PHOTOS BY LAURA GRAY

There's something about the freak folk subgenre that inspires people to drink better beer, and that's never a bad thing. The mellow crowd last night (Aug. 29) at Schubas in Chicago was mostly content to sip Stella Artois or Goose Island brews and bask in the formidable storytelling of Raleigh, NC's Bowerbirds. Chief songwriter Phil Moore weaved fantastical tales over an acoustic guitar and a hi-hat/tambourine contraption, while the supporting cast of Beth Tacular and Marc Paulson shifted easily between a marching band bass drum, violin, and accordion. Standout tunes included critics' favorite "In Our Talons" and the rolling sonics of "The Ticonderoga," both featured on the band's debut LP Hymns for a Dark Horse. With the interesting instrumentation, plaintive male-female vocal harmonies and varying arrangements, Moore's songs took on a rambling dimension that would be just as at home in an Eastern European gypsy encampment as they'd be on some rogue, restless pirate ship. 

We asked: The male bowerbird makes up for his drab plumage by decorating his home with crazy things, like insect skeletons and brightly colored flowers, to attract a mate. What do you wear that sets you apart when you're out on the prowl?

Name: Alyssa Montgomery
Age: 25
Hometown: Southfield, MI
Occupation: Bartender
"My hair does it kind of automatically for me, but looking not-typically feminine, and like, I have a brain helps."

Name: Hayley Friel
Age: 22
Hometown: London, UK
Occupation: Jewelry designer
"Something '50s, like pinup girl-inspired or burlesque…maybe a wiggle dress with high heels and stockings with lines up the back."

Name: Julia Pott
Age: 22
Hometown: London, UK
Occupation: Animator
"Big hair with lots of bows in it, and some bloomers I just got from Japan."

Name: Jackson Herlong
Age: 23
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Occupation: Hero for life "No underwear."

Name: Aden Beihl
Age: 28
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Fundraising IT
"I would dress however would make me look least dorky, except for one piece that would made me look extra dorky, like tape on my glasses."

Name: Phillip W. Moore
Age: 29
Hometown: Pittsboro, NC
Occupation: Designer/frontman for Bowerbirds
"A cowboy shirt, tight blue jeans, but not too tight, and shiny black shoes that have square toes. Oh, and no underwear."

Bowerbirds land at Schubas / Photo by Laura Gray

Bowerbirds vocalist Beth Tacular / Photo by Laura Gray

'The Marbled Godwit' of Phil Moore / Photo by Laura Gray

Bowerbirds' Mark Paulson / Photo by Laura Gray