Chris Mills & The City That Works Orchestra @ Schubas (9/3/2005)

"Chris Mills Is Living The Dream" certainly said it all as Chris Mills stood on the musician clustered stage at Schubas. Surrounded by The City That Works Orchestra, an 8-piece ensemble of local musicians, Mills celebrated the upcoming release of his fourth album The Wall To Wall Sessions. The leadoff track of that album was also the show's opener. For the singer-songwriter from Collinsville, IL, the dream has grown to span ten years and has shown no signs of slowing down.

On The Silver Line (2002), Mills stepped away from his alt-country sound and traded it in for a more pop heavy, melodic atmosphere often compared to Wilco's transition from Being There to Summerteeth. Mills has kept the sound but changed his delivery. Recorded on January 7-9, 2005, The Wall To Wall Sessions was by all means a back-to-basics move by Mills in terms of how he wanted to approach the creative process this time around. With a 17-piece orchestra and a two-track recorder, Mills took a detour from the studio magic available at his fingertips to create something raw and invigorating. The translation from studio to stage was remarkable as he and his band packed every inch of space on the small Schubas stage.

The assembled group, many of whom worked on The Wall To Wall Sessions, was a sort of Who's Who of the Chicago music scene. The rhythm section of Ryan Hembrey and Gerald Dowd are often found backing songstress Nora O'Connor. Susan Voelz has been a long standing member with Poi Dog Pondering. Fred Lonberg-Holm remains an active musician among the avant-jazz scene of Chicago while often lending his cello skills to others (most notably on Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot).

As Mills performed 90% of The Wall To Wall Sessions, there was a definite sense that Mills turned the right page he needed to turn to move forward in his career. He hasn't lost the heart to his music, but he has found new avenues to explore. The swinging waltz of "You Are My Favorite Song" captured the spirit of a young Chris Mills on 1995's Plays And Sings while the gentle lullaby of "Everything About The Heart" revealed how much Mills has matured over the years. Mills' soulful voice was at its best and his joy on stage was unmistakable. Mills dipped back in his catalog for songs like "Brand New Day" and "All You Ever Do" for some of the best rocking moments of the night; the size of the stage couldn't hold Mills back from leaping in the air with immense fervor. Chris Mills proved that he's still on a strong, creative stride and that his best work keeps getting better. Although Mills left Chicago a few years ago for Brooklyn, his heart sure hasn't, and the musicians that gave their skills to make the show possible on a Saturday night at Schubas showed that Chicago hasn't forgotten Chris Mills.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda