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LIVE: Glass Animals and Amber Mark at Aragon Ballroom

Glass Animals brought dance moves, pineapples, and an energetic performance to Chicago's Aragon Ballroom


New York's singer songwriter Amber Mark warmed up the sold out crowd with her lively pop and R&B fused tunes. Performing a 30 minute set composed mainly of songs off her debut EP, called 3:33AM, Mark showed off her powerful vocals while exuding a carefree and fun attitude. 

Glass Animals took the fully decked out stage next, stocked with a pineapple disco ball, palm trees, and a prop TV. Hitting the stage in a blaze of energy, the British indie rockers commanded the crowd's attention and had them all echoing back the words of songs from their sophomore album How To Be A Human Being. The exuberant and dynamic set included the entirety of the band's second album, as well as a few of their most popular tracks, like "Black Mambo"  and "Gooey," from their debut album ZABA. During the latter, Glass Animals' frontman Dave Bayley jumped off the stage to bring his signature dance moves directly to the crowd. Between each song, the devoted audience erupted in nearly deafening applause and cheers, and Bayley never stopped expressing the band's gratitude.  The memorable performance wrapped up just before 10PM, the crowd filing out of the ballroom with infectious smiles on their faces.

If you missed out on the show, check out our gallery of Amber Mark and Glass Animals below!


Check out the rest of Glass Animals' tour dates here, and listen to their How To Be A Human Being album in full below!

LIVE: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Mild High Club at Lincoln Hall

Mild High Club and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard made a perfect pairing for a double header of sold out shows at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall. The two groups created an IRL experience of "Sketches of Brunswick East" for the first time. 


Mild High Club took the stage shortly after 8PM on Monday for a hometown show that featured collaborations and additional layers that brought their recorded music to life. Kicking off the collaborations, vocalist Quinn Tsan joined the group to sing alongside lead singer and frontman Alex Brettin. Shortly after Tsan left the stage to a swooping round of applause, the band added in a saxophonist for a few songs, followed by a brief guest appearance of Adam LP from new Chicago outfit wavy id. While both Sunday and Monday night’s set included popular songs like “Windowpane” and “Tessellation,” Brettin and his bandmates switched up the order of their set each nice to make their show even more dynamic. The combination of guest appearances, a refreshed setlist, and a trippy light show made for an all encompassing and captivating performance from Mild High Club.


Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard hit the stage next with a blaze of guitar jams and pacing rhythms that never slowed down, thanks in large part to their two drummers. The seven piece group completely filled out the humble stage at the 500 capacity venue, and the crowd completely packed in to be as close as possible to stage. From the second the super group opened up with “Some Context” from their first album of 2017, Murder of the Universe, the audience and King Gizzard reciprocated one another’s energy levels. While frontman Stu MacKenzie would flip the top half of his body upside down, flail his guitar around, or flash his tongue to the crowd, the audience would thrash around in the mosh pit, which amplified in intensity as the 90 minute set progressed. The set spanned the course of several of King Gizzard’s albums, but the crowd got the rowdiest during “Rattlesnake” from Flying Microtonal Banana and “Gamma Knife” from Nonagon Infinity. At some points, a few audience members attempted to crowd surf (before being stopped by venue security). Nonetheless, the spirit of the crowd clung to the brim, never dipping as the ambitious Aussies kept up their signature pulsating pace. Just as King Gizzard’s set approached the finish line, they invited Alex and Mat of Mild High Club to join them on the stage to perform some of their collaborative album Sketches of Brunswick East, which made the stage even tighter than it already had been. The two groups performed the jazz-tinged “Countdown” and “Rolling Stoned” together before they all left the stage to a grateful and awestruck audience.


Photo Gallery of Mild High Club and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Find out more information about King Gizzard's US tour, including dates and tickets here, and listen to their collaborative album with Mild High Club, Sketches of Brunswick East, in full below!

Audiotree Music Festival 2017 Recap and Gallery: King Gizzard, Twin Peaks, Lizzo, and more!

Chicago-based music tastemakers Audiotree may be best known for some of their studio sessions with your favorite bands, but this past Friday and Saturday, they took over downtown Kalamazoo to bring some of those musicians to one stage for their annual festival. Although Audiotree, a big part of the crowd, and a few of the acts on the lineup all hailed from Chicago, the festival did a great job of curating local fare by bringing in Michigan based food trucks and beer from local breweries. The curators also succeeded in booking a diverse lineup that featured everything from psych rock to rap music. While there was never a dull moment over the course of those two days, here are the moments that stole the show.


Noname Drew in the Friday Evening Crowd

Chicago's on the rise spoken word artist/vocalist/rapper Noname has already had an unstoppable year, playing major festivals like Osheaga and Lollapalooza.  Her sunset performance at Audiotree Music Festival on Friday evening completely hooked the small, but mighty festival crowd with her compelling cadence. Her 45 minute set included some of her most popular tracks like "Diddy Bop" and "Reality Check," as well as some shoutouts to fellow Chicagoans like Saba and Kanye West. One of the most memorable moments in her set happened only a few songs in when she told the crowd they could move up, and there was a notable shift of everyone rushing forward to soak in the magnetic performance. Noname will be performing Concord Music Hall in November as part of Red Bull's 30 Days in Chicago, so make sure you catch her there if you missed her summer festival performances!

Noname performing during her sunset slot at ATMF

Noname performing during her sunset slot at ATMF

Lizzo Activated and Instilled Confidence in the Crowd

Hip Hop singer Lizzo brought a vivacious and energetic performance to the Audiotree Festival stage, but her nonstop show also featured a powerful message. While she encouraged the crowd to dance and sing along to her songs like "Phone" and "Water Me," she also encouraged everyone to take a stand in the world. Mentioning some of the current problems of the world, Lizzo said the only way to get through the horrible happenings is to come together and activate. She also instilled the confidence in her audience that they can all do whatever they put their mind to, no matter what anybody says. She put on an inspiring show just a couple weeks back at Loufest, but every time she hits a stage, Lizzo spreads positivity and love. You can also catch her in Chicago this November with Red Bull Sound Select's 30 Day festival. 

Lizzo and her ladies getting Friday night at ATMF going

Lizzo and her ladies getting Friday night at ATMF going

Campdogzz Warmed Up the Crowd During the Day's Peak Heatwave

Chicago's own Campdogzz warmed up the stage on the second day of Audiotree Music Festival. Although the seasons technically shifted into Fall a few days ago, the temperature during Campdogzz's set was reminiscent of the dog days of Summer, reaching mid 90s...with humidity. Although the temperature during their 30 minute set was nearly unbearable, lead singer Jessica Price's unique voice and the chemistry displayed between the band members still got the crowd engaged. The group flawlessly performed new songs off of an upcoming album, which all held onto their signature sound, but showcased their development and expansion as musicians since their last album.

Jessica Price of Campdogzz on Saturday afternoon

Jessica Price of Campdogzz on Saturday afternoon

Liz Cooper's Set Brought on a Wind Tunnel

The Nashville based nomad Liz Cooper and her band (aka The Stampede) kept it cool while they played through their laid back, country-tinged rock tunes. Throughout the set, the band's easygoing nature shone through, especially when Liz made the most of the fan onstage, which gave her a natural windswept look as she sang her songs with her signature earnest and raspy vocals. Throughout the set, you could tell Liz and her bandmates were enjoying themselves, which translated to the crowd getting lost in the moment too. 

Liz Cooper and her windswept look on Saturday

Liz Cooper and her windswept look on Saturday

Active Bird Community Made Their Michigan Debut

NYC's Active Bird Community has been playing together since they were in middle school, for more than ten years, but when they hit the stage on day two of ATMF, they mentioned that the festival was their first time playing in Michigan. Although they'd never played nearby before, the music hungry crowd eagerly absorbed songs from the band's earlier days and their 2017 album called Stick Around. 

Active Bird Community's frontman Tom D'Agustino during their Saturday set

Active Bird Community's frontman Tom D'Agustino during their Saturday set

Charly Bliss Played New Songs While Jetlagged

The Brooklyn based four piece fronted by Eva Hendricks also performed in the peak of Saturday's heat wave, but they still got the crowd into their show and moving in the sun. Decked out in a baby pink dress, Hendricks completely rocked the stage with her bandmates, even though they'd just gotten back from a tour around The U.K. Hendricks told the crowd they'd be performing a few new ones, and they went over incredibly well despite the jet lag. 

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Pinegrove Got Shady

Pinegrove frontman Evan Stephens Hall took the stage during Pinegrove's late afternoon set donning green sunglasses that matched his t-shirt, due to the blazing hot sun still beaming down on the audience and stage. After a few songs, Hall told the crowd that he wished he didn't have to wear the sunglasses because "eyes are the best way to show you mean it" but he asked the crowd to trust him anyways. Despite the sunglasses barrier, Hall and his bandmates still managed to connect with the crowd, who were all ardently echoing the words back to songs like "Old Friends" and "Cadmium." If you're based in Chicago and missed Pinegrove's set, go see them at Thalia Hall this November, where Hall will be performing sans sunglasses. 

Evan Stephens Hall and his sunglasses during Pinegrove's set

Evan Stephens Hall and his sunglasses during Pinegrove's set

Twin Peaks Played Some Sweet Singles

The energy of day two at Audiotree Music Festival peaked (pun intended) when Chicago legends Twin Peak hit the stage with a surge of energy that never lulled.  Their hour long set included some of their most popular tracks like "Butterfly," "Walk To The One You Love," and "Making Breakfast," but the band also performed some of their "Sweet '17 Singles" like "Tossing Tears" and "Shake You Lonely" for one of the first few times. Twin Peaks always steals the show when they're part of a lineup, but this refresh to their setlist added another layer to their usually incredible show. Twin Peaks will be taking over Chicago's Thalia Hall for three nights at the end of December, so ring in 2018 with one of their rowdy performances. 

Clay Frankel of Twin Peaks leaving it all on the stage 

Clay Frankel of Twin Peaks leaving it all on the stage 

King Gizzard Dedicated a Song to Charles Bradley

During the early afternoon on Saturday, news broke that the soulful legend Charles Bradley had passed away. A few songs into King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's 90 minute set that night, the seven piece band dedicated a song to Mr. Bradley, with vocalist/guitarist/flutist Stu Mackenzie saying, "This one's for Chuck." Outside of the heartfelt dedication, their headlining set kept up a pulsating pace that never let up and included several live debuts of tracks from the group's first album of 2017, called Murder of the Universe. Their explosive set acted as the perfect wrap up of Audiotree Music Festival 2017. Some lucky Chicagoans got to witness a similar performance at Lincoln Hall last night, and the super group returns again tonight with Mild High Club. 

Stu Mackenzie closing out the night with King Gizzard

Stu Mackenzie closing out the night with King Gizzard

Check out the full gallery featuring Noname, Lizzo, SuperDuperKyle, Campdogzz, Liz Cooper and the Stampede, Active Bird Community, Charly Bliss, Pinegrove, BadBadNotGood, Twin Peaks, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard!

LIVE: Weyes Blood Puts on Stunningly Beautiful Performance at Auditorium Theatre

"The woman who called herself nameless sure has an incredible voice," WXRT's Marty Lennartz gushes, standing on the stage at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. The woman he is referring to is Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood, who had introduced her band to the audience halfway through her set, adding in that she'd rename nameless.

About forty minutes prior to this post-introduction from the radio DJ, Mering had glided onto the theatre's dimly lit stage, where the words to her song "Diary" flowed out of her as she remained staked out center stage, full of poise and sans instrument.  That same calm and composed demeanor clung to Mering as she picked up her guitar for the second song. Although her music has this mellow undertone, her voice soared through the sparkling venue, with its swooping ceilings and endless rows of lights. "I hope it looks as beautiful out there as it does from here," she said as she transitioned over to the keyboard for her third song of the evening, called "Used To Be." The track builds up, gradually adding layers, like the song that followed, "Seven Words." Weyes Blood's most popular track, "Seven Words" contains gospel elements that immediately envelope its listeners, along with Mering's ethereal vocals. 

Weyes Blood's support set for Father John Misty winded down with Mering and her band shifting around on stage again; first with Mering back with her guitar for "Generation Why" and then back on the keys for the final song of her set, which brimmed slightly over thirty minutes. Mering dedicated the latter song to the people all the way in the back in her composed and calculated speaking voice, which complemented her mellow musical style. She and her band shuffled offstage after Mering thanked the crowd for their welcoming reception to her music. Check out photos from her stunning performance below.

It's been an unstoppable year for Weyes Blood; playing festivals like Pitchfork in Chicago, touring with Father John Misty, signing with Sup Pop Records for her next record...and we can't wait to see what's in store next for soothing powerhouse. 

See all of Weyes Blood's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to her latest double single below. 

PHOTOS: Ásgeir at Bottom Lounge

The Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir enchanted the crowd at Chicago's Bottom Lounge on Tuesday night, performing songs from his 2013 album In The Silence and 2017's follow up, called Afterglow.  Switching between the Icelandic and English language in his songs, Ásgeir captivated the crowd with his sweeping vocal range. See photos from the show below. 

Ásgeir's US tour continues throughout next month. Grab tickets here, and listen to his new album Afterglow in full below. 

LIVE: Haim Returns to Chicago's Riviera

Sisters Alana, Danielle, and Este Haim returned to Chicago to play an intimate show at The Riviera Theatre, which they had last played in 2014. The sisters performed old favorites like "Falling," "My Song 5," and "Forever" alongside new songs from their sophomore album Something to Tell You. In between songs, the Haim humor shone through, as the three kept up witty banter and even busted out a choreographed dance routine to "Walking Away," one of the newer tracks. However, the biggest highlight by far had to be when the eldest sister Este crowd surfed, making it all the way to the back of the first tier of the concert venue's standing room. Check out photos of the unforgettable evening below!


Keep up with Haim on social media, and listen to their latest album in full below!

HAIM: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

LIVE: Coast Modern Brings Diverse Songs and Social Experiments on Their First Headline Run

Los Angeles friends Coleman Trapp and Luke Atlas, better known as Coast Modern, took over Chicago’s Bottom Lounge on Monday night as part of their first headlining tour. The two have been making waves over the years with their catchy, indie pop tunes...which have even caught the attention of the legendary Smashmouth and Kate Hudson. They’ve toured in the past with bands like The Wombats, Temper Trap, Sundara Karma, and more, but this time around they’ve stepped up their show.

To celebrate their biggest tour yet and their self-titled debut album being released this Summer, the pair incorporated some fun activities and social experiments between songs. One of the activities included having the crowd all say their name at the same time on Coleman's count of three, and another time he asked the crowd to introduce themselves to the people around them that they didn't know. 

After performing some of their popular songs like "Guru" and "Pockets Full of No," which got the crowd grooving, Coleman also asked the crowd to all think about a thing they desired and yell that on the count of three. One of the coolest activities, though, which was amplified by Coleman and Luke's incredible live band, was when Coleman had the whole crowd close their eyes and imagine they were in an Amazon Rainforest. Meanwhile, the band played some sound effects to enhance the imaginative activity.  Coast Modern's 18-track debut album proves that Coleman and Luke are skilled musicians, with a broad range of tones and moods that sit all over the sonic field, but these between-songs engaging moments proved that Coast Modern have also become performers over the years, in addition to their developed musical talents.

Other highlights of the hour-long set included the band's cover of Julia Michael's song "Uh Huh" and their own song "Comb My Hair" towards the end of the set, which had the crowd animatedly singing along still. The personable and authentic show ended just after 9PM to a thundering of applause. If you missed out on the incredible show, check out our photo gallery of the evening, including some behind the scenes shots before the show!

Check out all of Coast Modern's tour dates here, and listen to their debut album below!

Can't get enough Coast Modern? Check out our interview with Luke Atlas here. 

LIVE: LPX Gives It All She's Got on the Last Night of Tour

It's a surprisingly warm September night, and Chicagoans are ready to get their weekend started as they pack into Uptown's Riviera Theatre to see LPX and the Haim sisters. After making music as the duo MS MR with Max Hershenow, Lizzy Plapinger has now ventured out with a new solo project called LPX. The Chicago show on Friday night marked the final stop of Plapinger's first LPX tour, and she completely rocked her short but sweet support slot. Before she took the stage, Plapinger posted on social media that she was going to give this last show all she's got, and she and her band did not let the sold out crowd down as she bounced around the stage in a bright red jumpsuit singing her high energy tunes. The thirty minute set included LPX's released singles "Tremble" and "Tightrope" as well a cover of "Deceptacon" and a few unreleased tracks that will be released soon. Plapinger never disappointed when she played live with MS MR, always delivering flawless vocals while engaging the crowd and constantly moving, and her debut Chicago performance as LPX showed that this project will not be any different in that aspect. 

Check out our photo gallery of LPX's set at The Riviera, and Chicago--go see her with RAC at Metro on Friday, October 13th. Grab tickets for the show here, and see all of her tour dates here

Listen to LPX's latest single with What So Not, "Better," below!

LIVE: Bastille Put on a Nostalgic Last Wild, Wild World Tour Show

Bastille took over The Fillmore in Philadelphia last Thursday night to play the last headline show of their sophomore album’s saga.


Kicking things off on the last night of the Wild, Wild World Tour, the Los Angeles duo Frenship took over the Fillmore stage for 45 minutes. Getting by with a little help from their friends in their live band, James Sunderland and Brett Hite performed popular songs like “Carpet” and “Run Wild” from their Truce EP. One of the set’s highlights included their performance of the viral track “Capsize,” which has racked up almost 400 million Spotify streams and features vocalist and songwriter Emily Warren on the studio version. Live, Frenship’s keyboardist and vocalist Celeste steps in to sing Warren’s parts, but the band also had the audience singing along to the catchy chorus as well. The real highlight of the set happened when Bastille crashed the stage during Frenship’s last song “1000 Nights,” which only got the audience more excited for the show that would follow.

James Sunderland and Brett Hite of Frenship

Thirty minutes later, the house lights dimmed, stage lights flickered, and the four members of Bastille made their way onto stage, accompanied by live band member Charlie Barnes. As the opening chords of the brassy and bassy “Send Them Off!” rang out into the Philadelphia venue, cheers erupted from the crowd and lead singer Dan Smith began to sing the lyrics that allude to Shakespeare's Othello. The set took a brief retrospective turn when the band performed “Laura Palmer” off their debut album, which seems pointedly apt again with the reboot of David Lynch’s cult classic TV show Twin Peaks. Before the bright lights on the stage dimmed to place the spotlight on Smith and his keyboard where he would sing the ironically sombre song “Overjoyed” from the debut album, Smith took a break to call attention to some of the signs held up by fans on the barricade. Bringing one on stage that read “I Totaled My Car Driving Up From DC To Be Here,” Smith asked the fan what had happened, holding out the microphone for her to share her story. He then selected a sign that read “Don’t Blame Me, I Worked 4 Hillary,” which alluded to the band’s song “Blame” and their politically driven song “The Currents,” which cleverly digs at Donald Trump. After the quick detour of “sign related stories,” as Smith called them, the show continued with Smith slightly struggling during “Overjoyed” due to vocal stress and sound issues. Although he remained visibly conscious of his vocals and sound levels during the performance, he pushed through and still delivered the sweeping range required for the song.

Frontman Dan Smith and the infamous sign

The remainder of the set weaved in and out of older tunes and newer ones from Wild World, which just hit its first birthday on September 9th. The fourth song of the night, “Warmth,” acts as a title track almost, with its lyrics containing “Hold me in this wild, wild world” during the chorus. Another true Bastille show staple, Smith left the stage to go sing and dance with the Fillmore audience during their single “Flaws,” another throwback to their first album. While the set contained a mix of Wild World and Bad Blood cuts, the band also sprinkled in a few other surprises. They induced 1990’s nostalgia when they performed their popular mashup cover titled “Of The Night,” which combines “Rhythm of the Night” and “Rhythm is a Dancer” and got the crowd jumping up and down with Smith yet again. “Of The Night” was first released as part of the band’s illegal mixtape called Other People’s Heartache, which contained uncleared samples and cover songs...so the only place to hear these songs are now live or in the deep dark corners of the internet.

Bastille also brought back “The Draw” from their extended album All This Bad Blood, which almost acts as album 1.5, as it contains a full album of never before released songs that came out between the two official full lengths. The biggest nostalgic surprise, however, came when Smith and co performed a beautifully rearranged version of their 2014 single “Bad_News,” which was released both independently as a music video and as a remix on their mixtape entitled VS. (Other People’s Heartache Pt. III). This mixtape containing collaborations with the likes of Haim, Rationale, Lizzo and more is actually legal and can be streamed or purchased on all major platforms. Speaking of collaboration, the set ended with the group’s massive hit “Pompeii,” and this time the tables turned when Frenship crashed the stage to lend some help with the “eh-ohs” and drumming. The band left the stage to a venue ringing with applause and echoing eh-ohs.

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The 19-track setlist did not include Bastille’s latest single “Glory” or another “Wild, Wild World Tour” setlist staple “Lethargy,” probably due to Smith’s vocal strain, but they still managed to fill up 90 minutes and deliver a well-rounded show that contained layers from each saga of Bastille’s career to date. Smith told the crowd they’ll be returning to The States soon with new music, which will include another one of their mixtapes and a new LP within a year’s time. As Bastille’s musical catalog continues to grow, their sound will only grow more diverse and multifaceted, and we can’t wait to hear what they release next.


Photo gallery of Frenship and Bastille at The Fillmore 9.14.17

Listen to Wild World in full while you await new Bastille music. 

LIVE: Conor Oberst Puts on Stunning Performance at The Vic

Following Phoebe Bridgers opening set, consisting of some of her own stuff and even a Bright Eyes song, Conor Oberst took the stage at the Vic Theatre. Oberst’s career-spanning set was backed by The Felice Brothers. Opening with “Barbary Coast (Later)” off his 2016 album Ruminations, Oberst then played the first Bright Eyes songs of the night, “Four Winds”. He then jumped back into playing some of his solo stuff such as “Get-Well-Cards” and “Afterthought” which is off his most recent album Salutations. The set even included some of Oberst's other side projects, “Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Bands." 

Next, Oberst played quite a few Bright Eyes songs, like  “Something Vague”, “Southern State”, and “Well Whiskey”. Following that, The Felice Brothers exited the stage, leaving behind the accordion player. Phoebe Bridgers walked out to perform “Lua” with Oberst before the Felice Brothers reappeared to perform a cover of their own song, “Jack at the Asylum”. In between songs Oberst went on a rant about the current political situation happening in America and then returned back to playing “Artifact #1” and “Salutations”. As the lights dropped the first notes of “First Day of My Life” took over the audience. Oberst finished the first part of his set with “A little Uncanny," returning later for an encore that began with him alone at the piano playing an unreleased song he called “No One Is Going to Change”.

He closed out his set with Bright Eyes' “Make War” and his solo song “Napalm”. With powerful lyrics and great instrumentals, Conor Oberst puts on an amazing show with changes to the setlist each night, making each show unique in its own way. Conor is currently on tour with The Felice Brothers and will be all around the United States. For tickets and more information click here.

Listen to Connor Oberst's latest album Salutations in full below!