Live Recap: Alice Merton at Lincoln Hall
Singer-songwriter Alice Merton returned to Chicago for the first time in five years to headline Lincoln Hall on Tuesday, May 14th.
The highly-anticipated return felt like both a concert and therapy session, thanks to Merton’s deeply insightful lyrics and the vulnerable anecdotes she shared with the audience between songs. And of course, there was also plenty of dancing opportunities during the hour and a half setlist.
The setlist started off with immediate intensity as the band played the introductory track “run away girl” from the singer’s 2024 EP entitled “Heron.” From there, the set ventured through a mix of the brand new EP and other favorites like “Vertigo” and “Homesick” from her albums S.I.D.E.S. and Mint, respectively.
Ahead of performing “how well do you know your feelings?” from “Heron,” Alice took some time to connect with the audience about the importance of listening to your own heart and gut when making decisions. “This song came from a conversation with a friend of mine. This friend always put other people’s happiness in front of theirs and every time I spoke to them, I felt so sad that they couldn’t voice their own opinions and say this is how I feel because they were always worried about what everyone else would think. There were so many people that said ‘next time we play a show it’s gonna be this place or that place’ and I was like but what about if that’s not what makes me happy. What if I want to have really beautiful, intimate shows where I can come out after to say hi to everyone and get to know the people that want to come to the show,” Merton told the audience. That choice to play an intimate venue like Lincoln Hall really helped create a sense of connection and camaraderie amongst the audience and with the band throughout the rest of the show.
The setlist ended on a lighthearted and optimistic note, with Alice and her band closing the main set with “Why So Serious,” which the singer confessed is a catchphrase she stole from The Joker. Merton came back for an encore of “The Other Side,” which describes the feeling of healing from a rough time. In that song, Alice sings “I'm seeing happy, I'm seeing dancin'“ and that’s exactly what I saw during her gig.
Check out photos from the Chicago show below and see where you can catch Alice Merton on the road next here.
