Eleventh Dream Day “Works for Tomorrow” 2015. Thrill Jockey Records. We saw Eleventh Dream Day perform last week when they opened for neo-psychedelia/paisley underground rockers The Dream Syndicate and they performed several tracks from Works for Tomorrow, the band’s 13th and latest release. Though they’ve been around since 1983 and are from Chicago, just about an hour down the road. I’ve never seen them and admit to only have vaguely heard the band’s name before. Though, as they mentioned at the show here in Milwaukee last Thursday, “It took us 17 years to drive 70 miles” (ie it’s been awhile since they’ve played here).

Eleventh Dream Day paired well with The Dream Syndicate (they’ve recorded with Steve Wynn in the past) though they have a harder rocking vibe: raw, fuzzed-out guitar jams, noise rock with melody. Original members Rick Rizzo (guitar, vocals), Doug McCombs (bass) and Janet Beveridge Bean (drums and vocals) are still playing strong – especially Bean who is a power player and wailer and I’m just a little obsessed.

We were able to get Bean’s setlist (on a styrofoam plate – not earth-friendly but able to withstand the monstrous beats) and a few of the songs from Works for Tomorrow were my favorite of the night.

Those songs included “Vanishing Point” on which Bean has lead vocals – it’s hard-driving and punked-up; “Cheap Gasoline” and “Go Tell It” are punk-blues at their finest where Rizzo and Bean share vocals. Also great is “Requiem for 4 Chambers” which sounds like it should be an orchestral string ensemble piece but is more like a country-twinged (punk) rocker with slide guitar and pounding organ (though towards the end there is some borderline choral chanting courtesy of Bean).