Maritime Sidesteps Rain at Chicago's Do Division Street Festival

On Saturday afternoon during day one of Chicago's annual Do Division Street Festival, the Wisconsin boys of Maritime decided to have a little fun with the crowd. After a fan shouted out approval to singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen's Milwaukee Brewers baseball cap, von Bohlen addressed the crowd, pointing out the differences between the Brewers and the Chicago Cubs, mocking fans of the Cubs.

Fans didn't seem to mind though, as the small crowd gradually grew larger and Maritime's blend of catchy indie pop bounced down Division Street. The rain showers that had been threatening all day long held off just enough for Maritime to deliver a powerful performance, relying heavily on von Bohlen's howling vocals. The enthusiastic crowd banged their heads and stomped their feet along to a mix of songs that covered most of Maritime's discography. "We're happy to be here...and dry," quipped von Bohlen.

Generating sharp, melodic hooks from his sunburst Fender Telecaster, von Bohlen led his bandmates -- Dan Didier, Justin Klug, and Dan Hinz -- through several songs from their 2006 album, 'We, The Vehicles,' including 'Tearing Up the Oxygen' and 'Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts,' the latter inspiring a sing-along among dedicated fans. "It's not easy up here," said von Bohlen, addressing the crowd again. "Think about playing at 2:30 in the afternoon; I had to start drinking so early. I had to do my hair; I had to get my jeans to look like I don't care." The crowd laughed at von Bohlen's clearly bald head.

'For Science Fiction,' from Maritime's most recent album, 2007's 'Heresy and the Hotel Choir,' proved to be a true standout of their set, as the crowd jumped and sang along loudly while von Bohlen screamed into the microphone during the song's closing crescendo. 'Guns of Navarone,' another 'Heresy' track, closed out their set with its great sing-along refrain of "You are going to have to lie to me." As von Bohlen let out his final bellow and the crunchy guitars faded out, fans applauded and walked off to their next festival destination.

Maritime on AOL Music