Canasta finds grass-roots success
Orchestral-pop band to make debut stop at The Livery

BENTON HARBOR - When Elizabeth Lindau realized the headquarters for then-Democratic primary candidate Barack Obama was one floor above her UnitedHealthcare office, she decided to make a campaign pledge of her own.

“I told someone that if they ever needed any music for the campaign to just let us know,” says Lindau, who plays violin for the Chicago-based orchestral-pop band Canasta.

“A couple weeks later, someone wrote us back because they had been a fan of the band.”

Canasta not only played alongside Jill Sobule, Macy Gray and Wilco during the primary fundraiser at Chicago’s famed Riviera Theatre, but was asked to supply the music for a number of online videos during Obama’s presidential run.

“It was amazing just to be able to meet him,” Lindau says, “but we also ended up getting to know a lot of people on the campaign.”

Aided by that exposure, Canasta has been building a grass-roots following of its own. On Saturday, it will make its first stop at The Livery in Benton Harbor.

Canasta was formed in 2002 by Lindau and singer, bass and trombone player Matt Priest. The duo, who had met at Kalamazoo College, started to create an informal band after Priest was laid off during the dot-com bust.

“We didn’t set out to be a rock band,” Lindau says. “Matt just kind of had some free time so he called up all his friends who played music. The instruments that ended up in the band was completely random. If you played an instrument that we didn’t already have, you could be in the band.”

Instead of the standard rock set-up, Canasta’s lineup includes violin, trombone and both piano and keyboard.

“A lot of bands our size are really a four-piece and they may add strings or a horn at live shows,” Lindau says. “From the beginning, every instrument had been an equal part of the band.”

Canasta soon joined the ranks of other notable orchestral-pop bands such as Yum-Yum, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, the 1900s and Head of Femur that have had a notable impact on Chicago’s underground music scene.

In addition to playing for President Obama, Canasta has headlined the Metro, held the “Practice Space” residency at Schubas and played sold-out gigs at Double Door and Subterranean. It also has played the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, CMJ Music Marathon in New York City and CMJ Rock Hall Fest in Cleveland.

In late 2003, Canasta released its debut EP, “Find the Time,” which was mastered by Keith Cleversley (The Flaming Lips). Two years later, the band released its first full-length album, “We Were Set Up.” The album’s 13 tracks were recorded with Ted Cho (Poi Dog Pondering) at North Branch Studio and mastered by Mike Hagler (The New Pornographers). It features the band’s usual mix of sophisticated songwriting and meticulous orchestration - everything from guitar-driven anthems to moody narratives. The standouts “Slow Down Chicago,” (featured in the IFC film “Diminished Capacity”), “Microphone Song” and “Major Tom Coming Home” (a sequel to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”) have become set staples.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on melodies and harmonies,” Lindau says. “It’s all about how it fits together. So we can’t play without six people.”

Personnel changes have delayed the band’s anticipated sophomore effort, although Canasta often plays the songs “Mexico City” and “Magazine,” off the as-yet-untitled CD, in its live shows. The current lineup is completed by guitarist Jeremy Beckford, pianist Kyle Mann, keyboardist Ian Wilson and drummer Josh Lava.

The band has released “We Were Mixed Up,” a free digital-only set (available at canastamusic.com) that includes nearly 100 minutes of music remixed and re-imagined by members of other notable Chicago bands such as Office, The Hood Internet, Brighton MA, Allá and Roommate. But plans to finally release a new CD by year’s end may have been a bit premature. Lindau says Lava will be relocating to Portland, Ore., next month, which may force fans to wait a bit longer.

“The CD is long overdue, but we’re working on getting it out,” Lindau says. “When you have six people in a band, someone is always leaving or moving or moving or leaving.”

— Jeremy D. Bonfiglio, The Herald-Palladium (Southwest Michigan), August 21, 2009