PHOTOS: The Dig with Dan Croll at Lincoln Hall
The Dig took over Lincoln Hall on their tour with Dan Croll. Check out our photo gallery from the show on Friday if you missed it!
Check out all of The Dig's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to their latest album below!
Can't get enough of The Dig? Check out our interview with them 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.
PHOTOS: Loufest 2017
We had a blast at Loufest last weekend seeing some of our favorite artists perform across three stages. Read our Day 1 and Day 2 highlights, and now check out our full photo gallery from both days below.
Saturday gallery featuring Hippo Campus, Middle Kids, Ron Gallo, Cage the Elephant. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Snoop Dog.
Sunday gallery featuring Future Thieves, Mondo Cozmo, The Record Company, Lizzo, Noname, and Weezer.
Stay tuned for our interviews from Loufest!
LIVE: Mondo Cozmo Shows Philly What Not Giving Up Looks Like
"This is what not giving up looks like," Josh Ostrander (AKA Mondo Cozmo) addressed the crowd at Philadelphia's Union Transfer venue, who had been chanting "Mondo! Cozmo!" before the singer and his band took the stage. Ostrander's observation had come a few songs into his hour long headline set, which already had the dedicated crowd singing back his songs like "Thunder" and "Higher."
It's been quite the year for Ostrander; supporting UK band Bastille on an arena tour, putting out a debut album, and playing over 17 festivals, including Lollapalooza. Before this whirlwind of success that has been a long time coming, Ostrander admits to the Philadelphia venue that he wrote all these songs in his bedroom when he thought he was done with music. In addition to seeing Mondo Cozmo perform some of their favorite songs live, the crowd was able to witness someone living their dream on a final attempt, which made the show even more special.
The band and Ostrander also exuded a strong sense of camaraderie despite their short time playing together, which added another dynamic to the show. Seeing Ostrander and his bandmates work the entire stage, jamming together, and even all hugging at the end of the show added a personable layer. His bassist and guitarist at one point even leaned on each other while playing, which ended up with the bassist laying on stage to finish the song. Besides the viral Mondo Cozmo song "Shine," which has racked up over 5 million Spotify streams, another set highlight included the band's cover of "Atlantic City" during the encore. One of the support bands, Illinois, came out to lend a hand during the encore, which only amplified the sense of friendship on the stage. When the set wrapped up around 11PM, the entire crowd left the venue with a smile of their face.
Make sure you catch Mondo Cozmo when he comes back to a city near you. Find all of the upcoming tour dates here, and check out our photo gallery of the gig below!
Can't get enough Mondo Cozmo? Read our interview with him here and listen to his debut album in full below!
PHOTOS: A R I Z O N A and Glades
This past Monday night in Chicago, New Jersey's own A R I Z O N A returned to play Lincoln Hall for the third time, but this time around, they were the headliners at a very sold out show. If you missed out on tickets, check out our full photo gallery to relive the show, including some shots of the Aussie openers Glades.
Check out all of A R I Z O N A's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to their debut album in full below!
Can't get enough A R I Z O N A? Check out our interview with them from earlier in the year.
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!
PHOTOS: Joywave with Cold War Kids and Young the Giant 9/9
This past Saturday night, Joywave, Cold War Kids, and Young the Giant took over the Huntington Bank Pavilion for an unforgettable night. Check out our photo gallery featuring all of the bands below!
Listen to Joywave's latest album Content 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