Judi Chicago, is a local, high-energy band that is known for their live performances, which are powered by fuzzed-out electric sounds and pure craziness. Their record claims influences such as Roxy Music, 1980s house and glam rock with a psychedelic element of weirdness. With a list of qualifications like that, they first may sound like more of a spectacle than anything else, but it becomes clear within moments of a conversation that though they love having fun, they are quite serious about their craft. Judi Chicago, comprised of duo Travis Thatcher and Ben Coleman, take pride in their live shows by continually putting on a solid performance and never having a dull moment.
“Whether there’s ten people or hundreds, not one person thinks we don’t care,” says Coleman.
They don’t try to be humorous strictly for laughs; there is an underlying purpose. They believe in engaging the audience as much as possible to allow people to have a great time. When asked about constantly having a fresh live show, Coleman says they strive to continually change things, such as adding a drummer for live shows, and having guest musicians (i.e. Atlanta-based band Noot d’ Noot), and doing it all with an “off-the-cuff” attitude.
For the future, Judi Chicago is excited about their forthcoming album. They are doing the majority of the work themselves with Travis handling most of the composing and producing, as well as working with famed engineer Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, Christina Aguilera). They plan on releasing a single on 7” vinyl (sweet!) in early fall and a music video this September. With their recent success in London, they plan to continually travel to other cities and consistently build a fan base. Judi Chicago hopes to play a few European festivals in the near future, but they still love playing around Atlanta and having fun, especially with their buds at Whynatte.
“They’re great!," says Thatcher of the Atlanta based coffee/energy drink company. "They’re good friends of ours, and they just want to have a good time.”
Judi Chicago is a sweet paradox, which on the surface might just seem like careless and fun, but underneath is a true appreciation for music and art. This is definitely an Atlanta band that’s going somewhere.
Judi Chicago’s Ultimate Mixtape Picks: Guy Called Gerald's “Voodoo Ray” and Hawkwind's “Silver Machine”
Add this Judi Chicago track to your mixtape: “Burger Joy,” (yeah, it is named after the Atlanta joint)
-Ben Thompson
Check out Judi Chicago and Noot d' Noot sponsored by Whynatte at Smith's Olde Bar for a two night run July 3rd and 4th. We can't say what's going to happen, but it's gonna be crazy! Get your tickets now and check back for exciting contest details surrounding the shows from Mixtape Atlanta.
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