Story and Photos by Matt Schwenke
Pulling Britpop sounds from the unusual locale of Chicago and the to-be-expected UK, The Redwalls and Oasis, who both feature a sibling duo, were a bit of pop bliss at the Riverside, mirroring each other but equally untransposable.
Looking dapperly disheveled, The Redwalls delivered youthful candor in the anthemic, harmonica-tinted "Balinese (Deep In The Heart)" from their debut Universal Blues, and then, through a slower, more Americana kind of strut, in "Falling Down" from their latest release De Nova. Besides their charming stage presence and light-hearted, but exact, performance, 
The Redwalls were incredibly Batlesesque in "Build A Bridge," with the guitarist brothers Baren and bassist Andrew Langer playfully sharing a mic to let their vocal talent shine. The sounds weren't all cheeky pop, however, as The Redwalls displayed their song-writing diversity in songs that held a more mysterious tone like that of Interpol-- all within their short 1/2 hour opening set.
Walking out with music playing and the lights already flickering as if they were playing, Oasis strolled out on stage to an eager crowd, and vocalist Liam Gallagher took up post at the front of the stage taking a long look at the crowd. As if pleased with his observation, Gallagher led the charge with drummer Zak Starkey, also of The Who, providing instant energy on the kit. While much more reserved than his younger brother, Noel Gallagher said plenty with his haunting guitar work and falsetto in "Live Forever" or in the pure acoustic tone of "Master Plan." With more energy than any album could portray, guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell were surging in "Mucky Fingers"-- an interesting number off of their most recent release Don't Believe the Truth that proves the worth of their new material. Though the set was dominated by classics such as "Morning Glory," Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova," there seemed to be a renewed sense of self with their performance of the old and new tunes alike. Laying down a heavy beat for a version of "Supersonic" to begin the encore, Oasis created a raucous crowd before pounding out the Who's "My Generation" three songs later-- ending the night by leaving their guitars wail on stage as they walked off to much-deserved applause.
