Stay tuned for coverage of Sunday, August 4th.
Singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi headlined a sold-out show at Schubas on Monday, June 3rd with support from Lily Fitts.
Lily Fitts warmed up the crowd with her vulnerable and relatable narratives, accompanied by another guitarist to color her songs with additional depth while still having a minimalist set up that was perfect for the intimacy of the Schubas stage. Fitts’ set included a handful of her popular singles like “Hurts Like Hell” and “Boston to Barcelona” as well as her latest release “Lose You Now.” She also sang some brand new, unreleased material, including “What They Say” that she introduced by sharing with the crowd that it was about her struggles with anxiety. Fitts also shared that Noah Kahan’s song “Stick Season” gave her the courage to start performing her own music, so she fittingly performed a cover of it.
With the room at Schubas fully packed and buzzing with anticipation, Michael Marcagi and his full band took the stage next to make his headlining debut in Chicago. As I’m sure is the case with many of his fans, I first heard Marcagi’s single “Scared To Start” earlier this year and became instantly hooked by the illustrative storytelling of his lyrics combined with his earworms of melodies.
While he has yet to release a full-length album, Marcagi’s singles and his debut EP, entitled “American Romance” have garnered him nearly 18 Million monthly listeners on Spotify and had him selling out shows months in advance—and for good reason. His songs have an emotional conviction about them and that “it factor” that makes you feel rejuvenated and reminds you of the power behind a great damn tune. For that reason, Marcagi’s music has remained stuck in my head and on repeat on my playlists, but it was even more special to experience that effect in person.
The set opened with the title track from Marcagi’s EP, and weaved through all of his released material, but the show also included a lot of new, unreleased songs as well. Marcagi promised the crowd that he’d have new music coming out in a few weeks, and based on how it sounded live, I know his fanbase is going to love the forthcoming songs. Between his original material, Marcagi also sprinkled in a couple of cover songs, including “Deja Vu” by Oliva Rodrigo, which the band made their own by including a banjo on it.
After wrapping the main set with the breakout hit “Scared To Start,” Marcagi and his band left and returned to the stage for a highly-demanded encore. The encore performance included the second cover of his set, “You’re Still the One I Want” by the legend Shania Twain, and Lily Fitts joined in on the duet.
If you missed out on the Schubas show, check out photos from the evening below, and be sure to snag a ticket to one of Michael Marcagi’s upcoming gigs here…that is, if it isn’t already sold out.
This past Sunday night, Mitski and Julia Jacklin closed out a sold-out, four-night run at the historic Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin took the stage at 8PM sharp to perform for the packed house. The past times I’ve seen Julia, she usually had a full band, but this run was just her and her guitar as she opened her set with “Comfort” from her 2019 album Crushing. Jacklin took a pause to address the crowd, telling us she’d had a wonderful time these past few nights in Chicago, adding “I haven’t seen anything except downtown, and it’s been really cold, but I’ve had a good time because I get to open for one of the greatest rock legends of our lives, Mitski”— which was followed by lots of cheers. As Jacklin continued her performance, I admired her commanding stage presence and ability to keep the audience completely hooked. Towards to end of the show, the singer told the theatre “I’m gonna sing a song A capella. It’s very rare that I get to sing in halls like this, so I have to take advantage” before she sang “Too In Love To Die” from her 2022 album Pre Pleasure. During that entire song, the audience remained utterly silent, soaking up Jacklin’s beautiful vocals in absolute awe. To close out her short, but sweet set, Jacklin performed a fan favorite “Pressure to Party.”
Next up, the stage was set for Mitski and her band to close it all out. The audience greeted the artist with earsplitting applause and cheers and she sauntered her way over to a dim corner of the stage. After a quick greeting, Mitski disappeared behind a giant red curtain in the center of the stage, with only her silhouette in view while she sang “Everyone”—until the curtain dropped at the end of the song.
It was fitting that this particular tour stopped at the Auditorium Theatre instead of a GA-style concert venue because Mitski’s performance was more like an orchestral broadway musical than concert. From her intricate choreography that was mapped out to every single beat to her dramatic expressions and the extraordinary lighting production, this show was a true spectacle from start to finish. Everything flowed seamlessly in the production of the performance, and Mitski let the music take care of the transitions, barely taking time to speak in between the songs on the setlist, which heavily featured songs from her 2023 album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. A favorite moment of mine was during the performance of the very popular “My Love Mine All Mine,” Mitski stood center-stage on a platform, while strings of shimmery, butterfly-like objects dropped down from the ceiling around her— picture a mobile you’d hang above a baby’s crib… but way taller.
The entire performance was magical from start to finish, and if Mitski ever had a broadway show, I’d be there in an instant. This show proved she’s a theatrical triple threat with acting, singing and dancing chops.
See photos of the final night in Chicago below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.
I can think of few better ways to kick off Labor Day weekend than with a show from Duran Duran, Bastille, and Nile Rodgers & Chic at Northerly Island in Chicago. And lucky for me, I was one of the several thousand fans who packed the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Friday, September 1st to attend the Future Past Tour.
The performances kicked off just before sunset with the legendary musician and producer Nile Rodgers, along with his band Chic. If you’re even a casual fan of disco or funk music, chances are you’re familiar with Chic’s hit “Le Freak,” and the band kicked off their performance with the popular track. If I’m being honest, I went into the show thinking that was the only Chic song I knew, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised when I recognized other Chic songs like “Everybody Dance” and “I Want Your Love.” Rodgers may be best known as the co-founder of Chic, but he’s also worked with countless top tier artists as a producer, so I was again pleasantly surprised to be familiar with all of the other songs performed in his set. In addition to some of Chic’s discography, Rodgers and his bandmates delivered incredible renditions of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” that had everyone standing and dancing—which is a rare sighting during the first act of a show.
Once the sun had set, Bastilletook the stage next. The British quartet of Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons, Will Farquarson and Chris "Woody" Wood were joined by touring band members Charlie Barnes and Bim Amoako to help bring their songs to life. The band kept the high energy that Nile Rodgers had set up going, opening their set with the upbeat track (if you ignore the lyrics) “Good Grief” and the guitar-driven, rambunctious “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???” The rest of their setlist spanned their entire discography, from their debut album to their most recent album, as well as standalone singles like the hit collaboration they did with Marshmello, “Happier.” During the performance of “Things We Lost in the Fire” from their first record, Smith stationed himself a floor tom drum to pack another punch of percussion in the song’s chorus. The drums came into play during a couple of their other songs like the band’s mash up of the 90’s hits “Rhythm is a Dancer” and “Rhythm of the Night,” but when Smith wasn’t drumming he was usually dancing his way across the stage. While playing “Shut Off the Lights” from Give Me the Future, Smith shimmied alongside Bim Amoako, who delivered powerhouse backing vocals throughout the show. The set wrapped up with Bastille’s epic sing-along hit “Pompeii” that had everyone up and out of their seats yet again.
From there, the energy and anticipation only continued to climb while the stage was set for the main act, Duran Duran. When it was showtime, the screen onstage cast a futuristic, sci-fi-esque video, in homage to the future part of the tour name and the band’s most recent album. Finally, the shadows of band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor appeared in the center of the stage, their silhouettes illuminated by colored lights in the background. The crowd went wild as the band launched into “The Night Boat” from their 1981 self-titled album— as I looked around I saw nothing but pure bliss from the fans in the front section of seats.
This concert was my first time seeing Duran Duran perform, and I was immediately struck by how poised and coordinated all of the band members were, and the elevated level of camaraderie between not only the core band members, but the additional musicians performing onstage with them. Le Bon’s vocals also sounded impeccable throughout the performance and he showcased a natural showmanship with his between-song banter. Le Bon took some time to comment on the beautiful weather and bright moon before they played their hit “Hungry Like The Wolf” as the third song of the set.
Le Bon gave similar quips to set up the forthcoming songs often throughout the night, like asking the crowd “which do you prefer? Yes or no-no” before “Notorious” and asking if there were any birthdays in the house before “Anniversary,” adding “We got everyone in this place celebrating an anniversary tonight!” In addition to Le Bon’s commentary, the lights and visual projections on the stage’s screen also complemented each song performed. During “Is There Something I Should Know?” images of the band on different magazine covers in the 80’s flashed on the screen, and they started their song “Girls on Film” with flashing lights and sound effects that felt like a real-life paparazzi attack.
While a lot of Le Bon’s commentary between songs had a cheekiness about it, he also made a very heartfelt dedication before performing “Ordinary World.” “'[This song] is about bringing people together, and saying yeah, I know how how you feel. There are two dedications to this song tonight…one to the people of Maui, hold them in your hearts and help them if you can. I also would like to dedicate this song to the people of Ukraine. In their struggle, we wish them happiness and peace in their own country, in their own ordinary world,” he added.
After lots of dancing and a journey through Duran Duran’s long discography, we’d sadly reached the end of the main part of the set. Duran Duran made sure to end the night with an incredible encore that started with their song “Save a Prayer.” The band asked everyone to turn on their cell phone lights for that song, Le Bon saying, “Let’s turn this part of Chicago into the galaxy itself!” The night wrapped up with an explosive performance of their hit “Rio,” featuring a saxophone solo from Simon Willescroft. Overall, the Future Past tour packed a lot of nostalgia and a great time for all.
View photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch Duran Duran on tour next here.
Following a fun, music-packed weekend at Pitchfork Music Festival, I kept the good times rolling with a show from Kurt Vile and Finom at Millennium Park.
The Millennium Park free summer concert series is always a great time to take in the sights of the city and soak in some excellent music. The Chicago based duo Finom (FKA Ohmme), featuring Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart, took the stage first. This was my first time seeing them since the name change, but they sounded as great as ever. Stewart and Cunningham were joined onstage by fellow Chicago musicians V.V. Lightbody and Spencer Tweedy. Cunningham told the crowd that they were working on some new music and previewed it for the crowd that night. In addition to the unreleased material, we also got to hear some Finom familiar favorites like “Icon” and “Water,” which features stunning, harmonized vocalizations that showcase the musical compatibility between Stewart and Cunningham.
Kurt Vile and his bandmates hit the stage after a quick changeover, with the first half of the setlist heavily featuring songs from the 2022 album (watch my moves) like “Palace of OKV in Reverse” and “Hey Like A Child.” After performing a couple of songs, Kurt told the crowd they were beautiful and started singing the throwback “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt. He also told the crowd he was happy to be there playing the park for a free show, adding “But I feel like I should have done it years before.” The singer introduced another song from his 2022 record “Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone),” saying he was going to take us to his house now.
As we got into the latter part of Kurt Vile’s set, a heartbreaking yet very touching moment happened; a young fan came up to the front with a poster that read “Yesterday Was The Anniversary of My Dad’s Death. You Were His Favorite.” Kurt acknowledged the sign while performing and the audience applauded loudly in support of her. This moment was a great reminder not to take life for granted, and that music can create such a special bond and help with healing from grief. After finishing the set, Kurt even came down from the stage to talk to the girl, and take a photo with her. I hope the concert was a special way for her to honor and celebrate her dad’s memory.
Check out photos from the concert below, and see where you can catch Kurt Vile next here.
Chicago’s own Sen Morimoto performed in the early afternoon on the Green stage. Although he’s a solo artist and typically records all of his own records, his live band had a slew of talented musicians to help bring his songs to life. In addition to playing the saxophone himself during some songs, Morimoto also had more horns with a trombone player and second saxophonist, backing vocals from Chicago artist Kaina, and more traditional live instruments like drums and guitar. Plenty of fans withstood the harsh beaming sun to see Morimoto’s set, and the crowd was having a great time. Morimoto dedicated his song “Woof” to dogs, and asked the audience to give him their best howl (which everyone happily obliged). Another highlight of the set included a cover of Cher’s song “Believe.”
Sen Morimoto performing
Next up, I caught another solo act, Grace Ives on the Red stage. This time around, the solo artist put on a complete one-person show—as Ives gave us her all with just a microphone and her programmed synthesizer. Ives’ performance kind of felt like she’d invited us all over for a living room dance party—even though she was up there owning the stage, she had a casual, inviting demeanor that made it feel like we were just a massive group on friends dancing and singing along.
Grace Ives performing
Youth Lagoon, the project of musician Trevor Powers, performed on the Green Stage next. It was nice to see Powers back performing as Youth Lagoon, since he had announced his retirement of the project back in 2016. Just last year, Powers announced a comeback was on the way, and he released Youth Lagoon’s latest album Heaven Is a Junkyard in June 2023. Youth Lagoon’s Pitchfork Fest set heavily featured songs from this new record, like “Rabbit” and “Idaho Alien,” but I was happy to also hear a comfort song of mine from 2011, “Afternoon,” from the album The Year of Hibernation. Youth Lagoon’s dreamy soundscape was the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon at a music fest.
Trevor Powers of Youth Lagoon
Nation of Language put on one of my favorite sets of the day over on the Red stage. The Brooklyn-based trio, featuring Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar, synths), Aidan Noell (vocals and synths), and Alex MacKay (bass), already had a large fanbase at the fest, but they quickly won over newcomers in the crowd when they performed their song “I’ve Thought About Chicago” (who doesn’t love a hometown shout out?) The trio had the audience dancing along to their refreshing take on New Wave influences and synth-pop driven melodies, despite the sun that continued to blaze through the afternoon. Noell acknowledged the crowd’s dedication, saying “Thanks for sweating for us.” Nation of Language’s Pitchfork Fest set also featured some new, unreleased material from their upcoming album Strange Disciple.
Ian Richard Devaney of Nation of Language
The project of musician and songwriter Michael Alden Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, kept the dancing and high energy going during his performance. Hadreas was joined by a full band, but he really stole the show with his commanding stage presence and impeccable style. Donning full arm’s length red gloves, Hadreas glided around the stage performing songs like “Slip Away” and “Otherside.” Perfume Genius’s evening set wrapped up with the epic fan favorite “Queen.” Hadreas asks the question “Don’t you know you queen?” in the song and the crowd royally adored the performance.
Michael Alden Hadreas AKA Perfume Genius
Next, I went over to the Blue stage for the first time on Friday to catch another beloved Chicago act, Ric Wilson. Living up to his Instagram handle “Disco Ric,” Wilson brought all the great disco vibes to his Pitchfork performance. Not only did his music elicit pure happiness, but Wilson also made sure his set felt like a safe place for all when he asked everyone to put their fist up and repeat an inclusive chant after him, including “no racist, no sexist, no homophobic, and no transphobic!” Wilson shined with his vocal performance and charismatic dance moves, and he also had an incredible live band to help bring his music to life. Every time I’ve seen Ric Wilson, his shows have been an instant serotonin boost, and this time was no different.
Ric Wilson and his bandmates
Alvvays closed out the Red Stage on Friday, bringing their cheerful and dreamy music to an adoring crowd. As the band opened their set with the song “Pharmacist” from their 2022 album Blue Rev, I noticed so many fans in the front smiling and singing along—one fan even held up a signed copy of Alvvays’ album Antisocialites. Alvvays’ setlist contained many songs from their latest album, but they also mixed in plenty of their older material, including the fan favorite “Archie, Marry Me”—which had everyone belting the anthemic chorus along. Alvvays’ Pitchfork Fest performance made the best soundtrack to the Friday sunset.
Molly Rankin of Alvvays
You can see more photos of all of these performances below, also including interviews with Alvvays, Perfume Genius and The Smile’s Jonny Greenwood done at the Door Dash Backstage DashPass experience. Stay tuned for coverage of days 2 and 3!
Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom hosted a sold out show from Turnstile, JPEGMafia and Snail Mail on Sunday, October 23rd to finish up the weekend.
Snail Mail, the project of singer-songwriter and musician Lindsey Jordan, kicked off the evening bright and early around 6 P.M. At the beginning of their set, Jordan and her bandmates experienced some technical difficulties, but the show must go on—and Jordan proceeded to still give a stellar performance through the challenges. Snail Mail’s performance may have been short and sweet, but Jordan still squeezed in some friendly banter in between songs, including telling the audience about a fever dream she had in which she’s playing a big room and having guitar pedal issues (essentially the exact scenario that was happening in real life). The setlist ranged from featuring songs from the early EP days to tracks like “Heat Wave” and “Pristine” from the 2018 album Lush, as well as newer songs like “Ben Franklin” and the title track from 2021’s Valentine.
Towards the end of Snail Mail’s set, the crowd had grown larger and was beginning to fill in even the outskirts of the room. The larger crowd only amplified the energy for the second act of the night, rapper JPEGMafia. Fans throughout the venue welcomed him to the stage by chanting “Peggy!” and I even spotted a “Peggy for president” sign in the front row. JPEGMafia reciprocated the audience’s tone by bursting onto the stage with flashing, electrifying lighting and launching into his set with the song “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot.” The energy remained high as he worked through his setlist, typically sharing anecdotes about each song before performing them. Before performing his song “BALD!”, JPEGMafia told the crowd that he looked around the room and saw a bunch of beautiful heads of hair. Another highlight was his cover of the iconic Carly Rae Jepsen song “Call Me Maybe,” which JPEGMafia performed A capella. The audience was also treated to some sneak peeks of unreleased material that JPEGMafia called “previews” to his new music.
Speaking of previews, during JPEGMafia’s set, we got a taste of the rowdy moshing that would take place during the entirety of headliner Turnstile’s set. Turnstile performed on the Aragon stage after playing at the legendary Lollapalooza festival this summer, and the Chicago crowd welcomed them back by chanting “TLC!” ahead of their set starting. The band marked the beginning of their set by playing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” through the house speakers before diving into their massively popular song “HOLIDAY” from their 2021 album Glow On. From then on, the setlist heavily pulled from that same album, including performances of songs like “BLACKOUT,” “FLY AGAIN,” and “MYSTERY.” I watched the majority of the show from the Aragon balcony, at any given point during the show, the crowd on the main floor remained a spectacle as the sea of people continued to jump around nonstop, despite the rising temperatures in the venue. Vocalist Brendan Yates matched their energy, jumping around the stage and stripping his shirt off after the first couple of songs. By the end of the night, the audience and band had worked up so much momentum that the floor of the venue was literally slick with sweat.
Overall, the evening showcased a dynamic and diverse line up, highlighting indie rock, rap, and hardcore punk music all in one show. See where you can catch the tour next here, and check out the photo recap of the Chicago show below.
