Saturday Night: One Matt Weir of WNUR, Medill Blog, Tiny Mixtapes and The Daily Public Editor fame decided to throw a concert in his banged-up Church and Ridge living room… And play in it… And invite his friends from the former local band I Need Sleep to do a set as well… A testament that the DIY spirit isn’t just for people with Apple GarageBand. Anyway, I figured I’d pop in on an invite from my roommate, a WNUR staffer who calls me a philistine now and again, particularly when I make comments along the lines of “I like melody.”

The setting was about what I’d expected: kitschy posters (one pledging support for the troops in ‘Nam), hallways overflowing with partygoers, flattened cardboard boxes taped over the windows (a half-hearted attempt at dulling sound, I assumed). Weir got things revved up with his band, Accent of the Future. He and his bandmate made an unholy racket of looping Casio melodies and vocal distortions rocking into the electronic great beyond.

Once the fizzing died down though, everyone started excitedly gearing up for the main act. I’d never heard of I Need Sleep. I’m told they’ll play literally any venue. Hence Matt’s apartment. When they marched out, I was a little skeptical of their Fellini-does-Arcum-Asylum act. They all danced around, wrenching their faces; one wore a gold theater mask, another an odd white tube over his arm.

But no matter, once they started playing it was impossible not to find them at least charming, and for the most part, really, really catchy. Blowing through hard-rock riffs, glockenspiel percussion and a bitchin’ steel drum melody with manic abandon, they more than made good on a little of the shtick. Too bad the cops had to ruin everyone’s good time. But at least I now know which band I’m calling for my next house party.

-Jordan Weissmann