PHOTOS: Father John Misty at The Chicago Theatre 5.15.17
Father John Misty At The Chicago Theatre, 5.15.2017
Listen to Father John Misty's latest album Pure Comedy below, and check out his upcoming tour dates here.
PHOTOS: Charly Bliss at Schubas 5.13.17
Photo Gallery Of Charly Bliss at Schubas Tavern on 5.13.17
Listen to Charly Bliss's debut album Guppy below, and check out their upcoming tour dates here.
Julia Jacklin Hooks Lincoln Hall Crowd With Haunting Vocals and Warm Tones
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
PHOTOS: Doug Tuttle, Glyders, and Bunny at Hideout Inn 5.12.17
The Hideout hosted an incredible lineup this past Friday night, featuring Chicago's own Bunny and Glyders warming up the crowd for Doug Tuttle's headline slot.
Listen to Doug Tuttle's new album Peace Potato below, and check out his upcoming tour dates here.
PHOTOS: Ron Gallo at Terminal West 5.11.17
Five Acts Worth An Early Arrival at Hangout Fest
At most music festivals, the headliners are typically the acts that draw you in, getting you to invest your time and money into watching two or more days of live music in some of the most random locations around the world. However, festivals are also all about discovering new music, and yes, that means getting there early. Take a peek at our short list of bands playing earlier in the day at Hangout Fest that you absolutely cannot miss...then come find us at the festival and dance with us during these sets.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. You also shouldn't judge a band by its name...at least in this case. Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise blend unique vocal tones with infectious, melodic riffs for a sound completely different than what you'd expect based on their band name. And man, do they know how to put on a live show. Catch them playing Fitz's Stage at Hangout Fest on Saturday at 2:30PM.
Photo Credit: Emily Quirk
For Fans Of: Lewis Del Mar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse, Sir-Sly
Start With: "Cocaine Jesus" and "Devil Like Me"
A R I Z O N A
Having only been around for about a year, this trio of producers from Jersey are blowing everyone's expectations out of the water. With catchy choruses and their clean production style, the band has earned their huge streaming audience (they have over 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify). A R I Z O N A's debut album actually comes out the first day of Hangout Fest, so they're sure to pack even more energy into their set than usual. Get to know more about this new band by checking out our interview, then go see them at Hangout on Saturday at 1:30PM on the BMI Stage.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
For Fans Of: Kevin Garrett, FRENSHIP, LANY, Jack Garratt
Start With: "I Was Wrong" and "Oceans Away"
Strand of Oaks
The multi-talented, singer-songwriter and producer Timothy Showalter, (AKA Strand of Oaks) leaves his stamp on his diverse and dynamic songs with his distinct voice. With some songs that lean more towards the folk realm, and others like "Everything," with its amped up guitar layers, Showalter's set will be sure to have a little something for everyone. Make sure you get down to the Mermaid Stage at 2:45PM on Sunday to catch him! Get ready for the show by listening to the newest album, Hard Love.
Photo Credit: Maclay Heriot
For Fans Of: The Lumineers, Big Thief, Band of Horses, Bright Eyes
Start With: "Radio Kids" and "Shut In"
Foreign Air
The somewhat mysterious duo Foreign Air craft hypnotizing tunes with infectious melodies that will be sure to have you moving. With a debut EP, called For The Light, and a new single under their belt, there's no telling what will be in store for Foreign Air once they release their debut album. Head down to the BMI Stage on Friday at 4PM to dance on the beach to the sweet sounds of Foreign Air.
For Fans Of: Glass Animals, Foals, Local Natives, Sylvan Esso
Start With: "In The Shadows" and "Call Off The Dogs"
White Reaper
Louisville, Kentucky based rockers are taking 2017 by a storm with their new album The World's Best American Band. Live, the band exert incredible energy, putting everything they've got into delivering an unforgettable rowdy and electrifying performance. If you want to blow off some steam with some good ol' fashioned Rock'N'Roll, go see them at The Mermaid Stage at 2:30PM on Friday.
Photo Credit: Jesse DeFlorio
For Fans Of: Twin Peaks, Ty Segall, The Orwells, Fidlar
Start With: "Judy French" and "The Stack"
Check out the full Hangout Fest line up here, and make sure you follow us on all our social media to get real-time updates next weekend!
Catfish And The Bottlemen's Triumphant Return to The Rave on 5.9.17
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.
Trophy Dad Kicks Off Tour With an Incredible Hometown Gig
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
