Can't get enough Blue Dream? Check out our interview with them.
Molly Parden felt right at home opening up for David Ramirez at Schubas Tavern Saturday night. The two complimented each other in the most unique way. Molly's presence warms you up with soft ballads, silky measures, and heartbreakingly raw lyrics. Then, David jumps on to stretch that out, do a little yelling, and turn up the volume to make you feel emotions aplenty during their one night at arguably Chicago's most charming venue.
Molly's guitar makes way as an extension of herself carrying light chords with heavy hitting lyrics to reach every person from wall to wall, talking soul search to heartbreak. The ease on stage lent to this beautiful conversation between her, her severing sound, and the crowd in front of her. Her reflective nature makes you sink into every love lost, love gained, and love you hope to have someday away. She was joined by David's keyboardist, Matthew Wright, for the back half of her set. The pair were nothing short to an explosion of intimacy and pristine melodic banter. They shared a sort of ping pong match between Molly's daring words and Matthew's striking heartbeat through the keys.
Molly also carried a subdued humor that set an affable tone for her show while noting her break from a contemporary Christian music upbringing, finding her space in the Nashville scene, and her ongoing new discovery of 90's music. Following that up, she surprised the crowd with her impassioned take on Gin Blossom's classic, "Found Out About You." Her music spins around very pointed moments in time, spaces and traces in a lifetime. She shared her lust for Kentucky in Kentucky, her influential Georgia roots, and just how much Chicago means to her.
Molly Parden is a powerhouse wrapped up in a soft package; Wearing white Chuck Taylors, playing an acoustic guitar, she helps hearts navigate waves of longing and loss. Her latest transparent single, "Sail On The Water", follows her fervent 2016 With Me In The Summer album release, and she admittedly adheres to a slow moving writing process. It's hard to wait, but at least that means she nurtures these seeds with such care and grace that it is worth the passing time.
Molly will be riding along with David through December. You can follow the rest of their tour here.
Los Angeles based singer, songwriter and producer NoMBe warmed up the Metro stage for Jungle this past Monday night. He hit the stage with a surge of energy and never decelerated until he left the stage, only getting increasingly amped up as his set went on. From singing directly to fans in the front row to hopping down from the stage to dance with the crowd, NoMBe stayed connected with his audience while he performed singles like "Jump Right In" and "Can't Catch Me."
By the time Jungle hit the stage, the crowd had been loosened up and their spirits were left high after NoMBe's infectiously positive attitude. London's Jungle made their highly anticipated and long awaited return to The States when they walked onstage that night, kicking off their North American tour right here in Chicago. The last time the soulful supergroup had performed in town had been in 2015 at Concord Music Hall, but they were quickly embraced by the sold out crowd at Metro on Monday. Their roughly hour long set included old favorites like "Drops," "Busy Earning," and "Time," but it also included a few fresh tunes that had never been played in America before. Fans at this Red Bull Sound Select got an exclusive teaser of what's to come when Jungle finally releases a follow up to their 2014 self-titled debut. While the new material definitely had a new spin on it, every song that Jungle played on Monday had the crowd moving along to their jams. The band members also remained in constant motion, feeding off one another and the audience. If you missed out on the show, relive some of the magic with our gallery below, and see the rest of Jungle's upcoming tour dates here.
Australian duo of Zach Stephenson and Billy Fleming (AKA Hockey Dad) packed a punch with their opening set at Lincoln Hall on Saturday night. Supporting Vundabar and The Frights, the pair exuded as much energy of a band twice their size, bringing the talent and banter to reel in the crowd. The crowd didn't let Hockey Dad's infectious levels of energy go unreciprocated; by the middle of the set people were stage diving and crowd surfing, despite the set being so early. Their 30 minute set included songs from their debut album, Boronia, as well as their new single "Homely Feeling." They closed out their show with the catchy single "So Tired," which had a large portion of the crowd singing along. The crowd surfing and sing alongs continued over into Vundabar and The Frights' sets that followed.
Although Saturday's performance was a rarity, since Hockey Dad seldom make it over to the states, they were so well received that they'd be welcomed back at any time. See the rest of Hockey Dad's North American tour here, and check out photos of their set below!
Overcoats and Moonrise Nation played to a packed Lincoln Hall last Friday night, providing a sense of friendship, unity, and empowerment of women.
After Moonrise Nation's stunning and harmony heavy opening set, a sense of anticipation built up as a large “O” light glowed at the back of Lincoln Hall’s small stage, welcoming the duo of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell back to the Lincoln Park venue. The pair had performed on the same stage back in January, opening for Caroline Smith as part of the annual Tomorrow Never Knows festival. Since that performance, Overcoats released their debut album and toured the country--returning to Chicago to headline Schubas and play Millennium Park. Each time, the show has evolved, and Elion and Mitchell seem to impossibly improve upon their already stunning and synchronized show, which has always been full of grace, poise, and so much talent.
The set on Friday started with the pair of best friends and their drummer (who is gaining recognition for his solo project Soft Glas) making their way onstage to a dramatic, yet ambient entrance music, which segued into "Smaller Than My Mother" from their album Young. The first half of the set included many of the popular tracks from their album, like "Hold Me Close" and "The Fog," but each song was only expanded upon and made unique in the live sense. Overcoats brilliantly mixed electronic and organic tones on their album by working with two producers (more on that here), and they manage to transfer that mix into their show. Between "The Fog" and "23," Mitchell addressed the crowd saying, "The future is intersectional feminism"; a statement greeted with cheers from the crowd. The theme of supporting women, especially women supporting other women, held up throughout the evening, with the pair introducing another song as being about "women lifting each other up." At their Schubas show earlier this year, they had mentioned a quote about empowering friends, saying just because someone else's flame is burning bright, that doesn't take away from your own flame, and that metaphor still seemed relevant at their most recent Lincoln Hall show and in everything that the pair do. After all, the band's official merch even included a sweatshirt that reads "Women Rule."
Besides the power of friendship that radiated from the stage, and the flawless execution of their songs from the album, Overcoats also brought humor and a few surprises to their show. Their cover of Hozier's "Cherry Wine" has gone viral on Spotify, and the pair performed it at the show, but not before taking requests for other covers. The cover mashup started with "Umbrella," and a fan even handed Mitchell their umbrella for added effects. In an effort to highlight their elaborate and custom merch, which included coats thrifted by Mitchell and Elion, the pair recited a skit about staying warm in Chicago, encouraging everyone to grab a coat or crew neck from them after the show.
The pair also displayed such gratitude to everyone involved in their show, thanking the venue staff as well as their own crew, and shouting out the new album from their drummer, advising the audience to follow him on Instagram. Their set not only included the performance of "I Don't Believe in Us," which was only released two weeks prior, but a brand new, stripped down song during their encore. After the slowed down and rare performance, they ended the night with the energy ramped up to the max, performing "Leave The Light On" (complete with coordinated dance moves).
From the dance moves to the between-song jokes and the constant presence of friendship, each Overcoats show is just full of an infectious energy that clings to the crowd as they leave the venue. In a time where bad news fills our newsfeeds daily, artists like Overcoats help provide a shield and a light with their art and their performances...almost like they're giving us a coat (wink, wink) of armor.
If you missed out on the stellar show from Overcoats, relive some of the magic with our gallery by Emily Nava.
Red Bull Sound Select celebrated the halfway mark of their 30 Days in Chicago this past Wednesday night with co-headlining sets by Parquet Courts and Built To Spill. Goodwill Smith and Meatwave opened the night.
As Chicago concert goers filed into the legendary dive in Ukrainian Village to see Built to Spill and Parquet Courts, the first 50 attendees were handed a token to receive a free copy of The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, just one of the perks of these Red Bull sponsored shows happening across the city this month. Upon entering, everyone also had the option to pick up some Red Bull Sound Select swag, including ear plugs.
The stage was set following Goodwills Smith's set, the clock struck 9PM, and Chicago’s own Meat Wave took the humble stage. Immediately the trio cranked up the volume to 100 percent, projecting out their energy with maximum noise, making those who took the earplugs grateful for their decision. At the beginning of Meat Wave's set, the venue hadn’t reached full capacity, but from the get-go, the crowd vibed with the fast-paced punk music, nodding their head in time and getting engulfed in the music. The three piece also vibed off of one another onstage, reciprocating the energy radiating through the crowd. The setlist included a fair mix of Meat Wave’s 2017 album The Incessant, like the title track and “Run You Out,” as well as the 2015 album Delusion Moon. By the end of the exuberant set, the crowd had completely packed into the intimate venue to watch the remaining two sets.
Built to Spill hit the stage next, immediately captivating the crowd with their intricately layered indie rock tunes that span multiple decades. Frontman Doug Martsch and his bandmates remained in sync with one another throughout their entire show, displaying such noticeable chemistry from their years of experience making music. During their hour long set, fans' eyes remained glued to the stage, watching as Martsch would manipulate and bend the tone and mood of their songs through the dials and pedals he had set up next to him on stage. This factor of Built to Spill's live show made us feel like we got a glimpse of the art in the making, like seeing a sculptor work in front of you or getting a look at the inside of a clock to see all the moving parts working together. Live, Built to Spill only builds upon their own songs, creating cinematic and sweeping jams that hypnotize the entire room. The fact that the group were a last minute addition to the original line up for Day 15 made the show so much more special.
Next up, Parquet Courts took the stage to close out the special evening, performing a mix of songs from their handful of albums, but the set started strong with tracks taken from 2016's Human Performance. Crowd favorites stood out as the aforementioned album's title track and "Dust," which both topped the setlist, instantly reeling in the audience. Besides playing a solid and diverse set list, the four piece from New York also mixed humor into their headlining set, quipping at each other or telling funny anecdotes between songs. Early on in the night, A. Savage pointed out the negative side effects of Red Bull, thanking them for sponsoring the show, but encouraging the audience not to drink it. The group also recalled that their first ever show in Chicago had been at The Empty Bottle about five years prior, which added a bit of nostalgia into the evening. Every show booked in celebration of Empty Bottle's 25th anniversary has had a special piece of history embedded into it, and this show was no exception.
As Parquet Courts set began to wind down, Red Bull also provided the crowd with complimentary pizza slices, supplying the concert goers with a perfect midnight snack. To experience the eclectic mix of music that Red Bull Sound Select has to offer for the remainder of the month, head here. You can also check out Empty Bottle's upcoming performances here.
Gallery of Meat Wave, Built to Spill, and Parquet Courts, 11.15.17
White Reaper, Post Animal, and Peach Pit brought a night of camaraderie and crowd surfing to a legendary Chicago space, The Metro.
Vancouver’s Peach Pit kicked off the festivities, warming up the Wrigleyville venue as the crowd still slowly trickled into the all ages show. The four piece provided the perfect teaser for the sets that would follow; the early arrivers moshing around to songs like “Tommy’s Party” and “Techo Show” from their debut album, titled Being So Normal. By the end of their 30 minute set, the crowd was buzzing in anticipation for their fellow Chicagoans in Post Animal.
Only a few short days prior to this show, one of Post Animal’s guitarists and vocalists Javi Reyes suffered a stroke onstage during their set supporting White Reaper in New York. While he had to remain in the ICU for a few days following the stroke, Reyes is bouncing back and on the road to full recovery, and he encouraged his bandmates to push through and continue the rest of tour without him. At The Metro on Tuesday night, the remaining four began their 45 minute set with drummer Wes Toledo addressing the crowd about Reyes’ situation, initiating a “Javi!” chant while he held up a cardboard cutout of his bandmate's head that a friend had made for the show. Although there’s absolutely no replacing the flavor that Reyes adds to each of Post Animal’s performances, the group managed to rally together to reconstruct a very solid performance that absolutely shredded, despite the unfortunate circumstances. The hometown show highlights included the performance of the building and layered track “You Were Not There” from their The Garden Series EP, the psychedelic riffs of "When I Get Home" from the same EP, and their latest single “Special Moment,” which features a killer guitar solo and came along with a trippy and thrilling music video. Their set on Tuesday also included a rare performance of “Lorelei,” which features guitarist Matt Williams taking the lead on vocals and will be included on their upcoming album. While the absence of Reyes stood out to the many friends and fans in attendance, his bandmates gave the show their all and the crowd reciprocated that energy right back, not only moshing, but also kicking off the steady stream of crowd surfing that would continue throughout White Reaper’s set.
Following a thirty minute changeover, the self-proclaimed "World's Best American Band" stormed the stage with an unwavering enthusiasm that would only support their bold claim. By the time the opening chords of "Wolf Trap Motel" from White Reaper's sophomore album, called White Reaper Does It Again, rang out into the venue, the crowd had completely filled in. The Louisville rockers immediately played off of and amplified the infectious positive energy that Post Animal and Peach Pit had generated, with crowd surfers popping up during the early part of the setlist. As the audience thrashed around and lifted one another up to cruise over the crowd, the five piece worked the entire stage and poured every ounce of gusto that they had into the show. Bassist Sam Wilkerson often gained some serious air jumping in place on his side of the stage, while Ryan Hater would hang out at the edge of the stage to hype up the crowd whenever he wasn't fervently playing the keyboard, and lead singer and guitarist Tony Esposito would drop to his knees to ground his guitar playing.
The hour long set contained a fair bit of White Reaper's aforementioned sophomore album, but crowd favorites definitely included "The Stack" and "Judy French" from the group's 2017 album The World's Best American Band, which has propelled the Kentucky based band into the limelight of the rock scene this year. Before the band's explosive performance of the latter ("Judy French"), Esposito proposed that the crowd start an all female circle pit during the tune. While the ladies of the pit bopped around, confetti shot out into the crowd to create a rare confetti circle pit. As the set wound down during the last bit of the 9'o clock hour, so much crowd surfing and moshing had occurred, but the band only kept it up themselves. Esposito and Wilkerson challenged each other to their nightly shot and [crowd]surf race, in which they surf over to the venue's bar, take a shot and then race back to the stage. During the race, Colin Croom and Cadien Lake James of Chicago's own Twin Peaks joined the remainder of the band onstage to lend a hand to the background music that amped up the anticipation induced by the race. Clay Frankel of Twin Peaks could also be spotted down in the pit, hyping up the audience. By the time the houselights came up after White Reaper's encore of "Half Bad" and "Another Day," the Metro had endured one of its rowdiest shows in recent days, featuring some classic Chicago camaraderie.
Check out our gallery of all three bands below to relive the unforgettable experience!
Can't get enough Post Animal and White Reaper? Check out our interview with each band by clicking on their names!
Last Friday night, Jay Som and Alvvays gave a sold out crowd at Thalia Hall the perfect ending to their week with performances that had them hooked from start to finish.
Californian Jay Som and her band took the stage first, delivering deeply personal narratives framed in soft, indie melodies. Songs like "The Bus Song" and "Baybee" from Jay Som's sophomore album Everybody Works had the crowd singing along with the singer songwriter. The latter closed out the 30 minute set, and picked up the pace from the song prior, getting the audience ready for Alvvay's show.
By the time the Toronto five piece took the stage, the crowd was bubbling over with excitement for the hour long set that would follow. Alvvays had last been in town to play Lollpalooza in August, including an after show at The Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village, and since the festival, their sophomore album Antisocialites had been released. The ten track follow up to Alvvays' 2014 debut came in strong during the band's performance at Thalia Hall, with the first handful of songs coming from the record. Songs like "Plimsoll Punks" and "In Undertow" had the crowd moving along to the band's signature blend of dream pop and indie rock. To complement the music, the band performed in front of a screen backdrop, with the lights and images changing during each song. After the group performed "Lollipop (Ode To Jim)," they broke the new album streak by mixing in crowd favorites from their self-titled record, like "The Agency Group" and "Atop a Cake." While the crowd remained engaged with the music the whole set, nothing compared to their reaction to the introductory guitar strumming of the band's viral song "Archie, Marry Me." The building, cinematic pop tune plays out as if it were written for a dramatic moment in a teen movie, and the audience bellowed the explosive chorus along with lead singer Molly Rankin. Throughout the night, Rankin managed to deliver her vocals flawlessly, and the entire band followed suit, remaining tight knit and on top of their game the entire time.
In addition to the skilled execution of their new album, Rankin and the rest of band kept the spirit of the room up but telling funny anecdotes between songs. Rankin told the crowd about the band's interest in sports, mentioned they wanted to keep an eye on the score for the Toronto Raptors game, and sure enough someone shouted out the score towards the end of the set. Rankin also asked the crowd to inform the band of the latest Chicago gossip about halfway through the set, saying "give us something juicy." The night finished strong with a three song encore consisting of tracks from the debut album and a cover of The Motorcycle Boy's "Trying to Be Kind."
Check out our gallery of the show below so you can always remember (pun intended) what a wonderful performance Alvvays put on at this sold out show!
Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days in Chicago celebrated day 2 of their multi-venue, multi-day festival with Chicago’s own Whitney and NE-HI at The Metro. As guests filed into the city’s legendary venue, the room buzzed with anticipation for the hometown show, which was actually Whitney and NE-HI’s first performance at the Wrigleyville concert hall.
Philadelphia’s up and comers Mt Joy warmed up the stage for both Chicago bands, returning a few months after their Lollapalooza debut this past summer. The band eased the audience into the evening with their blend of indie folk and rock tunes, including their popular tracks “Sheep” and “Astrovan.”
After a quick changeover of sets, NE-HI walked onto stage to a whopping welcome of cheers and applause. The local four piece commanded the audience’s attention immediately with their fervent performance of their fuzzy rock songs. Lead singer Jason Balla’s distinct vocals and the band’s signature guitar styling have given them a unique sound, which has caught the attention of music fans across the country. Just this year, the band have toured nearly nonstop, playing SXSW, Daytrotter Downs, and Pitchfork Festival. Live, the band add another layer of vehemence and eagerness to their music, with Balla thrashing around the stage and guitarist Michael Wells jumping up and down throughout their set. Set highlights included their songs “Stay Young,” “Since I’ve Been Thinking,” and the title track of their 2017 album Offers. By the time NE-HI walked off the stage, the crowd was full warmed up and ready for Whitney’s first performance at Metro.
Just before Whitney took the stage, the front few rows were handed roses as an ode to the album cover of Whitney’s debut record Light Upon The Lake, and to add another special touch to the night. Whitney have turned heads with their layered and cinematic tunes; Their folk rock songs often featuring a horns section accompanying Ehrlich’s telltale falsetto vocals, both of which put a signature stamp on their music. The band also stands out with their unique stage setup, as lead singer Julien Ehrlich also drums during their live performances. Whitney’s hour long set at Metro featured some of their most popular tracks, but early on in the night Ehrlich told the audience that their set that night would be a little different than most nights. Their performance also featured a few covers of legendary artists, like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Although the set started off minimal with Ehrlich performing the first song at the keyboard before moving over to his drum set at center stage, the energy built up as the night went on and the band were joined onstage with a live string section. The addition of the strings added another level of richness and warmth to the show, especially combined with the horns section. Whitney’s stunning and special hometown performance wrapped up past midnight with a three song encore, consisting of “Golden Days,” “Rolling Blackout,” and their most popular track “No Woman.”
The electric energy that filled The Metro at the end of night reflected the captivating quality of the Red Bull Sound Select shows. The shows have brought some of the best bands and musicians around to the city this month, and the lineup at this show particularly appealed to Chicago music fans, most of which felt a burst of pride at seeing the success of their fellow Chicagoans.
Check out our gallery of all three bands to relive the incredible evening, and head here for the scoop on the rest of 30 Days in Chicago.
Mt Joy
NE-HI
Whitney
