Freewheelin'

Tea pairing: Cinnamon tea with sugar

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Dan Andriano’s first band he found a home in was Slapstick, a Chicago-based ska punk outfit that consisted of himself, future Lawrence Arms frontman and close friend Brendan Kelly, and four other friends. Now regarded as hometown legends, Slapstick only had a three year lifespan before they eventually broke up in 1996.

However, Andriano, Matt Stamps, and Rob Kellenberger went on to form Tuesday, an emo band that found a decent following in Chicago. Even though the band put out only one album before breaking up in 1999, Freewheelin’ still had enough punk and emo credibility in it to leave a mark on the Chicago hardcore scene.

With guitars reminiscent of The Get Up Kids’ Ten Minute Mile, it could be easy to write off the album as a emo-wannabe record by a now long defunct band. That would be a very poor assessment as the record is quite unique when it comes to the “typical” sound of an emo record.

Quick side note, I think the artworks of Ten Minute Mile and Freewheelin’ are not only similar, but eerily so. What is it with emo bands and their apparent interest in sports?

Dan Andriano’s soothing vocals mesh exceptionally well with the clashing guitar chords and drums such as on “Sixty-Eight” where he angstfully proclaims “Am I just a boy lovesick/Can’t get over this sickness.” Hints of his later songwriting for Alkaline Trio are present in most of the tracks on Freewheelin’ as he pours his heart in the most punk ways.

I recently discovered this album and upon my first listening I was enthralled with it. I am a very big fan of Andriano and his work, be it with Trio or his solo stuff, I have loved his bass playing and voice ever since I discovered Alkaline Trio many years ago.

What drew me into this album was how raw it sounded, from the vocals to the scratchy guitars, it just felt unpolished and heartfelt, and the presence of Andriano on lead vocals was another drawing factor as well.

It is easy to see the start of his emotional songwriting skills with the track “Everything Left Out” which feels and sounds like a song cut from Jimmy Eat World’s debut album Static Prevails, but Freewheelin’ is very much its own as it bears strong ties to true punk rock.

Perhaps the best thing about Tuesday’s only record is how concise it is from start to finish. No track feels like a filler and no track deviates from the mood and sound, providing a very easy listen.

I greatly enjoyed the pacing of the songs, even the acoustic “Let The Starts Play'' which serves as soft closer for an album that has plenty of punk edginess to it. Andriano and company shine the brightest on “Please Come Home” as the band details the life of a sad alcoholic.

As I said above, I really like this album. As a massive Trio fan I cannot help but hear them in Freewheelin’ and to the album’s credit, it only made me enjoy it more. I enjoyed it so

much that I named my blog after it. I have a soft spot for the Chicago punk scene, and Tuesday is just another reason for me to love it even more.

In essence, Freewheelin’ is a rather impressive and engrossing record featuring one of the Midwest emo and punk scene’s best known contributors. It is only a shame that Tuesday had such a short run that fans were never able to hear a followup to a relatively unknown, but great, emo record.