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Sunday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

July 25, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Fest wrapped up on Sunday, July 23rd, starting with Ariel Zetina and closing with Bon Iver on the Green Stage. We lucked out with the weather on day 3, but read on below for more highlights and the full photo gallery

I arrived to Union Park around 2:00 PM on the third day of Pitchfork Fest to a sleepy, Sunday atmosphere. As Rachika Nayar performed her ambient, experimental music, I saw festival-goers relishing in a lazy kick off—some even dozing off on the field, gently easing into another full day of music.

The gentleness of the music continued with Lucrecia Dalt, another experimental musician, over on the Green stage. Dalt was joined by a percussionist who helped bring her songs to the stage with a multitude of instruments, including bongos and a cowbell. Dalt currently lives in Berlin, but she originally hails from Columbia, so her lyrics are sung in Spanish. Although I didn’t catch the meaning of the words (my high school Spanish is rusty), I still very much appreciated the ambience of her music.

Florist, the project of Emily Sprague and bandmates Rick Spataro, Jonnie Baker, and Felix Walworth, took the Blue stage next. The band continued the mellow vibes as they played their songs like “Red Bird Pt. 2(Morning)” and “Feathers.” As I was watching their set, I noticed a couple of people in the crowd sitting in a meditative pose, and honestly, Florist makes great music to meditate to.

The festival line up seemed to go from zero to sixty next when English duo Jockstrap hit the stage. In stark contrast to the earlier performances, Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye brought massive energy along with their electro-pop and glitch sounds. Ellery glided around the stage and the crowd danced along with her, as the music was so loud and full of chest-shattering bass. Jockstrap’s show was exactly the surge that the crowd needed to make it past the Pitchfork Fest finish line.

If Jockstrap’s set was like getting woken up by an alarm clack, then JPEGmafia’s set was like getting a bucket of ice cold water dumped on you when you’re dead asleep (in the best way possible). Every time I’ve seen JPEGmafia, the massive energy that he is able to bring as one performer is matched tenfold by the crowd, making his sets something really special to witness. The crowd welcomed him with the usual “Peggy!” chant, and before the first song was even done, JPEG had jumped onto the speakers to get closer to the audience. Throughout the set, JPEG never remained in one place for too long— he was either zipping around the stage, leaping from speaker to speaker, or running down the center barricade to be face to face with fans. Another highlight of his performance was his cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

JPEGmafia, or “Peggy” as is fans call him, performing

Soul Glo played over on the Blue stage around the same time, and similar to the previous two sets, they really amped up the energy. From the moment the bandmates Pierce Jordan, GG Guerra, and TJ Stevenson took the stage and Jordan started screaming, the first mosh pit I’d seen that weekend commenced. I’d say Soul Glo was definitely the set that surprised me the most this weekend, as I originally expected them to be soulful R&B and was instead smacked in the face with the most hardcore punk band of the festival. Yet again, it was a great way to keep the energy soaring high towards the end of the weekend.

Illuminati Hotties also rocked the Blue Stage a little later that afternoon, performing their cheeky and carefree punk music. Illuminati Hotties is the project of musician, songwriter, and producer Sarah Tudzin, and Tudzin was joined by bandmates Tim Kmet, Sapphire Jewell, Zach Bilson. The bandmates had great chemistry together, which made their show even more entertaining to watch.

Keeping up with the theme of fun and carefree, Hurray for the Riff Raff performed next on the Blue stage. As you’d expect for a band with “Hurray” in the title, the band’s set felt like a feel-good celebration. Songwriter, musician, and lead vocalist Alynda Segarra and her bandmates all had glitter highlighter on their face in the place of war paint. What’s not to love about glitter war paint?!

I caught a few minutes of Kelela closing out the Red stage for the weekend with her silky vocals and flowing dance moves before jumping over to the Blue stage again for Mdou Moctar. Moctar and his bandmates brought cheerful vibes and facilitated such a community setting as they absolutely shredded on guitar. Moctar often looked out into the audience with so much appreciation, and the audience returned the admiration by clapping in time to the beat or raising their hands together in synchronization.

Bon Iver ended the fest on a high note, putting on my favorite set of the weekend. Justin Vernon was joined by a full band, including a backup vocalist, to perform songs from across Bon Iver’s catalog. Vernon’s vocals sounded incredible, and during some of the older songs like “Blood Bank” (my personal favorite), they did some minor change ups on the arrangements, refreshing the song from the recorded version. Unsurprisingly, the crowd favorite was the massive hit “Skinny Love” from 2008’s For Emma, Forever Ago, but we also heard tracks from every Bon Iver era through 2019’s i,i. The musical performance was also complemented by stunning light design.

Check out photos from day three below, and be sure to read coverage of day 1 and day 2 of Pitchfork Fest 2023.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Pitchfork, Pitchfork Music Festival, Lucrecia Dalt, Florist, Jockstrap, Bon Iver, Kelela, Soul Glo, Mdou Moctar, Hurray for the Riff Raff, JPEGmafia, Illuminati Hotties

Saturday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

July 23, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Day 2 kicked off Saturday, July 22nd with Chicago’s own Deeper and wrapped up with Big Thief on the main stage. The day began with a perfect forecast, but the weather had a change of plans that affected some of the performances. Still, the day provided many incredible performances. Read on for the highlights and see the full photo gallery of the day below.

The day began with members of Deeper Nic Gohl, Shiraz Bhatti, Drew McBride, and Kevin Fairbairn taking the Green stage playing an atmospheric, distorted introduction that faded into their first song, “This Heat” from their 2020 album Auto-Pain. The hometown band had a good crowd show up despite it being early in the day, and their setlist featured some of their newer singles like “Build a Bridge” and “Tele” from their upcoming third album.

Next up, Palm was the first victim of the unexpected lightening storm that day. Just as they were about to take the Red stage for their last Chicago show ever (they’re currently on their farewell tour), security made the announcement that everyone had to get away from the stage and barricade due to lightening in the area. The music finally resumed at 2:30PM with 700 Bliss, and Palm were able to be rescheduled to play 1:15PM on the Blue stage Sunday.

Speaking of the Blue stage, Black Belt Eagle Scout gave an incredible performance there shortly after the weather delay. Black Belt Eagle Scout is the project of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul, and Paul was joined by two bandmates to bring her songs to the stage. Paul told the audience that this was her first time playing Pitchfork Fest as she dove into her performance. Her set was beautifully dynamic, ebbing and flowing between softer moments and crescendoing guitar solos from Paul. Paul wrapped up her set with “Indians Never Die,” a song rooted in her Swinomish culture and commentary on the harsh reality that the government doesn’t respect Indigenous land. About this song, Paul has said “Indians never die because this is our land that we will forever protect in the present and the afterlife.”

Katherine Paul of Black Belt Eagle Scout

Next up, MJ Lenderman and his live band performed on the Red stage as it began to drizzle rain. Forget about rock n’ roll—Lenderman’s set was rain n’ twang! Lenderman’s set was one of my favorite of the day as it evoked those feel-good festival vibes. His live band featured a slide guitarist and two drummers, including Spencer Tweedy on one of the kits— we even got to hear some cowbell from Tweedy. More cowbell! An extended jam at the end of Lenderman’s song “Rudolph” showcased the intricate musicality he and his bandmates have.

Vagabon took the Blue stage next, but only got part way into her second song before the weather struck again. The audience was upset about the delay and ultimate cancellation of the singer’s set, but they applauded in support of her brief performance.

With the pause in music, I made my way over to the DoorDash Backstage interview stage and got to hear a brief part of Weyes Blood’s interview before the entire fest ended up being put on hold. After a short on-site weather delay, the festival eventually announced an evacuation the grounds.

The hour and a half break in the performances unfortunately meant that Panda Bear’s and Snail Mail’s sets were also cancelled for the day. Originally, there had been a devastating lineup conflict between Julia Jacklin and Snail Mail performing at the same time on the Blue and Red stages, respectively, but the 5:15PM slot was part of the evacuation. Jacklin got to perform a delayed and brief solo set over on the Blue stage when the gates reopened around 6:00 PM, but the main stage performance had to carry on with King Krule at his original time slot.

King Krule, the project of English musician Archy Ivan Marshall, made for a great official welcome back to the festival grounds. The front row was full of dedicated fans, who screamed in joy when they saw the musician appear on stage. I think they would have been equally excited if the weather delay hadn’t happened, but they seemed even more happy that one of their most anticipated sets was able to go on as planned.

Later that evening, I caught a few minutes of Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul closing out the Blue stage for the evening. They brought the dancy, care-free vibes along with so much bass that you could feel it in your chest.

Natalie Laura Mering, AKA Weyes Blood, closed out the Red stage simultaneously, donning a flowing white gown and cape that complemented her ethereal vocals. Towards the end of her set, rain began to fall again, drizzling at first and then rapidly picking up. Still, the show went on, and dedicated fans remained smiling and singing along to her songs like “Everyday” and “Do You Need My Love.” During her second to last song, “Twin Flame,” Mering’s dress lit up like her heart was glowing, as in the title of her most recent album And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.” Her dress featured more visual projections for the final song “Movies,” this time mimicking waves of water.

Saturday wrapped up with Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik, and James Krivchenia of Big Thief returning to the Pitchfork Fest stage, this time as headliners. The band made quite the entrance, with Oleartchik being carried onto the stage in a mermaid (or merman?) tail. Krivchenia also wore a bright orange, bedazzled outfit that contrasted with Lenker’s more casual flannel and Meek’s button down and blazer combo, but once they started playing, everyone honed in on the music. Big Thief’s setlist heavily featured songs from their most recent album, 2022’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, as well as their brand new single “Vampire Empire.”

You can see more photos of all of these performances below, and stay tuned for coverage of day 3!

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categories / Gigs, Festival, Photos, Reviews
tags / Pitchfork, Pitchfork Music Festival, Big Thief, Weyes Blood, Vagabon, MJ Lenderman, Deeper, Palm, King Krule, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Snail Mail, Julia Jacklin

Friday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

July 22, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Music Festival kicked off Friday, July 21st in Union Park, with the day beginning with Nourished By Time on the Green stage and closing with The Smile on that same stage. Check out some highlights of day one of the festival below, as well as the full photo gallery.

Chicago’s own Sen Morimoto performed in the early afternoon on the Green stage. Although he’s a solo artist and typically records all of his own records, his live band had a slew of talented musicians to help bring his songs to life. In addition to playing the saxophone himself during some songs, Morimoto also had more horns with a trombone player and second saxophonist, backing vocals from Chicago artist Kaina, and more traditional live instruments like drums and guitar. Plenty of fans withstood the harsh beaming sun to see Morimoto’s set, and the crowd was having a great time. Morimoto dedicated his song “Woof” to dogs, and asked the audience to give him their best howl (which everyone happily obliged). Another highlight of the set included a cover of Cher’s song “Believe.”

Next up, I caught another solo act, Grace Ives on the Red stage. This time around, the solo artist put on a complete one-person show—as Ives gave us her all with just a microphone and her programmed synthesizer. Ives’ performance kind of felt like she’d invited us all over for a living room dance party—even though she was up there owning the stage, she had a casual, inviting demeanor that made it feel like we were just a massive group on friends dancing and singing along.

Youth Lagoon, the project of musician Trevor Powers, performed on the Green Stage next. It was nice to see Powers back performing as Youth Lagoon, since he had announced his retirement of the project back in 2016. Just last year, Powers announced a comeback was on the way, and he released Youth Lagoon’s latest album Heaven Is a Junkyard in June 2023. Youth Lagoon’s Pitchfork Fest set heavily featured songs from this new record, like “Rabbit” and “Idaho Alien,” but I was happy to also hear a comfort song of mine from 2011, “Afternoon,” from the album The Year of Hibernation. Youth Lagoon’s dreamy soundscape was the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon at a music fest.

Nation of Language put on one of my favorite sets of the day over on the Red stage. The Brooklyn-based trio, featuring Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar, synths), Aidan Noell (vocals and synths), and Alex MacKay (bass), already had a large fanbase at the fest, but they quickly won over newcomers in the crowd when they performed their song “I’ve Thought About Chicago” (who doesn’t love a hometown shout out?) The trio had the audience dancing along to their refreshing take on New Wave influences and synth-pop driven melodies, despite the sun that continued to blaze through the afternoon. Noell acknowledged the crowd’s dedication, saying “Thanks for sweating for us.” Nation of Language’s Pitchfork Fest set also featured some new, unreleased material from their upcoming album Strange Disciple.

Ian Richard Devaney of Nation of Language

The project of musician and songwriter Michael Alden Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, kept the dancing and high energy going during his performance. Hadreas was joined by a full band, but he really stole the show with his commanding stage presence and impeccable style. Donning full arm’s length red gloves, Hadreas glided around the stage performing songs like “Slip Away” and “Otherside.” Perfume Genius’s evening set wrapped up with the epic fan favorite “Queen.” Hadreas asks the question “Don’t you know you queen?” in the song and the crowd royally adored the performance.

Michael Alden Hadreas AKA Perfume Genius

Next, I went over to the Blue stage for the first time on Friday to catch another beloved Chicago act, Ric Wilson. Living up to his Instagram handle “Disco Ric,” Wilson brought all the great disco vibes to his Pitchfork performance. Not only did his music elicit pure happiness, but Wilson also made sure his set felt like a safe place for all when he asked everyone to put their fist up and repeat an inclusive chant after him, including “no racist, no sexist, no homophobic, and no transphobic!” Wilson shined with his vocal performance and charismatic dance moves, and he also had an incredible live band to help bring his music to life. Every time I’ve seen Ric Wilson, his shows have been an instant serotonin boost, and this time was no different.

Alvvays closed out the Red Stage on Friday, bringing their cheerful and dreamy music to an adoring crowd. As the band opened their set with the song “Pharmacist” from their 2022 album Blue Rev, I noticed so many fans in the front smiling and singing along—one fan even held up a signed copy of Alvvays’ album Antisocialites. Alvvays’ setlist contained many songs from their latest album, but they also mixed in plenty of their older material, including the fan favorite “Archie, Marry Me”—which had everyone belting the anthemic chorus along. Alvvays’ Pitchfork Fest performance made the best soundtrack to the Friday sunset.

You can see more photos of all of these performances below, also including interviews with Alvvays, Perfume Genius and The Smile’s Jonny Greenwood done at the Door Dash Backstage DashPass experience. Stay tuned for coverage of days 2 and 3!

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categories / Gigs, Festival, Photos, Reviews
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Pitchfork, Music Festival, Sen Morimoto, Grace Ives, Youth Lagoon, Perfume Genius, Alvvays, The Smile, Nation of Language, Ric Wilson, KAINA, Chicago, Concert Photography, Photo Set, Live Review, Live Recap

Live Recap: Regina Spektor's Return to London at Royal Festival Hall

July 19, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

It’s around 8PM on Saturday night, July 15th and singer-songwriter Regina Spektor has just taken the stage at the pristine Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre. A seated auditorium sitting just along the River Thames, the venue had a stern air of formality about it, but Spektor quickly lightened up the mood by asking the audience “Can we just pretend we’re at a basement pub and chill the fuck out?”

I wasn’t quite sure what type of energy to expect from the musician playing a solo show (her first show in London in six years), but her opening statement quickly lightened the mood and set up a tone for a relaxed show as she began to play her song “Folding Chair” to follow up her introductory performance of “Shalom Aleichem” (a song centered around the Hebrew greeting meaning "peace be upon you.”)

Early on in the set, Spektor also let the audience know that she’d recently suffered a back injury, but a friend of hers had helped her recover from the injury enough to push on with the shows. Considering she was injured and carrying out these shows with just herself, a microphone and her piano, I figured the show might lean on the shorter side, but Spektor dazzled the audience with a nearly two-hour performance that featured songs from across her long discography.

Spektor’s stage presence was a beautiful balance of a rehearsed performance mixed with the casual nature of friends jamming together—similar to the laidback vibes of a basement pub gig. When she messed up a part of the piano (to be honest, I wouldn’t have even noticed the slip if she hadn’t called it out), Spektor told the crowd “I practiced! The hotel people are probably mad at me [from practicing so much]. We’ll just skip that part!” She also told the audience she was going to try her song “Somedays” even though she wasn’t confident in it, but she managed to play it successfully. Afterwards, Spektor joked that she felt like a “kindergartner with a finger painting.”

While she may have jokingly minimized her craft, Spektor continued to enchant the audience with her sweeping vocal performance and dynamic manner of playing the piano; there were times her vocals were theatrical and times that she’d hammer on the top of the piano or clap to add a percussive element to her melodies. The crowd joined in on the clapping for those moments when makeshift drums were needed.

Speaking of crowd participation, around half way through the show, Spektor told the audience that standing up and squatting made her back feel better, asking everyone, “Will you guys get mad if I do three squats?” She invited the crowd to join her, and myself and the majority of the audience stood up to squat along with the singer. “I think the pub became a gym,” Spektor joked.

To give herself a break from sitting at the piano, Spektor stood up to perform a couple of light-hearted A capella songs “Reginasaurus” and “Silly Eye-Color Generalizations.” Another non-piano moment included a surprise guest appearance from musician and producer Leo Abrahams, who joined Spektor to play a few songs on guitar.

Eventually, Spektor wrapped up the main part of her show with her huge hit “Fidelity,” which she introduced saying “This one I should know in theory, but theory and practice are different.” That may be true, but she knocked the performance of the song out of the park, earning a standing ovation from the entire auditorium at the end of the song.

Spektor returned for a single-song encore of her song “Samson,” also on her 2006 album Begin to Hope.

If you missed out on the show, check out photos from the performance below, and see where you can catch Regina Spektor on tour near you here.

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categories / Reviews, Photos, Gigs, Music
tags / Regina Spektor, London, Royal Festival Hall, Live Show, Live Review, Live Recap, Photo Set, Concert Photography

Live Recap: Bastille's Bad Blood X Tour Resurrects Their Landmark Album

July 18, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

“Every day it passes, faster than the last did, and you’ll be old soon, you’ll be old.”- “Weight of Living, Pt. II” by Bastille. These lyrics about the passage of time as you get older rang true for me back in 2013 when Bastille first released their debut album Bad Blood, but they definitely hit even harder when you realize the album is now 10 years old. A decade that felt both fleeting and like a lifetime.

To celebrate this decade landmark of their number one album, Bastille members Dan Smith, Chris “Woody” Wood, Kyle Simmons, and Will Farquarson announced last year that they’d embark on a“Bad Blood X” summer tour around the UK, kicking off Friday, June 30th at Newmarket Racecourses and ending July 23rd at Ludlow Castle. The premise of the tour (you guessed it) being that the band plays their entire debut album in full at these gigs, along with a few other fan favorites from their discography.

As someone who has been a fan of the band for over ten years (fun fact: I saw them perform for the first time on Bastille Day in 2013), the news of the tour conjured up waves of nostalgia and memories of seeing the group perform this album on the original Bad Blood tour(s) in venues ranging from Lincoln Hall in Chicago to Radio City Music Hall in New York. I got the chance to attend their Bad Blood X show in Leeds on July 13th, which was the eve of Bastille Day and the release of the 10 year anniversary edition of the record.

The sold out show took place at Millennium Square in the heart of Leeds, with support from Etta Marcus and Orla Gartland. Singer-songwriter Marcus took the stage first with her 4-piece band to perform a handful of songs, including “Smile” and “Salt Lake City.” The latter got a big cheer and applause from a few fans who had traveled from Salt Lake City to attend the Bastille tour. I’d recommend listening to Etta Marcus if you’re a fan of Faye Webster, Samia, or Julia Jacklin.

Orla Gartland took the stage next with her drummer and bass player, who were rocking Harry Styles and Taylor Swift t-shirts respectively. Gartland had supported Bastille at two earlier gigs on the tour, and it was clear she’d already gained some new fans in the Bastille community, as I saw several fans singing along to her songs like “Pretending” and “Why Am I Like This?” Gartland introduced the latter saying “This is a song about basically being in your own head” and the song seemed to be a crowd favorite. Towards the end of her set, the singer had everyone in the crowd singing along when she did a medley of different cover songs, including bits of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

With the crowd properly warmed up by Marcus and Gartland, the crew got to work setting the stage for the main event. The Bad Blood X stage included street lamps on either end and other bits reminiscent of their OG Bad Blood era, including a hoodie with a wolf on it and Converse shoes that lead singer Dan Smith used to wear during those early days of touring. Just before 8:45PM, the onstage screen flashed an introductory scrawl of “Bad Blood X” in Smith’s handwriting before fading into a montage of video clips from previous tours. While fans eagerly awaited the band to enter the stage, they saw moments ranging from celebrating Woody’s birthday to Will asking the band if they know how to say “goodbye” in Dutch to a younger Dan singing their hit “Pompeii.” The video clip of “Pompeii” transitioned into the band entering the stage and launching into playing the anthemic tune, which felt a little surreal to hear as the first song of the night. I’m pretty sure every time I’ve seen Bastille, they’ve closed with “Pompeii”— but with playing the album in full, fans got to hear it at the start of the set this time.

Next up on both the album and setlist; “Things We Lost in the Fire,” which saw the entire audience clapping in time to the drumbeat of the chorus. After this song, Kyle Simmons addressed the crowd to let them know from time to time they’d be seeing old “embarrassing” videos of their early tour days up on the screen, which were captured by their friend and videographer Tom Middleton. Simmons also mentioned that he and Smith had studied at University of Leeds, which added to the full circle moment and fit the theme of revisiting a part of your past life.

Following the performance of the album’s title track, the audience got another stroll down memory lane with another clip from Middleton’s tour archive. The clip revealed an unglamorous moment of touring; changing a flat tire on the way to a gig. These interludes of past tour footage occurred a few more times throughout the show, but the most beloved seemed to be the video of Farquarson getting a tattoo of the words “Bad Blood” in Texas to commemorate the album going to number one on the charts, which got a loud laugh from the audience.

The video interludes weren’t the only moments of the Bad Blood portion of the set that nodded to the band’s past. They made sure to bring back many traditions tied to these songs —for example, Woody left his drum set to come to the front of the stage to lead the crowd in swaying their arms during “Overjoyed” and holding up their cell phone lights during “Oblivion.” One tradition that has remained since day one is what has been deemed the “Flaws walk” by fans—which is when Smith hops off the stage during the performance of their first single “Flaws” to walk and dance his way through the audience. The song has remained a staple in their setlist, even on the tour for their fourth album Give Me The Future, so Smith has kept up the Flaws walk for years. On the night of the Leeds show, Smith started on the house right side of the crowd, made his way all the way to the back of the square, and re-entered on the left side. Quite the feat considering the size of the audience and the venue, but Smith has always impressed me with his ability to maneuver through frenzied crowds. Smith also impressed me with his ability to jump up and down while singing just as much as he did in the early days, but I did notice he swapped out his Converse shoes for more sensible New Balances.

Bastille’s performance of their debut album on this tour wasn’t just a redo of their early songs, it was a revival and a chance for them to breathe new life into the music they once performed as novices, now as seasoned performers. While they still had plenty of callbacks to their beginning days in 2013-2014, the 2023 tour also introduced more advanced production aspects and more live band members, including multi-instrumentalist Charlie Barnes (who has been a touring member of Bastille since 2015) and vocalists Bim Amoako and Senab Adekunle.

Another pleasant change with touring Bad Blood 2.0 was the addition of the song “Weight of Living Pt. I” to the setlist. Before playing the song to close out the first part of the set, Smith told the crowd that this track “really dates” the album because it was a hidden bonus track on the record, which isn’t a common feature on records nowadays. Prior to this tour, Bastille had only played Pt. I of “Weight of Living” a handful of times—the first time being in 2017, well after the album’s original tours. The live version of this song sounded incredible with extra vocal support from Bim and Senab.

Kyle Simmons, Dan Smith, and Charlie Barnes of Bastille

The entire band left the stage at this point, returning promptly to perform other fan favorites for part two of their set. A graphic on the screen reading “Beyond Bad Blood” marked the transition into music from other eras. “Good Grief” and “Send Them Off!” from their second album Wild World were both featured during this portion—the latter being fan-voted by a poll on the band’s Instagram Stories the morning of the gig. “The Draw,” which was a song featured on the (super) extended version the debut album called All This Bad Blood, had been played by Bastille on past tours, but this time around fans got to see Smith perform it on guitar, giving it a little extra edginess. We also saw Smith on guitar for the performance of the band’s 2020 single “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???”—but the real star of the show during that song was Barnes, whose showmanship was on full display as he jumped and flipped around the stage.

Smith then addressed the audience to tell them they’d like to “finish with a party” before launching into their hit collaboration with Marshmello “Happier.” Smith stood up onto the barricade rail for this song, balancing on it like a tightrope as he walked from one end to another, at one point holding the microphone out to a fan to sing part of the chorus. The party vibes continued with “Million Pieces” from their album Doom Days, which Smith introduced by saying “This is our attempt at a rave song, but as usual it has to be about the world fucking falling apart.”

Smith walking along the barricade during “Happier”

True to their word, Bastille rounded off the set with pure party vibes by playing “Of The Night” and “Shut Off The Lights.” During their performance of the former (which is a mashup cover of 90’s tunes “Rhythm is a Dancer” and “Rhythm of the Night”) Smith once again recalled a tried and true tradition at their shows by asking everyone to crouch down just before the chorus, then jump up and down with him during the chorus. During the final song of the show, Smith and his bandmates sang “shut off the lights, we don’t need them to dance” and dance we did.

After all the dancing I did at this show, I found myself in McDonald’s afterwards with several other concert attendees getting their post-gig fuel. The best conversation I overheard while waiting for food was a man singing “they put the chips in the fryer fryer fryer” to the tune of “Things We Lost in the Fire.”

A wise band once said “does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?” And with Bad Blood X, the changes are there with the increase in the size of their fan base, the newest live band member additions, the more supportive sneakers, and Smith’s stage demeanor, but the changes signify growth and the joy of living. Here’s to hoping we see the band when they’re older and full of (more) stories to be told for Bad Blood XX.

If you missed out on the shows in the UK, the band will be playing one US show for Bad Blood X in Los Angeles on August 25th. Check out all of their upcoming tour dates here, and see the full gallery of the Leeds show below.

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categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs, Music
tags / Bastille, Bad Blood, Bad Blood X, Leeds, Etta Marcus, Orla Gartland, Live Recap, Live Review, Concert Photography, Photography, Photos

Pitchfork Festival 2023: 7 Acts to Get There Early For

July 07, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

2023’s Pitchfork Music Festival lineup is stacked with many incredible artists— including The Smile, Bon Iver, and Big Thief as this year’s headliners. However, we all know that some of the best moments of festivals can be getting there early and stumbling upon a new artist for an in-the-wild festival discovery. If you need guidance on which bands you should be arriving early for this year, tune into some of ANCHR’s top picks below. See you at Union Park on July 21, 22, and 23!

SEN MORIMOTO

You’ve likely heard the music of Chicago-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (and I mean all the instruments) Sen Morimoto, even if you didn’t know it because he’s collaborated with so many artists, including KAINA, Lala Lala, Ric Wilson, and Joseph Chilliams—just to name a few. Aside from his collaborative features, Morimoto has released much of his own music that journeys through a spectrum of different genres, including his 2018 debut entitled Cannonball! and his sophomore, self-titled record in 2020. Both releases were done with Sooper Records, a record label that Morimoto co-owns with fellow artists NNAMDÏ and Glenn Curran. Most recently, Morimoto released a single of the title-track from his upcoming album Diagnosis, which will be released November 3rd.

On his song “People Watching,” Morimoto raps “I write songs everywhere I go/everywhere I land/I don’t have a band, I don’t need a band” because he arranges and performs all of the instruments on his recorded music, but his Pitchfork set is bound to feature some familiar Chicago faces in his live band, making it a set you don’t want to miss.

For Fans Of: KAINA, NNAMDÏ, Mac Miller

Where/When: Friday, Green Stage, 2:30PM

DEEPER

Deeper is another integral Chicago act and an ANCHR favorite that will be performing at Pitchfork this year. Composed of Nic Gohl, Shiraz Bhatti, Drew McBride, and Kevin Fairbairn, Deeper’s signature sound over the years could be described as reimagined post-punk, but they have continued to evolve and expand their sonic depth across their two albums; 2018’s self-titled record and 2020’s Auto-Pain.

Most recently, Deeper has signed to Sub Pop and announced their third record, entitled Careful! and slated to be released in September this year. Deeper fans have gotten a taste of the third album with singles “Sub” and “Build a Bridge.” The former starts out with a frenzied crescendo of guitars and a quick drumbeat that’ll immediately energize you and get your body moving in time to the melody, which is something the band set out to do with this new album. Gohl says he and the band asked themselves “Does it feel good when you’re listening to this song? Does your body want to move with it?” when writing these songs. “Build a Bridge” starts off a little slower but quickly kicks in with a jangly guitar riff and hypnotizing synths, which makes me answer yes to both of the above questions. On both singles, Gohl’s distinctive vocals are still recognizable from the records of Deeper’s past, but there’s a crisper quality to them.

Make sure you catch Deeper’s set at Pitchfork to get a first glimpse at some of their newer songs.

For Fans Of: Omni, Dehd, Current Joys

Where/When: Saturday, Green Stage, 1:00PM

GRACE IVES

Another artist sure to make you feel good and want to move your body is Grace Ives, and who doesn’t want to feel that way when watching a festival performance? Grace Ives is a Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and musician. Her catalog, which includes 2019’s 2nd and 2022’s Janky Star is jam-packed with bouncy drumbeats and dreamy synthesizers that meld with her silky vocals. Ives’ music has elements that have flashes of similarity to so many of favorites artists, from Caroline Polachek to Florence + The Machine, but there’s a quirky distinctiveness to her sound that sets her apart.

While Ives hasn’t released any new music since Janky Star, I’m looking forward to hearing many of those songs performed live. Stand outs from the record include “Angel Of Business” and “Lullaby.” The latter starts off with a reverb-drenched synthesizer melody before a traditional drumbeat kicks in and Ives sings lyrics about the comfort of routine and repetition, including “I watch that movie ten times a day/I can recite, you press replay.” She describes the song’s theme, saying, “This song is about the comfort and anxiety that comes with isolating yourself. Homebody’s anthem.“ It’ll be nice to hear the song at Pitchfork Fest as a celebration that we all switched up our usual routine for a day at a festival.

For Fans Of: Ethel Cain, Caroline Rose, Barrie

Where/When: Friday, Red Stage, 3:20PM

BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT

I first got the chance to see the Swinomish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul, better known as Black Belt Eagle Scout, at SXSW Festival in 2019, and I can still recall being blown away by her live performance. If that’s not enough to convince you to catch her at Pitchfork Festival, you can tune into her expansive discography across her three albums—including 2018’s Mother of My Children, 2019’s At the Party With My Brown Friends and the most recent, 2023’s The Land, The Water, The Sky.

Black Belt Eagle Scout’s music often features a contrast of falsetto, gentle vocals against gritty, emotive guitar riffs. Paul’s single “Spaces” focuses on a sense of community and inclusion, sung in her signature gentle vocals over guitar and violin. The track not only features vocal contributions from her own parents, but Paul says, “I wrote ‘Spaces’ for an audience as a way to sing melodies of healing and care for them. Since starting Black Belt Eagle Scout, I have moved through many spaces, playing shows for crowds of people. I can’t always connect one on one with everyone and so this song is an attempt to bring my feelings of appreciation I have for everyone who supports my music to life.” This song will definitely be a special one to hear during Black Belt Eagle Scout’s Pitchfork set.

For Fans Of: Bully, Snail Mail, Slow Pulp

Where/When: Saturday, Blue Stage, 2:45PM

JOCKSTRAP

Jockstrap is another Pitchfork act that will be sure to energize you for the day ahead on the last day of the festival, while also giving you the chance to zen out with their entrancing music. Jockstrap is the duo of London-based musicians Georgia Ellery and Taylor Sky, which sees Ellery take on the roles of vocals, violin, and guitar, with Sky wearing the production hat and mixing in synthesizers, drum machines and additional vocals.

The duo has a sound that incorporates glitch, electro-pop and experimental genres across their range of EPs, singles, and first record. Their 2022 debut album I Love You Jennifer B explores a vast sonic landscape that is mellow and cinematic at times but will make you want to dance in other moments. If you’re looking for a set that will have a little bit of everything, make sure to catch Jockstrap.

For Fans Of: The xx, Zola Jesus, Black Country, New Road

Where/When: Sunday, Red Stage, 3:20PM

MJ LENDERMAN

You might recognize MJ Lenderman from his work with the Asheville-based band Wednesday, but he’ll be performing at Pitchfork Fest this year under his solo project.

Lenderman’s material will vibe perfectly with the mood on a second day of a festival; his music is full of fuzzed out guitars, lofi vocals, narrative-style lyrics and a twinge of twang. His songs like “Hangover Game,” “TV Dinners,” and “You Have Bought Yourself a Boat” will be the perfect tunes for a laid-back summer day, allowing you to ease into Saturday at Pitchfork.

Lenderman has released three solo albums, including a self-titled debut, 2021’s Ghost of Your Guitar Solo and 2022’s Boat Songs, so there will be no shortage of songs he could play during his set.

For Fans Of: Pinegrove, Wednesday, Rookie

Where/When: Saturday, Red Stage, 3:20PM

FLORIST

Florist is another act that will make for the perfect final-day-of-the-fest vibes with their mellow, chilled out catalog of indie folk songs. Florist is based in Brooklyn and composed of Emily Sprague, Rick Spataro, Jonnie Baker, and Felix Walworth.

The group began making music back in 2013, before releasing their debut album The Bird Outside Sang. Since then, they’ve put out another three albums, including an album in 2019 called Emily Alone which Emily Sprague wrote and recorded entirely solo. Their 2019 album If Blue Could Be Happiness includes some of my favorites of their songs, such as “The Fear of Losing This,” “Blue Mountain Road,” and “Instrumental 3”—the latter of which is a soothing and meditative (you guessed it) instrumental track. While there are some beautiful instrumental moments in their music, Sprague’s soft and airy vocals are often a highlight of Florist’s material.

Most recently, Florist released their self-titled fourth album last summer, so we can expect to hear plenty of that record during their Pitchfork set.

For Fans Of: Novo Amor, Phoebe Bridgers, Fenne Lily

Where/When: Sunday, Blue Stage, 2:45PM

View the full and most current schedule for the festival here, and stay tuned for our coverage of the full festival.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Sen Morimoto, Deeper, Grace Ives, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Florist, Jockstrap, MJ Lenderman, Pitchfork Music Festival, Pitchfork, Music Festival, Preview, Union Park

Live Recap: Les Claypool with The Budos Band at Salt Shed

July 06, 2023 / Dora Segall

Someone threw up in a trashcan near the stage four songs into the opener for Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, but that didn’t put a damper on what was definitely a memorable reunion tour stop at the Salt Shed.

The crowd was more or less what I expected–an assortment of middle-aged people, some younger, about two thirds men. “White trash,” my friend assessed, although I saw some more sophisticated weirdos as well as people donning dreads.

Budos Band made for a killer first set. The band’s uncategorizable sound melded Afro-funk with hard rock and a number of other influences. Perhaps the most memorable of the group’s small army of members was Robert “Bobby” Lombardo. The drummer put his entire body–and curtain of long hair–into his congas, pausing only to run across the stage and hype up the audience. Lombardo was joined by an army of other instruments, including two trumpets and a saxophonist. The music they churned out was delightfully dissonant, yet upbeat.

Between Budos Band and the Frog Brigade, I headed to the bar for a drink, where I received a free sticker from the man ahead of me in line. I ran into him the next day and learned that he’d traveled all the way from Vegas to see Budos Band open for Les’s band. The sticker he gave me depicted a frog with strawberry-textured skin and a little leaf-and-stem hat. Frogs were, for obvious reasons, a motif throughout the evening; the venue wasn’t selling Frog Brigade’s signature amphibian hats, but several fans showed up in handmade ones—My favorite was a mother-daughter pair with foam visors, and cute little cartoonish eyes drawn on.

The Frog Brigade came out full-force with its cover of “Thela Hun Ginjeet,” a bass-heavy rendition that showcased Les Claypool’s fittingly frog-like dancey playing style. Les’s hammered out more than two hours of originals and covers, most of them a part of its regular, live arsenal. The group dedicated the middle chunk of its set to Pink Floyd’s “Animals.” The more exciting parts of the set, though, for me at least, were the Primus-adjacent tracks Les had penned himself. He donned his signature pig mask for “Precipitation,” conjuring delightfully freakish melodies from an upright, electric bass as the band played along. It was the kind of song I imagine someone would write if asked to put Animal Farm to music.

Joining Les in the Frog Brigade were a xylophonist, drummer and keyboardist in their uniform of army fatigues. Sean Lennon took his usual place as Les’s right-hand-man guitarist. Skerik was out of commission for the first leg of reunion tour due to a shoulder injury, so saxophonist Frank Catalano, whom Les stage named “Ballpark Frank” for reasons I cannot recall, filled in.

The Frog Brigade wrapped up after 11 with bouncy, funky “One Better,” a Les Original, followed by a two-song encore. After a bottleneck out of the venue across a floor crunchy with abandoned beer cups, audience members had the chance to smoke and chat outside over a venue-curated queue of hardcore 90s music. I opted to head out, passing burger and whippit vendors on my way to my car–ah, Primus fans.

Check out photos from the show below, and see where you can catch Les Claypool on tour next here.

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categories / Photos, Reviews, Gigs
tags / Les Claypool, The Budos Band, Salt Shed, Live Recap, Live Review, Photography, Photo Set

Live Recap: Counting Crows with Dashboard Confessional at Ravinia Festival

June 26, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

The Counting Crows and Dashboard Confessional kicked off the weekend with an incredible show at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park on Friday, June 23rd.

Prior to the music kicking off with Dashboard Confessional around 7PM, music fans arrived to the Ravinia site as early as 5PM to settle in and have a pre-concert picnic on the lawn. Before Chris Carrabba and his five band members began their set, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows took the stage to tell everyone to “get off the lawn” and come join them in the pavilion for the main event. The audience continued to trickle in as Dashboard Confessional started their set with a throwback to 2006’s “Don’t Wait.” During performances of their songs, Carrabba’s fun-spirited stage presence shone through in the way he sang and carried himself, but it was during the between-song banter that his personality really came across. Before playing their third song of the night entitled “Belong,” Carrabba told the crowd that he had the opportunity to wander around the lawn earlier in the evening and meet some people, including one young girl named Emma. Carrabba pointed out Emily in the crowd, and shared that this was her first concert ever before dedicating the song to her.

Throughout the rest of the set, Carrabba weaved in anecdotes about the songs that the band was about to play, including a story about kissing a girl from Chicago under the Williamsburg Bridge before “Remember to Breathe” and telling the crowd that he’d seen the new Spider-Man movie before playing “Vindicated” since that song was used in Spider-Man 2. Most of the set was well-received by the audience, but everyone seemed particularly excited about the performance of “Stolen” and the hit “Hands Down,” the latter of which closed out the show. Dashboard Confessional’s set was a perfect and nostalgic start to the evening; I remember being in high school and listening to some of these songs and it was incredible to get the chance to form new memories with these songs at this concert.

Next up, Counting Crows took the stage to a completely packed pavilion, beginning their set with “Sullivan Street” off their debut album August and Everything After. From there, they jumped to perform “If I Could Give All My Love -or- Richard Manuel Is Dead” from their 2002 album Hard Candy before turning up the heat by playing their massive hit “Mr. Jones” as the third song of the night. Most bands wait to play their biggest hits until the end of their set, but I admired the bolder move and appreciated the electrifying energy of the audience dancing and singing along to the tune.

With so many great songs under their belt, it really felt like the entire setlist was just hit after hit, but there were definitely more mellow moments over the evening. For example, the very next song after “Mr. Jones” was the ballad “Colorblind,” which is still a favorite of mine, but features a dramatic piano-driven melody that starkly contrasts with the swingy, upbeat tempo of the previous song.

Similarly to Carrabba, Adam Duritz’s stage presence and between-song banter showed off his dynamic personality. Duritz would sometimes illustrate the lyrics of his songs with hand motions and body movements, essentially like an interpretive dance to help contextualize the words— for example he shrugged when he sang the line “I don’t know” in “Round Here” and he reached his arm out when he sang “I’m covered in skin” during “Colorblind.” There was also a frequent change up in the vocal cadence or inflictions of Duritz’s live performance, in comparison to the recorded versions of these songs, that added more texture to the live show. Then of course, Duritz’s sense of humor was on display whenever he took a moment to speak to the audience—whether it was the tale he told about “getting to crazy from crazy” when he was waiting for the muse behind “Washington Square” to write him back, or the way he mimicked a Chicago accent to describe how the audience sounded singing certain parts back to him.

To wrap up the main part of the set, Duritz performed (yet another hit) “A Long December” from the piano. The band quickly returned for an encore that began with “Hanginaround,” which featured a guest appearance from the entirety of Dashboard Confessional. The energy really soared with the epic, big band moment of having everyone onstage together. “Time and Time” again had been on the evening’s setlist, but it got unfortunately got cut and the encore ended with “Holiday in Spain,” which Duritz deemed as “our lullaby to you.”

Overall, the concert was filled with a lot of nostalgia, but all of the timeless hits made for a night of new memories you can’t forget.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.

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categories / Reviews, Gigs, Photos
tags / Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, Live Show, Live Review, Live Recap, Ravinia Festival, Summer Concerts

Live Recap: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Bring Their Residency Tour to Salt Shed

June 15, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

This past Sunday night, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard returned to Chicago for the first of their three-night sold-out residency here at the Salt Shed.

Despite it being nearly mid-June, the weather was unseasonably cold and windy, but that didn’t stop King Gizz’s dedicated fan base from coming out in droves. Amongst the jackets and beanies I saw walking into the Shed, I saw some folks wearing wizard hats and even someone rocking a lizard costume in homage to the band.

It’s been a few years since I last saw King Gizz here, and in that time they’ve released more albums than I can count on two hands, so I wasn’t sure which songs to expect on their set list. Many of the fans in attendance on Sunday night were planning on attending multiple nights of the tour (either in Chicago or elsewhere), but even they wouldn’t really know what to expect as KGWL has the tendency to change up their set from show to show.

On Sunday, the music kicked off with “Pleura” and “O.N.E.” from the 2021 album L.W. Just before launching into the third song of the evening, the band invited an audience member, whose name we learned was Seb, onto the stage to introduce the next song. Standing next to band members Joey Walker and Stu Mackenzie and their dual microphone stand, Seb commenced the performance of “Nuclear Fusion” by growling the song title in a similar fashion to what you can hear on the studio version. Seb’s short-but-sweet guest appearance got a raucous round of applause from the crowd.

From the jump, audience members began moshing and crowd surfing, but their energy only amplified when Mackenzie took a moment to thank everyone for coming out and braving the gnarly weather, adding “the best way to stay warm is to move your body.” Later on in their set, I stood on the Salt Shed’s balcony and got to take in the aerial view of the giant mosh pit, at one point even getting to witness a circle pit.

Throughout King Gizz’s two-hour set, they mixed in a lot of diverse musical styling and genres, but for the most part it swayed jam band-esque, which is fitting because the band jokingly dedicated one of their songs to John Mayer. Mayer was in town the same weekend for shows with Dead and Company, but if you ask me, I’d much prefer to watch “The Grateful Gizz” in concert! KGWL added texture to their live performance by peppering in flute (played by Mackenzie) and saxophone (played by Ambrose Kenny-Smith) on some of the songs. The evening closed out with a performance of “Boogieman Sam” from the 2019 album Fishing for Fishies.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.

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categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / King Gizz, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Live Recap, Live Music, Salt Shed

Take the Moment and Taste It: A Live Recap of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour at Ford Field

June 13, 2023 / Rachel Zyzda

Picture this; you’re standing in a sold out stadium surrounded by sparkling and sequined-out Swifities, getting ready to watch Taylor Swift perform an over-3-hour show—*record scratch, freeze-frame* You’re probably wondering how we got here. Cut to Taylor Swift sitting at the piano, mid-Evermore set, telling the audience about the many albums she released since her last tour and during quarantine (Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights). “People were like ‘Are you sure you want to put all these albums out? You won’t be able to tour on the individual album and there’s so many albums you’ve made and you haven’t been able to tour’ and I was like, I have a plan. It’s called The Eras Tour,” she told the crowd, revealing the mastermind scheme behind her current tour that started March 17th in Glendale, AZ and will wrap up the U.S leg on August 9th in Los Angeles, CA.

Rewinding the clock back a few hours, it’s around 5 PM on Saturday, June 10th and I’ve just arrived at Ford Field in Motown (aka Detroit) following a road trip from Chicago, where the Eras Tour had just stopped the previous week for three sold out shows. As I make my way into the stadium, I’m surrounded by a sea of fellow fans ready to witness the second and final night of Swift’s shows in Detroit. While I trek through the massive venue to my seat, I observe all of the stunning and clever outfits that the audience is sporting; there’s everything from elaborate hand-sewn costumes modeled off of some of Taylor’s iconic Grammy Awards show looks to jewel-coloured sequins in every hue to funny shirts that say “It’s me, hi, I’m the husband, it’s me” (which were being rocked by several supportive Swiftie hubbies). There was a mix of excitement and anxiety in the air, like the entire crowd was holding their breath until the show they’d been anticipating for more than six months would finally kick off. While fans anxiously awaited for the support acts to warm up the stage, many were either standing in the (very long) merch lines throughout the venue, or watching some of the behind-the-scenes footage from music video shoots that was being played on the stage’s screen.

Around 6:25 PM, the stadium lights dimmed and singer-songwriter OWENN took the stage. OWENN started off his entertainment career as a dancer and choreographer working with many well-known artists, including none-other than Taylor Swift herself when he danced with her on the 1989 and Reputation tours and starred in the “Lover” music video. Regardless of his rich history with Swift, OWENN quickly won over the audience during his short-but-sweet set while he played a handful of his songs, including “Baby Girl,” “Show Me,” and “Rest Of My Life.” Fans showed their appreciation by holding up their cell-phone lights and swaying during some of the songs. Before he left the stage, OWENN made sure to thank Taylor for having him on the tour, saying, “She could've chose anyone, but she chose me. I’m so thankful to Taylor.”

After a very quick turnaround time, Norwegian musician Marie Ulven Ringheim, better known as Girl in Red, came in hot, opening up her set with the song “You Stupid Bitch.” Many of the audience members stood up from their seats and joined Girl in Red by dancing and singing the words to the upbeat song. Ringheim primed the crowd for the rest of her performance, saying, “I was here last night and what I witnessed [from Taylor] was fucking fantastic. I’m gonna give you the 1% that I can do of her show.” Girl in Red’s set length might have only been a sliver of the stage time that Swift had, but I’d say she gave it a whole lot more than 1%-- Ringheim completely captivated the stadium, running around the massive stage as she performed songs like “Bad Idea” and “Serotonin.” In the latter track, Ringheim sings “I'm running low on serotonin,” but that statement couldn’t have been less true for everyone in attendance, based on the beaming smiles I saw around me. “It’s been a pleasure. I’m Girl in Red, thank you to my band, crew, and Taylor. She is the coolest person in the world and I can’t wait to see her show again,” Ringheim told the crowd to wrap up her performance.

At this point, the room swelled with palpable anticipation. During the final changeover before the main event, fans hurried to top up their refreshments or take pictures in front of the Eras Tour backdrop on the stage. Finally, the song “Applause” by Lady Gaga rang out through the house speakers and the screen onstage began to display a countdown clock that started at 2 minutes and 23 seconds. The clock ticked down second by second, in a moment that both felt like a lifetime and a quick blink of an eye, and fans screamed along with the final ten seconds.

And just like that, right before 7:55 PM, Swift’s dancers appeared onstage carrying a bouquet of pastel-colored parachutes while an introductory medley of her catalog played through the speakers. Donning a glistening bodysuit and matching boots, the singer emerged from behind the parachutes to sing out the opening lines of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” as the start of her Lover portion of the show. Fittingly, the chorus of the track begins with the lyrics “It’s been a long time coming,” making it the perfect song to open a tour that’s been five years in the making. The set moved onto the hit “Cruel Summer” next, a song that everyone scream-sang along to– especially during the bridge. Leading up to that iconic moment of the song, Taylor told the audience, “Detroit, we have arrived! The very first bridge of the evening. Now what do we do when we arrive at a bridge such as this, Detroit? Oh, we scream it!” Throughout the show, Taylor’s musical performance was complemented by beautiful and often-complex visual aids that appeared both on the background screen and stage itself, but that wasn’t all that this show delivered. Taylor, as well as her dancing crew, often mixed in theatrical elements into the performance. A prime example of this was done before she performed the third song of the night, “The Man.” Swift told the audience that they were making her feel “very powerful” and like “I get to play a sold out show at Ford Field” as she kissed her biceps and slipped on a blazer, mimicking the power play that society often attributes towards men. In just these first few moments of the show, Swift’s movements were already creating a physical representation of her songwriting, a theme that continued throughout every era. During this first portion, fans also got to hear “You Need to Calm Down,” “The Archer,” and of course, the album’s title track. Before singing “Lover,” Swift gave a detailed thank you to her support acts, recalling her history with OWENN and telling everyone how much she loves Girl in Red’s last album. The additional details in her appreciation for the support is just one of the ways that Swift showcased the dedication and thoughtfulness she poured into this tour. While the tour dancers slow-danced around the stage, the audiences’ wristbands light up like glistening Christmas lights, almost like an homage to the song’s opening lyrics “We can leave the Christmas lights up til January.”

Taylor Swift performing “Lover” // Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

To signify the transition into the next era, the stage backdrop displayed a golden rain shower to get the audience feeling fearless. During this seamless transition, Swift quickly changed her outfit backstage to one that was reminiscent of her look during the original Fearless timeframe in 2008 (we of course got Taylor’s version of the record in 2021). Swift performed the album’s title track to kick off this portion, playing the song on a silver gem-bedazzled acoustic guitar that matched her dress. The stage itself also coordinated with this theme– the graphics displayed the image of an acoustic guitar in the center of the stage floor. The 3-song Fearless era of the show also contained “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” both of which had the crowd scream-singing along.

Next, the timeline jumped all the way to 2020 for Evermore, the second album that Taylor released that year as a sort of sister album to Folklore. To signify the whimsical, witchy nature of this record, the visual transition displayed images of a dark forest. Swift performed “'tis the damn season” wearing an orange and gold dress, eventually adding on a winter-green cloak for the second song of this set, “willow.” The woodsy visual effects evolved throughout the Evermore moment, at some points casting the illusion of fire and at other times displaying snow-covered trees. No matter what was happening on the screen behind Taylor and her crew, the production elements were so well done that it left little to the fans’ imaginations– we were all able to experience the scenes that Taylor paints for us with her words right there on the stage. Most of the songs that Swift performed from Evermore have a toned-down, folksy mood that meant fans were just regularly singing along (and not scream-singing along). That is, until we got to the bridge of “champagne problems,” one of the album’s singles that Swift performed on a custom-decorated piano that fits with the forest aesthetic. Before we got back to the scream-singing part of the set, Taylor took a break to talk to the audience again, letting us know she was recovering from a “tiny cold” and recalling the very first time she performed at Ford Field, back in 2006 when she sang the National Anthem before a Detroit Lions game. Despite still recovering from that cold, Swift’s vocals sounded strong and stunning throughout the show, even during the more vulnerable moments like her piano performances. Back to “champagne problems,” the audience gave the bridge of that song their all, yelling the lyrics “‘She would've made such a lovely bride/What a shame she's fucked in the head,’ they said” back to Taylor. The enthusiasm of the crowd in that moment didn’t go unnoticed; after finishing the song, Swift surveyed the room with tearful eyes filled with gratitude. The moment of gratitude was met with the audience chanting “Taylor!” to which the singer said “You guys are such nice people, thank you so much.”

Taylor Swift in her Evermore Era// Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

The Evermore set ended with a dramatic performance of the ballad “tolerate it” before moving into what I consider to be the most epic transition of the night. To signify the jump to 2017 for the Reputation album, flashes of a hissing snake appeared on the stage’s screen, while sounds of echoing high-heel clacks poured out of the speakers. Not only is Reputation a highly-adored album in the fanbase, but the shift into these songs also meant an uptick in the overall tempo of the music from the previous set, and you could feel the audience’s excitement to pick up the pace. The set kicked off with the album’s opening track “...Ready For It?” which the crowd loudly confirmed they were, in fact, ready for it with overbearing screams. Taylor launched into the quick-tempoed first verse of the song and the hype built up even more. Next up in this era, Swift performed one of my all-time favorites “Delicate.” It’s become a tradition for fans to yell “1,2,3 let’s go bitch!” right after the introduction of the song before the first main verse, and Taylor fed into that tradition by counting up to 3 with her hand ahead of the chant. Other highlights of the Rep set included the pinnacle of “Don’t Blame Me,” when Swift hits her signature high note (again, while being ill!) and the bridge of the ultimate revenge track “Look What You Made Me Do.”

“In my *Reputation* Era”/ Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

The high-energy bled into the quickest of all of the eras sets, Speak Now, which was solely represented by the song “Enchanted.” Despite being only one-song, this moment was still pivotal in the performance. The lyrics “This night is sparkling, don't you let it go” pretty much sum up the magic of this Eras tour. Also, Speak Now was originally released in 2010, but Taylor announced during her show in Nashville earlier in the tour that the Taylor’s Version of the record will be released on July 7, 2023, so there may be more of this album showcased during the last leg of the tour following the re-release.

Speaking of re-releases, the next segment of the show took us back to 2012 if we’re talking about the original…But if we’re talking Taylor’s Version, the timeline takes us to November of 2021, when Taylor blessed us with her special re-recorded version of Red, including a few “From The Vault” tracks. This era was introduced to us with one of the dancers entering a silent stage, breaking up the stillness by opening up a red box that played clips of the hits from Red that were not included in the set that followed. The main performance kicked off with Taylor, alongside her dancers, taking the stage wearing a top hat and sequin shirt that read “Who’s Taylor Swift Anyways? Ew.” to poke fun of some of the hate comments she’d received online during the Red timeframe. Another huge tradition of this Eras tour is that every night, Taylor’s team handpicks a lucky fan to stand at the end of the stage’s runway while she sings “22,” and at the end of the song, Swift kneels down to gift her hat to the chosen fan. For the performances of the hits “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble,” Swift also ditched the shirt to sport a red and black romper to coordinate with the album’s colors. The audiences’ wristbands also flashed red throughout these songs to tie into the color coordination. The pinnacle of this portion happened during the 10-minute version of “All To Well,” which was one of the “From The Vault” versions of the re-release. I’m not exaggerating when I say singing along to every single lyric of this song was just as cathartic as an hour-long therapy session. During “All Too Well,” confetti was shot into the stadium to represent the “Autumn leaves fallin' down like pieces into place” and “the first fall of snow,” which added a multi-sensory element to the theatrical touches of the performance.

The cathartic moment of “All Too Well” // Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

With everyone’s emotions still at a peak, the show journeyed into the Folklore phase, bringing us back to the first quarantine album that Taylor released in 2020. A spoken word version of the song “Seven” eased us into the cozy cabin that contains these songs (figuratively and literally because the new stage set up included a full-size A-frame cabin). Swift made her entrance to this portion laying on the roof of the aforementioned cabin, draped in an off- white, flowy gown to sing the album’s opening track “the 1,” a song that was co-written and produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner. Following the introductory song, Taylor moved into the cabin saying “we have brought the Folklore cabin to Detroit.” She further elaborated on the significance that the cabin plays in the world of these songs, saying, “I started writing Folklore about two days into the pandemic. Folklore was a state of mind for me. I could escape to this forest in the middle of the woods. It became this imaginary vacation spot.” This mental vacation also represented a departure from the very personal method that Taylor traditionally writes, as these songs saw her telling stories from the point of view of fictionalized characters…such as Betty, Inez and James from the song “Betty,” which was performed next.

With a total of seven songs from Folklore’s sixteen-song tracklist performed, that makes it one of the most represented albums on this tour. This era was also one of the most emotional of the night, with most of the songs performed in a dramatic and passionate fashion by both Taylor and the dancers. Just as the writing of these songs provided an escape from the quarantine-reality that Swift experienced, the performance of them breathed life into that concept of escapism and it truly felt like we dropped into a fictional world while experiencing songs like “my tears ricochet,” “august” and “cardigan.”

The *Folklore* forest /Photo by Rachel Zyzda

As sudden as a snap of fingers, the audience was transported into the world of 1989 (the album, not the year). Taylor and her dancers brought us back to the year 2014 when she transitioned into a more pop-centric sound with iconic hits such as “Style” and “Shake It Off.” Swift performed all of these songs while decked out in an orange, sparkling two piece set and matching booties. During “Blank Space,” her dancers acted out smashing a car that appeared on the stage screen with golf clubs, an homage to the song’s music video. During “Shake It Off,” there wasn’t a single person in the 60,000-capacity stadium not singing and shaking along.

Now, the 1989 set technically wrapped up with Taylor singing “Bad Blood,” but fans were graced with one final song from that album during the acoustic stint of the evening. At every show on this tour, Taylor sings two “surprise songs” that are not included in the main portion of the setlist, and she rotates the song selection every single night. Swift sings the first of the surprise songs on acoustic guitar, before moving over to a piano set up at the end of the stage’s catwalk, and the song performed on guitar ended up being “All You Had To Do Was Stay.” Taylor introduced the track from 1989 by saying “I really don’t think I’ve ever played this song acoustic, but I love this song so much. It’s interesting cause it has this like really loud, really high sound in it” before demonstrating the signature falsetto “stay” she sings in the chorus, which instantly caused the room to dissolve into deafening screams. For the second surprise song, Taylor dove into it without any warning or introduction, which caused my heart to leap into my throat with excitement because it was one of my top three favorite songs of her’s. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the full-body goosebumps I felt hearing her sing “Breathe” from her album Fearless, which is a song that single-handedly helped me survive my first ever heartbreak.

Taylor Swift performing “Breathe.” /Photo by Rachel Zyzda

I know I mentioned earlier that the Reputation era had the most iconic transition, but I have to amend that statement to say it tied with the next transition; As Taylor got up from the piano at the end of the stage, an opening appeared on the stage floor for her to dive into. After she dives, a graphic of her swimming up to the other end of the stage appears. When Taylor returns to the stage, she’s sporting a fuzzy lavender jacket in homage to “Lavender Haze,” the first track on her most recent album, Midnights. Unbelievably, we’ve reached the three-hour mark of the show at this point, and we’ve entered the final Era of the evening. The experience both felt like it had lasted ages and had gone by in a flash.

Last, but certainly not least, the Midnights era ended the evening on an all-time high– everything from the costumes, the production elements, the dancing, and Taylor’s singing were as dazzling as the jeweled-colored lights of the audiences’ wristbands during “Bejeweled.” Just about every song performed from Midnights saw Taylor making a swift (sorry, that was too cheesy) costume transition, including the switch into a midnight blue one-piece for “Midnight Rain” that Taylor changed into under the umbrellas of her dancers. In the ultimate bittersweet moment, the show concluded with the performance of “Karma,” which featured all of the performers draped in neon-colored, glittering fringe jackets dancing under a rainstorm of confetti. The grand finale also featured toned-down “fireworks” that were essentially sparkly pyrotechnics because Ford Field is an enclosed space (which means no real fireworks!)

“Lately, I’ve been dressing for revenge”// Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

At the end of the theatrical, emotional and extraordinary performance I felt an overwhelming sense of awe, quickly followed by a bout of exhaustion. So many concert-goers who have had the opportunity to witness this once-in-a-lifetime tour have said they felt “hungover” afterwards, despite not drinking. This shared sentiment from the attendees is enough to keep me forever astounded by Taylor Swift’s accomplishments as a musician and entertainer because she’s able to repeat this spectacle night after night. It’s obvious that a tour this massive has a huge team behind it; From the dancers, to the production crew, to the live band, there are countless people putting their blood, sweat and tears into this show, but Taylor Swift acts as the true North Star of the performance, anchoring each and every one of the moving pieces.

The albums and songs that make up the Eras Tour setlist have all acted as a soundtrack to my life during different chapters of it, and I’m so grateful that this concert is now another cherished memory that will perpetually be tied to these songs. As a society, I think we can tend to underestimate the value of pop music, but after the dedication and sheer athleticism that Taylor Swift has displayed throughout the course of this tour and her phenomenal performances, she continues to prove just how impactful pop music can be.

I will admit that I’m slightly biased as an established Swiftie, but I truly believe that the Eras Tour is the performance of the century– unless of course Taylor eventually tops herself.

Tune into the tour setlist below, and see where you can catch the Eras Tour next here.

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categories / Reviews, Gigs, Photos, Music
tags / Taylor Swift, Eras Tour, Ford Field, Live Music, Live Recap, Concert Review, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, Fearless, Red, Reputation, 1989, Girl In Red, OWENN, Stadium Tour, Swifties