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Live Recap: Alt-J with Portugal. The Man and Windser at Credit Union 1 Arena
Alt-J played the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago last Saturday night, in honor of their brand new album called The Dream.
The evening opened up with independent artist Windser from Santa Cruz, California. Windser is the moniker of lead vocalist and songwriter Jordan Topf, but Topf was joined by his live band to perform his songs like “July” and “Memory” to the arena crowd. Windser’s bright guitar riffs blended with his hooky beats and buttery vocals, making him the perfect bridge between fans of Portugal. The Man and Alt-J. If you like Michigander, Del Water Gap, and Yoke Lore, be sure to keep an eye on Windser for more new music in the near future.
Next up, anticipation built up around the room and fans in the front row grew visibly antsy for Portugal. The Man’s set to begin. The moment felt very theatrical and dramatic, as fog machines pumped smoke onto the stage and throughout the room, and a screen provided a bright backdrop to the dim stage. Colorful lighting rigs that framed the stage began to flash in time to their upbeat mix of rock and psychedelic pop, while the screen flicked through varying visual clips to accompany each song. From the second Portugal. The Man hit the stage, they amplified the volume and energy swirling around the room, and the audience enthusiastically sang along to songs like “Live in the Moment” and “What, Me Worry?” Their set closed out with “Feel It Still” and “Purple Yellow Red and Blue”— each of these songs receiving overwhelming cheers as fans recognized the opening riffs.
As the adrenaline from Portugal. The Man’s show still bounced around the arena, the stage began to transform for Alt-J to close out the night. After about a 40 minute change over, the curtain at the front of the stage dropped to reveal approximately ten-foot high risers boxed in by screens. Soon, the three members of Alt-J made their way to their spots on the risers and the dark stage was lit up by projections of large candles reflecting on the box that enveloped the band. Throughout the show, the projections shifted to simulate everything from falling rain, moonlight, a fish tank, the Northern Lights, ocean waves, and blooms of flowers— just to name a few. Pictures don’t do the spectacle justice, but the way the projections perfectly complemented to tone and moods of each song really elevated the magic of Alt-J’s hypnotic performance. The audience remained in awe as Alt-J shuffled through their entire catalog alongside the stunning visualizations— they of course heavily featured newer songs from The Actor like “Bane,” “Losing My Mind,” and “Chicago” (which got an extra hometown cheer), but there was no shortage of familiar tunes like “Tessellate,” “Matilda,” and “Fitzpleasure” from their earlier records. Just as Alt-J started performing “Taro” from their debut album, Gus Unger-Hamilton of the band noticed that one audience member needed assistance getting out of the crowd, and the show stopped while fellow crowd members helped them to safety. The band ended up dedicating the song to them, and the moment was a reminder of how important it is to keep a sense of community and camaraderie at shows.
Before the show ended, Alt-J reinforced that positive message of community by making sure to let everyone know that they stand with the people Ukraine— as an image of the country’s flag projected onto the screen, Unger-Hamilton shouted “fuck Putin!” before they launched into their hit “Left Hand Free.” The wonderful evening closed out with another fan favorite “Breezeblocks.”
You can relive some of the show by checking out the photo gallery below, but there’s nothing better than catching this top-tier production in person, so be sure to see what tour dates are coming next here.
PHOTOS: Cannons with Madi Sipes and the Painted Blue at Lincoln Hall
This past Saturday night, the indie pop trio Cannons returned to Chicago to perform to a sold out Lincoln Hall. The LA-based band had last been here performing at Lollapalooza, where they drew a large crowd to their early afternoon set. If you missed out on tickets, check out the photo recap of their dazzling show below, and see where you can catch them next here.
PHOTOS: Clairo with Arlo Parks at The Riviera
Last week, Clairo and Arlo Parks took the stage for not one, but two incredible shows at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre. Check out a photo recap of the stunning performances below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.
Live Recap: Glass Animals at Credit Union 1 Arena
When I think of Glass Animals, my mind immediately drifts to sunny summer days at the beach, neon lights, and bright colors. Essentially, they embody happiness and tropical vacations in a band. While this past Friday night in Chicago was chilly and rainy, the second I stepped into the Credit Union 1 arena that Glass Animals was performing at, it felt like I had entered a bubble of paradise that protected me from the gloomy outside world.
As I made my way into the main room of the arena, I spotted excited fans donning neon-colored clothes and sparkly outfits that reflected the vibes of Glass Animals’ upbeat tunes. Some crowd members had posters and balloons as well, but the best fan accessory had to be the blow up pineapple-shaped floatie that paid homage to the band’s unofficial mascot of the pineapple (which even got a shout out from singer Dave Bayley after they played “Pork Soda”).
After taking in the crowd, I soaked up the incredible set design that had been assembled onstage—at the very back of the stage, a screen that resembled a desktop computer counted down the moments until Glass Animals’ set would begin. A giant basketball hoop and palm trees stood tall on the sides of the stage, and the front of the stage was designed to look like a swimming pool, including a diving board. The theme of the stage captured the essence of summer fun and the nostalgia of being a kid.
The last time I saw Glass Animals perform had been at Lincoln Hall in March of 2020, just before the live music industry shut down, so it was incredible to see them return in such a massive way. From the size of the crowd and the intricacy of the stage design, this time around was so different. Despite the bigger crowd and bigger set up, the one thing that didn’t change between these scales of show was the amount of passion and showmanship that Bayley and his bandmates brought to the stage. Glass Animals is a band that just has that element of authentic charisma when they hit the stage, no matter what type of stage it is, you know that you’re going to witness a stellar performance. When the show began with the euphoric title track of 2020’s Dreamland, I felt an instant rush of serotonin that didn’t falter for the rest of the show.
This show was my first time hearing many of the songs from Dreamland performed live since the album came out in the summer of 2020, but the band also sprinkled in familiar favorites like “Life Itself” and “Youth” from 2016’s How To Be A Human Being and “Gooey” from 2014’s ZABA. During the set, Bayley remained fluid across the entirety of the stage, dancing and moving along as he sang their songs, but there was a moment after “Gooey” where the crowd got extra loud with their applause and cheers and Bayley paused to soak in that moment with gratitude. The high energy picked right back up and came to a peak when confetti showered the audience at the end of “Pork Soda” just before the members of Glass Animals left the stage. While the fans hollered for an encore, the computer screen backdrop held a prompt that asked if we wanted Glass Animals to continue. The resounding answer based on the intensity of the cheers was yes, so the group returned to the stage to perform “Tokyo Drifting” and their massive hit “Heat Waves,” which has been all over the radio, Tik Tok, and garnered over one billion streams on Spotify. Since it came out, “Heat Waves” has remained in my rotation because it’s one of those songs that can instantly boost my mood, and it was a wonderful experience getting to soak in the anthem with an arena full of fellow fans.
See where you can catch Glass Animals on tour next here, and relive the magic of their show with the photo recap, also featuring Sad Night Dynamite, below.
Live Recap: Thao with Becca Mancari and Why Bonnie
As Austin band Why Bonnie kicked off the show, I couldn’t help noticing there was an undeniable americana hitch to the vocals by lyricist Blair Howerton. Especially during their latest single “Galveston.” It’s emotive, it comes from the gut. More 90’s wail than coal miner’s daughter. The relaxed ease of Howerton’s stage presence echoes the authenticity of her voice, and the music dovetails with that authenticity perfectly. Why Bonnie brings a more actively impassioned approach to dreamy bedroom rock. Sometimes that passion has some punch, some anger. “Athlete” balances muscular grunge with trance-like washes. As Howerton sings “I wish I were quicker on my feet…”, things go sideways fast as the landscape bends into psych that could trip you up. But this audience is nimble, and they sway into the rock of the music. Bassist Chance Williams and Sam Houdek on guitar anchored the sides of the stage with loose limbed rhythm, letting their bodies bend and their hair fly. Why Bonnie topped off their set with “No Caves,“ the gentle rocking evolved, taking us someplace intensely emotionally raw. As Howerton wails, "I wanna take off your clothes, Set us on fire just to see where the smoke goes" the cathartic energy swept over the crowd. Leaving me lighter in the wake of their performance, and much anticipating the album they promised to release later this year.
Becca Mancari writes music that captures emotion. It’s lyrically expressive, and yet tonally juxtaposed. The music is soothing, but the lyrics clearly tell us “I’ve got a bad bad bad feeling.” Sometimes the music shifts suddenly to more directly reflect the lyrics. It is a delicate balancing act. The band has the confident swagger to meet the talent of Mancari’s songwriting. They show the breadth of the music with the first few songs, greeting us with “Pretend,” a delightful sunny breakup song. “Hunter” was a rhythmic driving proto-alt banger. Going into her third song, “First Time,” Mancari tells us the moment that inspired this song was the catalyst for her writing her 2020 album, The Greatest Part. They dedicated it to the “queer babies” in the audience. The glistening echoing tones defied the heart-crushing lyric, “I remember the first time my dad didn't hug me back.” As the song ends and fades, somehow I was left with a sense of beauty. Mancari lifts our hearts with a breathless, "Happy pride y'all. 365." The masterful stage presence and vulnerability of the music kept the audience rapt. I got weak in the knees from the four part harmony during “Golden.” I begged for more, even as she sang, “I’m sorry I’m not done yet.” Mancari and her band owned the stage with strength and an uplifting sense of community.
From the moment THAO stepped on the stage in a pearlescent sequined jumpsuit, the tone was set for celebration. It was Thao Nguyen’s birthday eve, afterall. As the first song, “Departure,” built and unraveled, the audience’s enthusiasm heated up. They were surely ready for the rhythmically complex, heavy beat, and melodic exploration of Thao’s music. Finally on tour two years after the release of Temple, there was a palpable energy of a night long awaited. They warmed us up to that album with “Phenom,” bringing that edgy west coast attitude. Thao isn’t afraid to inject her music with atonal tuning which can be off-putting to American rock sensibilities. It is disruptive in the most pleasurable way possible, giving the lanky beat an off kilter bouncy house feel.
There were hoots from the audience when Thao brought out the banjo for “Holy Roller.” I was mesmerized by her standing strut. I couldn’t resist shifting my weight in concert with her. On the chorus, Thao gestured and the crowd jumped in to sing along. The band pleased dedicated fans by playing songs from across Thao’s catalog, going as far back as her 2008 track, “Feet Asleep.”
Thao wrote “Temple” from her mother’s perspective, telling us of their flight from Vietnam, “But we found freedom, what will you do now, bury the burden baby, make us proud.” The emotion was thick as Thao moved, the sequins on her jumpsuit caught dramatic beams of light, which moved around the space like searchlights. There’s a distinct plucking style to the way Thao plays guitar, you can see the banjo/mandolin player at work. I could also see the great rhythm and blues musicians in the way she speaks through her guitar, sometimes it is harmonizing, sometimes echoing a reply, or offering a staccato exclamation point. Thao grimaced, letting her raw emotion flow through her guitar during “Guts,” and the audience threw up their arms and let their bodies move in a Woodstock-like ecstasy. Song after song showed how central the groove is to Thao’s music. She hooked us with that body moving groove and then hit us with her heart and soul. It is the perfect delivery system for a cathartically charged experience.
All three bands in the lineup blended influences and smoothly traversed the rock landscape from Americana to psych to grunge to angular to groove. No matter the form the music took, there was an emotively raw authenticity that made me feel grateful to be there sharing that space.
All photos and words by Tina Mead
Live Recap: Caroline Rose and Tōth at Lincoln Hall
ANCHR spent this last St.Patty’s Day in the ideal way—no, not by drinking green beer or seeing the Chicago River dyed green— by seeing Caroline Rose and Tōth in a sold out Lincoln Hall.
Brooklyn songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alex Toth (the namesake of Tōth) kicked off the high energy and good vibes of the evening by beginning the set donning sparkly butterfly wings. The fun continued with songs like “Turnaround (Cocaine Song)” and “Muerto,” which had some crowd members singing along. However, the biggest sing-along of the set happened when Tōth performed “Juliette” and led audience members in echoing the lines “Juliette, I’m just glad we met.”
Next up, a DIY backdrop and light set up filled the stage to mark a new era for Caroline Rose. Caroline’s highly anticipated return to Chicago was her first show here since the release of her album Superstar— which as Caroline joked was a terrible date to release music, was put out on March 6th, 2020. Caroline and her band hit the stage when the room was packed and buzzing with fans who were either eager to see them perform again, or new fans ready to experience Caroline Rose for the first time. The beginning part of the set featured some familiar favorites from 2018’s Loner, like “More of the Same” and “Jeannie Becomes A Mom” before turning to songs from the newest record. Caroline’s albums have brought me joy as a listener, but nothing compares to witnessing her perform and bring those songs to life in a completely unique light. For example, Caroline used auto-tune during one song and then broke off into a tangent of singing “Believe” by Cher. “I could be a Cher impersonator and probably make a lot more money,” she joked. At another point, Caroline turned off the DIY lighting rig and borrowed a fan in the front row’s phone to use the flashlight as a makeshift spotlight—making the already intimate show feel even more personal.
Towards the middle of the show, Caroline spoke between songs about how the pandemic has affected her approach to life, relating it to the carefree attitude our grandparents often adopt later in life (“Like when your grandparents don’t give a crap about what they do and just burp and fart in front of you”). “That sounded more poetic in my head but when I say it out loud, it didn’t sound quite as sexy,” she added. While there was obviously a joking element to that statement, the underlying sentiment is one that I personally can relate to a lot; Now that we’ve survived the devastation that the pandemic has brought on so far, it’s much easier to no longer sweat the small stuff in life. The heartbreak of the pandemic and the shut down of the music industry also made it that much easier to truly cherish and appreciate moments like this Caroline Rose concert— it was one of those shows that make you believe in rock and roll and the goodness of other humans by bringing together a room full of strangers.
The show ended with Caroline performing an extended version of “Money”— with a detour that had her climbing the amps and ad libbing whatever vocalizations came to mind. With so much going on in the world, these short moments of undistracted joy are what keeps me going.
You can catch Caroline Rose on tour this year—dates here, and check out the photo recap of the night below.
Live Recap: Manchester Orchestra with Foxing & Michigander at Roxian Theater
The Manchester Orchestra show at Pittsburgh’s Roxian Theater was sound scape so skillfully crafted the time flew from one band to the next.
The show started with Jason Singer’s Michigander as the first of three, playing an intriguing mix of indie rock and pop with something a bit bluesy (reminiscent at times of the eastern PA band The Districts). The band sounded great. Drums blended smoothly with vocals, leading the guitar and bass through each song like a lantern-carrying guide through the soundscape. Singer’s unique vocal style carried the band through a short but successful set that the crowd was genuinely supporting.
Next up, Foxing. The Missouri band were a perfect filling between Michigander and Manchester Orchestra. Their urgent indie, post-rock sound filled the Roxian with a wave of sound both melodic and enthusiastic. Singer Conor Murphy even busted out the trumpet! Overall Foxing served up a great, infectiously moody set that was a great set up to the main act, their “heros”, as Murphy proclaimed, Manchester Orchestra.
Manchester Orchestra looked on stage exactly as I’d always pictured them. Dark, backlit and moody. The bright lights behind creating a (likely intended) halo effect in the dark of the theater. The long set included the favorites “Bed Head,” “The Gold “and others, and every track was impeccably executed. The sound turned from a wall to a wave and it crashed over The Roxian crowd both refreshing and anxious. From the start to the finish, which included Foxing’s Eric Hudson joining the band for a haunting version of “The Silence,” Manchester Orchestra was a fantastic show.
Three bands, two of which built the wall up of sound in order to allow Manchester Orchestra to bring it crashing back down under the pure weight of sound and feeling. A night of some really, really great music and vibes.
PHOTOS: Squid with Deliluh at Metro
This past Wednesday night, the UK’s Squid returned to Chicago, in honor of their critically-acclaimed debut album Bright Green Field. The show followed Squid’s successful live debut in Chicago at the end of last year, when the band sold out two nights at The Empty Bottle in November. Squid’s expansive and textured tones sounded amazing in a larger space like The Metro, and it was incredible to witness the spin they put on their live arrangements.
If you missed out on the show, check out our photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch them next here.
Live Recap: Parquet Courts with Mdou Moctar at The Riviera
This past Saturday night, fans packed into The Riviera to see Parquet Courts, in honor of their new album Sympathy for Life.
The evening’s show began with a performance from songwriter and musician Mdou Moctar, alongside his band. Moctar comes from Agadez, Niger, but he and his bandmates seemed to be right at home onstage at The Riviera. Audience members in the front of the crowd seemed to be just as big of fans of Moctar’s as they were of the show’s headliners, as they bopped their heads along and watched in awe throughout Moctar’s intricate jams that mix bluesy and psychedelic rock. Mdou Moctar’s set consisted mostly of songs from 2021’s album Afrique Victime, but the band threw in some newer material as well. Their set ended with a standing ovation from the balcony attendees and raucous cheering from the entire audience. The last time I had seen Moctar was at Lincoln Hall last year, but his band easily captivated a much larger venue this time around.
Next up, fans prepared to be equally as enthralled by New York’s Parquet Courts. The band has performed in Chicago many times, but this show was their first time back since 2019, and fans eagerly welcomed them back to hear some of their familiar favorites mixed in with the new songs from 2021’s Sympathy for Life album. The members of Parquet Courts took their places on a dimly lit stage that cast colorful shadows on the stage’s backdrop, setting the tone for an immersive experience as they kicked off with “Application/Apparatus.”
Aside from being a highly anticipated return to Chicago for Parquet Courts, the audience at The Riviera got to celebrate another special occasion with the band—it was drummer Max Savage’s 30th birthday. Everyone honored Max by singing “Happy Birthday” before Mdou Moctar returned to the stage to play guitar on “Walking at a Downtown Pace” alongside the band, which is the first track on Sympathy for Life. Moctar shredded on his guitar riffs, and the members of Parquet Courts made sure to call that out by joking “he assured us he wouldn’t solo over us, but he did anyways!” Parquet Courts kept that high energy up by following that song with the trippy and mesmerizing track “Plant Life,” which transitioned seamlessly into the boisterous “Light Up Gold, Pt. 2,” a song that’s reminiscent of Ramones-era punk. Parquet Courts’ performance at the Riviera really showcased the dynamic nature and style of their music, and they presented it in a way that blurred many individual songs into one cohesive collection.
If you missed out on the show, check out our photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch Parquet Courts on tour next here.
