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LIVE: Temples and Declan McKenna 8.2.2017
The British invaded Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, August 2nd for an evening of pure talent, charisma, and rock'n'roll. Kicking off the Wednesday night "after" show, which actually took place before this year's 4-day Lollapalooza, Declan McKenna and his band played in celebration of both his first Lolla performance and the release of his debut album What Do You Think About the Car? As McKenna played through crowd favorites like his debut single "Paracetamol" and his latest, "Humongous," he and his band jammed cohesively, feeding off one another's energy. His 45 minute set concluded with the high energy single "Brazil," with its impossible-to-get-out-of-your-head chorus.
After a quick stage changeover, fellow Brits Temples took the stage to deliver a smooth and polished performance for the next 90 minutes. Combining a solid variety of songs from their debut LP Sun Structures and 2017's Volcano, the set flowed from start to finish with extensive jams and additions to songs that added layers to the live performance. The band's frontman James Edward Bagshaw sauntered around the small stage at the Lincoln Park venue, energy surging through not only Bagshaw and his bandmates, but the crowd and the band as well. A magnetic presence filled the concert hall as the crisp and perfected sound soared through the room during songs like "Certainty" and "Shelter Song." A lighting rig composted of chameleon, color-changing diamonds added another depth to the already enthralling performance from Temples. It's a rare feat when a band can develop such an engaging and evolved live show while still managing to sound flawless and in sync, but Temples made it look easy with their Wednesday night show.
If you missed both Temples' shows at Lincoln Hall and Lollapalooza, check out their remaining tour dates here.
PHOTOS: Cap'n Jazz and Hop Along at House of Vans 7.29.17
If you missed out on House of Vans' party this past Saturday, don't fret! We were there and got some pictures of the evening, including performances from Hop Along and Cap'n Jazz.
Cap'n Jazz has a few more tour dates throughout the fall--Check out their upcoming dates below.
PHOTOS: Sports at Schubas 7.27.17
This past Thursday night, the Oklahoman boys of Sports had the crowd at Schubas Tavern instantly hooked with their dreamy, synth-heavy jams. The audience all packed into the front of the venue so as not to miss out on any of the action, which included some crowdsurfing from lead singer Cale Chronister. The night ended up closing out with a proposal right before the last song of the evening,"You Are The Right One" (so appropriate). Check out the full gallery of the show, including some shots of the happy couple!
Check out the rest of Sports' tour dates here, and listen to their new single "Crime" below!
PHOTOS: Future Generations with Private Island and Wilder
Last week, we caught Future Generations rock the stage at The Beat Kitchen with Private Island and Wilder. Check out the photo gallery of their high energy gig below!
Future Generations are still wrapping up their tour on the east coast. Check out all of the upcoming dates here, and listen to their new single "One More Problem" below!
PHOTOS: Public at Schubas 7.25.17
Public is one of the most personable bands out there right now. If you come to their show, they want to know your story...what brought you to their music. They also want you to leave with something new; a takeaway from their live performance that you can't find anywhere else. And during their hour long set on Tuesday night at Schubas Tavern, the trio delivered exactly what they set out to at the start of tour; a unique experience that put each member of the audience in a better mood and higher spirits than when they entered the concert hall. By the end of the night, even the most tame members of the crowd had found themselves out of their chairs and dancing in the crowd.
Although the dancing reached its peak during the final song of the night "4Her," songs like "Pretty Face" and "Make You Mine" also had the crowd moving. In our interview before the show, frontman John Vaughn described his vision of their developed live show this tour, and their set went above and beyond what he explained. Before the trio played "Make You Mine," towards the end of the set, Vaughn gave the crowd some insight to his inspiration behind the song. These introductions occurred before most of the songs, acting as another way to keep the crowd engaged. The majority of the songs also featured special arrangements or extended jams between the band members that you can't hear on the EPs Sweet Lemonade or Let's Remake It. Mixing things up even more, the set also featured a very well-received cover of "Toxic" by Britney Spears.
If you're looking for a truly unique concert experience, make sure you go see Public on the remaining dates of their Sweet Lemonade Tour. You can see all of the tour dates here, and check out a photo gallery of their show below.
While you wait patiently for our interview with Public, in which they reveal their most recent Google searches, each others' pet peeves, the secrets behind their show and more...listen to the Sweet Lemonade EP in full below!
PHOTOS: Flagship at Empty Bottle 7.18.17
Flagship hit the stage at The Empty Bottle last week, as one of their first stops on a two month tour with their label mates In The Valley Below. If you missed out on the show, check out the full gallery of Flagship's set below.
Flagship will be on tour throughout August. Check out all of the tour dates here, and listen to their latest album The Electric Man below!
PHOTOS: Julie Byrne at Schubas Tavern 7.20.17
Julie Byrne captivated the crowd at Schuba's Tavern last week with her soothing folk tunes. Check out the photo gallery of her mesmerizing set below.
Check out all of Julie Byrne's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to her latest album Not Even Happiness below!
SHAED Wrapped Chicago Around Their Finger with Their Infectiously Energetic Set
Although we’re smack dab in the middle of summer, there’s been no shortage of SHAED the past few months. Playing Mamby at the end of June before returning to support Sir Sly for their show at The Bottom Lounge, the DC trio composed of Chelsea Lee, and twin brothers Spencer and Max Ernst have already performed in Chicago twice this month. Fortunately, the band and the crowd don’t seem to mind, as lead vocalist Chelsea Lee exclaimed “I fucking love this city,” near the end of SHAED’s set on Wednesday night. Cheers and applause greeted Lee’s expression of appreciation for the midwestern city and the audience alike.
That same infectious energy and mutual love clung to band’s roughly 40 minute performance, which has become polished and perfected by touring with the likes of Bishop Briggs and Marian Hill. As the three performed in harmony, Lee’s powerful and smooth vocals rang out into the concert hall, a good portion of the crowd echoing the words back. The Ernst brothers and Lee also grooved to their own music, exuding a feeling of comfort not only between each other, but as performers. A particularly stand-out moment of the night occurred when SHAED played their latest single “Too Much.” During the song, Lee took a break from singing to go dance next to each of the brothers, and the crowd moved in unison to the funky beat, which is perfect for a summer night.
Unreleased material made up a good chunk of the set, as the trio is still working on their debut album, but that didn’t stop the crowd from knowing some of the words or getting into the songs with their bodies. At one point, the crowd started clapping along to the beat, and Lee’s face lit up with a mix of surprise and gratitude at the action of positive feedback from the audience. The band’s nifty lighting rig also added another layer to the live show, keeping the crowd engaged with that facet of the production, but ultimately what had the crowd wrapped around SHAED’s finger was the seamless blend of Lee’s vocals and the production work of the Ernst brothers. It’s early on in their career, but it’s clear that SHAED has found their groove and it will only grow stronger as this tour goes on.
SHAED at The Bottom Lounge 7.19.17
Stay tuned for our interview with the DC based trio, but for now make sure you catch them on tour with Sir Sly. You can see all of the tour dates on SHAED's Facebook page, and listen to "Too Much" below to get ready!
Sir Sly Return With a Raw Performance at Bottom Lounge
“We’ll play at least one more old one. But that’s actually all we’re going to play. I don’t know why I said at least... I’m using my words terribly right now,” Sir Sly’s frontman Landon Jacobs rambled onstage at The Bottom Lounge, right before the trio performed the viral single “Gold” from their first album You Haunt Me. Up until this moment, Jacobs had been using his words beautifully.
Rewinding the clock back to about an hour prior, the lights in the Chicago venue had dimmed and the three members of Sir Sly appeared onstage to ominous intro music, which gradually faded into “Astronaut,” a tune from their highly anticipated sophomore album Don’t You Worry, Honey. Painstakingly honest at times, the album offers an unfiltered and raw glimpse into some of Jacobs’ personal tribulations over the past few years. As you absorb the lyrics and listen to the struggles that are threaded throughout each melody, you’ll find yourself filling with empathy over Jacobs' descriptions of a young marriage falling apart and the pain of losing a parent to cancer. As the words seep in, you suddenly understand why this second album has been such a long time coming.
Before the LA-based trio performed “Altar” from the aforementioned album, Jacobs declared “this is easily the angriest I’ve been while writing lyrics,” and the live performance only amplified the bite behind the song’s chorus, where Jacobs sings “You do what you want/ Sleep with who you want /I can't stop you/ Even if I try, the whole time, you will lie.” The remainder of the set weaved in and out of newer and “old” tracks, which Jacobs points out sounds ridiculous to call any of their music “the old stuff,” as the Chicago tour date fell on the eve of his 27th birthday. Although he may be young, when the band performed “Change” about halfway through the set, it’s evident that Jacobs has gained wisdom beyond his years after experiencing some of his recent hardships. The live version of the song features an auto-tuned spoken word bridge by Jacobs. “I get to improvise that part each night, but the central theme remains the same,” he said, adding that he won’t change who he is for anyone else. And of course, he made the obligatory positive comments about deep dish pizza that touring bands usually mention onstage during the improvised part, which kept it lighthearted.
Continuing on the lighthearted path, Jacobs told the crowd to “smoke em if you got em” before he and his bandmates Jason Suwito and Hayden Coplen played the debut single “High” from Don’t You Worry, Honey. The Chicago crowd had been moving the entire time, but the anthemic single got them jumping higher and thrashing around more than any song prior. The high energy continued throughout the next new track, “&Run,” which also featured an extended jam that you’ll only hear during one of the band’s live performances. During this jam, it was clear that Jacobs, Suwito, and Coplen have matured and grown as both friends and musicians during their years of making music together.
Contrasting the infectiously high energy of the last three songs, the crowd went quiet as Jacobs took a step back to introduce the emotional song “Oh Mama.” Jacobs vulnerably described the heartfelt track as an ode to his mom, which alludes to childhood memories, like singing 80s songs with her. The song is also Jacobs tribute to his mother, who recently passed away from brain cancer. For the unknowing in the crowd, suddenly the meaning behind the band’s backdrop of a giant, light up brain clicked. “She gave me a love of language and taught me how to use my words clearly,” Jacobs said during his song dedication to his mom. As he fondly recalled more memories of his mom, the crowd hung to every word. As Jacobs sings the final line “But oh, mama, one day I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing with you again,” his eyes cast upwards to the ceiling, as a final tribute to his mom for the evening.
At this point, Sir Sly’s set has come full circle, to Jacobs' introduction of “Gold,” but once the song came to an end, Jacobs made up for his “at least” blunder. The band performed “High” for a second time that night, closing the night on a high note (pun totally intended). The trio look genuinely humbled and gratified as the crowd let out bellowing cheers, but the praise was much deserved after the precision and passion that had been poured into Sir Sly’s performance. Easily one of the best performances I've seen all year, Sir Sly's set was an emotional rollercoaster, laced with dynamic arrangements and layers that make their show a must-see.
Photos: Sir Sly at Bottom Lounge on 7/19/2017
