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Live Recap: 80/35 Festival

July 19, 2022 / Scott Teresi

Back after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s annual 80/35 Festival (named for interstates I-80 and I-35) returned to Western Gateway Park in “downtown-ish” (as one festival tee-shirt put it) Des Moines for two days on Friday, July 8th and Saturday July 9th. The festival, which includes numerous free stages for local and smaller acts sponsored as well as a larger ticketed headliner stage sponsored by Hy-Vee, is a non-profit festival which is 100% volunteer run committed to strengthening the live music scene in greater Des Moines.

The diverse line-up began on Friday afternoon with Guided by Voices taking the Hy-Vee stage first and getting the sun-drenched crowd roaring to life which powered through the hour set. The stage, with a viewing area split down the middle between general and VIP admission sections, filled up as GBV presented “21 of their over 1,600” songs, as Robert Pollard pointed out between numbers. Next up was Japanese Breakfast, who thundered onto the stage with a gong which prominently features on their Jubilee track “Paprika.” The tempo continued with the energetic “Be Sweet” and the summer dreamy and breezy “Kokomo, IN” rounding out the first three tracks on the LP before bringing in earlier favorites from the discography all performed while bathed in the hues of a gorgeous Iowa golden hour.

As evening turned to night, Father John Misty took the stage with his band for one of their first North American tour dates in support of the new album, Chloe and the Next 20th Century. Several songs from the new “obsolete Jazz” album (Tillman’s own words) were played along with favorites across the catalogue by Tillman’s 12-member band which sprawled out comfortably across the stage. Tillman and company seemed confident with the new material and in wonderful spirits with a buoyant energy that never eased up across the 19 tracks presented, closing out the night with a spectacular rendition of “I Love You, Honeybear,” which saw Josh Tillman maneuvering his way into and throughout the crowd.

Saturday, which started earlier (and hotter) than Friday, featured a full schedule of local and touring bands stretched across several city blocks that surrounded the main grounds. Among the street vendors, beer tents and food trucks that scattered the avenues, the sounds from the un-ticketed acts served as breadcrumbs to festival gems with not only the sounds of their music but also that of audience reactions. These tempting echoes, cascading down streets, between buildings and around blocks, worked to pull in and reward those that decided to venture away from the main stage and ticketed grounds. There, discoveries abounded, such as the post-punk Brooklyn-based quintet Geese and the Sydney and Melbourne-based dance pop group, Haiku Hands, which both commanded the attention of those present at the Kum & Go stage. Several blocks away, at the Local 5 Emerging Artist stage, Kelsie James (singer songwriter from Des Moines) pulled in an amble crowd of admirers with her tender and sturdy songwriting under the late-afternoon sun.

Back on the Hy-Vee Main Stage, 80/35 favorites Envy Corps fired up the afternoon crowd for the Chicago-based Jamila Woods who laid down several tracks from 2017’s HEAVN and 2019’s LEGACY! LEGACY!—including some unreleased music that set perfectly against the sunny, crisp summer afternoon. Following Woods came the bombastic and unstoppable Future Islands which saw Samuel Herring thundering across and on top of the stage in his usual exuberant, characteristic way, as they performed songs from latest LP As Long As You Are which is accepted gladly by a firecracker audience whose feet were often grass as often as their hands were in the air. Topping off the night and entire festival was headliner Charli XCX, bringing 21 songs from across the discography to an excited and buzzing main stage with every demographic of festival goer represented, including plenty of wide-eyed children starstruck watching from their parents’ shoulders, concluding a weekend that they will likely long remember and the greater Des Moines area’s return to live summer festivals.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Live Recap, Live Music, Music Festival, 80/35, Des Moines, Guided By Voices, Japanese Breakfast, Father John Misty, Geese, Envy Corps, Jamila Woods, Future Islands, Chari XCX

Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 2

July 18, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

The second day of this year’s Pitchfork Festival kicked off on Saturday, July 16th. The rainy weather had cleared up, leaving behind a muddy Union Park for the fest’s second day.

When I arrived to the park on Saturday, I immediately noticed that larger crowds had come out for the fest that day—everything from the size of the crowd to the merch lines were larger.

I began my day catching a set from The Linda Lindas on the Green Stage, which was the original slot for Chubby and The Gang before they had to cancel their appearance here. I was sad to miss Chubby, but if anyone was going to fill in, I’d want it to be The Linda Lindas. The group composed of Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza, and Mila de la Garza has been garnering a huge fan base for their refreshing reboot of Riot Grrrl influences. While playing their set, the band members would often dance over to each other, demonstrating an incredible sense of chemistry and stage presence to go along with their great sound. Their setlist included songs from their album Growing Up, in addition to the track “Monica” from their self-titled EP—which Salazar dedicated to her cat named Monica. The group ended their set with a cover of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl.”

Next up, The Armed began over on the Blue Stage, and this was absolutely the most bonkers, rowdiest show I think I’ve ever seen at Pitchfork. I absolutely loved it. The band is mysterious in the way that they’re a collective hardcore group with rotating, anonymous members, and their performance at Pitchfork included some of the members wearing costumes or face paint. With so many members in the rotation, they all took turns leading the vocals on the microphone, and they often joined fans out in the mosh pit. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing The Armed back at Pitchfork another year on a bigger stage so they can expand upon their wild spectacle.

Hyd, the stage name of singer and performer Hayden Dunham, took the Red Stage next for a show that was a 180 from The Armed, but spectacular in its own way. Hyd entered the stage on her own, in a dramatic fashion, using movement to accentuate her music. “I have a few songs for you,” she told the audience before performing her single “The Look On Your Face.” If you’re a fan of Caroline Polachek, you should listen to Hyd not only because the two have collaborated together, but because they produce a similar style of music and stage presence. Hyd had a flowery, hazy vibe about her and she glided across the stage through choreographed movement.

Saturday was all about the theatrical choreography because next up, Yeule brought similar vibes back on the Blue Stage. Yeule is the alias for vocalist, songwriter and producer Nat Ćmiel from Singapore. Fans flocked to see Yeule perform, and she did not disappoint and she fluidly moved along to her glitch-pop tracks. As she performed songs from her 2022 album Glitch Princess, Yeule’s stage persona was amplified by her costume and dramatic make up that balanced the delicacy of her ethereal vocals.

Next up, Dry Cleaning brought their effortlessly cool vibes to the Green Stage, performing their mix of experimental rock, spoken word and post punk. For their second song, they brought out a guest saxophone player, and the sax guest seemed to be the theme of the weekend as it kept popping up in different sets. Dry Cleaning mostly performed songs from their 2021 album New Long Leg, but they also included their new single “Don’t Press Me.”

The duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, aka Magdalena Bay, brought their synth pop over to the Red Stage. The pair came onstage in coordinated outfits, with Tenenbaum sporting a microphone headset similar to those that Britney Spears and other 90s pop divas wore. I saw Magdalena Bay perform at Lincoln Hall earlier this year and was struck by how intense their fanbase was, and that same energy was present amongst the crowd at their Pitchfork performance. Tenenbaum danced and swirled across the stage during their entire set, as she and the band performed songs from their album Mercurial World.

The night wrapped up with a trio of Indie Darlings, the first being Lucy Dacus over on the Green Stage. Dacus took the stage wearing a brightly-colored outfit featuring rainbow and cloud details, and her fans were some of the most vocal of the entire festival. I could hardly hear Dacus over the sounds of fans shouting along the lyrics to songs like “Hot & Heavy” and “Night Shift.” The last time I had seen Lucy Dacus, she had performed at Thalia Hall, laying on a couch the entire time because of herniated discs, so it was wonderful to see her return to performing in full form. Towards the end of her set, Dacus even treated the festival audience to a cover of the iconic “Believe” by Cher, which was the first time she’s performed this cover live.

Japanese Breakfast closed out the Red Stage for Saturday night, a level up from the last time the band had performed at Pitchfork over on the Blue Stage. Michelle Zauner brought along a stage full of musicians in addition to her regular bandmates, adding depth to her songs with string musicians and a saxophone. The set opened with Zauner banging a gong during “Parprika,” while the rest of the set had her rotating between playing guitar or dancing around the span of the stage. Towards the end of the show, Jeff Tweedy joined Japanese Breakfast as a guest vocalist, singing “Kokomo, IN” from the album Jubilee. The band and Tweedy also performed a cover of Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc…” and Zauner thanked Tweedy by saying “Jeff tweedy is my favorite songwriter of all time.”

The second day of the festival concluded with Mitski, who was welcomed onstage with overwhelming applause. Mitski sauntered onstage to moody lighting framing her graceful movement. Mitski put out her sixth album Laurel Hell earlier this year, and her set featured some of those songs like “Working for the Knife” and “The Only Heartbreaker,” but she also sprinkled in tunes from earlier albums like 2018’s Be the Cowboy and Puberty 2. Mitski’s stage presence was the perfect way to end the theatrical tone of the second day at Pitchfork.

See the full photo recap below, and stay tuned for coverage of the third day of the festival.

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categories / Reviews, Gigs, Photos, Festival
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Pitchfork, Live Music, Live Review, Live Recap, Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Magdalena Bay, The Armed, The Linda Lindas, Hyd, Yeule, Dry Cleaning, Jeff Tweedy

Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 1

July 16, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Music Festival kicked off Friday, July 15th in Union Park, returning to its usual timeslot after a move to September in 2021.

The forecast for Friday predicted rain and cloudy conditions all day, but fortunately no immediate threat of lightning or thunder delays– so the show continued on! Festival-goers donned ponchos and rain boots and rallied to make it through the weather.

ANCHR kicked the day off with singer-songwriter Ethel Cain on the Red Stage, whose moody and mellow music made the perfect soundtrack for the gloomy skies. Cain’s production and stage presence were both very minimal and stripped back, but she still captivated the early crowd with her hypnotizing vocals. As her set continued on, the pace picked up and the set ended with the single “Crush.”

Next up, Spirit of the Beehive took the Green Stage as the audience got a temporary pause from the rain. The band members Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede, and Corey Wichlin took the stage to a sweeping soundscape of samples that lended a cinematic quality to their introduction. Their set heavily featured songs from their 2021 album Entertainment, Death, and the band members all played multiple instruments to be able to create the depth and dynamics of their songs.

Houston rapper Monaleo kicked off the music for the Blue Stage next, replacing Tkay Maidza’s spot, who unfortunately had to cancel due to Visa issues. Despite the last minute change, fans still flocked to see Monaleo, who even got a little emotional at the show of support from the crowd. “I had a tough week, but feeling this energy has really shifted my mood,” she told the crowd. Everyone loved her energy, especially during the performance of her single "Beating Down Yo Block,” which went viral on TikTok.

At this point in the afternoon, light rain turned to full on downpour right as Spelling took the Blue Stage around 4PM. Fans still persevered to see her set, but I unfortunately only saw a few minutes of it. Spelling is the musical alias of Tia Cabral, and I had really been looking forward to her performance of her experimental pop tunes. The few minutes I did catch were full of magnetizing energy, and she had a great stage set up featuring back up singers and dancers.

Another set I had been highly anticipating on Friday was Indigo De Souza, but I spent all of her set taking shelter from the downpour, so I unfortunately don’t have any photos from her performance. On the bright side, I did get to hear most of her set and she sounded stunning.

The rain started to slow down, so I trekked back to the Blue Stage for another one of my highly-anticipated bands— Camp Cope. The Australian trio composed of Georgia "Georgia Maq" McDonald, Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, and Sarah "Thomo" Thompson are self-described “power emo” (according to their Instagram bio), and honestly that description is pretty fitting to their sound. Georgia sings with such a powerful sense of conviction and performs with such an emotive energy, and the front row at Pitchfork Fest matched the band’s enthusiasm by eagerly echoing the lyrics back to them. Some highlights of their setlist included “Running with the Hurricane,” which is the title track from their latest album and a deeper cut called “How to Socialise and Make Friends.”

Camp Cope played at the same time as Tierra Whack, so I unfortunately missed most of Tierra’s set, but I heard that she brought a fan from the front of the crowd onstage to rap with her—which I’m sure made that fan’s entire festival experience.

The rain continued to be touch and go the rest of the evening, but we hit another clear patch just in time for Parquet Courts back at the Green Stage. The New York band has played Pitchfork Festival a few times, and they always draw a big crowd to dance and mosh along with their set. This year’s set from Parquet Courts included some new music, like the 2022 single “Plant Life.”

At the same time, Dawn Richard took the Blue Stage, and brought all the pizazz and persona to the audience, performing in a beautiful, sparkly outfit that coordinated to her backing dancers. Her set featured a rearranged cover of “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, which the audience loved.

While Spiritualized closed things down on the Red Stage, Amber Mark brought her soulful pop to the Blue Stage to close it down for the night. Amber Mark glided around the stage, performing songs from her debut record Three Dimensions Deep and the crowd intently appreciated the performance.

Finally, the time came for the evening’s headliners The National to perform, and they had the perfect conditions for it. The sky had cleared up, and a subtle breeze passed through Union Park as the largest crowd of the day gathered for the final act. The lead singer of The National Matt Berninger told the audience “we’ve missed you” before the band began the show with “Don't Swallow the Cap” from their 2013 album Trouble Will Find Me. Throughout the day, I witnessed many fans excitedly watching artists they admire perform songs that they love, but nothing compared to the admiration I witnessed from the audience during The National’s set. The same appreciation echoed back from the band too, as Berninger told the crowd “It’s so good to be back here. We missed this park, it’s such a cool vibe” before they performed “Light Years.” The majority of The National’s show ventured through their discography, pulling in songs from albums like High Violet and Sleep Well Beast, in addition to performing new songs like “Tropic Morning News,” which Berninger introduced as one they’ve been trying out. Before the show wrapped up, Berninger left his post on stage and ventured out into the audience to sing along next to the fans, reiterating the strong bond between the band’s fanbase and himself.

See the full photo recap of Day 1 below, and stay tuned for coverage of the rest of the fest all weekend!

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Parquet Courts, Ethel Cain, Camp Cope, The National, Spirit of the Beehive, Tierra Whack, Monaleo, Spiritualized, Amber Mark, Dawn Richard, Spelling, Music Festival, Live Review, Live Music, Live Recap, Pitchfork Music Festival, Pitchfork, Union Park

Live Recap: Third Eye Blind with Taking Back Sunday

July 11, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

ANCHR kicked off the weekend with a nostalgia-packed night at Northerly Island for Taking Back Sunday and Third Eye Blind. As I walked into the pavilion at the start of the evening, I saw a good ratio of fans sporting shirts for each band, signifying we had a blend of both fan bases in the house.

After an opening set from Australia’s Hockey Dad, Taking Back Sunday took the stage just as the sun began to set. They launched into their show with the song “Tidal Wave,” which is the title track of their 2016 album. From there, their setlist featured a good mix of the band’s discography, but it heavily featured many of their older cuts, which personally made me reminisce about my high school days. Particularly when they played songs like “MakeDamnSure” and “Cute Without the 'E' (Cut From the Team)”— which were staples in my rotation back in those days. Between songs, lead singer Adam Lazzara commented about the beautiful setting of the show, saying, “This is fantastic. It’s beautiful. There’s a nice breeze. All you beautiful people are here.” It really was the perfect breeze coming off the lake that night, and members of the audience all shared a sense of camaraderie and excitement. In addition to the throwbacks, the band performed their newest single “Just Us Two,” which they just dropped last month with Steve Aoki.

Next up, the stage got set for headliners Third Eye Blind. Their set up included risers with instruments and mic stands set up on the different levels, which the band used to shuffle around the stage during their set. The tour was in honor of the band’s 25th anniversary from their self-titled debut record.

The music began with a blend of old and new, with the beginning of the set featuring “Thanks a Lot” from their debut as well as “Dust Storm” from their 2021 record. The rest of the night journeyed through their expansive catalog, while heavily highlighting the songs from Third Eye Blind. The good vibes between the audience members continued to radiate and were highly encouraged by frontman Stephan Jenkins. He asked the crowd to acquaint themselves with the people next to them, saying, “Everyone from the front to the back, turn around and tell someone you don’t know that you’re glad they’re here.”

Jenkins continued to encourage friendly vibes amongst audience members before they played the song “Shipboard Cook,” which Jenkins introduced as a song he wrote to “be sung by drunk people in a pub. It’s a song for someone who got dumped and is being consoled by loving friends.” Towards the bottom half of the show from Third Eye Blind, fans were also treated to a solo acoustic performance of “The Background” by Jenkins, as well as a cover of “Funeral Singers” by Califone from the whole band.

Before the concert came to a close, we of course also heard the massive hits “Jumper,” “Semi-Charmed Life,” and “How’s It Going to Be.” The audience was full of long-time fans excited to be reunited with their favorite artist, alongside new fans or people getting to experience Third Eye Blind for the first time. It was great to see a mix of generations across the venue, and the gratitude from the crowd was also shared by Jenkins in the band. Jenkins made sure to vocalize that appreciation by saying, “Do you all have any idea how much we’ve been looking forward to tonight? We don’t take any of this for granted.”

There’s something really special about seeing songs that are ten, twenty years old and still hold up. I love seeing new bands, but being able to experience a whole venue full of people singing songs you grew up with is something even more spectacular.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch Third Eye Blind on the rest of their tour here.

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categories / Reviews, Music, Photos, Gigs
tags / Live Nation, Live Recap, Northerly Island, Live Review, Live Music, Third Eye Blind, Taking Back Sunday

Live Recap: The Strokes Return to the Metro Stage in Support of Kina Collins

June 20, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

This past Friday night, The Strokes returned to the Metro stage to perform there for the first time since 2001. The special event was in support of Kina Collins, a Democratic candidate running for Congress in IL-07, and it marked only the third ever political fundraiser concert that The Strokes have put on (one of those being for Bernie Sanders in 2020).

The event sold out extremely fast, but some fans from all over the country managed to snag highly coveted tickets to be able to hear some of their favorite songs in such an intimate setting. As the lucky ticket-holders queued up to make their way into Metro, Collins walked to line for an impromptu meet and greet with the concert attendees. For the fans that missed Collins walking through the line, they got a chance to hear her speak ahead of the musical performance. Collins was born and raised in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago, and she made it clear in her speech that she is passionate about making our city and this country a safer and more sustainable place for everyone. Collins backs universal health care, gun violence prevention and the Green New Deal, among many other issues. You can read more about Collins platform here.

Collins was thanked with overwhelming cheers when she said she “worked really hard to get this concert here for y’all” and told everyone about her experiencing meeting Julian Casablancas in New York. The anticipation and energy in the room sky rocketed when Collins said that Casablancas and his bandmates, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture, and Fabrizio Moretti, would be on the stage momentarily. For unknown reasons, The Strokes actually hit the stage about 40 minutes later, but the energy and excitement (along with the heat) only continued to build, and it made it that much more sweet when the band finally began, launching into their song “Bad Decisions” from their 2020 album The New Abnormal.

The 14-song setlist contained a great mix of some of The Strokes newest material from the aforementioned record, as well as many of their hits throughout the years— like “Someday” from their debut Is This It and “You Only Live Once” from First Impressions of Earth. No matter what song they were performing, everyone in the room was eagerly singing along and dancing. The last time I’d seen The Strokes, they headlined at Lollapalooza, so it was nice to experience them going back to their roots and play in such a scaled back setting.

As their show neared the end, Casablancas made sure to endorse Kina Collins once more. He scanned the room for her and said, “Where’s Kina? Wherever you are, I love you, good luck.” He added, “She’s the best and I think she will represent this great city in Washington pretty greatly.” Casablancas also mentioned that Chance the Rapper and Common, fellow Chicagoans and musicians, support Collins— and joked that The Belushi brothers even back her.

The evening wrapped up with a 3-song encore, featuring “Eternal Summer,” “What Ever Happened?” and the grand finale of “Last Nite”—which had an extended introduction that featured Casablancas doing some auto-tune vocal improv before smoothly transitioning into the song’s iconic guitar riff.

Check out photos from the entire evening below, and make sure you vote in the Illinois primary election on June 28th. You can get more information about voting and polling locations here.

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categories / Reviews, Music, Photos
tags / The Strokes, Kina Collins, Live Recap, Live Review, Metro, Metro Chicago, Photo recap, Is This It, The New Abnormal

PHOTOS: Post Animal and Stuyedeyed at Metro

June 13, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

This past Friday night, Post Animal and Stuyedeyed kicked off the weekend with a wild show at Metro—bringing the tour in honor of Post Animal’s new album Love Gibberish to a close. In addition to being a homecoming for the headliners, the night featured a lot of new music, crowd surfing, and some special appearances from fellow Chicago musicians like Cadien Lake James and V.V. Lightbody. Check out the photo recap below, and see where you can catch Post Animal next here.

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categories / Photos, Music, Gigs
tags / Post Animal, Stuyedeyed, Metro Chicago, Love Gibberish, New Music, Hometown show, Chicago bands, Live Recap, Photo recap, Photo Gallery

Live Recap: Sigur Rós at The Auditorium Theatre

June 08, 2022 / Cat Florea

A band you can’t easily sing to but you can most definitely heal to.

Sigur Rós cleansed the minds of the Auditorium Theatre attendees with 2 full extraordinary sets. Saturday evenings never sounded so soothing, especially after a 6 year absence (at least from Chicago).

The first set utilized a leisurely pace to bring us back into the warm and familiar embrace of Jonsi’s falsettos, with the first 3 tracks from () Untitled, the band’s third album. When “Svenfln-g-englar” kicked off next, you could see some head swaying and soft energy trickling through the crowd. From the classic light bulb filled set flickering through a heavy fog, the specific guitar moaning sound from the singer’s cello bow, to the guitar filtered yelling moment.. we were grounded and we were ready.

Throughout the set, the band alternated their playing positions. One song would be performed with each of the members isolated in their space but weaved together by the long twisted strings hanging from above. The next would gather all 4 of them to Kjartan Sveinsson’s side of the stage, who rejoined the band after nearly a decade. These latter performances brought a different and more intimate experience, feeling as close as I’d ever get to a living room show with Sigur Rós.

After 10 songs and a short intermission, the band returned with a slightly changed set. The long strings were now untwisted and Glosoli brought the energtic vibes back up.

If during the first set we were reminded of a lot of () Untitled songs, the second one was more heavy on Takk classics, performing about a third of the album. Lights were dancing in blue and green hues in a very “northern lights” way and the mountains were peaking through the big screens behind the band. It was as if we travelled across the ocean and lived in their little Icelandic world.

One of the highlights was when Jonsi held a 30 second long silence in the middle of a song and the crowd started filling the gap: “I love you”, “thank you” or “spaghetti” cheered the air. Jonsi continued the song with no reaction but when the second big moment of silence happened… everybody kept completely quiet. EVERYBODY. As a reward, when the song picked back up and the rest of the band joined in, Jonsi started acknowledging the crowd for the first time. He rocked his guitar and advanced towards the crowd, moving to all sides of the stage, yelling and making eye contact. All of a sudden, we were all up on our feet, dancing and cheering. Yes, you read that right. There was dancing at a Sigur Rós show. And jumping too.

The band has been recording their first proper album since 2013, and blessed our little ears with 2 new songs, sprinkled throughout both sets. Everything came to a close with “Popplagio”, the last track on ()Untitled, bringing it back full circle. The evening had us hearing almost the entirety of that album.

If you missed out on the event, check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.

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categories / Music, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Sigur Rós, Auditorium Theatre, Live Review, Live Show, Live Recap

Live Recap: Dehd's Sold Out Hometown Show with Pixel Grip and 81355

June 07, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

There’s nothing better than a hometown show, and Dehd confirmed that with their sold out extravaganza at Metro this past Saturday night.

Even before the first act of the night 81355 (pronounced “Bless”), the venue was already packed and getting more full by the minute. Unlike most shows I go to, the band members of 81355 didn’t just come onstage when it was their time— they received a dazzling introduction from the host and MC of the evening, Alex Grelle. Grelle got the crowd going with a captivating performance of “Take My Breath Away” while the projection screen reflected the logo of Top Gun Maverick. It was an unexpected opening to the night, but it certainly grabbed mine and everyone else in the venue’s attention. When it came time for 81355 to hit the stage, the group from Indianapolis continued to captivate the room with their genre-bending performance. The collaborative collective featured a full band and a mix of rapping and singing from members Sirius Blvck, Oreo Jones, and Sedcairn Archives.

Next up, Chicago-based trio Pixel Grip geared up to take the stage— but not without a warm welcome from Grelle again. This time Grelle entertained the venue with a wet t-shirt contest, drenching himself with a pitcher of water. Again, not something you see every day at a concert, but everyone loved it. The crowd also enthusiastically enjoyed the set from Pixel Grip, which featured a swirl of bass-heavy synths, pop vocals and atmospheric electronic melodies— all complemented by moody lighting and thick fog. During their set, vocalist Rita Lukea received a tattoo onstage that read “Dehd Forver” from Emily Kempf, which was yet another unforgettable moment of the gig.

The night only continued to get more spectacular when Grelle made the final introduction of the evening— this time donning an angel costume to reprise the role of “Angela the Angel” from Dehd’s “Loner” music video. Grelle welcomed Dehd’s members Emily Kempf, Jason Balla, and Eric McGrady to the stage to close out the show, and the trio launched into their single “Loner” alongside Grelle— essentially recreating the music video IRL. The set continued on with lots of fan favorites like “Lucky” and “Haha” from Dehd’s earlier catalog, mixed in with some fresh material from their brand new album Blue Skies. My favorite song off the new record is the single “Bad Love,” which I got to hear live for the first time at the show. The track possesses a feel-good, triumphant vibe that would be perfect for the soundtrack of a coming-of-age film. It was certainly the perfect fit for a sold out gig at Metro at the start of Summer.

Dehd wrapped up the evening with an encore performance that featured Pixel Grip and 81355 rejoining them onstage to perform “Desire.”

The entire evening provided a great mix of music with a diverse line up that once again showcased what an incredible music scene we have here in Chicago. Check out photos from the evening below, and see where you catch Dehd next here.

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categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs, Music
tags / Dehd, Pixel Grip, 81355, Metro, Metro Chicago, Hometown show, Chicago bands, Live Review, Live Recap, New Music, Blue Skies

Live Recap: Bastille's Give Me The Future Tour Brings a Futuristic Rave to The Sylvee

June 03, 2022 / Rachel Zyzda

“But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?” We all know and love those lyrics from Bastille’s infectiously catchy massive hit song “Pompeii” right? As I was walking into The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin on a warm and sunny Wednesday evening, I couldn’t help but relate the current scene to those lyrics— While we’re in year three of dealing with a global pandemic and a lot has in fact changed in recent years, attending a Bastille show with fellow fans felt like a necessary safehaven in the midst of all this external chaos. It felt so eerily normal to be experiencing the spectacle that is Bastille’s Give Me The Future tour that it was easy to forget that so much has changed since they last toured North America for their album Doom Days.

The evening kicked off with a support set from Josh Fudge, who mentioned it was his and his band’s first time in Wisconsin. The audience welcomed the indie-pop singer songwriter from Oklahoma City with open arms and enthusiasm as he performed a few songs from his 2021 album Fun Times. Fudge mentioned that the rest of his set would be packed with new and unreleased music from his forthcoming record called Technicolor. Despite the unfamiliarity of the new music, the audience eagerly soaked up the feel-good tunes as they got warmed up for the main event.

Before we knew it, the stage had been set for Bastille’s immersive and intricate production; high risers loomed on the dark stage and a massive screen provided a backdrop to it all. As fog pumped out into the room, shadows of the band members appeared onstage as an introduction video about the band’s fictional concept “Future Inc.” featuring a Siri-esque narrator began playing on the big screen. From there, lead singer Dan Smith sang out the opening lines to “Stay Awake?” in front of a silhouetted spotlight and everyone dove straight into a futuristic rave full of dancing and escapism, aptly fitting in with the latest album’s title Give Me The Future. In the next song “Distorted Light Beam”, Smith proclaims “when I'm dreaming tonight, I can do anything” and those lyrics set everyone up for a euphoric experience.

Just as the audience never stopped dancing and jumping around during the 90-minute set, Smith rarely stayed in one section of the stage for more than a few seconds— he would occasionally drape himself across the chaise lounge positioned on one of the risers for slower moments, but otherwise he remained on the go, hopping across the stage and dancing to accentuate certain lyrics (for example, during “Those Nights,” Smith physically tugged at his own t-shirt as he sang “Pulling at my t-shirt, your hands everywhere.”) In addition to Smith’s dance moves, captivating visuals accompanied each song on the screen to make the live experience that much more immersive.

Between certain tracks, the lights would dim and audio interludes that were used on the album (such as “Promises” featuring Riz Ahmed) would play as a transition. Along with these interludes, Smith occasionally chatted between songs. He sarcastically stated “the album surprisingly is fucking depressing” about Give Me The Future, as the depressing undertones in the majority of their songs have been a constant throughout their entire discography. Take “survivin’”— the track features a simple, breezy and melodic chorus, which Smith asked the crowd to sing along with before they played it, but it details the feeling of auto-pilot survival mode that so many of us were on during the pandemic.

After performing a couple newer songs from the latest album as well as a stripped-down acoustic version of “4AM” from their third album, the main section of the setlist ended with a pinnacle of high energy. While playing the Marshmello collaboration “Happier,” Smith left his post onstage and wandered throughout the GA section of the floor, stopping at random points to dance and sing with members of the audience. The dancing didn’t stop there, though— when performing the mashup cover “Of The Night” (a cross between “Rhythm is a Dancer” and “The Rhythm of the Night”), Smith asked everyone in the crowd to kneel down before the chorus and then join him in jumping up and down. Next up, vocalist BIM got her moment to shine— actually, she’d been a star the whole set, adding depth to the band’s vocals— but she really showcased her vocals during the performance “Future Holds,” even leaving Smith kneeling down and mock-worshipping her by the end of the song.

Finally, the moment that the majority of the crowd had been waiting for: the band began playing the melody to “Pompeii.” The song’s introduction featured a brand-new arrangement for this tour, adding some spice back into the familiar favorite. The refreshed arrangement started with reverb-drenched synths and auto-tune vocals, which gave me nods of Bon Iver or Imogen Heap influences, as Smith slowly asked the familiar question “But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all. If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you’ve been here before?” Aside from the new material, revamped production and revitalized arrangements that Bastille had on this tour, in that moment, hearing this song felt like such a familiar comfort—like returning home after a long trip away.

While it felt like the night couldn’t get any more special, the band left the stage to echoes of “Eh Ohs” before quickly returning for a two-song encore. The encore featured the unreleased and harmony-packed “Hope For The Future” as well as the single “Shut Off The Lights” which had everyone dancing until the very last moment.

If you get a chance to catch Bastille on this tour, do not miss it. Their show mixes the warm embrace of nostalgia with lots of cuts from their debut Bad Blood along with the unknown and suspenseful elements of the future. Check out the photo gallery of the show below, and see where you can catch Bastille next here.

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categories / Reviews, Photos, Music, Gigs
tags / Bastille, Josh Fudge, Live Recap, The Sylvee, Madison, Photo recap, Photo Set, Live Review, Republic Records, Give Me The Future