, Chicago, Illinois

In what would be considered the spring months in most cities, though still in the midst of winter in Chicago, Schuba's offered a series of free weekday shows featuring local bands. Considering they were also running some good drink specials, there was nothing to lose in going to see a new band, even if I had never heard of them before. Tonight’s acts were billed as Delores, The Walters, and DePaul Women’s Basketball. I wasn’t so sure about that last one. It seemed like a strange and potentially illegal name for a band. Would they just be showing one of their games on TV?

Upon arriving around 8pm, I was pleased to find that DePaul Women’s Basketball was playing last, meaning that I could catch a few bands but get home earlier than expected. However, I soon learned that DePaul Women’s Basketball was a pseudonym for the Chicago-based band The Orwells. Apparently, there were a few hints of the evening’s actual headliner on Twitter, and we suspected that they used a fake name so as not to create too much demand for the free show.

The opening act of the evening was Delores, a four piece alternative rock band. They were fine but a bit forgettable. Immediately following were The Walters. Though with an extra guitarist, they had a similar alternative rock sound if a bit more polished. The lead singer was a bit ridiculous and awkward but certainly entertaining. Finally, The Orwells took the stage to close out the evening. They are another five piece band, though the lead singer doesn’t play an instrument. His long blond hair and onstage antics (including hoping around the stage and simulating fellatio on a guest singer) certainly made him memorable though. The members of The Orwells were only a few years out of high school. One of the guys in the band explained that they chose their pseudonym for the evening because it was always his dream to play for the women’s basketball for DePaul, but his grades weren’t good enough. Their set was much higher energy than the last two, much of which was due to an excited mosh pit of fans near the stage. The Orwells didn’t do an encore and ended their show a bit after eleven.