BAATHHAUS

Since moving to Chicago on August 1^st, 2011, I have been anticipating my chance to see BAATHHAUS (a queer-electronic-fuck band fka DAAN) perform. They became well known in Chicago’s queer-scene due to their hypersexual performance art; last night, “the night before the apocalypse,” I got to experience why they have achieved underground cred at Salonathon’s You’re Gonna Die: A Holiday Fantasia at Metro. 

Photo Credit: John Sturdy

The quartet that comprises BAATHHAUS provides all the vocals and instrumentation for their sets. They seamlessly weave from theatrical singing to spitting rhymes while executing provocative and interpretive choreography. The multidisciplinary artists take turns being front and center, but are most effective when collectively jamming out with high-energy abandon. The most notable solo moment came at the end of “I Like Boys,” in which Patrick Andrews explicitly raps with raw pleasure about how he desires his men to behave in bed which he finalizes with an innocent, cutesy curtsey. All four members began the set with unsettling neutral masks topped with Santa-hats which they one-at-a-time removed, crumpled, and tossed into the audience. Apart from unwrapping gifts which consisted of musical instruments and glitter guns, the performance was more straightforward than I anticipated. Their performances of "All I Got" and "Cave Song" were flavored with all the expected overt sexuality and the finale brought the anticipated spluttering of blood from the bandmates' mouths. 

BAATHHAUS is fully engaged from beginning to end and thus is inescapably mesmerizing. Their performance ranges from cheeky humor to brass sensuality and is always unapologetically and fiercely queer. But all nitpicking  aside, the band puts on an awesome show. I had a fucking blast. There were songs when I couldn’t stop watching them… other times I had to dance…and at other times I just had to grind against my boyfriend. BAATHHAUS put on an inspired show and spread queer cheer for the holidays.

Photo Credit: Vern Hestor

check out their music at: https://soundcloud.com/baathhaus

and here's their website: http://baathhaus.com/