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Hangout Highlights Day 3

May 22, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Hangout Fest 2017 wrapped up with a stellar day of music and almost perfect weather. The early afternoon rain quickly passed, leaving clouds and a cooler temperature than the first two days at the Alabama festival.  Besides the weather, here are the highlights of the final day of Hangout Fest!

The Crowd Loved LANY So Bad

LA-based trio LANY drew a brave and exuberant crowd for their 1:45PM set, the front row screaming as the band sauntered onto Fitz's Stage. Despite the fact that it was windy and raining, LANY persevered and delivered an incredible performance. A few songs into the set, frontman Paul Jason Klein told the crowd that they deserve the world for sticking it out and waiting in the rain. As the set progressed, the crowd also sang along to every word, proving how loyal the LANY fanbase can be. Their show ended on a high note (literally) with the viral song "ILYSB," which features a catchy, falsetto-driven chorus. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 

Shaggy Impersonated Bill Clinton

For such an early afternoon set, Shaggy drew a very large crowd to his 1:30PM performance on The Hangout Stage. Towards the end of his set, the Jamaican singer played his smash hit “It Wasn’t Me,” and gave important advice for his fellow players. During the bridge of the song, he told everyone if they ever get caught cheating, "don't do like like Tiger Woods," but follow the footsteps on the ultimate player, Bill Clinton. A full on "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" impression followed. Hearing the iconic song live was definitely a bucket list checkmark for the entire crowd. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Franz Ferdinand Showed Off Their High Jumps

Franz Ferdinand's lead singer Alex Kapranos was all about the high kicks and jumps during their early evening set on the Fitz's Stage. While the Scottish band put on an incredibly energetic show and their set consisted of new songs, nothing was more iconic than the synchronized jumping that the crowd did during the hit "Take Me Out." This set was also their live comeback, after the band took some time off to work on their new album LateNightTales.  

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Chance The Rapper Played His First Show In Alabama

Chance The Rapper announced during his show that this was his first time ever being to Alabama, and he went all out to make his first time special for the Gulf Shores crowd. Backed by the very talented The Social Experiment, Chance delivered a layered and dynamic sound to the overflowing Surf Stage crowd on Sunday night. In addition to the support from The Social Experiment, Chance didn't skimp at all on production quality, with pyrotechnics, massive beach balls, and different interactive videos playing during each song. During his set, a fan appropriately held up a "W" Flag, since Chance's first time at Hangout was no doubt a victory. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mumford Closed Out Hangout 2017 With A Bang

Fans flocked to the final set of Hangout Fest, completely packing the beach to watch the band of British brothers take the stage. Mumford and Sons put on a show that rocked, yet still lulled the crowd with their beautiful harmonies. Every time Mumford and Sons perform, you can tell they give every ounce of energy that they have to produce the best show possible. Their Hangout Set closed out with a fireworks finale, wrapping up Hangout Fest with a bang.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

That's all, folks! Check out our Facebook page for some videos of select sets. We hope you watched our Instagram story throughout the weekend and enjoyed following along Hangout Fest 2017 with us! 

Thumbnail Image Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, LANY, Mumford and Sons, Chance The Rapper, Franz Ferdinand, Shaggy, Festival, Live Music

Hangout Highlights Day 2

May 21, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Day two of Hangout Fest brought even more festivities and more music than the first day. Although it was supposed to storm all day, the good vibes kept the rain away until the evening. Check out which of the countless acts stood out on the middle day of Hangout 2017!

Mondo Cozmo Chugged a Beer at 12:30 PM

Singer-songwriter Mondo Cozmo kicked off Saturday's performances on the Fitz's Stage in style...by chugging a beer. Right at the start of their hour long set, Frontman Josh Ostrander pooled all of the cash that he and his band had and asked for a volunteer in the crowd to go on a beer run. When the volunteer returned, the crowd started a "chug" chant, and Ostrander stepped up to the challenge. The rest of his set included a live premiere of an unreleased song, and every song had the crowd moving along. Later in the afternoon, Ostrander also performed an acoustic set for some lucky festival goers (photographed below). 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

A R I Z O N A Played On Stage Way Too Small For Them

The Jersey natives ironically named after another state hit the BMI Stage at 1:30 on Saturday, to a massive crowd on the beach. With all of their streaming success (the band is close to 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify), A R I Z O N A definitely could have played one of the bigger stages at Hangout Fest. Despite having some technical difficulties, the show went on, albeit acoustically for some songs, and the crowd was loving it. About halfway through the set, the party got even crazier when a hamburger, a donut, and a poop emoji float was thrown into the crowd. 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mutemath Covered Black Hole Sun

Mutemath also drew a huge crowd at The Hangout stage for their 1:30 PM set, which included a special tribute to the late Chris Cornell. The New Orleans based band performed a stunning version of "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, in respect of Cornell. Later on in their set, they had a surprise guest, who helped out with her singing and dancing skills (photographed below).  

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Local Natives' Frontman Took A Walk In The Crowd

Local Natives delivered an incredible set filled with positive vibes at 2:30 on The Surf Stage. During their third song, Taylor Rice hopped off stage to join the crowd, microphone and all. Rice also took some time during the set to promote activism among our generation, reminding the crowd that we all have a choice of what happens to the world before they played "Fountain Of Youth." Their feel-good set wrapped up with Rice going back into the crowd with an epic stage dive.

Lewis Del Mar Crowd Surfed With A Giant Turtle

Hands down the best set of Hangout Day Two, Danny Miller and Max Harwood of Lewis Del Mar kept their word on their promise to play their asses off for the crowd. Not only did they deliver a gripping rendition of Kanye's song "Runaway" with special guest Anna Wise, but lead singer Danny Miller also took a ride on a turtle float towards the end of the set. Their dynamic and explosive performance concluded with the crowd going all out for the duo's viral song "Loud(y)." Check out the video of Miller's epic crowd surf below.

The Crowd Collectively Cheered During The Start Of "The Funeral"

Band of Horses kicked off Saturday evening at the festival with their mesmerizing set at The Hangout Stage. Their relaxed folk sound was the perfect breather for the festival goers that had been going since gates opened at 11. The highlight of their hypnotizing set had to be when the opening chords of "The Funeral" rang out and the entire crowd cheered with recognition of the popular track. 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

The rain finally arrived during Saturday evening, pushing up Twenty One Pilot's start time to 9PM, but unfortunately the festival had to be cut short just before 10PM due to the storm. Stay tuned for updates from the final day of Hangout Fest. 

 

Thumbnail image courtesy of  Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

categories / Festival, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, Lewis Del Mar, Twenty One Pilots, A R I Z O N A, Mutemath, Mondo Cozmo, Anna Wise, Local Natives, Fesitval

Hangout Highlights Day 1

May 20, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Friday afternoon, music fans flocked to The Hangout in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a stacked and diverse line up, filled with rookie and veteran musicians of different genres. In addition to the endless options of acts choose from, the festival also offers some unique activities and plenty of chill-out spots to offer their attendees an oasis from the blazing Alabama sun. Stay tuned for a more in-depth look at all the other experiences that Hangout Fest has to offer (like their puppy kissing booth and wedding chapel), but for now tune in to find out about Friday's music highlights.

Joseph Woke Us Up With Harmonies

Joseph took the stage at 1:30 PM on Friday, right in the wee hours of the afternoon, as the crowd slowly trickled into the festival grounds to get acquainted with the lay of the land and the hidden gems of the festival. The Portland, Oregon-based Joseph immediately drew in the eager crowd with their tantalizing harmonies.  The fact that the band consists of three sisters definitely plays a hand in the way that their vocals mesh so well, but besides the harmonies, all three sisters gave a stellar vocal performance. Their boundless talent impressed the early afternoon crowd to say the least.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mac DeMarco Ripped His Shirt Off With His Bare Hands

Known to never disappoint with his live performances, Mac DeMarco warmed up the festival crowd for the nighttime sets with some of his familiar antics. After his trademark move of smoking cigarettes while performing multiple songs, DeMarco closed out his incredible set by stage diving during the last song, "Still Together."  To top that epic moment, when he returned to the stage, he ripped off his own shirt with his bare hands, finishing the song sans shirt. Oh, and his drummer played the whole set in his underwear. 

PS. Check out our Instagram story for a video of the stage dive. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Barns Courtney Hosted a Sweaty Sing Along

Singer-songwriter Barns Courtney drew an eager and friendly crowd during his evening set at the BMI Stage, which happened to be clashing with MGMT. During his popular tune "Glitter & Gold" Courtney got the receptive crowd to sing the chorus back to him. The track came a few songs into his set, and after exerting his energy in the humid Alabama temperatures, Courtney took a tune-and-talk break, telling the crowd "I'm a sweaty little bitch." If you've ever been to a Barns Courtney show, you know you can expect some laughs betweens songs.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Sharks Invaded MGMT's Set

As the sun began to set during MGMT's viral hit "Electric Feel," at least a dozen blowup sharks were released into the crowd at the Hangout Stage. The crowd had already been exuding positive vibes during the set, but the energy skyrocketed during this surprise addition to MGMT's show. The additional fun fit right in with the vibes of this beach festival.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Weezer Played Hit After Hit While Rivers Cuomo Rocked a Bucket Hat

A few songs into Weezer's nighttime set, I overheard a fellow festival-goer exclaim that Weezer was the best set of the day, and I'd have to agree. The music vets took the stage with an air of rock and roll poise that comes from years and years of making and performing music. In addition to the sense of ease and comfort that flowed between the band members, their set consisted of hit after hit, the crowd singing along to nearly every word from their opening song "Hash Pipe" to their final song, "Buddy Holly." Oh, and lead singer Rivers Cuomo totally rocked a bucket hat while delivering every hit. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Phoenix Filled In For Frank

Night one concluded with Phoenix delivering an incredible comeback set in support of their first album since 2013. Their appearance at the festival came as last minute addition when Frank Ocean dropped out of his headline slot a week prior to the festival, citing production delays. Phoenix's energetic and fun-filled show contained a mix of older and new songs that kept the crowd moving, almost making up for the pain of Frank dropping out. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 

Stay tuned for highlights of Day Two, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter for live updates!

categories / Festival, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, Music Festival, Barns Courtney, Mac DeMarco, MGMT, Phoenix, Weezer, Joseph, Highlights

Joey Vannucchi Is The Poster Child for Soft Indie Rock: From Indian Lakes Charms Minneapolis on 5.16.17

May 19, 2017  /  Morgan Winston

Wearing an ill-fitting white t-shirt, cuffed jeans and a simple gold ring, Joey Vannucchi is the poster child for soft indie rock. The soothing lead singer of From Indian Lakes charmed the crowd last Tuesday at 7th St Entry, offering a lulled but impactful set.

From Indian Lakes is known for sweet acoustic melodies and intricate rhythms. However, when listening to their studio recordings, I found it difficult to understand how their sound would translate to a live setting. I entered the venue with skepticism, but my expectations were soon blown out of the water.

Queen of Jeans opened the night with a wonderful set. They played off of each other with ease and became more comfortable with the help of an accepting Minnesota crowd. This newer band from Philadelphia has released one self-titled EP in 2016. Their female-fronted sound is eclectic and complex, switching off between the lead singer’s higher voice and standard indie rock guitar. I highly suggest checking out their music.

Vannucchi and the band soon took the stage under a neon ‘FIL’ sign. The mood in the venue instantly changed. Although they were opening for Balance and Composure, many of the people in the crowd seemed to be there for From Indian Lakes. Vannucchi committed fully to every song, quickly tossing off his hat during the first few songs. Their highly layered live sound built powerfully on their studio recordings.

As the set developed, the energy increased but refused overwhelm the music. They took their time with each song and made sure to connect with the audience. Dreamy vocals paired with amazing percussive work had the audience nodding along with every song.

I felt like I was in a world created by Vannucchi. His lyrics are captivating and the softer instrumentation allows for a close focus on the specific mood of each song. I haven’t seen someone feel their own music in a very long time. He often got lost in the song and I was right there with him.

The set ended with “Happy Machines”, the song whose lyrics give the title to their album Everything Feels Better Now. This song was a perfect end to the night, with grittier guitar fitting seamlessly with the more delicate piano. This performance showcased From Indian Lakes’ maturity and experience with their own music. Their live show is one of the most captivating I have ever seen.

From Indian Lakes and Queen of Jeans Photo Gallery 

Check out all of From Indian Lakes' upcoming tour dates here. 

categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs
tags / From Indian Lakes, Photo Set, Photos, Concert Photography, Review, Live shows, Morgan Winston, Queen of Jeans

Julia Jacklin Hooks Lincoln Hall Crowd With Haunting Vocals and Warm Tones

May 14, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Julia Jacklin had the Lincoln Hall crowd wrapped around her finger by the end of her 8-song set this past Saturday night. Kicking off at 8:30PM, Jacklin immediately snagged the audience’s attention during the initial song, “Hay Plain.” The song starts off slow and creeping, adding vulnerability to Jacklin’s haunting vocals, but eventually builds up towards the later half of the song. The crowd began to sway along as the set moved right along into “Leadlight,” one of the singles from Jacklin’s 2016 debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win.  “Thank you for coming early. That’s really kind of you,” Jacklin humbly told the crowd before diving into the next song, “Motherland,” another one that begins more stripped back, eventually adding additional layers.

As the set reaches the halfway mark, Jacklin’s band leaves the stage for her to perform “LA Dream” solo, her candid lyrics, rich voice, and her guitar playing mesmerizing the audience. Jacklin introduced her band at this time, mentioning she’s played in Chicago once before, but there were “400 times more people” there than the last time. The mood remained mellow and slow for the next song, “Eastwick,” but the pace immediately picked up with the entirety of the band in full swing for Jacklin’s latest single, “Coming Of Age.”


Jacklin thanked Andy Shauf before playing her debut single, “Pool Party,” one of her singles that she’s also directed the music video for (the other being “Leadlight”).  The beautiful performance closed out with the title track from Jacklin’s album. Live, Julia Jacklin executes her warm and full tone flawlessly. If you missed the stunning show last night, keep an eye on her upcoming tour dates here. You can also listen to Don't Let The Kids Win in full below. 

Thumbnail photo by Nick McKinley

categories / Gigs, Reviews
tags / Julia Jacklin, Live Show, Review, Australian Bands, Lincoln Hall, Andy Shauf

Catfish And The Bottlemen's Triumphant Return to The Rave on 5.9.17

May 11, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Tuesday evening, Catfish And The Bottlemen rocked the stage at The Rave, returning for their third visit to the Milwaukee concert hall. The set kicked off with "Homesick" from their debut album The Balcony, the crowd instantly echoing the lyrics back to the four piece group, and the energy only accelerated from there. The band released their sophomore album The Ride just about a year ago, but the majority of their 14 song set was composed of songs from their debut album. 

Lead singer Van McCann kept the classic songs fresh by alternating the lyrics in "Business" from how they read in the studio version, and the band all worked together to amplify the live version of every song, feeding off one another's and the crowd's energy. During the mid-set performance of their single "Twice" from The Ride, McCann and lead guitarist Johnny Bond (aka Bondy) played their guitars back-to back. The pace only slowed down towards the later half of the set, when Bondy, bassist Benji Blakeway, and drummer Bob Hall left the stage to leave McCann to perform their acoustic track "Hourglass" solo. The audience added a choir-like effect, singing the words back to McCann as he performed the stripped back song. 

The energy skyrocketed for the last few songs of the evening, which included the single "7" and the iconic track "Cocoon."  Just after McCann expressed his gratitude for the audience and their support act, The Worn Flints, the crowd began a chant for "Rango," a track from The Balcony. Unfortunately for the diehard "Rango" fans, the band did not oblige and moved straight into the final song of the set, "Tyrants." Drawn out and dynamic, the live version of "Tyrants" goes above and beyond the studio version, making Catfish And The Bottlemen one of the best live bands around. If you get the chance to see them perform, do not miss out!

All photos by Rachel Zyzda

The Set List

1. Homesick

2. Kathleen

3. Soundcheck

4. Pacifier 

5. Anything

6. Business

7. Oxygen

8. Twice

9. Fallout

10. Outside

11. Hourglass

12. 7

13. Cocoon

14. Tyrants

Check out the official video for "Twice" below, and stay in the know on all updates from the band here. 

categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs
tags / Catfish and the Bottlemen, Milwaukee, The Rave, Photos, Concert Photography, Photo Set, Live music, Live Review

Trophy Dad Kicks Off Tour With an Incredible Hometown Gig

May 11, 2017  /  Morgan Winston

Trophy Dad brought warm, indie jams to the High Noon Saloon last night in Madison, WI. Known to many in the Madison area, Trophy Dad drew a large and rambunctious crowd of friends and fans, despite finals week.

The audience was warmed up after three openers. “Theme From Trophy Dad” opened the set, flawlessly transitioned into fan-favorite “Louis Sachar”.  Abby Sherman and Jordan Zamansky share the main vocals, with each of their voices bringing something different to the table.  When they sing together it is a wondrous combination of deep consistency from Jordan and lilting, higher notes from Abby.

After debuting an unnamed new song, the concert’s energy peaked during “Trichotillomania”, my personal favorite from this band. It emphasizes catchy guitar lines and amazing lyrical work from Abby. Abby was the star of the show, both interjecting playful remarks about Jordan’s new nickname, “Buzz-lord Jarvis”, and professing her love of Guns N’ Roses.

Trophy Dad closed their planned setlist with “Addison”, a single off of their Dogman EP. The band was coaxed into playing an encore, despite some hesitation. The concert concluded with an electrifying rendition of “You Never Responded and I Made Up Wild Stories in My Head That Turned Out to Be True”, a song off of their album Shirtless Algebra Fridays. Guitarist Henry Stoehr provided an amazing amount of drive for the song, ending the concert on an exceptional note.

This show acted as Trophy Dad’s tour kickoff.  They will be in Chicago tonight at Beat Kitchen; go check out their exceptional live show. Grab tickets here.

All photos by Morgan Winston

Listen to Trophy Dad's new EP Dogman below, and keep up with all their latest news here. 

categories / Reviews, Gigs, Photos
tags / Trophy Dad, Madison Bands, Tour, High Noon Saloon, Morgan Winston, Photos, Portraits, Concert Photography

Black Lips Rocked Their Tour Kick Off in Carrboro, NC

May 08, 2017  /  Lindsay Teske

On May 2nd, The Black Lips took the stage to kick off their tour at Cat’s Cradle in the same manner in which a speeding locomotive charges down the tracks....with an insatiable amount of gusto and power. Electricity permeated the venue as the band played to a crowd of moshing fans, adding zest to what was otherwise an ordinary Tuesday evening in Carrboro, North Carolina. The Black Lips matched the degree energetic nature found in their songs in stage presence, erupting with vitality from the first note played to the last.

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Played early in the setlist was “Drive By Buddy,” a track that exudes groove from start to finish. With a slight sonic emulation of The Monkees, it succeeds in capsulating audience attention through its addictively rhythmic guitar riffs and sing-along inducing chorus (which instantaneously ensued). “Family Tree,” a track that is jam packed with dynamic variance and sonic juxtaposition followed shortly thereafter. The track kicks off with a swell of sound, complimented by a saxophone part that provides the song with an added level of distinctiveness. The song’s verses serve as a foil to its chorus, undertaking a cavernous tone before building into an exuberant and ebullient blast of sound.

The crowd at Cat’s Cradle broke into sheer pandemonium as soon as the signature resonant bass line of “O Katrina,” a notoriously upbeat track from the 2007 album Good Bad Not Evil was played. Not one stationary body was in sight as the song’s identifying crunchy, distorted guitar riffs and thunderous drum fills were played.

At the end of the night, the crowd left Cat’s Cradle sweaty, bruised, covered in a stranger’s beer, or any combination thereof. A band that does not perform with such an insatiable amount of sustained intensity simply cannot invoke that degree of reaction among audiences. However, The Black Lips did.

Live, the band is the equivalent of a blazing meteor: they’re bright, riddled with an infectious energetic power, and are so alluring and unique that they cannot be ignored. The amount of vigor they put into their live performances is so wonderfully contagious that inciting an all-encompassing electric reaction among crowd members is seemingly inevitable. That skill is not only the hallmark of a great musician, but a great artist.

Chicago, The Black Lips will be in town this weekend for not one, but two nights at The Empty Bottle. Night one is sold out, but grab your tickets to night two here. The rest of The Black Lips' tour dates can also be found here. 

You can also listen to the new album Satan's Graffiti or God's Art? below:

categories / Reviews, Gigs
tags / Black Lips, Cat's Cradle, Lindsay Teske, Live Music, Review

PHOTOS: The xx at Aragon Ballroom on 5.1.17

May 03, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

British trio The xx captivated their Chicago audience on Monday evening at The Aragon Ballroom, marking their triumphant return after playing a sold out show at the same venue back in 2013. Celebrating their third album I See You, this show was a part of the aptly named “I See You” Tour, which kicked off in April.

The dynamic and mesmerizing performance from The xx started with new track "Say Something Loving," the eager crowd cheering with recognition as the introductory sample of the Alessi Brothers used in the song rang out into the ballroom. The set list that followed featured an ample mix of tracks from their debut and sophomore album, like crowd favorites "Islands" and "Angels." The band kept the older content fresh by introducing new arrangements and mixes of the familiar tunes, especially with the upbeat version of "Shelter" they performed towards the end of the set. 

Throughout the set, a mutual love and appreciation radiated from the crowd to the stage. Other set highlights included the addition of "Loud Places" from Jamie xx's solo album into the set, a solo and stripped back performance of "Performance" by Romy Croft, and Oliver Sim's dedication to single people before "Dangerous."  

The electrifying evening wrapped up with a very humble and heartfelt thanks from each member of The xx, with Romy mentioning the energy of each and every fan in the venue. 

The Set List

  1. Say Something Loving

  2. Crystalised

  3. Islands

  4. I Dare You

  5. Lips

  6. Sunset

  7. Basic Space

  8. Performance

  9. Infinity

  10. VCR

  11. Dangerous

  12. Fiction

  13. Shelter

  14. Loud Places 

  15. On Hold 

  16. Intro

  17. Angels

 

Photo Gallery

Chicago! The xx will be back in August for Lollapalooza. Check out all of their tour dates here, and listen to I See You below.

categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / the xx, I See You, I See You Tour, Aragon Ballroom, Photo Set, Concert Photography, Live music, Chicago

Bastille Bring Their Massive Wild, Wild World Tour to "Shrek's Paradise" (AKA Aragon Ballroom)

April 04, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Word and Photos by Rachel Zyzda

At most gigs, the show actually begins when the first note of the opening song rings out into the venue….but not at Bastille’s Wild, Wild World Tour. On Monday, April 3rd, the show started from the moment fans entered the majestic Aragon Ballroom with a full scale, interactive production that kicked off while fans patiently awaited support act Mondo Cozmo, and kept rolling even in between acts. In addition to audiovisual bits of lead singer Dan Smith’s project with Ralph Pelleymounter (of To Kill a King) called Annie Oakley Hanging, the show included short film clips featuring the news anchor from the band’s “Fake It” music video (rumor has it he’s called Billy) and the band decked out in WWCOMMS jumpsuits, performing various activities.

Directly following a clip of “Billy” eating a banana, the five members of Bastille burst onto the stage around 8:45PM with their brassy and bass-boosting single “Send Them Off!,” Smith donning his uniform black t-shirt with the logo for WWCOMMS; a mysterious, omniscient entity constructed alongside the campaign for Bastille’s sophomore album Wild World. The 90 minute set that followed contained a fair mix of new songs from that album, as well as the songs we all know and love from Bastille’s debut album Bad Blood. The third song of the set, “Warmth,” contains the new album's name in its chorus. After the band delivered a powerful and polished performance of the album’s namesake track, Smith took some time to talk about the theme of Wild World and how it comments on the crazy events of the world, introducing “Snakes” as a song about him getting drunk with his mates to take his mind off of the negative events.

Next up, the band sticks to traditions with one of their most popular tracks, “Flaws,” in which Smith always goes into the crowd to dance and sing with audience members. Of course, in addition to this maneuver during “Flaws,” a Bastille gig is never complete without Smith’s endearingly awkward dance moves and his mention of their “horribly depressing songs.”  During this set, “Oblivion” and “Four Walls (The Ballad of Perry Smith)” stood out as highlights, despite their very depressing nature. During “Oblivion” the entire Aragon Ballroom lit up with cell phone lights, the audience swaying their lights along with the slow-tempo tearjerker. During “Four Walls,” bassist-turned-guitarist Will Farquarson delivered an incredible minute-long guitar solo. The guitar solo put a fresh spin and new arrangement on the studio version of the track, which is based on Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.

The show also featured plenty of dancing and crowd participation during the more upbeat songs of the night. Although, as Smith would say, most of the songs are still incredibly depressing-- they just do a good job at masking the depressing content with happy-sounding music. For example, newer song “Lethargy” is ironically upbeat and great to dance to, much like their debut single from Wild World, “Good Grief.” Despite being a song about losing someone and the grieving process that accompanies the loss, it’s hard to resist busting out your spirit fingers during the song’s catchy chorus. As far as crowd participation, “The Draw,” a track from the extended version of Bad Blood (called All This Bad Blood), had everyone moving their hands along to the beat during its chorus, in the shape of triangles. The biggest form of crowd participation, hands down, occurs during Bastille’s mashup cover song “Of The Night,” taken from their mixtape Other People’s Heartache. During the mix of Corona’s “Rhythm of the Night” and Snap!’s “Rhythm is a Dancer,” Smith asks that everyone stoops down right before the explosive chorus, and then jumps up and down with him on his command. A highlight at any of their shows, but especially in a venue the size of The Aragon, it’s such a spectacle to see a crowd of thousands jumping in unity.

In addition to the new arrangements of old favorites and the extensive video production that accompanied each song performed, which is exclusive to this Wild, Wild World Tour, the band also kept things fresh on this tour by conducting a daily Twitter poll for fans to vote on a coveted slot on the setlist.  The song that won for Chicago was “The Anchor” (our personal favorite…no idea why), which closes out the 19-track version of Wild World.  Another incredible addition to this tour was the ASL signer that the band had stationed in the sound booth, for audience members who are hard of hearing. The only other time I’ve seen this wonderful service provided at a gig was actually during Bastille’s Lollapalooza performance last year.

Lastly, Bastille’s three-song encore really packed a punch, closing out the magical evening in a massive way. Kicking off with Smith and Farquarson in one of the Aragon’s balcony alcoves, the pair performed the Tarantino-esque track "Two Evils" while Smith balanced on the balcony ledge. After that adrenaline-boosting performance, the energy escalated with the crowd favorite “Icarus.” As the evening drew to a close, the energy remained at an all time high as Bastille invited Mondo Cozmo to join them onstage during their hit “Pompeii.” Rearranged from the studio version, the live version of “Pompeii” just hits you right in the heartstrings. When the song came to an end, lingering chants of eh-ohs mingled with cheers and claps that echoed throughout the Aragon Ballroom (or “Shrek’s Paradise,” as Smith calls it) as the band exited the stage.

What the band delivered in production quality, they brought equally, if not more, in sound quality and musicianship. Bastille is one of those bands that somehow always manages to sound even better live, and last night was no exception. The Wild, Wild World Tour will continue throughout North America through mid-May. Do not miss this captivating, interactive, and unforgettable show if you get the chance to see it! You can check out all of the tour dates here. 

Photo Gallery: Bastille's Wild Wild World Tour // Chicago // Aragon Ballroom 4.3.17

The Setlist

1. Send Them Off!

2. Laura Palmer

3. Warmth

4. Snakes

5. Flaws

6. Oblivion

7. Lethargy

8. Things We Lost in the Fire

9. The Draw

10. The Currents

11. The Anchor

12. Bad Blood

13. Four Walls

14. Blame

15. Of The Night

16. Fake It

17. Weight of Living, Pt. 11

18. Glory

19. Good Grief

20. Two Evils

21. Icarus 

22. Pompeii

Wild World by Bastille

categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs, Music
tags / Bastille, Live Show, Wild Wild World Tour, Chicago, Aragon Ballroom, Concert Photography, Photo Set