Ravinia 2022, Issue 6

ASHLEIGH DYE The main leap is that there’s a lot more singing, using more voices, and, in turn, going bigger with the harmonies. “The term that we use is poser country ,” laughs Coleslaw, who serves as both a vocalist and guitarist in the band. “Basically, we live in the city, but we all grew up listening to country music. I just don’t think we are the typical people who make it. So, we always feel like we are posers or something.” But make no mistake—Tobacco City is the real deal. Having formed just over four years ago and having just last year released their debut album Tobacco City, USA , which included showstoppers such as “Never On My Mind,” “AA Blues,” and the melancholy “Half in the Bag,” Tobacco City’s skyrocket ride to suc- cess has occurred at somewhat warp speed, especially when Tobacco City brought in Condon and Weber, who have their own band called Glyders. “We loved going to see them because they’re like this psychedelic band, too,” explains Coleslaw. “I think that a lot of the sound we ended up putting together was kind of a culmi- nation of all the other bands we had been in in Chicago and the different bands we’ve seen. And yeah, the mu- sic scene here has certainly been the shaper of this whole thing.” And with the upcoming release of a new album later this year, Tobacco City seems to be cementing their rightful place as one of the most intriguing bands now. And yes, the music that just might take them to a whole new stratosphere is finally ready to be heard. “Our set now includes a lot of the new stuff, along with a couple of the staples from the old album,” says Coleslaw, who has spent a good portion of the summer out on tour with Tobacco City. “I think the main leap from the last album to this one has just been that there’s a lot more singing. Lexi [Goddard] is singing a lot more, and our bass player Eliza [Weber] is singing a lot more, and even our drummer Josh [Condon] is singing sometimes, too. So, we are uti- lizing a lot more voices and, in turn, going bigger with the harmonies.” And having the chance to bring these harmonies to Ravinia is something Tobacco City has long been waiting for. And so has Coleslaw’s mom. “Ravinia was always this place that my mom would talk about,” Coleslaw gushes. “She loves going there. It was so funny because when I told her that we were going to be playing with Emmylou [Harris] and Mary Chapin [Carpenter], she said she thought that was amazing. Then, I told her we were playing with them at Ravinia . [ Laughs .] That’s when she lost it.” Tricia Despres is a Chicago-area freelance entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Chicago Sun- Times , Taste of Country , People , and numerous local, regional, and national publications. Twitter: @CHIWriter Tobacco City’s Lexi Goddard, Chris Coleslaw, Josh Condon, and Eliza Weber (left to right) RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 18