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Live Recap: Billie Eilish Brought Her Sold Out Headline Tour to Metro Chicago 10.28.18

Just about a year ago, I first caught Billie Eilish at her sold out Chicago debut at Schubas Tavern. While the Schubas show was still packed to the brim with devoted fans, after catching Eilish again at The Metro this past Sunday night, it became clear that her debut was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a Billie Eilish show. This time around, Eilish was not only equipped with more experience, but she brought along a bigger live band and a spider-shaped production rig that filled the entire stage.

Eilish began the set hidden behind a part of the stage as her band members took their places, and after building suspense, the singer jumped out to start singing “my boy” from the 2017 EP dont smile at me. Immediately the young crowd loudly sang along with the repetitive and catchy chorus, sticking their phones in the air to document the start of the show. As the night went on, the pace of the music sometimes shifted, but the enthusiasm of the audience and the momentum of the show never waned; fans sang and danced along no matter what song Eilish was performing. Whatever energy the crowd gave Eilish, she continuously fed back to them, and she never stopped expressing her genuine gratitude. Eilish also made it clear she cared for the crowd’s well-being, and early on in the night paused her set to make sure everyone felt okay had plenty of water.

For the majority of Eilish’s set, the mood remained upbeat, most of her hook-laden pop anthems allowing for the crowd to dance along with her and the booming bass. Songs like “Party Favor” and a short cover of “Hotline Bling” that Eilish performed armed with a ukulele highlighted her versatile sound by stripping back some of the heavier production featured on some of her other material. Towards the end of the set, the singer slowed things down and staked out a spot on a stool that was stationed center stage, where she sang her latest single “when the party’s over;” a falsetto driven piano ballad.

The first chapter of the show closed out with another popular song from Eilish’s debut: “bellyache.” The singer briefly left the stage after that song, but didn’t make the overzealous crowd wait long for an encore, as they quickly filled the room with overwhelming shouts for more songs. The crowd of about a thousand that packed The Metro on Sunday mimicked that of a room of 10,000 with their deafening noise levels.

In just one year’s time, Eilish was able to sell out a room five times the size of her debut show, beef up her setlist with a handful of new singles, and deliver a show accompanied by full stage production, so there’s no telling where she’ll be at the next time she performs in Chicago. Catch Billie in a city near you (dates here) and check out photos from Sunday’s performance below.

Keep up with Billie Eilish on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

LIVE: Gordi Delivers an Ethereal Performance at Schubas Tavern

Basked in purple lights and smoke, Australian singer Gordi delivered a performance at Schubas Tavern that was ethereal, yet yielded a high degree of raw emotional power. Her deeply humanistic lyrics were sung with closed eyes and a wavered hand, creating an essence of authenticity that made it feel as if she hit a bullseye into the epicenter of one’s soul.

Photo Credit: Cameron Wittig

Photo Credit: Cameron Wittig

The result of this was pure captivation. The sizeable crowd stood facing the stage - with little to no chatter otherwise - for an overwhelming majority of the performance. In a sense it is almost more difficult to maintain attention than it is to harness it, but this manifested automatically and almost effortlessly from the moment Gordi began the set until she departed the stage. This is, perhaps, due to the intriguing cerebral element that her music contains. With the accompanying musical elements being skillful yet soft, the lyrics are made to be the artistic focal point. The beauty of this, however, is that it serves as a catalyst for connectivity. Listeners are left to think about the words being sung, crafting their own unique meaning  to the text in the process. This is one of the most noteworthy facets of Gordi’s music: it allows people to develop a potent relationship to it.

The emotional heaviness within Gordi’s songs was delightfully juxtaposed by the humorous anecdotes she told between songs. Whether it be a tale about past crowds or about barely making it onto a plane to Toronto, Gordi presented herself as a well-rounded creator. She wasn’t just a musician on a stage; she displayed her witty personality which allowed audience members to connect with her on a personal level as well as a musical one.

One of the anecdotes Gordi told between songs centered on her creative process when bringing the track “Heaven I Know” to fruition. She told the audience that she started working on the song during a long solo driving trip, when she was completely without instruments and unable to write. As a result, she would talk out the counts of the song to conjure up the pace and rhythm. These counts ultimately made it into the final recorded version of the track, but they are spoken so rhythmically subtly that one who does not know the authenticity of their sonic origins may miss their presence all together. However, since the audience was told this story prior to it being played, it was able to be appreciated that a facet of the song’s most primitive stages made it all the way to the final cut. The presence of the counts in the song were a welcome combination of all that is thoughtful and true, making the listening experience that much more personal and meaningful.

The music of Gordi is so alluring to the ear because it is riddled with workable opposites. It is dreamy with a dash of realism, delicate yet tenacious, and subtle yet containing the innate ability to cultivate power and impact. The artistic needs of the mind, ear, and soul are all met in equilibrium.


Keep up with all of Gordi's upcoming shows here. 

LIVE: Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Elliot Moss graced the stage at the legendary Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night.  As soon as you walked into the 280-person venue, an eerie yet calming sense hung in the air, a vibe that closely matches the mood in some of Moss's tunes. The singer has described his main goal as taking the listener through an unworldly experience, and Moss did just that this past weekend, using his electro-pop sound and ethereal vocals. Throughout the night, he kept the talking to a minimum and focused on delivering a show that left the audience hanging onto every chorus and craving more.

Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

Kicking things off with “High Speeds” from his debut album, Moss quickly opened up, revealing himself in his songs. Raw, unfiltered emotion comes through in all of his songs, especially during a live performance. With his endless talents, Moss effortlessly goes through each song with his piano and guitar with such passion, that it’s hard to not feel the same emotions he tries to portray through his songwriting. Song’s such as “Even Great Things” and “Slip” deal with issues such as the loss of a loved one and depression. Although the topics are dark, Moss delivers it in a way that shows both sides to each situation, and he's managed to turn the pain into a way for his listeners to cope. 

Moss's therapeutic and hypnotizing set consisted of songs from both his first album “High Speeds” as well as his new EP “Boomerang”. By the end of the night, the crowd was begging for an encore. Once again, Moss did not disappoint and delivered with “I Can’t Swim” and “VCR Machine”.

Leaving the venue, the room buzzed with positive remarks about the performance that had just transpired. There is no doubt that there are only good things coming for Moss this year as he continues to tour. You can check him out on the rest of his tour here. 


The Set List

  1.    Highspeeds 
  2. Faraday Cage    
  3. Closed Loop   
  4. Falling Down and Getting Hurt   
  5. Plastic II  
  6. Even Great Things    
  7. Slip
  8. Best Light 
  9. 99
  10. About Time
  11. Big Bad Wolf
  12. Without the Lights
  13. I Can’t Swim
  14. VCR Machine

Can't get enough of Elliot Moss? Check out our interview with him here