charlie otto + his gear

Charlie Otto is a musician's favorite in Chicago. Starting as the David Byrne in the wildly popular Talking Heads tribute act "This Must be the Band," he soon branched off into the the guitar synth player for the electronic 6 piece band "DJ noDJ," which re-created DJ acts like Daft Punk, Disclosure, and Justice. Along the way he's had several original bands including "Savvy," "Grood," and "Babe-alon 5."

No doubt all these bands have severely influenced Charlie as he embarks on his newest project, "charlie otto + his gear." It's a solo electronic project in which he performs all his most popular music videos, spontaneously experimenting with the budding new connection between audio and visuals. Hard to explain exactly what's happening, but the notes Charlie plays generate images on the screen, or turning a knob bends a note and also distorts the visuals. Pretty cutting edge stuff.

While the live show infinitely feels like the trial run of a grand new invention, the songs are solid, composed, and danceable. His political and philosophical views on his sleeve, he carries the audience through the gamut from quiet awe to bewildered dance rage. Each show is unique, every note is intentional. Either way, this show is a DO NOT MISS.