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| Photo courtesy of The Queue |
By ERIC SCHELKOPF
For those interested in songs that contain gorgeous melodies and thought provoking lyrics, it is time to queue up the music of Chicago band The Queue.
The Queue will open for Cracker, Marcy Playground and Ike Reilly on June 4 as part of The Alt Rock Rager at The Piazza, 85 Executive Drive in Aurora near the Fox Valley Mall.
Also on the bill are fellow Chicago bands Prizefighter, The Giving Moon and EGxBH and Villa Park band Unlikely Souls. Rock ’n roll burlesque and entertainment troupe The Vaudettes also is on the bill.
The show starts at 3 p.m. and tickets are available at afterlifechi.com.
I had the pleasure of interviewing The Queue frontman and lead singer Sean Mulligan about the show.
Q – Great talking to you. As far as naming the band The Queue, how did you come up with the name?
I’m a huge Oasis fan and they have a song called “Part Of The Queue.” I just thought it was kind of a cool name.
Q – You guys just played at the International Pop Overthrow festival in Chicago. That’s not the first time you played at the festival, right?
I’ve been doing it with The Queue or as a solo act for 10 years, at least.
Q – Why do you like performing at it?
I love just being in that energetic kind of environment and seeing the other performers and being able to enjoy all the music.
There are a lot of like minded musicians at the festival. I’ve done some crazy shows with bands I shouldn’t have been a part of.
At one show at the Double Door, a guy took off all of his clothes except for his underwear and jumped on the bar. I thought this guy was nuts, but people were digging it.
It just wasn't my scene, man.
Q – It seems like you guys have been busy this year. In January, you released an EP, “Get Out Of Now.” The EP is described as ”Part love letter, part retrospective, and hopeful perspective on change, recovery and the human condition.” Did you write this in reaction to the pandemic?
No, it was actually due to a breakup. It led me down a dark tunnel.
I went out to Texas and then I came back and worked on the EP. I wrote for I think a month or two and then I brought the band into the studio.
I hope I wrote it in a way where it could be interpreted for any situation. I was trying to keep some level of positivity to it.
Because we all go through dark things, you know.
Q – The first track on the EP is “Own The Enemy.” What is the meaning of the song?
The feeling for me was, whatever darkness you have, just own it. Make it positive. Transition it to something else.
Q – In March, you released a cover of the Oasis song “Don’t Look Back In Anger.” Is Oasis a big influence for you and the band?
Yeah, I would say so. Definitely Noel Gallagher is one of my favorite songwriters.
Obviously The Beatles is another huge influence. The reason I picked up the guitar in the first place was because of The Beatles.
The turning point was watching “The Beatles Anthology” television series in 1995. My mom made me watch it and I told her, “Why would I want to watch these geezers?”
When I watched them play “Twist and Shout,” something snapped in me. I told my mom, “I want that guitar and I want to learn how to sing that song.”
So I’m glad she made me watch it.
Q – What was going through your head when you were watching The Beatles?
I think it was John Lennon’s voice, just being so raspy and so empowered on that song. And I thought their guitars looked cool.
I collected all their records and I just sat and listened to their music and it was just mind blowing for me.
Q – Are you excited about the upcoming show? Are you fans of any of these bands?
Yeah, absolutely. Everyone knows Marcy Playground’s song “Sex and Candy.”
We’re inspired by ‘90s bands like Cracker and Marcy Playground.
Q – What would you like people to get out of your music?
I want them to enjoy it, for one. I want people to really listen to the lyrics and I want them to have their own perspective on it.
Hopefully it means something to someone. I’m trying to always convey a message.
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