Sometimes the best shows are the ones you expect the least of. A small garage in the far Western Suburbs, 20 people gathered around Justin Birchard and Jeff Goluszka of Facing Winter, acoustic guitar and wooden bongo, the night began. Facing Winter has been around for several years, but I had never seen them perform. They released their latest ep, Opt Out, last fall, and now I was at their home/recording studio/concert venue. The stripped down set featured several new songs, and was the perfect way to start the evening.
Steph Yeager, celebrating the physical release of her debut album, took stage next. Facing Winter’s label 7SidedRecords released Campfire Songs so it seemed fitting that they would host the release. Steph’s set was energetic and wild featuring contributions from members of Facing Winter and others on several songs. The highlights of the set were a passionate version of Radiohead’s "Creep" and a foot-stompin’ version of Steph’s own "Western Sky".
It was an intimate setting for a big sound, and wonderful homecoming for a talent musician.