APPEARING: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2022 (VIEW FULL SCHEDULE)

VENUE: ROSE BOWL TAVERN (INDOOR) 106 Race St, Urbana, IL 61801

Splaying dissonant chords against pop melodies in odd time signatures, Soft and Dumb explore gendered expectations, disembodiment, tenderness, and hardness. The duo met at college in Urbana, Illinois, where they gathered a dedicated following in the eclectic diy house show scene. Returning to their hometown Chicago, guitarist Elena Buenrostro and drummer Travis Newgren eagerly await their debut album release this September.

Over the past twelve months, Soft and Dumb have played nearly 40 shows, from local diy basements to Chicago’s Logan Square Arts Festival. They’ve supported touring acts like Squirrel Flower (Polyvinyl), waveform* (Run for Cover), Cola (ex-Ought, Fire Talk), and The Slaps on stages like Sleeping Village and Schubas in Chicago. Upcoming shows include the band’s album release show on 9/2 at Sleeping Village (support from Brinstarr, Morinda).

Soft and Dumb borrow careful lyricism from Mitski, cutting rhythmic drive from Protomartyr, patience from Horse Jumper of Love, and hyperrealism from Palm.