Tim Kasher performing at Schubas | Photo by Audrey Leon

Tim Kasher, frontman for the revered Omaha indie rock outfit Cursive and The Good Life, played to a packed house (read: a sea of bespectacled, often bearded, plaid-wearing folks) at Schubas in support of his debut solo album The Game of Monogamy and proved there is no need to separate the present from the past.

Going solo is tricky. Many artists must decide whether to devote themselves fully to new material or open themselves up to circulating the old material just to keep the fans happy. Luckily for the Nebraska native, the crowd at Schubas was as delighted to hear his solo material as they were to hear anything from Kasher’s other projects.

Kasher returned to Chicago after previewing material from Monogamy at Lincoln Park’s Tonic Room in late July. The album has been out for exactly one month, but it was more than enough time for die-hard Kasher fans to study the material should opportunities to sing along arise. And, boy, did they. Those in attendance pumped fists and repeated lines throughout the set, including such introspective songs as “There Must Be Something I’ve Lost” and “I’m Afraid I’m Gonna Die Here.”

Kasher wailed, “I don’t feel anything at all,” during show opener “No Fireworks,” but throughout the show his voice and face were soaked with emotion, enthusiasm and sweat. Kasher is backed by a drummer, cellist and keyboardist on this tour to give the live show the same depth and fullness of sound that appears on the record.

The Game of Monogamy is less than forty minutes long and Kasher had plenty of time left to fill in his hour-long set. He chose to round out his solo material by performing two songs by his other project The Good Life (You’re No Fool” and “Empty Bed”). However, it was the two tracks by his long-running creative outlet Cursive that had the room exploding with cheers.

Photo by Audrey Leon

Kasher and his backing band re-arranged The Ugly Organ tracks “The Recluse” and “Driftwood: A Fairy Tale.” While still recognizable, the tempo of each was slower, more subdued. The crowd desperately wanted to sing along to “The Recluse,” and did, but by song’s end they left the vocals to Kasher, who had changed keys and inflections from the original version.

The most random, and completely unnecessary, point in the show was Kasher’s cover of David Bowie’s “Soul Love.” Kasher stopped and re-started the song when he flubbed the opening. His version ultimately added nothing to the original. Kasher and his backing band ended the show with the Monogamy track “Bad, Bad Dreams.”

Despite that pitfall, Kasher did not disappoint when it came to his original material. No matter what group he appears with he is always animated, sharing a laugh with the audience, and wearing his heart on his sleeve. All of which are the necessary elements of a standout performer.