Noontime Noise wakes up crowd

Odium_Nation.jpg

Last Wednesday afternoon brought a lunchtime treat to Hutch Courtyard—Chicago rock band Odium Nation. Marking the conclusion of ORCSA’s summer Noontime Noise series, the band entertained about 50 lunchers with an hour of songs from its new album, The Greater Good.

“We’re an interesting blend of hard rock, hip-hop, and R&B rhythms,” said Odium Nation guitarist John O’Brien after the set. “I think we’re hitting a middle ground that no one’s touched yet.” That “interesting blend” landed the band’s flagship song, “Wake Up,” a spot on Erin Carman’s “Local Music Mondays” show on The Loop radio station earlier this month.

The Noontime Noise event marked a new step for the band, which welcomed two fresh faces to its lineup. “We’ve been a band for four to five years now, but incorporating a DJ is new to us as of the U of C show,” said O’Brien of DJ Justin Faubion, who, along with the band’s new drummer, Mark “Coco” Phillips Jr., joined the group earlier this month.

The band consists of seven Chicago-area musicians in their late 20s, all committed to a common mantra: freedom. “Each member of this group was carefully selected for not only their musical ability but also their ability to think freely,” reads the band’s Web site. “Freedom stands at the very heart of why this band will succeed.”

This summer's Noontime Noise series also brought some U of C–centric rock bands to campus, such as Gamine Thief, which includes Renee Neuner, AB'06, and The Cathy Santonies, led by Raedy Ping, AM'05.

Hassan S. Ali, ’07

Photo: A Hutchinson Courtyard flyer previews Odium Nation's Noontime Noise performance.

August 21, 2006