Category Archives: TVD Chicago

From a world-famous boy band to a successful solo career, singer and songwriter Louis Tomlinson took to the stage at Northerly Island on Thursday night promoting his newest album, Faith in the Future. Rising to fame in 2010 as a member of One Direction, the British artist proved he hasn’t lost his touch for performing to a crowd of adoring fans.

In typical Chicago fashion, the “June” weather was a balmy 50F, and with the outdoor venue being right on Lake Michigan called for some gnarly winds—so much so that crews had to delay the show to dismantle hanging lights prior to the performance.

Met with deafening screams, Tomlinson opened with hit “The Greatest,” raising his eyebrows at the crowd as he sang the lyrics “we’ll never be left cold again.” “It is fucking freezing, freezing! Let me start off by saying a massive, massive thank you to all of you incredible people here. This is by far my favorite part of the job, I would not be able to do these shows without all of you…”

Zipping up his jacket as he powered on through the show, Tomlinson got hearts racing with the throwback One Direction hit “Night Changes.” Swinging back and forth in an effortless unison, the crowd instantly warmed up as the nostalgic melody rang out across the amphitheater.

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“We’re not gonna party like it’s Friday night, we’re not gonna party like it’s Saturday night, we’re gonna party like it’s Thursday night because that’s the night the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are in Chicago!” That’s how vocalist Karen O set off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs electric show in Chicago on Thursday, June 1st. And party is exactly what everyone did.

Decked out in sparkling sequins, backlit by a huge LED panel, and armed with the excitement of being on tour, Karen O brought the most intoxicating energy—everyone in the crowd was dancing, singing every lyric right back to the band. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their groundbreaking album Fever to Tell, yet the seasoned band had the same energy and enthusiasm level as they did in 2003. It’s exhilarating to see a band full of world renowned musicians bringing the same intensity to the stage as they did when they were energetic 20-somethings.

The songs they performed from their newest release Cool It Down, “Burning” and “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” brought the same soul and punch as some of their more well-known tracks from their earlier releases. Just as the audience went crazy when the band performed “Sacrilege” and “Heads Will Roll,” everyone in the outdoor theater had the same level of enthusiasm when the band performed their slower track, “Maps,” which included a special intro dedicated to those who celebrate Pride Month.

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How many sequins are too many sequins? Taylor Swift proved the limit truly does not exist on Friday night in Chicago. Playing her first of three sold out shows at Soldier Field, the 33 year old performer was met by a sea of bedazzled fans.

With a one minute countdown projected on the big screen, the eruption of cheers was near deafening as the crowd buckled up for a staggering three and a half hours of music. Opening with a shortened version of “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer,” Taylor’s dancers emerged wearing pastel fans as the singer effortlessly strutted the stage. Moving on to perform “The Man” on a three story high scaffolding, Taylor’s dancers adorned her with a dazzling blazer—one of many costume additions throughout the night that would make audiences swoon.

“Thank you for spending so much… effort… to get here tonight…” the singer joked, referring to the heavily reported Ticketmaster affair that left many fans spending thousands on tickets. Despite the cost to attend, every fan I spoke to has affirmed they have zero regrets forking out a hefty chunk of change for the unforgettable, and often deeply meaningful experience.

Pausing between songs to recognize the beginning of Pride Month, Taylor expressed her admiration for the “brilliant crowds of people who are living their authentic lives,” going on to affirm that “…this is a safe space for you. This is a celebratory space for you. And one of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring.”

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Hitting the road in support of her latest Third Man Records release Raving Ghost, Olivia Jean and her talented backing band gave their all to Chicago, the last stop on the first leg of the tour. Gal Gun and The Knee-Hi’s provided support before Olivia took the stage.

Wearing her signature bouffant, paired with chic cat eye makeup, Olivia immediately began shredding on her guitar as soon as her set started. Shifting between surfer rock and heavy grunge effects, her music paired beautifully with her raw and powerful vocals. She even lended her talents to a stunning rendition of Enya’s “Orinoco Flow,” which the crowd immediately ate up.

The crowd was a mixture of equal amounts of jumping around and standing and admiring, with a general appreciation for the show unfolding on stage. One couldn’t help but notice how many attendees had a huge smile plastered on their faces. As the night came to an end, the crowd was left wanting more.

Olivia is an unmatched powerhouse on guitar, so whether you’ve been a fan since her The Black Belle days, or you’re hearing her music for the first time, you can’t help but be amazed at how she has honed her craft.

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Whether you’ve followed them since their formation in 1999 or are familiar with them thanks to features in pop-culture phenomenons The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent, one thing is for sure: M83 has no problem enchanting an audience.

Promoting their ninth album, Fantasy, earlier this month, the French band was welcomed with a sold out crowd of concert goers ready to escape reality for a night at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago. A sound undeniably unique, frontman Anthony Gonzalez is a known master at blurring genres, with the band’s style teetering between shoegaze/ dream pop/ post-rock/ and perhaps almost any other musical category imaginable.

Bringing Gonzalez’s multi-instrumentalist vision to life, the venue was illuminated with a spectacle of light, immersive fog, and admittedly the desire to simultaneously cry, smile, and applaud by both myself and the nearby patrons.

Despite telling myself I would leave before the encore to beat the crowd, I couldn’t help but stick around for their #1 hit “Midnight City,” and be completely enthralled by every note. If you’re not already a fan and looking for a new musical obsession, I recommend this be your gateway song.

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Hot off the release of her debut album Let Her Burn, Rebecca Black played in front of doting fans in Chicago, IL on Friday, May 12th. Mazie helped pump up the crowd with an opening set.

Mazie, a pop artist featured on the soundtrack for Netflix’s Do Revenge, really brought the energy as she hit the stage and immediately got the crowd off their feet. Employing heavy bass lines, as well as a catchy electronic beats, it was hard not to bop around while she dazzled on stage.

The lights turned down and the strobes started to pop off, making it so you could only see quick glimpses as the dancers took the stage. Wrapped in a black sheet, Rebecca Black twirled to remove the sheet in an epic reveal to the crowd. As the crowd chanted her name, the beat dropped and everyone was fully immersed into the Let Her Burn era.

Armed with the same choreographer as Lady Gaga and packing powerhouse vocals of well seasoned stars, Rebecca Black has proven that she is more than the tween who went viral in the early 2010s for a song about a weekday. Rebecca’s backup dancers, Charles Fournier and Cj Jensen, complemented her moves as they danced in sync to the music, even bringing out fun props like a fully rhinestoned chainsaw to hold her microphone.

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Riding high off their latest album release, 100 Gecs brought their hyper pop dance tracks to a sold out crowd at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on April 20th. With a setlist featuring new songs from 10,000 Gecs, as well as crowd favorites from the previous releases, 100 Gecs lit up the crowd for an hour and a half of pure bliss. New York electronic duo Machine Girl started the night off with heavy bass and trippy lighting, getting the crowd moving and dripping with sweat.

Keeping in theme with trippy lighting, 100 Gecs stormed the stage while all of their lights had a strobing effect that fit perfectly in time with their music. Donning their signature cloaks and wizard hats, they were met with an enthusiastic crowd screaming back every word to “Dumbest Girl Alive,” the opening track to their latest album and the song they opened their set with.

Laura Les often had a huge grin while performing, having the same amount of fun onstage as the crowd was on the dance floor. It’s endearing seeing an artist match the energy of the crowd, performing at the absolute highest capacity possible. Dylan Brady held it down, backing up Laura and hyping up the crowd.

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Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi brought his self-proclaimed “music for single people” to a sold out crowd at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Wednesday, April 19th. Em Beihold served as the opener for the Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent Tour.

Capaldi’s sold out North American tour sees him at smaller venues than he normally plays, making these quite intimate shows for him and the crowd attending. As such, he often talks at length between songs, excited that he can see the crowd and interact with them. During one of these moments, he declared that the Aragon Ballroom was one of the weirdest venues he had ever seen, comparing it to the fictitious Agrabah from Disney’s Aladdin. The Aragon Ballroom has ornate structures resembling a castle, while the ceiling is painted to look like a starry night.

The accomplished musician made his way through his various hits that have earned him a spot on the Top 100 most listened to artists currently on Spotify. Capaldi was unable to sing some of the lines from his songs at times due to health issues, but the crowd was more than happy to sing loud enough to fill in the gaps. Even with the help, Capaldi was able to push through and still play his guitar and flawlessly sing, actively pushing through his tics. It was heartwarming to see.

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No backing band. No backing tracks. Just John Mayer and his instruments. That’s how near 20,000 Chicagoans spent their Friday night at the John Mayer Solo tour as it made its way through the midwest.

Embarking on his first truly solo tour, which has just announced new dates for the fall, Mayer showed just how talented he is without any theatrics or help from other musicians. Switching between various acoustic guitars, the piano, and a harmonica, John Mayer commanded the crowd for nearly 2 hours, playing some of his more well known hits, such as “Your Body Is A Wonderland,” and “New Light,” while also touching on classics and covers, such as “Heartbreak Warefare,” and the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil.”

Mayer often talked to the crowd between each song, sharing stories of how each song was created or where he was in life at that moment, as well as engaging with what concertgoers were shouting at him. Notably when Mayer heard someone repeatedly shouting for him to play “Vultures,” a John Mayer Trio song, he decided he was going to take a stab at playing it to show the person why that song doesn’t work acoustically and isn’t on the setlist. The result was a thrilling rendition that saw Mayer do a little bit of beatboxing, as well as on the spot transposing to guitar for all the instruments involved, and the crowd absolutely loved it. Mayer said that he’d would work on it as a result.

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Hometown heros, Wilco kicked off their three-night, sold-out stint at The Riviera on Wednesday. Fans were treated to a fresh setlist every night, each evening a healthy dose of newer songs mixed with oldies.

Night one featured the first performance of “Less Than You Think” since 2017 (it ruled), Nikki Glaser’s favorite song, “She’s a Jar,” a beautiful Nels Cline solo on several songs but particularly “Ashes of American Flags,” and a rare flub, as “Theologians” had to be restarted due to a tuning issue. As has come to be the standard for a Wilco show, it was all one big treat.

Local newcomers on the rise, Horsegirl really impressed with their opening set. Wilco and Horsegirl have another three-night residency beginning this week at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY before Wilco hops the pond to Reykjavik, Iceland for a very special few nights of shows.

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Hitting the stage in front of his largest headlining show to date, JAWNY had every person in the room, from the floor to the seated area in the balcony, on their feet dancing along. If you weren’t at the sold out JAWNY show in Chicago, IL on St. Patrick’s Day, you truly missed out on an incredible night.

Fresh off of the release of his debut album on Interscope Records, JAWNY played nearly every track from It’s Never Fair, Always True, as well as several fan favorites from his previous releases, even intertwining a Taylor Swift cover in the middle of the set, in which the crowd sang along so loud they overpowered the band’s in-ear monitors. You could tell that this moment caught JAWNY off guard, as he was visibly amazed at the volume of the crowd and commented on how thankful he was that the fans helped him pursue his dreams.

As the band played to the self proclaimed “best city in America for music and shows,” when starting the rock heavy song “take it back,” you could feel the floor shaking from how much the crowd was jumping. This led JAWNY to recall a moment when he was opening the show for a different band several years ago at the same venue, and he sitting in the balcony during the soundcheck looking forward to when he would be able to play for a crowd this big on his own. He even mentioned that they were originally going to book a much smaller venue as they didn’t think they could sell out the show. The crowd cheered him on through his speech, proving that it was a good idea to pick a larger venue.

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Hot off the heels from their latest album release, Louisville, Kentucky rockers White Reaper brought their electrifying Asking For A Ride Tour to Chicago for a sold out show at the Metro. Mamalarky and Militarie Gun served as the openers for this leg of the tour.

With a mixed crowd of old and new listeners, everyone danced in rhythm to old favorites like “Might Be Right,” as well as instant classic “Pages,” the first single from White Reapers latest release, Asking For A Ride. Everyone in the crowd was off their feet and slamming into each other as they sang along to their favorite band.

Being close to home, it was no surprise that keyboardist Ryan Hater gave a shout out to his parents that made the trek over to watch their sold out show. You could see how proud they were when he pointed them out in balcony.

Commenting on the fact that a lot of their gear had been broken during the coarse of their tour, the most noticeable being the kick drum, they didn’t let that hinder them and continued to rock as hard as they could. It’s no surprise that they’ve been passionate enough to ding up their gear, as in the heat of the moment it’s easy to want to thrash around to their angsty tracks.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race and American Idol alum Adore Delano brought her Party Your World Tour to Chicago on February 15th, with Chicago’s own Bev Rage and the Drinks opening the show.

It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Everyone is here to see their favorite queen from season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Known for her vocal ability, it comes as no surprise that Adore has made a name for herself in the music industry. Going through her catalog of original songs, as well as covers, the reality TV star proved that she is a force to be reckoned with.

Many of Adore’s original songs come from a darker place and often explore the theme of heartbreak, which Adore noted as being hard to get to that mindset while performing in front of a crowd that’s showing her endless love and support. Telling stories of her writing process in between her songs, Adore connected even more with her adoring fans.

With electrifying covers of “Creep” by Radiohead, and “Toxic” by Britney Spears, plus fan favorite originals like “I Adore U” and “27 Club,” Adore captivated the crowd from start to finish.

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Fitz and the Tantrums brought their sold out Let Yourself Free Tour to Chicago’s Vic Theater on a cold, yet very hot inside from dancing, Thursday night. Bringing along up and coming indie pop artist Sammy Rash, Fitz and the Tantrums packed the theater with fans from all age groups.

Sammy Rash is a 20-year-old independent musician from Los Angeles, California. Lending his smooth vocals to the sweet melody’s provided by his DJ, Sammy helped pump up the crowd before the main act.

Fitz and the Tantrums stormed the stage with their vast array of brass instruments in addition to their guitars, keyboards, and drums. Every time James King picked up his saxophone, the crowd went wild. The saxophone helped elevate the dance music, bringing a bit of soul to the mix.

Watching older couples dance around and having a great time, lead singers Mike Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs led the group through their numerous hits and beat heavy tracks. Showing their utmost appreciation for helping the band achieve the success they have experienced thus far, Mike Fitzpatrick shared a story to encourage everyone to never give up on their dreams, which included telling the crowd how many times he tried to make it in the music industry and failed until he was in his 40s. “It’s never gonna happen if you give up on yourself,” was the sound advice given to the crowd before launching into the bands encore.

The Let Yourself Free tour continues through February.

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To know them is to love them. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of listening, allow me to introduce you to your new favorite band: Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Selling out Aragon Ballroom in Chicago—and not just “selling out” but also emptying all resale sites with some eager fans paying up to 10 times the original ticket value—the five piece alternative indie/rock band kicked off their US tour with a long awaited bang.

Having rescheduled their tour multiple times due to lead singer Ela Melo’s mental health, the magnitude of Saturday night’s show was clear. Opening with nostalgic 2013 hit “All That and More (Sailboat),” the crowd seemed to quickly forget any disappointment they had carried and were ready to welcome them back to the stage. Addressing the crowd a couple of songs in, drummer Jess Haney thanked everyone for sticking by them and admitted he was shaking at the reception they were receiving.

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