ANCHR Magazine

Holding you down with the best new music

Filtering by Category: Gigs

Acts To Get There Early For: Pitchfork Festival 2022

Pitchfork Festival returns to its usual slot at Union Park this July, after taking place in September last year. The annual music fest will feature some of our favorite acts as headliners, like The National, Mitski, and The Roots—among other performers like Japanese Breakfast, Toro y Moi, Parquet Courts and Lucy Dacus. As always though, the P4k line up is packed with tons of hidden gems that will put on incredible sets. Tune in below to hear some of the acts of the festival that ANCHR will be showing up early to Union Park to catch.

Friday

Ethel Cain

Photo by Helen Kirbo

Singer songwriter Ethel Cain writes about some harrowing and dark themes, but she has mastered the craft of depicting sadness in her music through such a refined and beautiful lens. Cain delivers these stories with reverberated, ethereal vocals and captivating melodies that make it hard not to become instantly enchanted by the songs “A House in Nebraska,” “Hard Times,” and “Crush”—just to name a few.

Cain grew up in a Southern Baptist family in Florida and sang in the choir, but ultimately left the churn as a teen when she came out to her family as gay. On her twentieth birthday, Cain came out publicly as a transgender woman. Cain nods to her religious upbringing with the title of her debut record Preacher’s Daughter, which was just released in May of 2022. The debut album follows up the EPs Golden Age and Inbred, which Cain released in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

If you’re looking for a festival set that will get you feeling all your feelings, while also sounding absolutely stunning, do not miss Ethel Cain at Pitchfork on Friday.

Start With: “American Teenager,” “Gibson Girl” and “Crush”

For Fans Of: Hatchie, MUNA, Zola Jesus

Where to catch her: 1:45-2:25 pm, Red Stage



SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

Photo by Peggy Fioretti

Here at ANCHR, we love a good experimental rock band, so naturally, we’re fans of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. The Philadelphia-based band has had a history of rotating members, but currently the group is composed of Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede, and Corey Wichlin— who all wear multiple hats for the band, contributing everything from vocals, keys, guitar, bass and drums. The shuffling around of band duties likely contributes to the diverse and expansive genre-sphere that the group has created.

The band’s name comes from a 1973 Spanish film with the same title, which is fitting because their sound has a cinematic quality to it. The band describes their song “THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO” from their 4th album ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH as being one showcases the growth they’ve undergone from their inception to current day. "This song draws on some of the sonic aesthetic of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE's old records and aligns those sounds with the electronic instrumentation we've been exploring," Wichlin says.

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE will certainly keep us on our toes during their performance, which makes them a perfect way to kick off the festival on Friday afternoon.

Start With: “There’s Nothing You Can’t Do,” “fell asleep with a vision"" and “Natural Devotion”

For Fans Of: Squid, Dry Cleaning, black midi

Where to catch them: 2:30-3:15 pm, Green Stage


Saturday

Jeff Parker & the New Breed

Photo by Jim Newberry

At ANCHR, we also love a versatile artist, and with Jeff Parker, there’s not much he hasn’t dabbled in. Parker was born in Bridgeport, CT and has been making music since 1991, pushing boundaries with his guitar playing and composing via an array of collaborations. Parker is a member of the band Tortoise, and has also worked with the likes of Andrew Bird, Yo La Tengo, and George Lewis—just to name a few.

There’s a effortlessly breezy tone to Parker’s style, which incorporates everything from jazz to folk to rock to pop. The bio on Parker’s website says his works “explore and exploit the contrary relationships between tradition and technology, improvisation and composition, and the familiar and the abstract” and that truly comes across as you listen through his catalog of music.

Parker also has local ties to Chicago as a founding member of the groups Isotope 217˚ and Chicago Underground. If you’re looking for a festival set that will be equal parts fascinating and soothing, make sure you catch Jeff Parker & the New Breed. We think it will be the perfect way to kick off the second day of the festival.

Start With: “Suffolk,” “Cliche” and “Soul Love”

For Fans Of: Anderson .Paak, Tortoise, Ben LaMar Gay

Where to catch them 1:00-1:40pm, Green Stage


Chubby and the Gang

Photo courtesy of Sonic PR

While Charlie, aka "Chubby,” Manning-Walker of Chubby and the Gang has been involved with different bands in the British scene since 2004, he only formed this variation of an ensemble in 2019. The West London-based group consists of Ethan Stahl, Tom "Razor" Hardwick, Maegan Brooks Mills and Joe McMahon alongside Manning-Walker. The lineup is composed of different members of hardcore punk bands Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife.

Similarly to the bands they came from, Chubby and the Gang’s songs have a classic punk feel to them, full of bright drumbeats and cheeky lyrics—but they also mix in other genres and influences. In the short few years since the group formed, Chubby and the Gang has already released two full-length albums, including their sophomore release The Mutt’s Nuts, which was produced by Jonah Falco of Fucked Up and put out via Partisan Records. Most recently, Chubby and the Gang added an EP to their discography, entitled Labour of Love, and aptly released on Valentine’s Day this year.

I have yet to see the band perform, but I just know they’re going to be great at getting the crowd amped up and ready to take on the second day of Pitchfork Festival.

Start With: “Coming Up Tough,” I Hate The Radio” and “All Along The Uxbridge Road”

For Fans Of: Turnstile, PUP, Fontaines D.C.

Where to catch them: 2:30-3:15pm:, Green Stage


Sunday

L’Rain

ANCHR’s Sunday picks are all about the vibes and escapism. L’Rain is a Brooklyn-based singer and musician who composes experimental and mesmerizing songs— imagine losing yourself in a soundbath in the rain, and that’s kind of what L’Rain’s “Heavy (But Not In Wait)” feels like to me.

L’Rain is the moniker for Taja Cheek, who grew up around family with a music business background— her dad worked in music marketing and promotion and her grandfather owned a jazz club. Cheek’s moniker is also a tribute to her mother, Lorraine C. Porter, who unfortunately passed away before Cheek released her debut album.

L’Rain’s music has such a glossy fluidity to it, and that’s probably in part due to the ballet and dance that Cheek studied while growing up. In addition to dance, Cheek learned to play a multitude of different instruments— including bass, piano and cello. As if that’s not all, Cheek even studied music and American Studies while attending Yale, no big deal.

To date, L’Rain has put out two albums; 2017’s self-titled debut and 2021’s Fatigue. Be sure to attend her set on Sunday and drift away to a mix of L’Rain’s unique musical stylings.

Start With: “Find It,” “Two Face” and “Heavy (But Not In Wait)”

For Fans Of: Circuit des Yeux, Cassandra Jenkins, Animal Collective

Where to catch them 1:45-2:25pm, Red Stage


KAINA

Photo by Dennis Larance

Like I said, the Sunday acts are all about the escapism vibes, and Chicago’s own KAINA has the silky smooth vocals and dreamy tunes to help you drift into your personal oasis at Pitchfork.

KAINA is a first-generation Latina and was born and raised in Chicago, and she does an incredible job of composing her songs so that they fuse together Latin-inspired sounds with Chicago soul and blues. You can hear her influences shine through, yet her sound is something completely unique.

In addition to the Chicago influences that we’ll hear in KAINA’s set, there’s a strong chance we’ll see some other hometown artists joining her onstage at the fest— she’s collaborated with Sen Morimoto, Saba, and Nnamdi just to name a few. I’m also looking forward to hearing songs from KAINA’s sophomore album It Was a Home, which was released this year as a follow up to 2019’s debut Next to The Sun.

There’s a lot going wrong in the world right now, but I have no doubt we can all temporarily sway away our problems while watching KAINA.

Start With: “Golden Mirror,” “Could Be a Curse” and “Apple”

For Fans Of: Jamila Woods, Cuco, Wet
Where to catch her: 2:30-3:15pm, Green Stage


See the full Pitchfork Festival schedule here, and get ready by listening to the playlist below.







PHOTOS: Post Animal and Stuyedeyed at Metro

This past Friday night, Post Animal and Stuyedeyed kicked off the weekend with a wild show at Metro—bringing the tour in honor of Post Animal’s new album Love Gibberish to a close. In addition to being a homecoming for the headliners, the night featured a lot of new music, crowd surfing, and some special appearances from fellow Chicago musicians like Cadien Lake James and V.V. Lightbody. Check out the photo recap below, and see where you can catch Post Animal next here.

Live Recap: Sigur Rós at The Auditorium Theatre

A band you can’t easily sing to but you can most definitely heal to.

Sigur Rós cleansed the minds of the Auditorium Theatre attendees with 2 full extraordinary sets. Saturday evenings never sounded so soothing, especially after a 6 year absence (at least from Chicago).

The first set utilized a leisurely pace to bring us back into the warm and familiar embrace of Jonsi’s falsettos, with the first 3 tracks from () Untitled, the band’s third album. When “Svenfln-g-englar” kicked off next, you could see some head swaying and soft energy trickling through the crowd. From the classic light bulb filled set flickering through a heavy fog, the specific guitar moaning sound from the singer’s cello bow, to the guitar filtered yelling moment.. we were grounded and we were ready. 

Throughout the set, the band alternated their playing positions. One song would be performed with each of the members isolated in their space but weaved together by the long twisted strings hanging from above. The next would gather all 4 of them to Kjartan Sveinsson’s side of the stage, who rejoined the band after nearly a decade. These latter performances brought a different and more intimate experience, feeling as close as I’d ever get to a living room show with Sigur Rós.

After 10 songs and a short intermission, the band returned with a slightly changed set. The long strings were now untwisted and Glosoli brought the energtic vibes back up. 

If during the first set we were reminded of a lot of () Untitled songs, the second one was more heavy on Takk classics, performing about a third of the album. Lights were dancing in blue and green hues in a very “northern lights” way and the mountains were peaking through the big screens behind the band. It was as if we travelled across the ocean and lived in their little Icelandic world. 

One of the highlights was when Jonsi held a 30 second long silence in the middle of a song and the crowd started filling the gap: “I love you”, “thank you” or “spaghetti” cheered the air. Jonsi continued the song with no reaction but when the second big moment of silence happened… everybody kept completely quiet. EVERYBODY. As a reward, when the song picked back up and the rest of the band joined in, Jonsi started acknowledging the crowd for the first time. He rocked his guitar and advanced towards the crowd, moving to all sides of the stage, yelling and making eye contact. All of a sudden, we were all up on our feet, dancing and cheering. Yes, you read that right. There was dancing at a Sigur Rós show. And jumping too. 

The band has been recording their first proper album since 2013, and blessed our little ears with 2 new songs, sprinkled throughout both sets. Everything came to a close with “Popplagio”, the last track on ()Untitled, bringing it back full circle. The evening had us hearing almost the entirety of that album. 

If you missed out on the event, check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.

Live Recap: Dehd's Sold Out Hometown Show with Pixel Grip and 81355

There’s nothing better than a hometown show, and Dehd confirmed that with their sold out extravaganza at Metro this past Saturday night.

Even before the first act of the night 81355 (pronounced “Bless”), the venue was already packed and getting more full by the minute. Unlike most shows I go to, the band members of 81355 didn’t just come onstage when it was their time— they received a dazzling introduction from the host and MC of the evening, Alex Grelle. Grelle got the crowd going with a captivating performance of “Take My Breath Away” while the projection screen reflected the logo of Top Gun Maverick. It was an unexpected opening to the night, but it certainly grabbed mine and everyone else in the venue’s attention. When it came time for 81355 to hit the stage, the group from Indianapolis continued to captivate the room with their genre-bending performance. The collaborative collective featured a full band and a mix of rapping and singing from members Sirius Blvck, Oreo Jones, and Sedcairn Archives.

Next up, Chicago-based trio Pixel Grip geared up to take the stage— but not without a warm welcome from Grelle again. This time Grelle entertained the venue with a wet t-shirt contest, drenching himself with a pitcher of water. Again, not something you see every day at a concert, but everyone loved it. The crowd also enthusiastically enjoyed the set from Pixel Grip, which featured a swirl of bass-heavy synths, pop vocals and atmospheric electronic melodies— all complemented by moody lighting and thick fog. During their set, vocalist Rita Lukea received a tattoo onstage that read “Dehd Forver” from Emily Kempf, which was yet another unforgettable moment of the gig.

The night only continued to get more spectacular when Grelle made the final introduction of the evening— this time donning an angel costume to reprise the role of “Angela the Angel” from Dehd’s “Loner” music video. Grelle welcomed Dehd’s members Emily Kempf, Jason Balla, and Eric McGrady to the stage to close out the show, and the trio launched into their single “Loner” alongside Grelle— essentially recreating the music video IRL. The set continued on with lots of fan favorites like “Lucky” and “Haha” from Dehd’s earlier catalog, mixed in with some fresh material from their brand new album Blue Skies. My favorite song off the new record is the single “Bad Love,” which I got to hear live for the first time at the show. The track possesses a feel-good, triumphant vibe that would be perfect for the soundtrack of a coming-of-age film. It was certainly the perfect fit for a sold out gig at Metro at the start of Summer.

Dehd wrapped up the evening with an encore performance that featured Pixel Grip and 81355 rejoining them onstage to perform “Desire.”

The entire evening provided a great mix of music with a diverse line up that once again showcased what an incredible music scene we have here in Chicago. Check out photos from the evening below, and see where you catch Dehd next here.

Live Recap: Bastille's Give Me The Future Tour Brings a Futuristic Rave to The Sylvee

“But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?” We all know and love those lyrics from Bastille’s infectiously catchy massive hit song “Pompeii” right? As I was walking into The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin on a warm and sunny Wednesday evening, I couldn’t help but relate the current scene to those lyrics— While we’re in year three of dealing with a global pandemic and a lot has in fact changed in recent years, attending a Bastille show with fellow fans felt like a necessary safehaven in the midst of all this external chaos. It felt so eerily normal to be experiencing the spectacle that is Bastille’s Give Me The Future tour that it was easy to forget that so much has changed since they last toured North America for their album Doom Days.


The evening kicked off with a support set from Josh Fudge, who mentioned it was his and his band’s first time in Wisconsin. The audience welcomed the indie-pop singer songwriter from Oklahoma City with open arms and enthusiasm as he performed a few songs from his 2021 album Fun Times. Fudge mentioned that the rest of his set would be packed with new and unreleased music from his forthcoming record called Technicolor. Despite the unfamiliarity of the new music, the audience eagerly soaked up the feel-good tunes as they got warmed up for the main event.


Before we knew it, the stage had been set for Bastille’s immersive and intricate production; high risers loomed on the dark stage and a massive screen provided a backdrop to it all. As fog pumped out into the room, shadows of the band members appeared onstage as an introduction video about the band’s fictional concept “Future Inc.” featuring a Siri-esque narrator began playing on the big screen. From there, lead singer Dan Smith sang out the opening lines to “Stay Awake?” in front of a silhouetted spotlight and everyone dove straight into a futuristic rave full of dancing and escapism, aptly fitting in with the latest album’s title Give Me The Future. In the next song “Distorted Light Beam”, Smith proclaims “when I'm dreaming tonight, I can do anything” and those lyrics set everyone up for a euphoric experience.

Just as the audience never stopped dancing and jumping around during the 90-minute set, Smith rarely stayed in one section of the stage for more than a few seconds— he would occasionally drape himself across the chaise lounge positioned on one of the risers for slower moments, but otherwise he remained on the go, hopping across the stage and dancing to accentuate certain lyrics (for example, during “Those Nights,” Smith physically tugged at his own t-shirt as he sang “Pulling at my t-shirt, your hands everywhere.”) In addition to Smith’s dance moves, captivating visuals accompanied each song on the screen to make the live experience that much more immersive.

Between certain tracks, the lights would dim and audio interludes that were used on the album (such as “Promises” featuring Riz Ahmed) would play as a transition. Along with these interludes, Smith occasionally chatted between songs. He sarcastically stated “the album surprisingly is fucking depressing” about Give Me The Future, as the depressing undertones in the majority of their songs have been a constant throughout their entire discography. Take “survivin’”— the track features a simple, breezy and melodic chorus, which Smith asked the crowd to sing along with before they played it, but it details the feeling of auto-pilot survival mode that so many of us were on during the pandemic.

After performing a couple newer songs from the latest album as well as a stripped-down acoustic version of “4AM” from their third album, the main section of the setlist ended with a pinnacle of high energy. While playing the Marshmello collaboration “Happier,” Smith left his post onstage and wandered throughout the GA section of the floor, stopping at random points to dance and sing with members of the audience. The dancing didn’t stop there, though— when performing the mashup cover “Of The Night” (a cross between “Rhythm is a Dancer” and “The Rhythm of the Night”), Smith asked everyone in the crowd to kneel down before the chorus and then join him in jumping up and down. Next up, vocalist BIM got her moment to shine— actually, she’d been a star the whole set, adding depth to the band’s vocals— but she really showcased her vocals during the performance “Future Holds,” even leaving Smith kneeling down and mock-worshipping her by the end of the song.

Finally, the moment that the majority of the crowd had been waiting for: the band began playing the melody to “Pompeii.” The song’s introduction featured a brand-new arrangement for this tour, adding some spice back into the familiar favorite. The refreshed arrangement started with reverb-drenched synths and auto-tune vocals, which gave me nods of Bon Iver or Imogen Heap influences, as Smith slowly asked the familiar question “But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all. If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you’ve been here before?” Aside from the new material, revamped production and revitalized arrangements that Bastille had on this tour, in that moment, hearing this song felt like such a familiar comfort—like returning home after a long trip away.

While it felt like the night couldn’t get any more special, the band left the stage to echoes of “Eh Ohs” before quickly returning for a two-song encore. The encore featured the unreleased and harmony-packed “Hope For The Future” as well as the single “Shut Off The Lights” which had everyone dancing until the very last moment.

If you get a chance to catch Bastille on this tour, do not miss it. Their show mixes the warm embrace of nostalgia with lots of cuts from their debut Bad Blood along with the unknown and suspenseful elements of the future. Check out the photo gallery of the show below, and see where you can catch Bastille next here.


PHOTOS: Kurt Vile with Natural Information Society at Thalia Hall

This past weekend, Kurt Vile took over the Thalia Hall stage for three nights. If you missed out on all the fun, check out the photo recap of the evening below. See where you can catch the tour next here.

PHOTOS: Julianna Barwick with Malibu at Lincoln Hall

Last Thursday night, Julianna Barwick put on a beautiful show at Lincoln Hall. See the full photo gallery of the evening, also featuring Malibu below, and see where you can catch Julianna Barwick next here.

Live Recap: mxmtoon with Chloe Moriondo at House of Blues

This past weekend, mxmtoon ended the week with a bang stopping by Chicago's very own House of Blues along with Chloe Moriondo

Chloe and her bandmates started off the night filling the venue with pink and blue lights that covered every inch of the House of Blues. The highlights of her set were closer to the end of her time on stage as she performed one of her most popular songs" I Want To Be With You" and even a new surprise song titled “Hellhounds," which gave us a more electric and synthy song compared to her more " ghost pop" sound. They loved interacting with fans from the stage, whether it be conversations about things about her beloved dog Sammy or shout outs to listeners throwing up "little hand hearts" as they referred to them. 

The main event mxmtoon was up next. The crowd roared as Maia followed her bandmates on stage and greeted everyone in attendance. She started off playing her most streamed song “Falling for U” which gained popularity in the summer of 2019 after blowing up on Tik Tok. She continued her set with a diverse collection of songs from her entire discography, including the upcoming album called Rising, which has an announced release date of May 20th. mxmtoon discussed important topics such as coming out to her family and de-stigmatizing medicine in between her songs with an audience full of support and understanding— so much support that she was given a pride flag and wore it around her shoulders for a number of songs and the crowd cheered as she did. 

Overall, it was a wonderful night for the pop genre with these talented artists jam-packing the House of Blues. Next time they come around Chicago they will for sure need a bigger stage! Check out the photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch mxmtoon next here.

PHOTOS: The Lemon Twigs With TCHOTCHKE at Lincoln Hall

This past Thursday night, The Lemon Twigs rocked Lincoln Hall alongside TCHOTCHKE. Check out the photo recap of the evening below, and see where you can catch the band on tour next here.

Live Recap: Fontaines D.C. and Just Mustard at The Vic

This past Friday night, Fontaines D.C. played their biggest show yet in Chicago, in honor of their new album Skinty Fia.

The evening kicked off with a support set from Just Mustard, who hail all the way from Dundalk, Ireland. While they were a long way from home, their name felt very fitting in Chicago, as we’re known for having just mustard on our Chicago-style hot dogs (shout out to Dan from Partisan Records for pointing this out in the box office line). The five-piece group, fronted by vocalist Katie Ball, had a similar sound to Fontaines D.C. and combined shoe-gaze with post-punk genres. Also like Fontaines D.C., Just Mustard is slated to have a new album out this year. The sophomore album called Heart Under will be out May 27th, and the band performed the single “I Am You” during their show, alongside some of their earlier material. Just Mustard’s songs had moody and emotive vibes to them, and the lighting during their set complemented those tones.

As the stage changed over for Fontaines D.C., a huge backdrop with the band’s name hung from the back of the stage and more and more fans buzzing with excitement packed into The Vic Theatre. I first saw Fontaines D.C. at SXSW Festival in 2019 and I remember them being my favorite new band during the fest, so I was eager to see them again now that they’ve got three albums under their belt— including their debut Dogrel and 2020’s A Hero’s Death. As the band burst out onto the stage, vocalist Grian Chatten came out swinging with a sense of urgent torment— he briskly paced the stage, slammed the microphone stand against the stage floor and frantically gestured for the crowd to put their hands up. The set began with some familiar favorites from their first two albums, like “A Lucid Dream” and “Hurricane Laughter” before mixing in some of the new material from Skinty Fia, like their single “Roman Holiday” and the record’s title track. While the new tour was definitely celebrating the latest album, the last time Fontaines was in Chicago had been the fall of 2019, so they made sure to also highlight some of the songs from their 2020 album that they never got to tour here.

As the set continued on, Chatten never lost his sense of urgency and intensity— at some points he slapped his own face, riled up the crowd and even stepped onto the barricade from the stage. The room was already filled with adrenaline but the band’s explosive stage presence made their show even more of a spectacle.
The first part of the set finished with “A Hero’s Death” and then the band left the stage to applause and immediate pleas for an encore. The break between the main set and encore seemed to take several minutes, but when Fontaines D.C. retuned, they were accompanied by several choir singers to perform “In ár gCroíthe go deo” with layered backing vocals. The encore then wrapped up with “Boys in the Better Land” and the single “Jackie Down The Line” from the new album. The song made for the perfect end to the night because it has a vintage post-punk feel yet it showcases a more polished and developed sound from the group.

Check out photos from the evening below, and see where you can catch Fontaines D.C. next here.