ANCHR Magazine

Holding you down with the best new music

Live Recap: Charly Bliss Bring The High Energy to Lincoln Hall

Just last month Charly Bliss released their highly-anticipated second album Young Enough - out now on via Barsuk Records - to a flurry of fantastically positive reviews. It is a definitive glow up from the band’s debut album Guppy that was a short yet powerful 29-minute hit of power pop to the face. Building on the excitement of fresh new material and already beloved “oldies”, the band brought Young Enough tour to Lincoln Hall on Saturday, June 15 with support from Emily Reo. 

It isn’t every day that a show opens up with an artist on the keytar, but that’s Emily Reo. Her ambitious electro-pop sugar coats darker lyrics about mansplainers and beloved cats who have crossed over to the beyond. Performing songs from her latest release Only You Can See It with her trio band as support, Emily Reo’s stuns audiences with her efficacious vocals and multi-instrumentalist talent. 

Busting out onto the stage in a tulle dress and a matching band in all white outfits, Charly Bliss - started by sister brother duo Eva and Sam Hendricks - launched into ‘Blown to Bits’ from the new album. Bouncing around and feeding off the crowd’s energy, the band’s overwhelming positivity and lively spirit was so infectious you couldn’t help, but want to dance too. Every band says “Chicago is one of their favorite cities to play in,” but you could truly feel the love this time. The setlist was a good mix of new work from Young Enough and Guppy with a ‘Mr. Brightside’ cover thrown in at the end for a good ol’ razzle dazzle to finish off the show. It is hard to not to fall in love with Charly Bliss’ power pop anthems rich in cathartic energy, especially in live form. It’s only a matter of time before the Brooklyn-based band take over with their in your face punk bubblegum pop.

Charly Bliss is on tour for the remainder of the year. Check their website for additional details and listen to Young Enough on your favorite streaming platform. 



LIVE RECAP: Faye Webster at Schubas 06.19.19

Just a few short months ago, Faye Webster had warmed up the crowd at a sold out Stella Donnelly show at Schubas, captivating the packed room with just her dreamy vocals, her guitar, and the accompaniment of her pedal steel-player, Pistol.

When last Wednesday night rolled around, it almost felt like no time had passed since that night, but Webster’s return for her sold out headlining show included a full live backing band, as well as a fleshed out set list featuring songs from her latest album Atlanta Millionaires Club, released May 24th via Secretly Canadian. Webster’s band helped create a more full sound and bring songs like “Right Side of My Neck” and “Flowers” from the album to life. While the set primarily focused on the new material, it also mixed in songs from Webster’s 2017 self-titled album and a cover of Atlanta rapper Father’s “Cheap Thrills” that Webster played solo, sans her bandmates. Following a couple of solo songs, Webster welcomed not only her bandmates back onstage, but the yo-yo connoisseur Xion to the stage. Xion and Webster’s own yo-yo skills stole the show and got the audience amped up for the final few songs of the evening.

If you missed out on tickets to the show, see where you can catch Faye Webster next here, and check out photos from the show below.

Keep up with Faye Webster on Instagram and Facebook

PHOTOS: pronoun at Cobra Lounge 06.08.19

This past Saturday, pronoun hit the stage at Cobra Lounge in honor of her debut album i'll show you stronger, which just dropped on May 24th. Check out photos from the show below and see where you can catch pronoun next here.

Keep up with pronoun on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

PHOTOS: Kevin Morby With Sam Cohen at Thalia Hall

This weekend, Kevin Morby and Sam Cohen took over Thalia Hall on Friday and Saturday night. Kevin Morby brought along a full band (including a flutist and backing vocalists) to deliver a dynamic performance of his new album Oh My God, as well as some older favorites like “Parade” and “Harlem River.” Check out photos from the first of two shows below.

Keep up with Kevin Morby on Facebook and Instagram and listen to Oh My God in full below.

PHOTOS: RVG and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever at Thalia Hall 6/04/19

It was a Melbourne takeover at Thalia Hall this past Tuesday night, with a lively show from both RVG and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. If you missed out, check out photos from the evening below!

PHOTOS: Glades and Frenship at Thalia Hall 05.29.19

Last Wednesday night, Frenship returned to Chicago for their biggest show yet, in honor of their debut album Vacation. The duo shared the Thalia Hall stage with Glades. Check out photos from both sets below, and see where you can catch Frenship on tour next here.

PHOTOS: Bear's Den at Thalia Hall 05.27.19

This past Monday night, Bear’s Den closed out Memorial Day Weekend with a return to the Thalia Hall stage for the first time since 2017, in honor of their new album So that you might hear me. Check out photos from the magical set below, and see where you can catch them live next here.


PHOTOS: Local Natives Spiral Choir Tour with Middle Kids at Thalia Hall

Last week Local Natives and Middle Kids took over Thalia Hall for two sold out shows on Thursday and Friday night. Check out photos from the Chicago stop of the Spiral Choir tour below.

See where you can catch Local Natives on tour next and listen to their fourth album Violet Street in full below!

Live Recap: A Rowdy Monday Night with Bleached, Refused and The Hives at The Vic Theatre

My week began with an action packed and adrenaline-pumping show from Bleached, Refused, and The Hives; a lineup that easily made for one of the rowdiest Monday night shows I’ve ever seen.

The evening kicked off with the sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin of Bleached taking their places on a dimly lit stage as a duo. Their first song started slow and led to a huge build up when the Clavins’ bandmates joined them onstage and bright lights kicked in while the music crescendoed. As the audience trickled into the Vic Theatre, Bleached quickly won the crowd over with their raucous guitar melodies that are laced with pop hooks and sibling-perfect harmonies. With a new album Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? due out July 12th, Bleached’s setlist heavily consisted of brand new songs— many of which they were playing live for the very first time, as Jennifer and Jessica announced about halfway through their show. During the beginning of their set, you could almost pick up on the newness of these songs just based on the Clavins’ body language, but a few songs in, you could also sense the weight of the uncertainty being lifted from their shoulders as they got into the groove and let loose. One of the new songs they performed, “Hard To Kill,” was just released as a single on April 30th and features a playful whistling loop over a funky melody, which really highlights the multifaceted sound that Bleached has honed in on over the years. They’ve got an extensive catalog which nods to glimpses of rock and roll influence from different decades; From the 1970’s Runaways to the 1990’s The Donnas and 2000’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it’s truly like Bleached took some of the best elements of rock music from different eras and put their own spin on it. Particularly with the new material, Bleached will keep fans on their toes and push their past boundaries, so make sure you take a listen to the album once it’s released.

When Bleached concluded their opening set with an explosive, extended jam, the room had mostly filled in and fans were buzzing for the upcoming sets from co-headliners Refused and The Hives. Bleached set the bar high as far as energy levels went, and Refused burst onto the stage, continuing to boost the morale of the room. Refused’s frontman and vocalist Dennis Lyxzén leapt off the stage during the first song to join fans in the mosh pit, and from there, the energy only escalated. An hour of strobe lights, microphone swings, and lots of jumping swirled together for an unforgettable set that ended in a standing ovation.

Then, just when I thought things couldn’t get any wilder, the five members of The Hives rushed the stage donning matching white suits for the final set of the night, and chaos immediately broke out. The Hives’ lead vocalist and frontman Per Almqvist (AKA Howlin' Pelle Almqvist) also didn’t shy away from leaving the stage to join the crowd, and within a few minutes, he was already crowd surfing. The iconic punk band truly lived up to their reputation and the audience’s expectations— after they dove right into mayhem without skipping a beat at the start of their set, they just kept delivering energy, leaving everything they had on the stage.

Check out Bleached’s upcoming tour dates here to see where else you can catch this trifecta of a lineup, and see photos from Monday night’s show below.

Keep up with Bleached on Facebook and Instagram

Live Recap: Molly Burch Makes Chicago Headline Debut at Schubas 05.16.19

After a handful of support slots for artists like Tim Darcy and Alex Cameron, Molly Burch finally made her headlining debut in Chicago this past Thursday night. The Austin-based singer songwriter instantly captivated the crowd at Schubas with her soulful and alluring sound that’s both reminiscent of the classics like Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline, yet refreshing and unique. Her dreamy vocals combines the perfect mix of croon with just a hint of twang.

Much like Burch’s dexterous singing capabilities, with a range that scales both powerful and delicate notes, her stage presence has an effortless grace about it. Burch remained cool and composed even when belting out the chorus of her debut album’s title track, “Please Be Mine.” That song has always been a favorite of mine from the album, but seeing it performed live by Burch and her bandmates (who lent some harmonious backing vocals to the tune) really brought the ballad to life. Thursday’s night set was also a special treat for me because I got to hear several songs off of Molly Burch’s sophomore album, First Flower, live for the first time, since this was the first time Burch had toured in Chicago since its October release date. The follow up to Please Be Mine stays true to Burch’s signature style but also shows a growth and exploration of new subjects and sounds, and the new songs translated very well in the live sense. It was nearly impossible not to sway along to every song throughout the night.

If you get a chance to catch a show from Molly Burch, don’t pass it up— see her upcoming tour dates here, and check out photos from her Chicago show below.

Listen to Molly Burch’s First Flower in full below.