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LIVE: A Night With Kevin Morby at Lincoln Hall
"We've been coming here a long time, but we've never seen this many people," Kevin Morby said this past Friday night, addressing the sold out crowd at Lincoln Hall. Decked out in a customized suit featuring embroidered music notes and bedazzled initials of "K" and "M" studded onto his jacket collar, Morby had hit the stage that night in a blaze of style and talent. The roughly 75 minute set kicked off with the title track of Morby's latest album City Music, the entire live band immediately displaying their chemistry and feeding off one another's energy as they played through a handful of tracks from the new album, like "Cry Baby" and "1234," the latter acting as an uptempo bridge to the slow building tune "Aboard My Train."
After those handful of newer songs, Morby and his band performed songs like "Harlem River" and "Destroyer" from past albums to an attentive audience. "Parade" from 2014's album Still Life proved to be a crowd favorite, with the audience echoing the words back to the stage. For the rest of the night, as Morby and his band worked through more songs both old and new, the crowd's eyes were glued to the stage as they soaked up every bit of Morby's magical performance. As the set closed out with "Dorthy," loud applause rang through the Lincoln Park venue, thanking Kevin Morby and his band for a stellar show.
Check out photos from the mesmerizing performance below! Additional photos by Catalina Florea.
See the rest of Kevin Morby's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to City Music in full below!
LIVE: Tigertown and VÉRITÉ Kick The Week Off With a Bang at Lincoln Hall
Tigertown and VÉRITÉ gave a Friday night feeling to Lincoln Hall this past Monday night with their high energy and engaging performances.
Sydney-based Tigertown got the ball rolling right at 8PM, with their infectious and upbeat indie pop tunes and the style to match. Their roughly thirty minute set packed in songs from their first two EPs, called Lonely Cities and Papernote, as well as a few newer tracks. Tigertown’s most-played track “Lonely Cities” and their newest single “Warriors” were definitely crowd favorites, but the audience remained engaged even during the band’s unreleased material. In between songs, lead singer Charlie Collins radiated gratitude as she introduced each song. Although they were a long way from home, Tigertown put on a polished and humbled performance to get the crowd warmed up for VÉRITÉ. For fans of MS MR, CHVRCHES, and Bleachers, Tigertown is a band you need to have on your radar.
As the stage changed over to gear up for Kelsey Byrne (AKA VÉRITÉ)’s headlining slot, the room buzzed with the anticipation of fans itching to see the singer songwriter. The anxious energy bubbled over when the opening notes of “When You’re Gone” rang out just past 9PM, and Byrne glided onto a dimly lit stage. Although she’s been back in town twice this year to support Betty Who and Marian Hill, the last time Byrne headlined a show in Chicago, she played a sold-out Monday night show at Lincoln Hall’s sister venue, Schubas Tavern. During that show, Byrne expressed her appreciation for the room of dedicated fans, her voice wavering with awe of the support they’d shown an unsigned artist. This past Monday night, Byrne’s eyes glimmered with that same gratitude as she played an amplified and extended set for an even larger crowd in Chicago.
The dynamic set featured older favorites, as well as tracks from VÉRITÉ’s debut album Somewhere in Between, released June 23rd. While some of the songs sit towards the back of the VÉRITÉ catalog and may be well-versed, that didn’t stop Byrne from delivering 110% in her vocal performance and stage presence during every single song. With a minimal production aspect of the show that used only lights, rather than any screens or visuals, Byrne remained the sole focus of the crowd for the entire show. In the middle of her own songs, Byrne performed a cover of The 1975’s “Somebody Else” with the crowd echoing the words back. At that point in the set, the energy of the crowd peaked and remained in high gear, both the crowd and Byrne jumping up and down to the next song, “Solutions.” During that song, Byrne went so hard during that she cut her lip on her microphone, but she rallied through and delivered flawless vocals for the remainder of the set. The crowd danced and sang loudly along to songs like “Weekend” from her 2014 Echo EP and the recent single “Saint,” which is featured on the album. In between songs, Byrne never stopped expressing her appreciation for the audience, telling them she no longer has to wait tables on the side, thanks to their support. Although she’s performed in Chicago many times in the past, this last show marked VÉRITÉ’s strongest performance here yet.
By blending her powerful vocals and catchy melodies with her personal lyrics and honest, vulnerable stage presence, VÉRITÉ is gearing up to become the most relatable pop singer out there. Grab tickets here for all of the upcoming shows on this tour.
Photo Gallery of Tigertown and VÉRITÉ 8.28.17
Keep up with VÉRITÉ by liking her Facebook page, and listening to Somewhere in Between below.
PHOTOS: The Evening Attraction at The Virgin Hotel 8.19.17
This past Saturday night, local favorites The Evening Attraction performed on the 25th floor of The Virgin Hotels. If you missed out on the fun, check out our photo gallery of the night, featuring lights by EO Lightshow!
Keep up with The Evening Attraction by liking their Facebook page, where you can find upcoming shows and other announcements.
Thirsty for more TEA? Head here to check out our interview with them from the archives.
LIVE: Izzy Bizu Enchants Soldier Field with a Stripped Back Set
“It’s gonna be semi-acoustic and semi-electronic. I’ve got somebody doing beats and bass, and I’ve got my guitarist. I’m singing and sometimes I’ll be playing piano, and we swap around the instruments. It’s a little different, but it’s cool because I’ve been doing it the same for a couple years,” Izzy Bizu said in our interview last month, describing her set on Coldplay’s massive Summer stadium tour. When Bizu took the stage at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Thursday, August 17th, the rain that had been teasing the city all day had finally passed. Kicking off at 7:15 in the evening, Bizu’s set filled up the last space of daylight and held up to her vision as she opened with a stripped back version of the normally funk-laced tune “Adam & Eve” from her debut album A Moment of Madness. Moving right along into Bizu’s popular track “Lost Paradise,” her smooth vocals rang out in a goosebump-inducing fashion, engulfing the 60,000 capacity venue. Another highlight of Bizu’s short, but sweet set included her performance of the viral song “Someone That Loves You,” which was done as a collaboration with the soulful electronic duo HONNE. Other than brief song introductions and an occasional check in on the audience, Bizu kept the talking between songs at a minimum in order to fit in as much music as possible. The music spoke for itself, completely enchanting the crowd as they eagerly awaited the AlunaGeorge and Coldplay performances that would follow. The 30 minute set wrapped up with a reworked arrangement of “White Tiger” just as the sun began to set of Soldier Field.
Izzy Bizu's Performance on 8.17.17
Keep up with all of Izzy Bizu's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to the full album A Moment of Madness below.
Can't get enough Izzy Bizu? Read our full interview with her here.
LIVE: Marika Hackman Brings Her Latest Album to Life with The Big Moon at Schubas Tavern
This past Friday night at Schubas Tavern, Marika Hackman and The Big Moon created an IRL experience of Hackman’s latest album I’m Not Your Man. Released on June 2nd, the sophomore album from Hackman marks a departure and transformation for the formerly folk artist. Boosting blunt lyrics, lighter melodies, and a lax, carefree recording style, I’m Not Your Man takes listeners through a 15-song journey, featuring The Big Moon as the backing band for the majority of them. Before The Big Moon pulled their second shift of the evening, backing Hackman at the Lakeview venue, they had performed their own 45 minute set, which carried the same carefree mood of friendship that comes across on their recordings. In addition to songs from their debut album Love in the 4th Dimension, the group also performed a cover of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Between songs, the band kept the crowd laughing with a bit of sarcasm and banter, but the standout moment of their set occurred during their song “Bonfire.” Front woman Juliette (Jules) Jackson left the stage and abandoned her guitar to sing the song in the crowd.
The same banter and laughter only amplified when Hackman joined The Big Moon, but the focus of the night remained on the effortless musicianship displayed between the friends. The songs from I’m Not Your Man translated beautifully in the live sense, seeing as most of the album had actually been tracked live, with a minimal use of overdubs. Hackman’s hourlong set focused on the new album, with a couple of older tunes like “Cinnamon” and “Ophelia” sprinkled in. The direct, honest lyrics of tracks like “My Lover Cindy” and “Violet” had the crowd captivated and wrapped around Hackman’s finger. Prior to performing the latter, Hackman introduced “Violet” as a sexy song, encouraging the crowd to kiss their dates (only with consent) if they were feeling it. “Gina’s World” also stood out during the 11-song set, with its hauntingly heavy guitar riffs and striking harmonies, which echoed beautifully throughout the venue. Just before the set wrapped up with the dreamy melody of “BlahBlahBlah,” Hackman and The Big Moon performed the lead single from I’m Not Your Man, “Boyfriend.” The playful tune teased the light-hearted reinvention of Hackman before the release of the album, and it definitely acted as a highlight of the live show.
Photos: The Big Moon and Marika Hackman at Schubas 8/11/17
Marika Hackman and The Big Moon wrap up their US Summer Tour this week. See the remaining dates here, and stay tuned for our interview with Marika Hackman, coming soon!
Listen to I'm Not Your Man in full below.
LIVE: Barns Courtney Rocks Schubas on One Leg During His Lollapalooza Aftershow
This past weekend, singer songwriter Barns Courtney put on one of the rowdy, energetic performances that he’s become infamous for...only this time, he did it on one leg, while the other remained locked in a cast. Earlier this Summer, while Courtney was putting on one of those aforementioned wild performances, he jumped off the stage at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, right onto a slab of concrete. Instead of cancelling his upcoming tour and festivals appearances to heal his broken foot, Courtney decided to power through, and during Lollapalooza weekend, the singer performed three times in Chicago.
For his first performance, Courtney hit the stage at Schubas Tavern just past midnight, forgoing his crutches and hopping right up to his mic stand. From then on, it was full force for the next 60 minutes, while Courtney performed songs from his EP The Dull Drums, as well as some unreleased tracks from his upcoming album The Attractions Of Youth. Rather than stay stationary with his makeshift leg rest that was placed next to the mic stand, Courtney hobbled around the stage as he performed popular songs like “Glitter and Gold” and “Little Boy.” The energy ironically amplified during one of the unreleased tracks called “Kicks,” even though one of Courtney’s legs was out of kicking commission. Between songs, Courtney also rattled of some of his infamously raunchy stage banter, telling fans about a wild plane ride with his lady.
The rambunctious set came to an end with the crowd and Courtney giving it 1000 percent, the latter jumping offstage, cast and all, to dance with his fans. While the set may have come to an explosive ending around 1 AM, the night didn’t end there. Barns Courtney mustered all of his final strands of energy to bound offstage and collapse onto the sidewalk outside of the venue, where he hosted one of the most unconventional meet and greets we’ve seen.
Chicago! If you missed out on Lolla and the sidewalk meet and greet, Barns Courtney will be back (hopefully with two fully functioning legs) on October 11th with The Kooks. Grab tickets to their show at The Vic Theatre here, and see all of his upcoming tour dates here.
Can't get enough Barns Courtney? Check out our interview with him from Hangout Festival here, and listen to his latest single "Golden Dandelions" below!
LIVE: Frenship at Park West 8.3.2017
LA duo James Sunderland and Brett Hite, AKA Frenship, and their live band hit the stage at Park West this past Thursday evening just after 11PM, as part of an official Lollapalooza aftershow with Tegan and Sara. Despite the late start of the show and the fact that some of the crowd had been watching music all day across Chicago's massive Grant Park, the room still buzzed with excited energy when the opening notes of Frenship's "Run Wild" rang out. The energy only amplified as the band performed some of their popular tunes like "Carpet" and "Knives," which featured Hite and Sunderland showing off some of their signature dance moves. As the set progressed, the duo worked the entire stage, quickly winning over the crowd at the intimate Lincoln Park venue. Towards the end of the set, the energy peaked when the keyboardist, Celeste, took center stage to sing Emily Warren's part of the band's viral song, "Capsize." The crowd sang along to its melodic and addictive track, remaining hooked as Frenship performed the final song of the evening, "1000 Nights."
Frenship will be on a headlining tour in select cities this fall--check out all of their upcoming shows here, and listen to their debut EP below.
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.
