Live Recap: Michigander with Hollyy and Stay Outside
Last week, Michigander returned to Chicago to headline a sold out show at Lincoln Hall, in support of the new EP Everything Will Be Ok Eventually. I had the chance to see Michigander perform a set to a large crowd at Lollapalooza earlier this summer, but hearing the new music in one of my favorite venues felt so much more special.
The evening began with support from Chicago’s own Hollyy and Stay Outside from our neighbors in Indiana. Stay Outside had the crowd buzzing about their infectious energy and anthemic indie rock after the set, and Hollyy won the room over with their soulful crooning and layered arrangements.
When it came time for Jason Singer and his bandmates in Michigander to grace the stage, the room radiated with a familiar sense of welcoming a friend home. Despite being from Michigan, Chicago holds a lot of love for the band, and Singer even acknowledged how good the city has always been to them as he chatted between songs, recalling their first ever house show here.
The performance at Lincoln Hall followed a long string of tour dates for the band, who has been hard at work out on the road since concerts got the green light to pick back up. During the entire show, the band exuded an electrifying sense of energy and ease performing with one another, showcasing a tight-knit sound that’s only continued to evolve as they play more music together. Whether it was the band jamming out an extended arrangement on certain songs like “Circles” or them joking around with a School of Rock bit, the members of Michigander made it clear they were enjoying every second of their set.
The audience reciprocated the band’s mood by dancing and singing along, and I even overheard other fans chatting and bonding about their past experiences at Michigander shows between the different sets that evening. One particular group of dedicated fans (self-proclaimed “oldest fans”) had been following the tour around the Midwest, and they received a special shout out from Singer onstage.
While 2020 (and a large part of 2021) brought on many lows and dark times, it almost feels like Michigander summoned the light at the end of the tunnel with Everything Will Be Ok Eventually. Towards the end of their set, Singer acknowledged that title as a sort of mantra to get him through the hard times of the pandemic, and as I experienced the uplifting feeling in the room during the show, it truly felt like everything was more than ok in that moment.
Check out ANCHR’s photo gallery of the evening below, and see where you can catch Michigander on the road next here.
