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PHOTOS: Walk The Moon and Company of Thieves at The Orpheum
Back in January, Emily Nava caught Walk the Moon and Company of Thieves at Aragon Ballroom, and the show was so good she went back for round two at The Orpheum. Check out her photo gallery from the show in Madison below.
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PHOTOS: Ezra Furman with Saint Pé and Anna Burch at Thalia Hall
This past Monday night, the trifecta of Anna Burch, Saint Pé, and Ezra Furman hit the stage at Thalia Hall, giving us the perfect start to the week. Anna Burch kicked off the evening with her calm demeanor, playing songs from her debut album Quit The Curse and dishing out witty quips between songs. Ian Saint Pé of Black Lips took the stage next with his new project. Saint Pé and his band quickly won the crowd over with new material and a captivating stage presence. Finally, Ezra Furman wrapped up the night with a theatrical and powerful performance, playing old favorites as well as new songs from 2018's Transangelic Exodus. Furman's set included a full band and production that completely engulfed the crowd. If you missed out on the show, get a peek at what you missed below.
You can see the rest of Ezra Furman's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to Transangelic Exodus in full below!
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LIVE: Ones to Watch Presents COIN and The Aces
This past Saturday night, The Aces and COIN took over The House of Blues Chicago to put on a stunning show to the sold out venue.
After only touring for the first time with Joywave at the end of 2017, The Aces returned to Chicago in a blaze of glory, with some new songs and old favorites. The four piece's breakout single "Stuck" has racked up over five million Spotify streams, and it definitely acted as a set highlight, but the eager crowd was already singing along to The Aces' brand new single "Lovin' Is Bible," which they had only released the day prior. The Aces' music compliments certain elements of COIN's music so well, so anybody that had yet to hear of the latter was quickly won over by their carefree, catchy riffs and sticky choruses. The band and audience bounced infectious energy off one another, starting the night on the right foot.
When the Nashville natives of COIN took the stage next, the energy of the crowd only amplified, and the crowd mimicked a surround sound speaker system, echoing the lyrics of COIN's songs back to the stage. As the setlist weaved through different sections of COIN's discography, featuring newest track "Growing Pains" and tracks like "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Talk Too Much" from 2017's How Will You Know If You Never Try, the crowd remained relentless. They danced along with the pop-fused rock songs, causing the floor of the Downtown venue to act as a trampoline, propelling everyone to keep moving. The high spirits of the audience and the band themselves never wavered, and their intense production and lighting complimented the upbeat music.
The night ended with a roar of appreciation, not just for COIN, but The Aces too, and an ambitious and optimistic air clung to the concert-goers as they left the venue at the end of the night, knowing that they'd just witnessed a monumental moment. If you missed out on the show, check out our photo gallery of both bands for a look at evening!
Stay tuned for an interview with The Aces, coming soon! While you wait, listen to their latest single "Lovin' Is Bible" below!
PHOTOS: Shame at Schubas Tavern
Psst- if you're going to SXSW, Shame will be playing multiple shows, so make sure you keep up with them on social media for show announcements.
Listen to Shame's debut album Songs of Praise in full below.
PHOTOS: Girl Ray, Kevin Krauter, and Porches In The Round
This past Wednesday, Thalia Hall moved their stage to the floor of the concert hall for an intimate, in-the-round performance from Girl Ray, Kevin Krauter, and Porches. We were there for the special show, and snapped some photos, which you can check out below!
Can't get enough Girl Ray? Check out our interview with them here!
PHOTOS: Cafe Racer Album Release 2.19.18
Local outfit Cafe Racer celebrated their new album Famous Dust with a release show at the Empty Bottle this past Monday night. Check out photos from the show and listen to the album in full below!
PHOTOS: Candyland 2018
We first introduced you to the wonderful Jordanna a couple of weeks back (if you missed it, check out our interview here), and this weekend we all celebrated her debut EP Sweet Tooth at Candyland. The extravaganza not only included a performance from Jordanna, but live music and DJ sets from other artists, as well as art installations and creative vendors. If you weren't able to venture to Candyland on Saturday night, check out our photo gallery for a glimpse of what you missed.
Also, don't forget to check out Jordanna's EP! You can stream it in full below.
LIVE: Twin Peaks and Portugal. The Man at Aragon Ballroom 2.16.18
The evening kicked off at 7:30PM sharp, with hometown heroes Twin Peaks hitting the stage as the crowd still filed into the massive Uptown ballroom. Although they’ve dominated the DIY scene in Chicago and worked their way up to selling out Pilsen’s Thalia Hall for three nights in a row, Twin Peaks had actually never played on the Aragon stage prior to this performance. “This place is ridiculous. I feel like we’re playing in a small Italian village,” said singer and guitarist Clay Frankel as he surveyed the painted ceiling boasting a night-time sky theme and the venue’s regal balcony fixtures that resemble a castle. In addition to the witty banter that the five piece dished out between songs, the Chicago natives quickly conquered the huge venue with their buoyant stage presence and cohesive performance. As they played, the band fed off one another’s energy, keeping the crowd engaged as they moved around the stage and threw their bodies into the music. Joining the band, local outfit Ohmme provided backing vocals on some songs, and a horns section also joined in on select tunes, providing another enticing facet to the show.
Their setlist featured Twin Peaks staples like “Holding Roses” and “Boomers” from the earlier parts of their extensive catalog, but they also mixed in some of their newest singles as well. In 2017, the band decided to forgo releasing a full album and instead delivered their fans a series of double singles, which they deemed the Sweet ‘17 Singles. Just this past week, Twin Peaks released a compilation LP of all the singles, and their set featured “Tossing Tears,” “Blue Coupe,” and “In The Meadow” from the series. Each of those singles, like the majority of the Twin Peaks song pool, have a completely different sound, diving into different sonic territory. The band also keeps a unique sound by having four out of five members take turns singing lead on their tracks.
By the time Twin Peaks’ set came to an end, any pocket of space that had been there at the beginning of their set was now filled with fans eager for Portugal. The Man. The momentum had kept building throughout Twin Peaks’ show, and the room buzzed as the stage was set for the evening’s headliners. Further escalating the anticipation, Portugal. The Man made an earth shaking entrance, literally. At 8:45, the lights had dimmed and a bass-heavy, floor-shaking song filled the house speakers to tease the set’s start, which was followed up and juxtaposed by the crooning tune “Unchained Melody.” Finally, after the two-song tease, the band took the stage, backed by a massive screen with the words “APPLAUSE” projected onto it. The crowd obliged and lost their minds in excitement, buckling up for the next 90 minutes.
Following the instructions to applause, the on-stage screen then read another message; “We are not very good at stage banter, so tonight’s performance will feature slogans written by our management. Thank you for your continued understanding.” True to their word, the set that followed featured very little talking or banter between songs, but it never lacked in energy or failed to engage the crowd. Once the message on the screen faded, trippy visuals and colorful lights took their place, visually stimulating the crowd and adding another dynamic layer to the show’s production. While the lighting and images definitely enhanced the show, Portugal. The Man could have easily kept the crowd just as entertained with their stellar musicianship and magnificent execution of their records.
The setlist contained a fair amount of Portugal. The Man’s 2017 record Woodstock sprinkled in throughout some of their other most popular tracks. Easily Woodstock’s most successful track “Feel It Still,” which has been played on Top 40 radio across the country, received a warm welcome from the crowd. The band teased the song with a reworked live arrangement, extending the song’s introduction to build up suspense. The intricate arrangements and unique live versions remained a common theme of the night; with most songs blending into one another with flawlessly smooth transitions. Portugal. The Man also kept their audience on their toes by dipping into different sonic flavors; some songs, like “Sea of Air” maintained a light, sing-songy mood, while other songs would have the band cranking up the volume and going off on full jam sessions. There was never a dull moment during their show because the band managed to carefully craft a set that highlighted their best songs, like the crowd favorites of “Modern Jesus” and “Purple Yellow Red and Blue.” The night ended with a rumble of cheers and appreciative applause after the band played “Holy Roller [Hallelujah].”
With the fully immersive production and the way that the band brings their music to life on the stage, this tour is one that can’t be missed. Check out the rest of Portugal. The Man’s upcoming tour dates
Gallery of Twin Peaks and Portugal. The Man
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LIVE: Whitney's Three Night Valentine's Day Run at Thalia Hall
Chicago sweethearts Whitney took over Thalia Hall last week for not one, but three incredibly special shows in honor of Valentine’s Day. The three night stint featured a mix of different support acts, with music from all different pockets of genres and styles. Night one featured local buzzy hip hop artist Kweku Collins warming up the stage, while night two had duo Ohmme and the band Deeper, both also from Chicago. Closing out the run of three shows, Thursday night featured Baby Blue and Kevin Krauter taking the stage before Whitney.
Whitney’s setlist all three nights featured some special gems and rarities all around, and each night had its own special touch. For the first two nights, the band decided to split up their show into two parts. The first part featured some Whitney staples like “Polly” and “Dave’s Song” from their album Light Upon The Lake, as well as some covers like “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)” by Dolly Parton and “On the Way Home” by Neil Young. When the band left the stage and came back for part two, they were joined by a string section. The strings layering with Whitney’s usual horn section rounded out the sound, adding even more warmth to Whitney’s already rich live show.
Part two of the set featured the gentle “Light Upon the Lake” and a new, unnamed song in addition to a few covers. The beautiful set came to a peak each night, with an epic ending thanks to special guest and friend of the band, Aaron (known as finally_aaron on Instagram). Aaron took the stage following the crowd favorite “No Woman” each night, giving the band a hand with their rendition of the classic “My Girl,” which was perfectly apt for the occasion. The Pilsen concert hall gave a standing ovation each night to Aaron and the band, who complimented each other perfectly. The energy only amplified when Aaron stayed to contribute his powerful and soulful vocals to Whitney’s final song, “Golden Days.”
Whitney has been one of Chicago’s most beloved bands for a while now, but these three magical nights just further solidified how much this city loves Whitney. If you missed out on all of sold out shows, relive some of the magic by checking out photos from the Valentine’s day extravaganza below!
