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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.

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.

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

Live Recap: Just Like Heaven Music Festival

May 27, 2022  /  Sarah Wilson

Last weekend, ANCHR hit the Just Like Heaven music fest in Los Angeles. Tune in below to hear all about our experience there!

First of all, on the bill was a great and diverse mix of music, from DJ Them Jeans playing the crowd in until Interpol ended the night, the music never took a break! Back to back to back, stage to stage, the music remained uninterrupted over the course of the day.

The fest itself was laid out over Brookside at the Hollywood Bowl; the terrain is smooth and mostly level, with lots grass and easy to get around. Parking was ample and for VIPs it was provided. The main stage, The Orion, had its own dedicated VIP and Clubhouse viewing sections but the stage was high enough if you wanted to be in the GA melee the view was still good, even if it was crowded. The secondary stage, Stardust, was lower but still located with a great sightline no matter where you were, VIP, Clubhouse or GA. The stages were far enough apart that the lights could be seen but the music from the other was just a soft din between sets.

In addition, both stages boasted some of the best video screens and sound I’ve experienced at a festival; like ever. Not a moment or word spoken on either stage was lost to the din of the crowd and the video screens were crisp, clear and tracked the stage action perfectly. 

So pretty much no matter where you were, you could see and hear at least one of the stages. And if you weren’t listening you could have been eating—anything. From vegan fare to burgers, everything you could think of were represented in the food tents that flanked most of one side of the set-up. Tables, with sunshades and without, were ample or you could just pick a spot in the grass in the shade. Separate drinks tents were there for the boozy or the bland and the number of locations made it so the lines were never ridiculously long. 

Merch tents with festival branded and band branded merch moved like clockwork with at least a couple dozen attendants working the tables. My friend tried to pick up several different T-shirts but sadly they had sold out pretty quick. 

Overall, JLH is held in a well laid out, well apportioned space built for the vast crowds to make it feel like it wasn’t vastly crowded.

The Music

The biggest downside to the fest overall was that the stages were run on a tight, efficient schedule that made catching all the acts you wanted to a little tough if they were on opposing stages. For once a delay to start would have been appreciated. If you were at Orion, you would have to cut short one to make it to the next at Stardust in time. Sometimes lag time between acts is actually a good thing, but there was none at JLH. Down to the rotating stage for Orion that meant sometimes as few as five minutes between sets!

Gates opened and as the crowds made their way in there was music from DJs Them Jeans on Orion and Cosmic Kids on Stardust. As the lawns filled up, the first bands of the day took to Orion, where I spent the bulk of my time.

First up were The Cribs, with a short and sweet setlist that included a nod to the 15 year anniversary of “Men’s Needs.” They were a fun and energetic start to the day on the big stage.

Followed up by The Raveonettes, who’s set was a bit  more subdued but sounded fantastic. Unfortunately because of the time sets and distances staying at Orion meant missing Geographer and Islands who were loaded up on the Stardust stage— too far away and the band times too close together to make it. 

But back at Orion something was brewing and that was The Teaches of Peaches played in full by Peaches in honor of its 22 anniversary. And Peaches outdid even herself on this one! The dancers, the old lady stage persona she was dressed as, and the term is being used loosely, were fabulous. She made multiple costume changes include her black “Thank God for Abortion” one-piece. The crowd loved her and for good reason!

After her set I ducked over to the Stardust stage to catch !!!. Fun, high energy and a great time was had, then it was time to run back to Orion because The Hives were coming up next and well…The Hives tore the place down. So much loud, fun with Howlin' Pelle keeping photogs and security on their toes as he jumped off the stage and made for the barricade or turned and ran down the aisle to the center of GA without missing a beat or a lyric. The crowd was having fun, but so were The Hives. 

And just when you think you can’t top something, Franz Ferdinand proved that they, in fact, were up to following someone as impressive as The Hives. They were amazing, including the refreshed line up with new drummer Audrey Tait stepping smoothly into the big shoes behind the kit. Honestly, having seen Franz play multiple times, this show was right on point. They looked, sounded, and felt so alive and fun— the entire crowd was dancing along.

Bloc Party was next on the Orion and probably suffered slightly coming after two of the (IMO) best bands of the day. They sounded good but frankly almost everything after the spin-along energy of Franz and the Hives feels slower, less frantic.  I made my way back over to the Stardust to catch Chromeo, who was fun and dancey with a crowd chanting for them as they took the stage.

After Chromeo, it was time to grab some food and take a few minutes out of the sun before heading back to the big stage to catch the end of The Shins who sounded great and the crowd really seemed to love.

Then Modest Mouse took the stage to play a great set including their newest as well as, of course, the crowd favorite “Float On.” Even though the sets from both The Shins and Modest Mouse were not terribly dynamic after some of the acts, the music was solid and entertaining. I was questioning my logic of skipping M.I.A. for Modest Mouse in the end though.

Finally, headliners Interpol took to the stage bathed in a dark array of moody lighting in front of a crowd that had been waiting faithfully for the band. Their sound was great even though they seemed a somewhat dark end to an otherwise bright and amazing day. 14 songs and two encores later, they brought JLH to its inevitable close. 

Overall, Just Like Heaven was a well planned and well coordinated festival with ample amenities and a great mix of music.

If you missed the festival, check out the photo gallery below featuring Chromeo, Franz Ferdinand, Peaches, The Hives and more!

categories / Music, Photos, Reviews, Festival
tags / Just Like Heaven, Music Festival, LA, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Chromeo, Peaches, The Shins, The Hives, Interpol, Live Recap, Live Review, Photo Set, Concert Photography, Live Show

Live Recap: Sunflower Bean and Jackie Hayes at Bottom Lounge

May 25, 2022  /  Scott Teresi

Brooklyn-based Sunflower Bean took to the stage of Bottom Lounge on a rainy Friday night in Chicago to present new tracks from their newly released third full-length Headful of Sugar. Playing in Chicago for the first time since 2019’s Taste of Chicago set (where they opened for none other than Courtney Barnett) the trio led off with the dreamy title track followed by album cut “In Flight” before wading into some of the back catalogue with “Twentytwo” from their second full length, 2018’s Twentytwo in Blue. Leading into this track, vocalist, bassist and front-women Julia Cumming dryly remarked, “Here’s a song called Twentytwo. It’s a Taylor Swift cover.”

The rest of the night was dominated mostly by cuts from their new record. These songs were accompanied by a palpable excitement crackling on stage as you saw a band work in unison to really sink into the skin of the new material. Bearing witness to that sense of discovery is always a treat, as is an act that projects the confidence to play mostly new material across the evening.

Cumming, guitarist Nick Kivlen and drummer Olive Faber took command of the stage quickly featuring a high dexterity of stage mobility with Cumming often stepping onto the barricade to engage with excited fans as well as regularly entangling with Kivlen, guitar to bass regularly meeting face-to-face. As the night went on, the audience became increasingly more buoyant as dreamy sways gave way to enthusiastic, individual dances. By the end of the set (which included “Easier Said” from their debut LP Human Ceremony) the Bottom Lounge was buzzing figuratively and literally with energy, as the distortion feedback loop from Nick Kivlen’s guitar lingered in the room after both the main set and the encore, with fans excitedly trying to talk over it about what they had just witnessed.

Sunflower Bean was supported by local alt-rocker Jackie Hayes who played songs off their latest EP, “There’s Always Going to be Something” released in 2021. The audience was left pulsating after Hayes’ highly-mobile stage-craft saw her careening and jumping about the stage, bouncing between and around both guitarist Savanna Dickhut and drummer Tony Mest, both staples of Chicago’s DIY scene.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the rest of the tour here.

categories / Reviews, Photos, Music
tags / Sunflower Bean, Live Music, Live Recap, The Bottom Lounge, Photo recap, Headful of Sugar

Live Recap: mxmtoon with Chloe Moriondo at House of Blues

May 11, 2022  /  Malik Moore

This past weekend, mxmtoon ended the week with a bang stopping by Chicago's very own House of Blues along with Chloe Moriondo. 

Chloe and her bandmates started off the night filling the venue with pink and blue lights that covered every inch of the House of Blues. The highlights of her set were closer to the end of her time on stage as she performed one of her most popular songs" I Want To Be With You" and even a new surprise song titled “Hellhounds," which gave us a more electric and synthy song compared to her more " ghost pop" sound. They loved interacting with fans from the stage, whether it be conversations about things about her beloved dog Sammy or shout outs to listeners throwing up "little hand hearts" as they referred to them. 

The main event mxmtoon was up next. The crowd roared as Maia followed her bandmates on stage and greeted everyone in attendance. She started off playing her most streamed song “Falling for U” which gained popularity in the summer of 2019 after blowing up on Tik Tok. She continued her set with a diverse collection of songs from her entire discography, including the upcoming album called Rising, which has an announced release date of May 20th. mxmtoon discussed important topics such as coming out to her family and de-stigmatizing medicine in between her songs with an audience full of support and understanding— so much support that she was given a pride flag and wore it around her shoulders for a number of songs and the crowd cheered as she did. 

Overall, it was a wonderful night for the pop genre with these talented artists jam-packing the House of Blues. Next time they come around Chicago they will for sure need a bigger stage! Check out the photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch mxmtoon next here.

categories / Music, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / mxmtoon, Chloe Moriondo, Photo Gallery, Photo Set, Live Show, Live Recap, House of Blues

Live Recap: Fontaines D.C. and Just Mustard at The Vic

May 08, 2022  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Friday night, Fontaines D.C. played their biggest show yet in Chicago, in honor of their new album Skinty Fia.

The evening kicked off with a support set from Just Mustard, who hail all the way from Dundalk, Ireland. While they were a long way from home, their name felt very fitting in Chicago, as we’re known for having just mustard on our Chicago-style hot dogs (shout out to Dan from Partisan Records for pointing this out in the box office line). The five-piece group, fronted by vocalist Katie Ball, had a similar sound to Fontaines D.C. and combined shoe-gaze with post-punk genres. Also like Fontaines D.C., Just Mustard is slated to have a new album out this year. The sophomore album called Heart Under will be out May 27th, and the band performed the single “I Am You” during their show, alongside some of their earlier material. Just Mustard’s songs had moody and emotive vibes to them, and the lighting during their set complemented those tones.

As the stage changed over for Fontaines D.C., a huge backdrop with the band’s name hung from the back of the stage and more and more fans buzzing with excitement packed into The Vic Theatre. I first saw Fontaines D.C. at SXSW Festival in 2019 and I remember them being my favorite new band during the fest, so I was eager to see them again now that they’ve got three albums under their belt— including their debut Dogrel and 2020’s A Hero’s Death. As the band burst out onto the stage, vocalist Grian Chatten came out swinging with a sense of urgent torment— he briskly paced the stage, slammed the microphone stand against the stage floor and frantically gestured for the crowd to put their hands up. The set began with some familiar favorites from their first two albums, like “A Lucid Dream” and “Hurricane Laughter” before mixing in some of the new material from Skinty Fia, like their single “Roman Holiday” and the record’s title track. While the new tour was definitely celebrating the latest album, the last time Fontaines was in Chicago had been the fall of 2019, so they made sure to also highlight some of the songs from their 2020 album that they never got to tour here.

As the set continued on, Chatten never lost his sense of urgency and intensity— at some points he slapped his own face, riled up the crowd and even stepped onto the barricade from the stage. The room was already filled with adrenaline but the band’s explosive stage presence made their show even more of a spectacle.
The first part of the set finished with “A Hero’s Death” and then the band left the stage to applause and immediate pleas for an encore. The break between the main set and encore seemed to take several minutes, but when Fontaines D.C. retuned, they were accompanied by several choir singers to perform “In ár gCroíthe go deo” with layered backing vocals. The encore then wrapped up with “Boys in the Better Land” and the single “Jackie Down The Line” from the new album. The song made for the perfect end to the night because it has a vintage post-punk feel yet it showcases a more polished and developed sound from the group.

Check out photos from the evening below, and see where you can catch Fontaines D.C. next here.

categories / Reviews, Photos, Gigs, Music
tags / Fontaines D.C., Just Mustard, Live Recap, Live Show, Live Music, Photo recap, Skinty Fia, Partisan Records, The Vic, Jam Productions

Live Recap: ELIO with Abby Holliday at Schubas

May 02, 2022  /  Alice Guan

Nashville based singer-songwriter Abby Holliday opened Sunday evening sporting a pair of tri-colored high-top Converse. Holliday was accompanied by her boyfriend, Seth. She introduced him right before they performed “Better By Now,” making a disclaimer that her “sad songs” are not about him, and that she now writes happy songs, resulting in cheers from the audience. The warmth of the venue can be felt as they tuned their guitars in between every gentle melodic ballad. As they strummed their guitars in harmony, it felt as if they were taking us through a foggy mountain range on an early summer morning.

As the night went on and the venue got fuller, the crowd was hyped up by ELIO’s drummer and guitarist. ELIO, whose real name is Charlotte Grace Victoria, jumped on to the stage after being welcomed by cheers and applause. She began her set with a relatively new song, “Typecast,” followed by the first ever ELIO song that was released just two years ago, “My Friends Online.”

While taking a break to sip some water, ELIO commented on the energy in the audience, noting that it was “almost as good” as her hometown show in Toronto. She asked the audience if she could take a couple photos with them, and after snapping some selfies, she noticed her phone was on low battery, leading her to ask: “does anyone have a charger?” This prompted the audience to cheer, as they knew they were about to hear “Charger” live for the first time.

The high energies continued until she kicked her band members off the stage, and picked up her electric guitar for a stripped version of “Waste of Emotion,” before welcoming her band members back on stage and closing the night with “@elio.irl.”

The show in its entirety took the audience from Abby Holliday’s mournful sounds to ELIO’s electric and whimsical tones. Despite the musical differences, both acts were able to engage and charge the audience with enthusiasm and playful conversations.

Check out the photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch ELIO next here.

categories / Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / ELIO, Abby Holliday, Live Recap, Photo Set, Live Show, Schubas

Live Recap: Big Thief with Kara-Lis Coverdale at The Riviera

April 28, 2022  /  Alice Guan

This past Monday night, Big Thief kicked off the week with a concert at The Riviera Theatre in honor of their new record Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You.

Canadian composer Kara-Lis Coverdale kicked off Monday evening with her classical yet electric sounds. Surrounded by the headliner’s instruments, she kept her set up simple with only her electronic music boards. With neon pink lighting filling throughout the entire venue, Coverdale’s set was meant to hypnotize you. She played forty five minutes of her spellbinding chimes, before the lights went back to normal, and the stage was set for Big Thief.

Charging the venue with warm yellow lighting, members of Big Thief stepped onto the stage one by one, with lead singer Adrianne Lenker stepping up last. About six songs in, Lenker, sitting off to the right side of the stage in a chair, acoustic guitar leaning on her lap, made a slightly shaky confession that, as a result of sleeping on the move during a packed touring schedule, her back was injured. For that reason, she decided to play a more restrained, acoustic show and try out some new songs. The show was still on track but showed signs of falling apart. There were some false starts to songs, the bass was barely audible on some songs, and the band showed signs of very justifiable fatigue.

Later, Lenker launched into a new, folksy song, a John Prine-esque waltz with humorous lyrics about fine dining demons and “multi-grain” tastes. She started audibly playing with vocal deliveries, and the band, heeding her cue, loosened up. Every time she finished the song’s refrain, the crowd erupted into cheers. Within one song, Big Thief appeared to regain their confidence and take advantage of this slightly different type of show. 

The show ended up being a welcome mix of loose and stripped down renditions of songs off their new album, lesser played favorites from previous projects, and trial versions of new songs. By the time the band reemerged for a two song encore of their most back to back rip-roaring bluegrass songs, they more than proved that they could turn a slight setback into an unexpected but incredible night.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.

All photos by Alice Guan, words by Nat Scholl and Alice Guan

categories / Photos, Gigs, Music, Reviews
tags / Big Thief, Kara-Lis Coverdale, The Riviera Theatre, Live Recap, Live Music, Photo recap, Photo Set

Live Recap: Spoon with Margaret Glaspy at The Riviera Theatre

April 22, 2022  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Tuesday night, Spoon and Margaret Glaspy gave their audience at The Riviera a fantastic start to their week.

The evening began with a set from Margaret Glaspy and her two bandmates, which kicked off with some new material. After the first few songs, Glaspy said they’d played all new songs so far, but they’d be throwing it back to 2020’s Devotion with “Stay With Me.” During her performance, Glaspy mentioned how grateful she was to have live music back in action, especially now that her band was touring with Spoon, and the crowd reciprocated that appreciation back to the band with zealous applause. Before her set concluded, Glaspy played her 2016 hit “Emotions and Math” and closed out with another new song called “My Body My Choice”—which received a standing ovation from the audience sat in the balcony.

As it came time for Spoon to hit the stage, the Riviera had become visibly packed to the brim—with the entire balcony seats full and crowd members spilling out to the walls on the main floor. This tour was Spoon’s first time back in Chicago since the release of their tenth album Lucifer On The Sofa earlier this year, so naturally they opened up the show with some tunes off the record— including their cover of “Held” by Smog and “The Devil & Mister Jones.” Since Spoon has been making music since the early 90’s they obviously have an extensive catalog of fan favorites to play along with the new music, and they delivered that by playing songs like “Don't You Evah,” “My Mathematical Mind” and “The Underdog” in the first part of the set.

No matter what era of their discography each song came from, there was a great sense of chemistry between the band members—especially between the band founders Britt Daniel and Jim Eno because they’ve been playing music together for so many years. The Riviera was also filled with a profuse sense of joy the entire evening thanks to the feel-good and lighthearted nature of so much of Spoon’s music, and the crowd continued to dance and sing along all night.

Before they got too far into the show, Daniel told the audience that he could tell the night was going to be rough on his voice, but that didn’t stop them from rocking through even more music. After closing out the main portion of the setlist with older favorites “I Turn My Camera On” and “Got Nuffin,” Spoon returned to the Riviera stage for not one, but two encores! The audience enthusiastically called for the band’s return before each encore, and final few songs included the new album’s title track as well as the mischievous anthem “The Way We Get By.”

If you missed out on the incredible show, relive the fun with the photo recap below, and see where you can catch Spoon next here.

categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / The Riviera Theatre, Spoon, Margaret Glaspy, Live Recap, Photo recap, Photo Set, Live Show

Live Recap: Snail Mail with Joy Again at The Riviera

April 18, 2022  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Thursday night, Lindsey Jordan, AKA Snail Mail, made a highly anticipated return to Chicago in honor of the sophomore album Valentine.

The night kicked off with a set from Philadelphia’s Joy Again, who got the crowd warmed up with their mix of indie pop and surf rock sound. A highlight of their set was when they performed their single “Looking Out for You,” which has been popularized on Tik Tok and garnered millions of streams. If you haven’t checked out Joy Again yet, I’d recommend if you like The Frights, Vundabar, and Surf Curse.

Next up, it was time for Snail Mail to hit the stage here for the first time since their Pitchfork Festival performance and Pitchfork after show in 2019. It’s always a special moment to take in the energy and excitement of fans being reunited with their favorite artists for the first time post-Covid, and the reunion between Jordan and the eager fans in the front row surged the venue with contagious joy. As Jordan and her bandmates took their places on a stage decked out with flowers and Cupid statues to coordinate with the second album’s title, a huge grin lit up her face while she began to sing the album’s title track “Valentine.” The show continued on with a few new songs from the 2021 album, marking the live debut in Chicago for “Ben Franklin” and “Glory” before Jordan and her band began to weave in fan favorites from her 2019 debut Lush as well. During some songs, the crowd was singing along so loudly that I could hear their singing over Jordan’s own vocals.

The setlist also contained some deeper cuts, like “Thinning” from the 2016 “Habits” EP, but no matter what they were playing, Jordan exuded a sense of comfort being back on stage and she radiated happiness to be playing music with her bandmates. During the performance of “Light Blue,” the bandmates left the stage and Jordan performed the track solo on acoustic guitar, bringing a gentle sense of calm to the room. The show was jam-packed with a lot of music, so Jordan didn’t spend too much time bantering between sets, but she did take a moment to soak in the aesthetics of The Riviera Theatre. “This is a beautiful venue. Even soundchecking in here was a great honor,” she said. The energy continued to amp back up as the band performed a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins “Tonight, Tonight,” which felt especially fitting for this show since we were in The Pumpkins’ hometown.

If you missed out on the concert, check out our photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch Snail Mail next here.

categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs, Music
tags / Snail Mail, Joy Again, Valentine, Photo recap, Photo Gallery, Live Review, Live Recap, The Riviera Theatre, Matador Records