The queer-led Chicago trio Plaid on Plaid strives to be a new breed of rock. ( Photo by Janet Obermann )
Like their name, this local band is an unexpected, eye-catching blend. Their music is a fusion of varying elements, like heavy guitars and dance beats. The band itself is diverse, made up of two queer women and a straight man. They aim to please, which is most likely why they've earned themselves a loyal and diverse local fan base over the years.
Plaid on Plaid is guitarist/singer/drummer Ann Van Mater, 23, bassist/guitarist Kristen Ford, 21, and bassist/drummer Buck Foley, 21. The trio, based in Humboldt Park, formed in 2006 while all three were studying at Columbia College Chicago.
Van Mater and Ford met in a gay and lesbian studies class, and Ford had known Foley since their freshman year. Van Mater and Ford started playing together, than asked Foley to join. The rest was history.
The inspiration behind the name was an outfit Ford's friend once wore: a flannel shirt and plaid pants. 'It's a good look,' Ford said with a laugh. The name is also a play on 'girl-on-girl,' and a classic lesbian joke, according to the band.
All three have been inspired by a plethora of musical genres: punk, riot grrl, death metal, indie and reggae, and their own songs tie many of these elements together to form what Van Mater describes as their trademark 'melodic-indie-pop-metal' sound.
After speaking with the members of Plaid on Plaid, it's clear that their mission is to create music that speaks to everyone: gay, straight, black, white, whatever. They don't want to be pigeon-holed as just another gay or chick band, and their 'let's just have fun' attitude and unique sound help them avoid that very dilemma by attracting a diverse audience to their shows, whether they play at an LGBT event or a predominately straight bar.
'It's cool because it's a fusion of people,' Ford said. 'It's really exciting.'
'The concept of our sound is that if you listen to it, if anybody listens to it, they aren't going to be like, 'Oh, that's a gay song,'' Foley said. 'Some of the songs are queer, but you have to be looking for it.
'It's very universally accessible. It has messages that apply to everybody. It speaks to everybody. That's why I love it so much.'
The band will soon self-release a five-song EP, 'And Then the Fall.' It will be available free online, or can be purchased at any upcoming show. The EP will also be offered at some local shops.
See www.myspace.com/plaidonplaid to learn more.
Check out Plaid on Plaid at one of their upcoming shows:
—May 3 at the Fair Trade Festival, 4754 N. Leavitt, 2 p.m.
—May 15 at the U.S. Beer Co., 8 p.m.
—May 25 at Reggie's, 2105 S. State, 11 p.m., 18+
—May 31 at Silvie's Lounge, 1902 W. Irving Park, 8 p.m., 21+
