How can a devoted Cubs fan like Ed Anderson, singer and guitarist for Chicago buzz band The 1900s, record his group’s debut across the street from U.S. Cellular Field?
“Well, it was in the middle of winter so it was pleasantly void of Sox fans,” he says.
Local baseball rivalries won’t be a priority for long, though. After building a loyal following around town and rocking Lollapalooza in August, the seven-piece band is ready for national exposure. The 1900s’ full-length debut, “Cold and Kind,” is reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, full of catchy, horn-laced melodies and disarmingly pleasant vocals from Anderson, Jeanine O’Toole and other band members. Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot has called it one of the year’s best albums.
From his day job in Logan Square, Anderson told us about the pros of squeezing seven people onto tiny stages, the band’s plan to eventually become a country act and the confusion caused by similarly named groups.
There’s also the Scottish band The 1990s, and there’s Chicago’s 1997. What’s the deal?
I don’t know. It’s pretty annoying though. … I think we’re gonna be playing with The 1990s in Washington, D.C., which is going to be kind of amazing, I think. We just got it in the e-mail yesterday, and we’re like, “Holy [bleep]! We’re playing with The 1990s! We can finally kick their asses, wipe ’em off the face of the earth!”
With seven band members in The 1900s, how hard is it to squeeze everyone onstage?
Sometimes, the smaller the better. We’ve never played a stage where people haven’t fit, even though it’s been really close and tight. Sometimes it’s kind of amazing to play a really small stage … everyone just needs to mash super-close together and bump into each other — kinda makes it a little more intense. But then you’ll play at some huge stage, and you’ll look, and the next person’s like 10 feet away from you, and you’re like, “How you doin’ down there?”
Do you start to feel lonely?
Yeah! [Laughs] It’s hard to run over and dance with them and get back to your mic in order to start singing the next part.
You’re a bit like Fleetwood Mac, with all of the past and current relationships between band members. Does that give The 1900s potential for the same longevity?
Um, well, they’ve done all right, I guess. What did they put out, four albums with all those guys? Four or five. I think if we did four or five records that would be pretty awesome. I always tell everyone that to play music when you get older you have to play country ’cause it’s the only kind of music you can play when you’re old and still be cool. So we’re going to move maybe in the next 20 years into straight-on, full-on country … That’s our 20-year arc plan.
Yet you’re already working on a solo album. Are you leaving the band only weeks after the debut comes out?
Oh, no, definitely not. Mostly it started because they’re all songs that the band passed on when I gave them a CD of all the demos that we were considering. And I was like, “I’ll show them! I’ll make it so good! They’re going to be pissed they didn’t want to play it!”
Good, because that would be the fastest-ever turnaround from bandleader to solo artist.
I’m going to probably make a band name for it, too, just so it’s not like “Edward Anderson: new release.” That’s kind of annoying.
Maybe the 1910s?
Yeah. We’ll see, man. No, definitely not.
So anything that cannot be found on a calendar.
[Laughs] Right. The Decemberists … The Novemberists! That’s what I’m going to call it.The 1900s
When: 9:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
Tickets: $8, 773-276-3600
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MPAIS@TRIBUNE.COM
