Filtering by Tag: Live Show
PHOTOS: Jeff Rosenstock with Beach Bunny at Metro
Jeff Rosenstock and his live band (AKA Death Rosenstock) have taken over the legendary Metro in Chicago for a whopping 9-night residency. Each night has featured a different support act, ranging from Mustard Plug to Beach Bunny—with Dan Andriano (of Alkaline Trio) and Sidney Gish still to come during the remaining nights. You can nab tickets for just $25 for the final night here, and check out photos from Wednesday night with Beach Bunny below.
Live Recap: Wolf Alice Returns to The Vic Theatre
On Friday, September 26, British rock band Wolf Alice returned to perform at The Vic Theatre in Chicago, in honor of their fourth album The Clearing. The show fell just shy of four years since they last played the same venue in 2021, when they had toured for their previous record, Blue Weekend.
After a support set from Willy Mason, more and more fans filed into the venue, eagerly awaiting the main event. The stage was decked out with a silver tinsel backdrop, reminiscent of a high school prom—but the show we got was way better than any school dance. Cheers greeted the band members as they made their way to the stage, kicking off the setlist with the first song off The Clearing’s tracklist, entitled “Thorns.” Donning a shimmering bodysuit, belt, and knee-high boots, lead vocalist Ellie Rowsell’s stage outfit matched the one that she wore on the new album’s cover, which helped immerse the audience into the world of this new music.
The introductory track conjures up vibes of a 70’s ballad, with its sweeping strings and steady piano melody, but the lyrics perfectly tee up a live performance as the song ends with Rowsell singing the lines “The sun goes down, the curtain lifts, and I sing a song.” Next up, Rowsell grabbed her guitar to play “How Can I Make It Ok?'“ with the band, a track off their aforementioned third album that starts off slow and gradually builds up.
As the show carried on, Wolf Alice intricately sprinkled in more familiar favorites from earlier on in their discography with their newest material. The band also did a great job of juxtaposing delicate moments with gritty crescendos; for example, they followed up the bouncy piano-driven new tracks of “The Sofa” and “Bread Butter Tea Sugar” with the raucous “Yuk Foo” and “Play the Greatest Hits.” The former started off with a siren blaring through a megaphone, followed by squealing guitar riffs and Rowsell’s Riot Grrrl-esque vocals filtering through the megaphone—and the energy only amplified for the latter.
As an avid Wolf Alice listener, I’ve always admired Ellie Rowsell’s dynamic vocal range that can flawlessly transition from gracefully gentle to powerful intensity, and that ability was on full display throughout their live show. Another aspect of their show that I really admired was the just-enough stage production that enhanced the music without overpowering it—during parts of the show, the tinsel backdrop was lit up with projections of hearts or stars, and bubbles were pumped into the venue during the final song of the night, but these subtly flashy elements never took away from the band’s musicality and raw talent.
The main portion of the show wrapped up with the lead single from the new record, “Bloom Baby Bloom,” which kicks off with a whimsical piano melody. From unwavering falsettos to wailing growls, the track is a perfect showcase of Rowsell’s vocal talents wrapped up in 3 minutes and 47 seconds. In the song’s chorus, she sings “But I’ll bloom, baby, bloom” and those lyrics perfectly summarize how Wolf Alice has expanded their sound throughout their discography and continued to strengthen their stage presence. The night concluded with the beloved “Don’t Delete The Kisses" in a perfect send off into the weekend.
Check out photos of the show below, and see where you can catch the dazzling spectacle for yourself here.
PHOTOS: Junior Varsity and Foster The People at Metro
Junior Varsity and Foster The People performed to a sold out Metro on Saturday, August 2nd, as part of an official Lollapalooza aftershow. Check out photos of the late-night gig below, and see where you can catch Foster The People on tour next here.
PHOTOS: Post Animal and Djo at Salt Shed
Post Animal and Djo hit the stage at Salt Shed ahead of their respective Lollapalooza festival sets over the weekend, performing to a sold-out crowd on Thursday, July 31st.
Check out photos of the show below, and see where you can catch the bands back on the road this fall here.
Photos: Jack's Mannequin at Salt Shed
Jack’s Mannequin performed to a packed Salt Shed Fairgrounds on Friday, June 20th. The night was full of nostalgia and positive energy. Check out photos from the show below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.
Photos: Jensen McRae with Lauren Juzang at Lincoln Hall
On Thursday, May 15th, singer-songwriter Jensen McRae headlined a sold-out show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, with support from Lauren Juzang.
Check out a photo recap of the show below and see where you can catch Jensen on the road next here—including a stop at The Metro in Chicago in October.
Jensen McRae Setlist:
The Rearranger
My Ego Dies at the End
God Has a Hitman
Mother Wound
Savannah
Fever Dream
Taken (MUNA cover)
Tuesday
I Can Change Him
Daffodils
Dead Girl Walking
White Boy
Thinking of You (Katy Perry cover)
Good Legs
If I Have a Boy
Novelty
Let Me Be Wrong
Praying for Your Downfall
I Don’t Do Drugs
Massachusetts
Photos: Japanese Breakfast at The Salt Shed
Japanese Breakfast performed three back-to-back nights at The Salt Shed in Chicago this week, in honor of the new album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) that was just released at the end of March. Check out photos of the second night, Thursday, May 1st, below and see where you can catch the tour next here.
Photos: Lauren Mayberry at Thalia Hall
CHVRCHES singer Lauren Mayberry recently released her solo album Vicious Creature, and ventured out for a tour in honor of the new songs. On Wednesday, February 5th, Mayberry and her band performed at Thalia Hall with support from Cult of Venus. Check out photos of the Chicago show below and see where you can catch the tour next here.
