Filtering by Category: Reviews

LIVE: Middle Kids Bring Witty Banter and Sincere Songs to Lincoln Hall

September 08, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

This past Wednesday night, Aussie indie rockers Middle Kids brought both their sincere songs and witty stage banter to Lincoln Hall’s stage as part of WKQX’s Queued Up Artist Showcase. After Chicago’s own Glyders rocked the Lincoln Park concert venue, Middle Kids kicked off their roughly hour-long set with a new track from their upcoming debut album, called “On My Knees,” before moving into “Your Love” from the band’s debut EP. The latter, like most of Middle Kids’ EP, showcases lead singer Hannah Joy’s incredible vocal range and emotive tone that adds another layer to her intricate narratives.

Live, the band adds even more depth to their thoughtful and personal stories told in the songs, with Joy moving around on stage and jamming with bandmates Tim Fitz, Harry Day, and touring member Pete Covington. The energy built up during “Fire In Your Eyes,” which Joy told the crowd was the first song she and Fitz ever wrote, and “Old River,” which had Joy working the whole crowd and the band playing an extended jam during the bridge. The mood came to a hypnotizing lull for the next song, a piano ballad on the EP named “Doing It Right” that Joy reconstructed as a guitar ballad, performed as a solo on her part. The stripped back solo placed a weight of vulnerability on Joy, but she wrapped the crowd around her finger with the flawlessly fragile performance. The spell broke when the full band returned and Fitz delivered some banter about spit bubbles before diving into their viral track “Edge of Town,” which has been hyped by everyone...including Elton John. Joy prefaced another new song called “Don’t Be Hiding” by telling the crowd that their shows act as a little survey to test out the new ones. One final new tune trailed after “Never Start,” acting as an encore. The new song may have been the last, but instead of displaying any signs of exhaust for the prior performance, Joy’s voice remained resilient, weaving in and out of falsettos and powerful harmonies with her bandmates, while possessing a strong sense of conviction.

The Sydney trio had only made their Chicago debut earlier this year, but with the stellar show they put on at Lincoln Hall, there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing lots more of Middle Kids soon.

Check out photos of Glyders and Middle Kids at Lincoln Hall, and catch them in a city near you soon! All tour dates can be found here.

Can't get enough Middle Kids? Listen to their debut EP below, and check out our interview with Hannah Joy here.

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categories / Reviews, Photos, Music, Gigs
tags / Middle Kids, Glyders, Chicago Local Music, Chicago Bands, Photos, Live, Review, Photo Gallery

LIVE: A Night With Kevin Morby at Lincoln Hall

September 03, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

"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!

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categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Kevin Morby, Lincoln Hall, Live Review, Photography, Concert Photography, City Music

LIVE: Tigertown and VÉRITÉ Kick The Week Off With a Bang at Lincoln Hall

August 30, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

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.

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categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / VERITE, Tigertown, Chicago, Lincoln Hall, Somewhere In Between, Live, Photo Gallery, Review

LIVE: Izzy Bizu Enchants Soldier Field with a Stripped Back Set

August 21, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

“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.

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categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Izzy Bizu, Coldplay, Live Music, Photography, Photo Gallery, A Head Full of Dreams Tour

LIVE: Homeshake, Divino Niño, and Pixel Grip Incite Déjà Vu to Past Generations of Music at The Empty Bottle

August 19, 2017 / Lauren Styx

The Empty Bottle was a low-fi circus of sound Thursday night that showcased energy plucked from the musical influence of past eras — and a little of the future.

Pixel Grip’s debut at The Empty Bottle lived up to the darkwave disco hype with a sound crystallized somewhere between Sylvan Esso and LCD Soundsystem. Lead singer Rita Lukea gained confidence as the set progressed, doing away with the mic stand and commanding the space in towering white platform boots with razor-sharp black eyeliner and undercut to match. At her side, John Freund steered the synth ship through waves of 80s bubble-pop and sinister crunch, and Tyler Ommen joined the duo to hammer out drums.

Lukea’s syrupy sweet vocals and doll-like movements offset the sassy, backhanded lyrics of songs like new single “Right Side"; “You’re always so right, right /Always on the right, on the right side /I’m on the wrong side then, feeling left-minded.” And when the singer started quasi-rapping in French, the already-writhing crowd lost its shit. For their first show at the Bottle, Pixel Grip did more than hold their own in a star-studded lineup.

It was the second set, though, that stole the damn show. A Chicago favorite, Divino Niño lingers between the pop sound of a hip, Latino version of The Four Seasons and a seductive, psychedelic garage band.

The entire set felt like a dreamy island vacation, perhaps a wink at lead singer and guitarist Camilo Medina’s thigh tattoo, a little line-drawing of a sunset/palm tree on the ocean, that peeked out from his tiny, denim cutoffs. Medina’s a whammy master with a warm honey voice who romanced the crowd by pairing some seriously sexed-up hip manipulation with a quick thumb’s up and thank you after each song. Not to mention the English to Spanish and back again lyrics that oozed heartache and nostalgia.

The swaying harmonies from Medina, bassist Javier Forero and guitarist Guillermo Rodriguez on songs like “Uruguay” and “Tell Me” could heat up the prom slow-dance scenes of any cult classic in the best way. And the percussion was intricate to say the least, with the quartet’s drummer, Pierce Codina, flanked by two guests — one of which was Paul Cherry. Divino Niño’s sonic nod to the 60's that they refer to on their Facebook as “bootleg-ass-pop” felt more like floating on a cloud.

Just before midnight, the lights went down and the crowd fell in love all over again when Homeshake took the stage. As a bucket-hatted Peter Sagar began his synthy serenade of “Every Single Thing”, the packed space took on a collective groove. The former guitarist for Mac DeMarco definitely shares a sound with the artist, but adds his own low-fi spin with effects like warping his voice — even when talking to the crowd he sounded like a cartoon kitten or an anonymous source on Gangland. Sagar’s playful this way in his interaction with the crowd between songs, jumping from thanking to shushing them and met with laughter.

The Montreal-based quartet poured a thick molasses over the crowd with the R&B tropes found in latest release Fresh Air and stoner synths of previous works “Midnight Snack” and “In the Shower”. The sensual energy only intensified as what seemed like the entire crowd sang lyrics “kissing hugging making love and waking up and getting high” while head-bobbing in unison.

While each act incited definite déjà vu to past generations of music, they successfully — and seamlessly — spun exciting new webs of sound to encapsulate the crowd.

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Salina Ladha

Listen to Homeshake's latest album Fresh Air in full below.

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categories / Gigs, Reviews
tags / Homeshake, Pixel Grip, Divino Nino, Lauren Styx, Live Music, The Empty Bottle

LIVE: Gordi Delivers an Ethereal Performance at Schubas Tavern

August 14, 2017 / Lindsay Teske

Basked in purple lights and smoke, Australian singer Gordi delivered a performance at Schubas Tavern that was ethereal, yet yielded a high degree of raw emotional power. Her deeply humanistic lyrics were sung with closed eyes and a wavered hand, creating an essence of authenticity that made it feel as if she hit a bullseye into the epicenter of one’s soul.

The result of this was pure captivation. The sizeable crowd stood facing the stage - with little to no chatter otherwise - for an overwhelming majority of the performance. In a sense it is almost more difficult to maintain attention than it is to harness it, but this manifested automatically and almost effortlessly from the moment Gordi began the set until she departed the stage. This is, perhaps, due to the intriguing cerebral element that her music contains. With the accompanying musical elements being skillful yet soft, the lyrics are made to be the artistic focal point. The beauty of this, however, is that it serves as a catalyst for connectivity. Listeners are left to think about the words being sung, crafting their own unique meaning to the text in the process. This is one of the most noteworthy facets of Gordi’s music: it allows people to develop a potent relationship to it.

The emotional heaviness within Gordi’s songs was delightfully juxtaposed by the humorous anecdotes she told between songs. Whether it be a tale about past crowds or about barely making it onto a plane to Toronto, Gordi presented herself as a well-rounded creator. She wasn’t just a musician on a stage; she displayed her witty personality which allowed audience members to connect with her on a personal level as well as a musical one.

One of the anecdotes Gordi told between songs centered on her creative process when bringing the track “Heaven I Know” to fruition. She told the audience that she started working on the song during a long solo driving trip, when she was completely without instruments and unable to write. As a result, she would talk out the counts of the song to conjure up the pace and rhythm. These counts ultimately made it into the final recorded version of the track, but they are spoken so rhythmically subtly that one who does not know the authenticity of their sonic origins may miss their presence all together. However, since the audience was told this story prior to it being played, it was able to be appreciated that a facet of the song’s most primitive stages made it all the way to the final cut. The presence of the counts in the song were a welcome combination of all that is thoughtful and true, making the listening experience that much more personal and meaningful.

The music of Gordi is so alluring to the ear because it is riddled with workable opposites. It is dreamy with a dash of realism, delicate yet tenacious, and subtle yet containing the innate ability to cultivate power and impact. The artistic needs of the mind, ear, and soul are all met in equilibrium.

Keep up with all of Gordi's upcoming shows here.

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categories / Gigs, Reviews
tags / Gordi, Live Music, Gig Review, Schubas

LIVE: Marika Hackman Brings Her Latest Album to Life with The Big Moon at Schubas Tavern

August 13, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

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.

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categories / Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Marika Hackman, The Big Moon, I'm Not Your Man, Love in the 4th Dimension, Schubas, Live Review, Photos, Concert Photography

LIVE: Barns Courtney Rocks Schubas on One Leg During His Lollapalooza Aftershow

August 08, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

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!

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categories / Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Barns Courtney, Lollapalooza, Photography, Concert Photography, Music Festival, Photo Gallery

LIVE: Frenship at Park West 8.3.2017

August 06, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

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.

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categories / Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews, Festival
tags / FRENSHIP, Lollapalooza, Lolla, Live, Photo Gallery, Photography, Concert Photography

LIVE: Temples and Declan McKenna 8.2.2017

August 04, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

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.