Lime Cordiale Rocked the Bottom Lounge with their Genre-Defying Brilliance

By Zoe Blakeman – Photos by Wendy Davis

Lime Cordiale, an Australian band comprised of five members, showcased their unique musical talents and vibrant performance at the Bottom Lounge. The lead singers are brothers Louis and Oliver Leimbach, who both play lead and bass guitar and co-founded the band alongside synthesizer player Felix Bornholt, drummer Nicholas Polvieno, and rhythm guitar James Jennings.

The band is classified as an indie rock band, but they go much deeper than that. Lime Cordiale seamlessly blends jazz, classic rock, punk, 80s pop, indie sleaze, surf rock, and softer dream pop, offering a music experience that is both dynamic and multifaceted. All of the members floated various instruments around the stage, including bass guitars, lead guitars, trumpets, clarinets, trombones, and even a kazoo at one point. There was never a dull or expected moment in the show. The crowd was constantly kept on their toes with surprises left and right.

Their first few songs, “Imposter Syndrome,” “Money,” and “Naturally,” all brought classic rock vibes to the tightly packed room. The Leimbach brothers constantly switched from lead to backing vocals for each other, creating a unique experience. Louis and Oliver were made to be frontmen. They spoke to the crowd and garnered our attention with not only their music but also humor and true musical talent. The crowd went crazy with the addition of eccentric instruments, keeping the show engaging.

“Country Club” showed off the 80s pop vibes with synth player Felix jamming out and experimenting with various sounds. The synth brought a new level that elevated their music. There was consistent talent on that stage, but constant surprises and shocks to the crowd. Their songs “The Big Reveal” and “Colin” offered some classic rock vibes with screaming and shouting reminiscent of bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. These songs offered an experimental sound that blended genres many wouldn’t think to. But they surely pulled it off.

Halfway through the show, Oliver brought out a hot dog and put ketchup on it, angering the crowd as Chicago is known to be anit-ketchup on their hot dogs. This felt very personalized and special as this anecdote riled the crowd. When he saw how angry we all became, he threw the hot dog on the ground and yelled, “Fuck Ketchup!” The crowd absolutely loved this.

The band played a cover of “I Touch Myself” while Louis repeatedly called Chicago “A very sexy city,” but the crowd ate it up in his silly Australian accent! After this, a brief instrumental song was played to draw the crowd back in. “Temper Temper” and “Robbery” are some of their more popular songs, which they saved for the end. Everyone was singing, dancing, and rocking out to these fan favorites. At the end of “Robbery,” the band broke out into a wild improvisation of instrumentals backed by ocean green and blue lights. They turned one of their classics into something deeper and unique to each individual.

The crowd begged and pleaded for the band to return for one more song, but we got two when they did! “Dirt Cheap” and “Inappropriate Behavior” threw the crowd into a frenzy of joy, laughter, and jumping. Everyone knew the opening riff to “Inappropriate Behavior,” which ended in laughter and a big brotherly hug, showing us how much fun and love was on that stage. We could all feel the room was packed with love and pure bliss. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never get again.

Make sure to listen to their new single, “The Big Reveal,” released on March 24th! Check out the rest of the US tour and follow them on Instagram @limecordiale!