Bitchin Bajas at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on March 5, 2022

Ryley Walker brought the Bitchin Bajas with him on a little mini-tour of Milwaukee and Chicago during the first week of March 2022. It was really more of a co-headlining show, as Ryley no doubt would agree to, since he referred to the Bajas on stage as "one of the most important Chicago bands of the past 20 years."

   

Comprised of keyboardists Cooper Crain, Dan Quinlivan, and Rob Frye (who also plays flute and sax) the band has released a surprising number of albums since their beginnings in 2010. The music is at turns psychedelic and meditative, lush and hypnotically repetitive. 

For this show they were joined onstage by Jayve Montgomery on an Akai electronic wind instrument for a cover of Sun Ra's "Opus in Springtime."

Big thanks to the band for allowing taping and especially Cooper who went out of his way to make sure I had the correct setlist.

Buy their newest album here.

Recording information:

BITCHIN’ BAJAS
2022-03-05
Chicago, IL at the Empty Bottle

Cooper Crain: keyboards
Rob Frye: flute, sax, and keyboards
Dan Quinlivan: keyboards
Jayve Montgomery: Akai EWI-4000 (Track 4 only)

Setlist:
01 World B. Free (10:54)
02 Amorpha (8:17)
03 Chili (5:21)
04 Opus In Springtime [Sun Ra] (8:03)
05 Jammu (8:49)
06 Be Going (10:00)

Total time = 51:24

microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 stereo pair in NOS
additional source: mono soundboard feed
recorder: Sound Devices MixPre 6 at 24/96
software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (230 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (121 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

BCMC (Cooper Crain and Bill Mackay) at Acme Records and Music Emporium in Milwaukee on October 21, 2023

One of the contenders for the top of my AOTY list last year was the stunning debut of BCMC, a duo comprised of Chicago-based musicians Cooper Crain and Bill Mackay. In October I traveled to Iowa City to see them at the wonderful Trumpet Blossom (recording posted here) and then a few days later made my way back to Milwaukee to see them again at Acme Records.

   

  

The combination of Crain's Kosmiche-inspired keyboards and Mackay's understated guitar virtuosity is a real winner. I hope they team up again for a follow up to Foreign Smokes.

  

Buy their album here.

  

Recording information:

BCMC
2023-10-21
Milwaukee, WI at Acme Records


Cooper Crain: keyboards
Bill Mackay: guitar

Setlist:
01 Sunset Saturn
02 The Swarm
03 Unknown
04 Ripple in High Tide
05 Unknown

Total time = 54:01

microphones: Line Audio OM1 omni pair in A-B at stage lip
additional source: mono SBD
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/48
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (187 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (123 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

BCMC (Bill MacKay and Cooper Crain) at the Trumpet Blossom Cafe in Iowa City on October 19, 2023

The prospect of the pairing of Bill Mackay and brilliant keyboardist Cooper Crain (Bitchin' Bajas and Cave) had a lot of expectations to live up to -- and their debut album last year fulfilled them all. It was one of my albums of the year for 2023 and I strongly recommend purchasing it if you haven't already.

Combining virtuosity with a Krautrock-inspired ambient mood, their music is simultaneously hypnotic, relaxing, and invigorating.

  

I was happy to drive to Iowa City to catch them on their Midwest tour at the Trumpet Blossom, a cool vegan cafe in a very pleasant Big Ten college town. The acoustics were perfect and I was able to blend a high quality soundboard feed with a pair of Beyerdynamic cardioid mics to create an appropriately spacey soundscape.

Buy their album here.

Recording details:

BCMC
2023-10-19
Iowa City, IA at the Trumpet Blossom Cafe

Bill MacKay: guitars
Cooper Crain: synthesizers

Tracklist:
01 Foreign Smokes (8:01)
02 The Swarm (9:05)
03 Ripple at High Tide (8:27)
04 Sunset Saturn (4:59)
05 Unknown (8:18)
06 Unknown (9:12)

Total time = 48:02

Sources: mono SBD + Beyerdynamic MC930 in NOS
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (209 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (110 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Bitchin' Bajas at Colectivo Back Room in Milwaukee on December 15, 2023

One of the most interesting bands in Chicago over the past decade has been the Bitchin' Bajas. Despite their somewhat goofy name, the trio (Cooper Crain, Dan Quinlivan, and Rob Frye) are dead serious in their approach to musical explorations.

 

Drawing inspiration from the so-called Berlin school of electronics (1970s synth pioneers such as Klaus Schulze) as well as jazz artists such as Sun Ra, the Bajas spun a mesmerizing web of melodies over an hour or so of the concert.

 

This was the last concert ever at this venue and I will not be missing seeing shows here. From super talkative crowds to security staff who seem to approach recording gear as something akin to high-level explosives (and permission to tape as something impossibly difficult to comprehend), my history at the venue has been somewhat unfortunate.

Despite all this, the show was amazing.

Buy their latest album here.

Recording information:

BITCHIN’ BAJAS
2023-12-15
Milwaukee, WI at Colectivo Back Room

Cooper Crain: synthesizers
Dan Quinlivan: synthesizers
Rob Frye: synthesizers, sax

Setlist:

01 Unknown Title (14:30)
02 Unknown Title (5:34)
03 Unknown Title (7:24)
04 Unknown Title (7:18)
05 Unknown Title (11:20)
06 Unknown Title (11:58)
07 Unknown Title (9:46)

Total time = 67:50

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC 930 in ORTF on stand
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (325 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (107 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible