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LIVE: Haim Returns to Chicago's Riviera
Sisters Alana, Danielle, and Este Haim returned to Chicago to play an intimate show at The Riviera Theatre, which they had last played in 2014. The sisters performed old favorites like "Falling," "My Song 5," and "Forever" alongside new songs from their sophomore album Something to Tell You. In between songs, the Haim humor shone through, as the three kept up witty banter and even busted out a choreographed dance routine to "Walking Away," one of the newer tracks. However, the biggest highlight by far had to be when the eldest sister Este crowd surfed, making it all the way to the back of the first tier of the concert venue's standing room. Check out photos of the unforgettable evening below!
LIVE: Coast Modern Brings Diverse Songs and Social Experiments on Their First Headline Run
Los Angeles friends Coleman Trapp and Luke Atlas, better known as Coast Modern, took over Chicago’s Bottom Lounge on Monday night as part of their first headlining tour. The two have been making waves over the years with their catchy, indie pop tunes...which have even caught the attention of the legendary Smashmouth and Kate Hudson. They’ve toured in the past with bands like The Wombats, Temper Trap, Sundara Karma, and more, but this time around they’ve stepped up their show.
To celebrate their biggest tour yet and their self-titled debut album being released this Summer, the pair incorporated some fun activities and social experiments between songs. One of the activities included having the crowd all say their name at the same time on Coleman's count of three, and another time he asked the crowd to introduce themselves to the people around them that they didn't know.
After performing some of their popular songs like "Guru" and "Pockets Full of No," which got the crowd grooving, Coleman also asked the crowd to all think about a thing they desired and yell that on the count of three. One of the coolest activities, though, which was amplified by Coleman and Luke's incredible live band, was when Coleman had the whole crowd close their eyes and imagine they were in an Amazon Rainforest. Meanwhile, the band played some sound effects to enhance the imaginative activity. Coast Modern's 18-track debut album proves that Coleman and Luke are skilled musicians, with a broad range of tones and moods that sit all over the sonic field, but these between-songs engaging moments proved that Coast Modern have also become performers over the years, in addition to their developed musical talents.
Other highlights of the hour-long set included the band's cover of Julia Michael's song "Uh Huh" and their own song "Comb My Hair" towards the end of the set, which had the crowd animatedly singing along still. The personable and authentic show ended just after 9PM to a thundering of applause. If you missed out on the incredible show, check out our photo gallery of the evening, including some behind the scenes shots before the show!
Check out all of Coast Modern's tour dates here, and listen to their debut album below!
Can't get enough Coast Modern? Check out our interview with Luke Atlas here.
LIVE: LPX Gives It All She's Got on the Last Night of Tour
It's a surprisingly warm September night, and Chicagoans are ready to get their weekend started as they pack into Uptown's Riviera Theatre to see LPX and the Haim sisters. After making music as the duo MS MR with Max Hershenow, Lizzy Plapinger has now ventured out with a new solo project called LPX. The Chicago show on Friday night marked the final stop of Plapinger's first LPX tour, and she completely rocked her short but sweet support slot. Before she took the stage, Plapinger posted on social media that she was going to give this last show all she's got, and she and her band did not let the sold out crowd down as she bounced around the stage in a bright red jumpsuit singing her high energy tunes. The thirty minute set included LPX's released singles "Tremble" and "Tightrope" as well a cover of "Deceptacon" and a few unreleased tracks that will be released soon. Plapinger never disappointed when she played live with MS MR, always delivering flawless vocals while engaging the crowd and constantly moving, and her debut Chicago performance as LPX showed that this project will not be any different in that aspect.
Check out our photo gallery of LPX's set at The Riviera, and Chicago--go see her with RAC at Metro on Friday, October 13th. Grab tickets for the show here, and see all of her tour dates here.
Listen to LPX's latest single with What So Not, "Better," below!
LIVE: Bastille Put on a Nostalgic Last Wild, Wild World Tour Show
Bastille took over The Fillmore in Philadelphia last Thursday night to play the last headline show of their sophomore album’s saga.
Kicking things off on the last night of the Wild, Wild World Tour, the Los Angeles duo Frenship took over the Fillmore stage for 45 minutes. Getting by with a little help from their friends in their live band, James Sunderland and Brett Hite performed popular songs like “Carpet” and “Run Wild” from their Truce EP. One of the set’s highlights included their performance of the viral track “Capsize,” which has racked up almost 400 million Spotify streams and features vocalist and songwriter Emily Warren on the studio version. Live, Frenship’s keyboardist and vocalist Celeste steps in to sing Warren’s parts, but the band also had the audience singing along to the catchy chorus as well. The real highlight of the set happened when Bastille crashed the stage during Frenship’s last song “1000 Nights,” which only got the audience more excited for the show that would follow.
James Sunderland and Brett Hite of Frenship
Thirty minutes later, the house lights dimmed, stage lights flickered, and the four members of Bastille made their way onto stage, accompanied by live band member Charlie Barnes. As the opening chords of the brassy and bassy “Send Them Off!” rang out into the Philadelphia venue, cheers erupted from the crowd and lead singer Dan Smith began to sing the lyrics that allude to Shakespeare's Othello. The set took a brief retrospective turn when the band performed “Laura Palmer” off their debut album, which seems pointedly apt again with the reboot of David Lynch’s cult classic TV show Twin Peaks. Before the bright lights on the stage dimmed to place the spotlight on Smith and his keyboard where he would sing the ironically sombre song “Overjoyed” from the debut album, Smith took a break to call attention to some of the signs held up by fans on the barricade. Bringing one on stage that read “I Totaled My Car Driving Up From DC To Be Here,” Smith asked the fan what had happened, holding out the microphone for her to share her story. He then selected a sign that read “Don’t Blame Me, I Worked 4 Hillary,” which alluded to the band’s song “Blame” and their politically driven song “The Currents,” which cleverly digs at Donald Trump. After the quick detour of “sign related stories,” as Smith called them, the show continued with Smith slightly struggling during “Overjoyed” due to vocal stress and sound issues. Although he remained visibly conscious of his vocals and sound levels during the performance, he pushed through and still delivered the sweeping range required for the song.
Frontman Dan Smith and the infamous sign
The remainder of the set weaved in and out of older tunes and newer ones from Wild World, which just hit its first birthday on September 9th. The fourth song of the night, “Warmth,” acts as a title track almost, with its lyrics containing “Hold me in this wild, wild world” during the chorus. Another true Bastille show staple, Smith left the stage to go sing and dance with the Fillmore audience during their single “Flaws,” another throwback to their first album. While the set contained a mix of Wild World and Bad Blood cuts, the band also sprinkled in a few other surprises. They induced 1990’s nostalgia when they performed their popular mashup cover titled “Of The Night,” which combines “Rhythm of the Night” and “Rhythm is a Dancer” and got the crowd jumping up and down with Smith yet again. “Of The Night” was first released as part of the band’s illegal mixtape called Other People’s Heartache, which contained uncleared samples and cover songs...so the only place to hear these songs are now live or in the deep dark corners of the internet.
Bastille also brought back “The Draw” from their extended album All This Bad Blood, which almost acts as album 1.5, as it contains a full album of never before released songs that came out between the two official full lengths. The biggest nostalgic surprise, however, came when Smith and co performed a beautifully rearranged version of their 2014 single “Bad_News,” which was released both independently as a music video and as a remix on their mixtape entitled VS. (Other People’s Heartache Pt. III). This mixtape containing collaborations with the likes of Haim, Rationale, Lizzo and more is actually legal and can be streamed or purchased on all major platforms. Speaking of collaboration, the set ended with the group’s massive hit “Pompeii,” and this time the tables turned when Frenship crashed the stage to lend some help with the “eh-ohs” and drumming. The band left the stage to a venue ringing with applause and echoing eh-ohs.
The 19-track setlist did not include Bastille’s latest single “Glory” or another “Wild, Wild World Tour” setlist staple “Lethargy,” probably due to Smith’s vocal strain, but they still managed to fill up 90 minutes and deliver a well-rounded show that contained layers from each saga of Bastille’s career to date. Smith told the crowd they’ll be returning to The States soon with new music, which will include another one of their mixtapes and a new LP within a year’s time. As Bastille’s musical catalog continues to grow, their sound will only grow more diverse and multifaceted, and we can’t wait to hear what they release next.
Photo gallery of Frenship and Bastille at The Fillmore 9.14.17
Listen to Wild World in full while you await new Bastille music.
LIVE: Conor Oberst Puts on Stunning Performance at The Vic
Following Phoebe Bridgers opening set, consisting of some of her own stuff and even a Bright Eyes song, Conor Oberst took the stage at the Vic Theatre. Oberst’s career-spanning set was backed by The Felice Brothers. Opening with “Barbary Coast (Later)” off his 2016 album Ruminations, Oberst then played the first Bright Eyes songs of the night, “Four Winds”. He then jumped back into playing some of his solo stuff such as “Get-Well-Cards” and “Afterthought” which is off his most recent album Salutations. The set even included some of Oberst's other side projects, “Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Bands."
Next, Oberst played quite a few Bright Eyes songs, like “Something Vague”, “Southern State”, and “Well Whiskey”. Following that, The Felice Brothers exited the stage, leaving behind the accordion player. Phoebe Bridgers walked out to perform “Lua” with Oberst before the Felice Brothers reappeared to perform a cover of their own song, “Jack at the Asylum”. In between songs Oberst went on a rant about the current political situation happening in America and then returned back to playing “Artifact #1” and “Salutations”. As the lights dropped the first notes of “First Day of My Life” took over the audience. Oberst finished the first part of his set with “A little Uncanny," returning later for an encore that began with him alone at the piano playing an unreleased song he called “No One Is Going to Change”.
He closed out his set with Bright Eyes' “Make War” and his solo song “Napalm”. With powerful lyrics and great instrumentals, Conor Oberst puts on an amazing show with changes to the setlist each night, making each show unique in its own way. Conor is currently on tour with The Felice Brothers and will be all around the United States. For tickets and more information click here.
Listen to Connor Oberst's latest album Salutations in full below!
Loufest Day 2 Highlights
The second and final day of 2017's Loufest brought even more great music and perfect weather to Forest Park. To see what you missed on Day 1, head here, but check out which of Sunday's acts stood out below. From the stage presence to the song selection and the messages they delivered, these are the sets that stole the show on day 2.
A glimpse at the perfect weather at Loufest
Future Thieves Performed New Music From Their Upcoming Album
Nashville based quartet Future Thieves have been working the last couple of years on a follow up to their debut album Horizon Line, out in 2015. The band kicked off the second day of Loufest at The Enterprise Stage to the early festival goers by performing a lot of their new songs off the upcoming record. Their newest single "Sucker" got the crowd grooving early on in the day with it's catchy chorus perfect for driving with the windows down on a summer day...or a music festival. Stay tuned for our interview with the group to hear more about the sound on their new record and when we can expect the new music!
Future Thieves lead singer Elliot Collett performing on The Enterprise Stage
Mondo Cozmo Announced an Impromptu Meet and Greet
Josh Ostrander, AKA Mondo Cozmo, has played just about every major US festival this summer. He played Lollapalooza last month the day his debut album Plastic Soul came out, and Lou Fest marked his 17th festival, according to his Twitter. Despite the constant stream of performances and ongoing tour this year, Ostrander and his band always manage to put on an engaging and high energy performance, and somehow Ostrander always has the energy to talk to fans afterwards. During his early afternoon set yesterday, he announced that he'd be swinging by the artist signing area later that day even though it hadn't been planned. His humble and genuine nature makes his shows that much more enjoyable to watch, and it doesn't look like his momentum will be slowing down anytime soon!
Mondo Cozmo on The Enterprise Stage
Noname Called Kanye a Problematic Genius
Noname performed to a packed audience in the middle of the afternoon on The BMI stage, receiving some of the loudest applause I've seen all weekend. While she performed her songs with her distinct cadence, the crowd's eyes remained glued to the stage, filled with awe and appreciation of the rapper. Noname made me proud to be from Chicago with her incredible performance, and she also showed off her own Chicago pride by shouting out Saba and Kanye at different points. Noname added some laughs to her set when she said "Kanye is a genius. Very problematic, but genius." Noname's own set, however, remained unproblematic and strictly genius. It's only a matter of time before she'll be playing even bigger stages at festivals across the country.
Noname taking over the BMI/Tunespeak Stage
Lizzo Encouraged Unity, Quoted T-Pain, and Chugged Tequila
Lizzo's evening set at The BMI Stage packed in so much good that it's impossible to pick just one standout moment. The energy soared to an all time high for day 2 when her backup dancers and DJ hit the stage. As Lizzo and her crew entranced the crowd for the next hour, Lizzo never shied away from using her platform on the stage to promote positivity. From having the crowd recite T-Pain and sing "You can do it all by yourself" back to her to promote being independent and fierce to preaching self-love, Lizzo was full of encouragement. She also took the time to promote unity across the country, urging the "predominantly white" audience to beat the system and not to judge everyone with a different skin color. While spreading these powerful messages, Lizzo also had a ton of fun...chugging tequila on stage and dancing with her crew. An all around feel-good and empowering show, Lizzo's set stood out as the top show all day.
Lizzo and her ladies at the BMI/Tunespeak Stage
Weezer Covered OutKast
In addition to covering the beloved "Hey Ya!" by Outkast, Weezer rocked the closing set of the weekend right out of the gate. Opening with "Hash Pipe," the sprawling crowd all echoed the words of the early 2000's song, and they continued the sing along throughout the set. Then, only a few songs in, Weezer played their own rock version of the hit "Hey Ya!" that had the crowd dancing even more than they already were. The music veterans also performed new song "Mexican Fender," which they just released last month, all while having enticing visuals and a great light show to accompany all of the hits. The lights, the classic songs, and the chemistry that the band displayed as performers made Weezer's set a close second to Lizzo's.
Weezer closing out The Budlight Stage
That's a wrap...almost! We've still got a full photo gallery coming soon, as well as interviews with Ron Gallo and Future Thieves. Stay tuned!
Loufest Day 1 Highlights
The beloved annual St. Louis festival Loufest returned to Forest Park yesterday for another weekend of great music! From up and coming indie artists to established music veterans, this year's lineup has it all. In addition to a stacked lineup, the festival also changed locations slightly, moving out of the center fields of the St. Louis park and towards The Muny. With it, the new location also brought some new attractions, like a new record shop to host artist signings, the United Healthcare sponsored Zen Den featuring yoga and hammocks, and more. The "Nosh Pit" of local restaurants also returned, as well as Market Square, full of locally sourced vendors... but the real focus of the day remained on the music across the three stages. From Middle Kids kicking the day off to Snoop Dog closing out the night, the first day of Loufest had it all. Here are the highlights of day one!
Middle Kids Read the Crowd’s Shirts
The Sydney based trio Middle Kids never disappoints with their live show, always providing some engaging banter between their indie rock narratives. During their early afternoon set, bassist Tim Fitz mentioned between songs that he kept reading the crowd's t-shirts, calling attention to one that said "Science is Real." After the shirt chatter, Middle Kids played a new song from their upcoming album in addition to songs from their self-titled debut EP, like "Old River," which shows off lead singer Hannah Joy's powerful and emotive vocal range. Their viral and most-streamed song "Edge of Town" was once again the crowd favorite, with the early festival arrivers singing along and jumping around during the song's building and dynamic bridge. There's no doubt that Middle Kids will soon be playing the later slots at festivals across the country if they continue to deliver as much as they already do.
Middle Kids performing on The Enterprise Stage
Hippo Campus Played "Suicide Saturday" on a Sunny Saturday
Minnesota's Hippo Campus drew a large (and dedicated) crowd early on for their 2PM slot, the front few rows of the crowd screaming back the lyrics to the band. The crowd's energy amplified when the band played their most popular song "Suicide Saturday," which is already ironically upbeat, featuring a perfect sing-along melody for a festival. The title sounded even more out of place as a massive crowd danced and sang along to it with the perfect backdrop of a sunny Saturday afternoon. The band's hour long set kept the crowd engaged the entire time, lead singer Jake Luppen roaming the entire stage to jam with his bandmates and visit each side of the crowd. Live band member DeCarlo Jackson on the trumpet also added another layer to Hippo Campus's already vibrant performance.
Jake Luppen working the crowd at The Budlight Stage
Ron Gallo Thanked the Festival Sponsors
The Nashville via Philadelphia rocker Ron Gallo always brings the laughs and lighthearted humor to his live show, but don't underestimate the power of his message. Although he began his set by reading the stage name and thanking other festival sponsors off a piece of paper, reciting it all in a monotone voice for comedic value, Gallo and his bandmates immediately followed up with an intense jam session, waking up any of the festival stragglers just getting there at 6PM, or reenergizing those that had been their all day. Gallo also dedicated his song "Entitled Man Keep Your Hands Down Your Pants" to all the women of the crowd, using his music to convey the message that it's never okay to assault a woman, in any way. By not taking himself too seriously, but singing about and calling attention to serious issues both onstage and on his social media, Ron Gallo makes is easy for listeners to hear his message.
Ron Gallo at the BMI Tunespeak Stage
Cage the Elephant Maintained 110% Their Entire Show
There's never a dull moment during a Cage the Elephant show, and they proved themselves once again as they played during the sunset on Saturday night. From lead singer Matt Shultz jetting around the stage and bouncing back and forth in the manner of Mick Jagger, to his brother Brad Shultz jumping offstage and playing right at the crowd barricade in the second song, the band's energy never wavered. After playing hit after hit throughout their set, Shultz also took a moment to address the crowd about a serious issue, saying "Suicide is not cool, it should not be glorified," before telling the crowd he loved them all. The theme of the first day of Lou Fest seemed to be Rock'n'Roll with a powerful message, and Cage The Elephant delivered that ten times over.
Matt Shultz performing at sunset at The Enterprise Stage
Rainbow Kitten Surprise Worked the Stage
North Carolina's indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise (don't let the name fool you) closed out the Tunespeak BMI stage on day one with their harmonies and dance moves. Drawing quite the crowd, their emotive and slightly theatrical set began with their popular song "Cocaine Jesus," which begins with the full band harmonousily singing a capella before launching into their full sound. Lead singer Sam Melo lent his theatrical, almost interpretive dancing style to his unique and distinguishable vocals during the entire set, hardly ever standing still for more than a second. Anything but mellow, Melo told the crowd that he likes to jump when he gets hot, and continued to zip from one end of the stage to another, spinning and using his hands to emphasize the music. In addition to the visual entertainment, the band sounded incredibly in sync and in tune.
Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise closing out The BMI Stage.
That's a wrap for Day 1 Highlights. Keep your eyes on our social media platforms for live updates of Day 2. A full photo gallery of the weekend plus an interview with Ron Gallo is also coming soon, so stay tuned!
LIVE: Middle Kids Bring Witty Banter and Sincere Songs to Lincoln Hall
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.
LIVE: A Night With Kevin Morby at Lincoln Hall
"We've been coming here a long time, but we've never seen this many people," Kevin Morby said this past Friday night, addressing the sold out crowd at Lincoln Hall. Decked out in a customized suit featuring embroidered music notes and bedazzled initials of "K" and "M" studded onto his jacket collar, Morby had hit the stage that night in a blaze of style and talent. The roughly 75 minute set kicked off with the title track of Morby's latest album City Music, the entire live band immediately displaying their chemistry and feeding off one another's energy as they played through a handful of tracks from the new album, like "Cry Baby" and "1234," the latter acting as an uptempo bridge to the slow building tune "Aboard My Train."
After those handful of newer songs, Morby and his band performed songs like "Harlem River" and "Destroyer" from past albums to an attentive audience. "Parade" from 2014's album Still Life proved to be a crowd favorite, with the audience echoing the words back to the stage. For the rest of the night, as Morby and his band worked through more songs both old and new, the crowd's eyes were glued to the stage as they soaked up every bit of Morby's magical performance. As the set closed out with "Dorthy," loud applause rang through the Lincoln Park venue, thanking Kevin Morby and his band for a stellar show.
Check out photos from the mesmerizing performance below! Additional photos by Catalina Florea.
