Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett-- and their band of Sea Lice--closed out their three night sold out streak in Chicago at the legendary Empty Bottle. The pair took the stage just around 9:30, forgoing an opener, to perform songs from their recently released collaborative album Lotta Sea Lice. Their stunning performance began with Vile and Barnett's debut single from the aforementioned album, "Over Everything."
From the get go, the crowd at the intimate venue radiated their excitement, displaying as much enthusiasm as a crowd of a larger size. Vile and Barnett radiated a similarly infectious energy, and an electric current of chemistry flowed between the duo and their other bandmates, which included Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. While the pair performed songs from their Lotta Sea Lice album, they also bounced back and fourth between performing their own songs and covers from other artists. Although they both performed songs from their past albums, Barnett and Vile reworked their songs to make them duets, with Barnett taking on parts in Vile's songs like "Life Like This" and "On Tour." Vile also contributed to the live performances of Barnett's songs like "Depreston" and "Dead Fox." While they performed, the two would often back away from their microphone stands to meet in the middle of the humble stage, facing each other as they strummed their guitars. Whenever they did this, the musical chemistry between them only grew stronger, making the show that much more special.
Other highlights of the set included the performance of Belly's song "Untogether" and Gillian Welch's song "Elvis Presley Blues." The latter opened up the band's three song encore, and Vile and Barnett performed that cover as a duo without their band. The stripped back performance allowed for the duo's harmonies and flawless vocals to really shine through. As the night wound down, Barnett mentioned that the Empty Bottle had been where she played her first show in Chicago, so it was great to be back. The set closed out with two more of the pair's own songs; "Pretty Pimpin'" and "Avant Gardener."
The pairing of Barnett and Vile on this album and the accompanying tour showcases the magic that can happen when artists come together and instill a sense of community and camaraderie in the music industry. If you missed out on the spectacular evening, check out our photo gallery of the show below.
If you can't get enough Kurt and Courtney, check out some photos from their second night in Chicago, at Thalia Hall.
Thumbnail photo taken at Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile's show at Thalia Hall on 10.27
Can't get enough This is the Kit? Revisit our interview with them here.
This past Tuesday night, NYC’s Beach Fossils put on a show at Chicago's Bottom Lounge that was just as entertaining between songs as it was during the songs. Although the tour was in support of Beach Fossils’ latest album, Somersault, their eventful set kicked off just before 10PM with a few older tunes, “Generational Synthetic” and “Shallow.” Before playing their third song of the evening, lead singer Dustin Payseur noticed that someone in the crowd had been making airhorn sound effects and called forward the audience member to demonstrate his skills over Payseur’s microphone.
From the second Beach Fossils had taken the stage, a sense of unity and excitement fell over the crowd and remained there throughout the whole set, but a huge highlight of the evening happened early on when a couple got engaged onstage. Beach Fossils staged the proposal by telling the crowd that they had a nightly raffle contest and that the winner tonight got to come onstage with his guest, and then called the name of the fan who would be proposing. Once the couple joined the band onstage, the question was popped and of course she said yes. Beach Fossils invited the newly engaged couple to dance onstage for the next song and Payseur addressed the crowd, saying, “There’s too much hate in this world. We need to come together.” The crowd did just that by cheering and applauding the special moment they had just witnessed.
The good vibes and positive energy just soared upwards from then, with the audience beginning to crowd surf at the intimate venue during “Sugar,” from the latest album Somersault. That crowd surfing momentum carried over into the following song, “Be Nothing,” also from the latest album. The track starts slow and finishes with an epic build up that had the crowd losing their minds. The explosive energy lulled slightly for laid-back “Sleep Apnea,” but the crowd still showed their support by turning on their phone lights and holding up lighters as they swayed together. An audience member chucked their bra onstage at the end of the track, and Payseur decided to put it on himself, over his t-shirt, saying, “I also look great in a dress and fuck you if you think I shouldn’t wear one.”
As the first part of the set began to wind down, the band left the stage briefly before returning for an eventful three song encore. During the encore, Beach Fossils invited an audience member onstage with his skateboard, where he actually did a kickflip on the small stage. Beach Fossils then invited people to come dance on stage for their second to last song, “Daydream,” which further promoted the sense of unity they had instilled. The night ended with Payseur singing “Jesus Christ Saved My Life” in a British accent, and the crowd erupted with applause and cheers at the end of the encore.
Beach Fossils has frequently spoken up on social media about accepting everyone and calling out abusers, and their show that promoted spreading love and coming together continues to spread that same message in real life. Their tour continues for the rest of this week, and you can check out all the dates here.
Presented by Notion Presents, Warble Daze took over Logan Square Auditorium for a two day celebration of music and art, featuring some of the best up and coming rock bands around. Sourced mostly from buzzy local acts, Warble Daze called attention to the growing and tight knit music community that Chicago has to offer at the moment, but curator Stef Roti also selected other budding bands from Nashville, LA, and New York to diversify the lineup. Another factor that set Warble Daze apart from most other musical events is the addition of vendors stationed around the venue each night. From record labels and shops like Shuga Records and FeelTrip Records to local artists like Spaceburger COMIX and EO Lightshow, the event focused on the many facets of art that our city has to offer. Members from popular local bands like Post Animal, Bunny, and White Mystery also DJ'd between live sets.
Friday highlights included local bands The Voluptuals, Lucille Furs, and Yoko and The Oh No’s, as well as the out-of-towners Levitation Room. As the crowd still trickled in, The Voluptuals opened up the evening with their glamrock wardrobe that caught the crowd’s eye as much as their ears. Lucille Furs kept that same level of energy up during their set, drawing one of the largest crowds of the evening despite their early time slot. Emulating the warm tones of your favorite 1960’s rock bands, Lucille Furs takes their listeners back in time while also putting their own refreshing spin on their 12 track self-titled debut. Their Warble Daze set also included a few unreleased tracks, despite their album being released less than a month ago. Levitation Room echoed those same retro and psychedelic vibes during their set. The receptive audience welcomed the Los Angeles band with open arms, dancing along and at one point attempting to crowd surf. Although the crowd was a bit sparse for surfing, Levitation Room definitely appreciated the effort. Yoko and The Oh No’s rocked the closing set, delivering nonstop energy and positive vibes despite their headline set starting around midnight. Lead singer Max Goldstein commanded the crowd’s attention, working all sides of the stage and playing harmoniously with his bandmates, which includes event organizer Stef Roti.
The same community spirit picked right back up on Saturday night, despite the pouring rain and thunderstorms going on outside. New band Town Criers opened up the evening, performing their new single "Rip It Up," along with a handful of other unreleased songs from an upcoming EP. Their lively stage presence and grungey garage rock tunes got the early crowd geared up for the bands that would follow. Cafe Racer and Joe Bordenaro, who have both become regulars on lineups at venues across the city, also made Chicago proud with their sets that followed. Touring bands Acid Dad and The Nude Party really stole the show though, winning over the Chicago audience with their boisterous and rowdy performances. Similarly to the local acts of the night, both Acid Dad and The Nude Party performed a mix of newer tracks from upcoming releases, but they also got the crowd grooving to familiar favorites. By the time Modern Vices closed out the weekend, it almost felt as if the auditorium had been transformed into a retro high school dance due to the 1950's style that the band have mirrored so perfectly in their music. Lead singer Alex Rebek's full and rich vocal tone perfectly compliments the old school vibes of Modern Vices, and it's no wonder the group was picked to headline Warble Daze 2017.
The twelve bands and the audience of Warble Daze reaped mutual benefits by the end of the weekend; with the bands getting a chance to showcase their new work and the crowd getting the opportunity to discover new music. The Chicago music scene has been on a steady incline the last couple of years, and events like Warble Daze help shine a light on the influx of new talent. To relive the magic of the weekend, check out photos of all the performances below!
