Fairview and Guests at Fitz's Spare Keys

You're probably looking at this title and thinking "I've never heard of them before..." and about two months ago, I'd be in the same boat. One of the band members found me on twitter and requested that I check out their new single. If you go to the 45s page, you'll see what my thoughts there. The important bit is that I enjoyed the song and the band was local. I decided to check them out in person next time they played a show in town and that led me to Fit's Spare Keys in Elmhurst on the first Saturday in September.

Typically, I'd do a full rundown of all the bands present, their history and style, and give a full review. But here's the thing about this show: it had a very family and friends, get back in the swing of things vibe to it. Fitz's Spare Keys is a bar / bowling alley / hangout that just happens to have a small stage in back. Now, that's not to say all of the acts didn't put on good performances. They definitely did. I didn't expect I'd enjoy a clarinet backing a guitar and vocals for the opening act (whose name I didn't get), but I actually did. The second act, a brother sister duo called Related Rhapsody, had vocals that reminded me of Shakira / Cher but with more light relaxing island feel to the music. Both of these duets were definitely enjoyable. The atmosphere just didn't have the typical concert feel I'm used to. Most of the audience stayed at their tables and continued chatting through the opening acts treating this like live music at pretty much any bar. And I suppose there's nothing wrong with that if you're there for the headliners, but from my perspective, I paid for a ticket so I'm going to try and focus on the bands on the stage. Even though I hid myself at a table in the corner, I still had a decent view and the person in charge of sound did a very good job of mixing volume. I'm glad I was able to hear and enjoy both of the openers because they got me in the mood to listen to the band I had come to see.

Fairview
Genre: light pop rock
Stage Presence: Confident and casual

Fairview is a 3 piece group in the style of Plain White Ts and early Taylor Swift. Not quite country, not quite rock or pop, but very easy to listen to. As they came to the stage, most of the audience vacated their tables and moved into the open area in front of the stage to listen. I enjoyed the songs they played, especially their single "Put It On" which I had enjoyed enough online to check them out live. They maintain their talents in person as well. Each of the band members appears to be musically talented in multiple forms. But the thing I was really impressed with was crowd control. Although this was a small audience that I felt was made of family and friends, Matt (vocals / guitar) did a great job of engaging the crowd and bringing them in to the performance while Lizzy (vocals / keyboard) handled a social media moment during the show. This is almost a requirement of any artist nowadays as fan bases grow via social media. I think it would translate to a more traditional venue / crowd as well. Overall, I was impressed with this young group. I think they've had some mentoring along the way that they've done a great job taking advantage of.

The second thing that I appreciate was the "fan service" before and after the show. For me, it all started with Becca (guitar) reaching out in promoting their new single. Even though it might not seem like a big deal, it's always a good habit for small bands to hang out and talk with the audience, whether they're family, friends, or fans. Eventually a band gets too popular to do this type of activity regularly, but the band should do this as long as they can. If the music stays solid, this is the activity that keeps fan coming back. Fans love when the band hears them out. Sure, it takes some extra time and effort, but I think it helps the band mature and maintain that direct connection and relatability to their audience.



Surprisingly, there was actually a merch table for Fairview at this show. A few posters, t-shirts and some pins were available for purchase. I like the idea of the "Put It On" shirt (of course I do, it has a turntable on it), but I would've only listed "Put It On" once and put the band name on the shirt somewhere (maybe on the record label). I feel that would give better recognition and advertising for the band. Even still, I'm impressed that they were willing to bring the items out and make them available at this smaller show. I've been to shows with bigger bands or at actual venues and they don't even bother to put things out. In fact, I saw a performance recently where the opening act had to apologize for not remembering to put anything out. It ultimately only hurts them when a fan can't buy something in the moment. So kudos to Fairview for thinking ahead and putting the effort in.

Ultimately, the next step is to decide whether or not to check out another Fairview show. They've got a few shows coming up. The first is in Cleveland on 10/21, but the next Chicagoland date is 10/28 at Hard Rock with Business as Usual. Tickets can be purchased here. I've heard decent things about Business as Usual and I'm tempted to see Fairview in a different venue setup. I'll have to decide if I want to fight my way into the city.

Bastille and Queen + Adam Lambert at Singapore Grand Prix Padang Stage

About seven months ago, a friend and I decided a vacation halfway around the world was in order. We agreed on Singapore as one of our stops after realizing the Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 racing event would be taking place when we were looking to travel.  Shortly after we had booked flights and hotels and the trip was set in stone, they announced some of the off track performances that would take place race weekend. Saturday night was a night for British rock fans new and old as Bastille and Queen with Adam Lambert would take the stage.

A few things to note about me as a concert go-er are that I prefer smaller indoor venues, I don't have the best camera (I feel picture / video taking should be limited and performance enjoying should be maximized), and I'm 6'4" so it's very rare I don't have a good view. So please be tolerant of the lack of great photos since I was pretty far back and still managed to enjoy the show about the same.

Bastille

Genre: Indie Pop / Alternative Rock

Stage Presence: Fun, but a little reserved

For those who haven't found them yet, Bastille are a British indie pop / alternative rock group formed back in 2010. Their first album, "Bad Blood", featured the single "Pompeii" which really drove the band into the mainstream. Their second album, "Wild World" was released on September 9th, giving fans a few weeks to listen and love before seeing them in Singapore. Something to keep in mind, though, is that this was a performance at a Formula 1 racing event. Although I'm sure there were plenty of Bastille fans there (the crowd would confirm this), the music was intended to be secondary to on-track events.

This was my first time seeing Bastille live and it was a good introduction to what they could do in this type of setting. Their style translated fairly well into this larger setting, but some of the slower beats led me to believe it would be a better performance in a small, more club-like venue. They did a nice balance between songs from their first and second album which I think was a good decision given the relatively short amount of time between album release and concert date.

My main criticism of the performance is that I wish Dan, the lead singer, would've utilized the catwalk more. Maybe there was a reason he wasn't fully utilizing the stage (set-up for the Queen show later?) but I think it left the fans disappointed that he wouldn't get up close.

Queen + Adam Lambert

Genre: Classic Rock

Stage Presence: An involved sing-along

Okay, so let's get it out of the way early: Adam Lambert is just filling in for Freddy Mercury. And the rest of Queen didn't try and pretend any different. And that made this performance a really good one.

One of the downsides to being younger is that I never had the chance to see Queen complete. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy Queen in its current form. Made up of Adam Lambert, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and various touring members, this was a fun show for fans young and old. It's a chance to hear some of the classics and sing along with Adam Lambert leading on the vocals while Brian May shows he's still got it on guitar and Roger Taylor provides a beat to keep up with. Possibly my favorite part of the lineup was backup drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor, son of Roger Taylor and drummer for The Darkness. There was a great father-son drum duel about halfway through the set that had this really great connection as Roger Taylor led at the front of the catwalk and Rufus shadowed behind for those that recognized the relationship between those dueling.

The show was a solid 21 songs with a 3 song encore that was a good way to wrap up the second night of racing in Singapore. Seven Seas of Rhye was a perfect decision to open things up with energy as Adam Lambert began with a privacy shield covering his face only to reveal sunglasses underneath halfway through the song eliciting some laughs from the audience. You can find the whole setlist online, but the short version is that I don't feel we were missing anything. Two cool moments involved Love of My Life and Bohemian Rhapsody which involved recordings of Freddy performing on the screens. It gave Adam Lambert a break and the audience a small taste of something they want to hold on to. Additionally, closing out the main set with Radio Ga Ga gave the younger generation a chance to pretend they were at Wembley back in 1985. An encore of We Will Rock / We are the Champions satiated a need to hear crowd favorites played together and permitted one last sing-along before God Save the Queen with all of the active members coming forward, Brian May in a Flash Gordon t-shirt, to take a bow. A great show to fulfill the need to see a performance by a band that lost one of their core members too soon.

If you've been following along, one of the things you'll note is that I love to make a stop at the band merch table at the shows I go to, sometimes to buy and sometimes just to see what's available. One of the shortcomings of the Singapore Grand Prix was that it lacked a band merch tent. I understand that this is a Formula 1 event (which meant there were multiple F1 tents in each zone), but it would have been nice to see a tent for band merch near the main stage. With such great performers, you can be sure at least some of the fans were there for the show and not the race. This leaves those fans without the chance of taking home a souvenir beyond the photos and memories of a show they likely enjoyed.

A Rainbow of Records

With the exception of records like Lazaretto, which features a hologram, reverse play direction, and hidden bonus tracks, and Strange Little Birds with it's Jaguar etched D side, your average record is a black vinyl with nothing special. Sure, there are various weights which can effect life and quality, but to look at, other than the center label, your average record is pretty much indistinguishable from any other.

But with the re-emergence of the vinyl scene, there have been improvements in the quality of records and one of the features that is fairly common now is a colored disc. Translucent or opaque, every color of the rainbow, color splashed, and even picture discs. Now I've read the complaints that this produces a lower quality sound. And I'm also a supporter of the idea that you should buy an album because of the music on it, not for a colored disc. But that being said, if the music is still there and listenable, why not? I love the idea that a record can be visually stimulating in addition to the audio.

So I say go for it. Theme your record: A White Russian Big Lebowski Soundtrack or A Green How the Grinch Stole Christmas Record. Have limited edition colors for those that get in early like Young the Giant. How about a grungy green and black splash to match the feel of a Teenage Time Killers album. Or a picture disc like The Darkness to show off the album art we love.

I know my collection is a rainbow of colors. And I think that's a great thing. I plan on adding more colors in the future (if anybody wants to trade a purple Blink-182 California for a plain one, let me know).

Broods with Jarryd James at The Metro

Thanks to 101WKQX, I found myself heading to The Metro on a Monday night to see Broods with Jarryd James. I had seen Broods this past June as part of a ten band set at PIQNIQ, a 101WKQX event. At the time, Broods second album, Conscious (see review here), was still a week from being released. Based on the singles Free and Heartlines, I bought the album and had considered buying tickets to this next show. I was waiting until after work to purchase the tickets and 101WKQX called just after lunch. A pleasant turn of events.

Jarryd James

Genre: Alternative Pop R&B

Stage Presence: A little awkward

As a listener, I enjoy Broods for more of their upbeat songs, but appreciate the vocals and rhythm that go with some of their slower pieces. Jarryd James falls right into that second group and provided easy listening to open the event. The vocals are very strong with a very mellow energy to the overall feel. I ended up picking up a copy of his Album "High" in order to give things more than just a once over. The biggest struggle I had was the stage presence. After I was able to get over the Obama shroud around the keyboardist's stand, I noticed that Jarryd James posture seemed very contained. He seemed a little uncomfortable in front of the crowd. Holding tight to his microphone most of the time, I would've liked to see a little bit more movement or energy with the performance. Because the vocals and backings were definitely there.

A nice pickup in the middle of the set was a a song, 1000x, that featured Georgia from Broods. This brought the audience in a little more and even though Jarryd James still seemed reserved, he did seem to be more comfortable on stage when partnered with the headliner. Honest opinion, there are two things separating Broods and Jarryd James from opener and headliner: Energy and Confidence. If Jarryd James can find that comfort on stage and add a few numbers with some energy, there's no reason fans that love Broods shouldn't jump right on to that bandwagon.

BROODS

Genre: Electronic / Indie / Pop

Stage Presence: Are you sure it's a Monday night?

One of the benefits of seeing Broods as a headliner was getting to hear more of their catalog. When I saw them last, they were only able to play six songs. Admittedly, that meant you got a set of their higher energy songs, but it almost meant you didn't get to experience the full ability Broods has. This time around, the set included seventeen songs with a three song encore (set list reference). This meant a full Broods performance which included 3 phases.

The first phase feature Georgia in a dark jumpsuit singing six songs that had good flow and energy but tended to be what I would consider darker numbers. But, if you notice the shot above, Between the lighting and Georgia's performance, this opened things very well. It got the audience listening and engaged without having to kick the energy super high and cede to bring things back down which can often drain an audience mid set. One of the songs to note during this section was Freak of Nature. On the album,this song features Tove Lo who did not make an appearance at the show. This isn't surprising, but it's always interesting to me how an artist will handle a song featuring another artist. In the case of Jarryd James, Broods was here to perform so they did the number together. In this case, I would venture to say they knew Georgia had the vocal strength to carry to song without Tove Lo and that's the option they took. And it worked out well.

Instead, we got a brief respite that turned into an acoustic set.  This was an unexpected change of pace as most of Broods features heavy but well balanced electronic effects. The best part of this is that it gave a chance to really hear and focus on the vocal abilities. It may only have been a two song acoustic break, but it was a very well planed an executed decision. Short enough to let the audience appreciate every bit of it but long enough that it didn't feel forced in any way.

Following the acoustic set, things picked up a bit and transitions from dark to light both from lighting and Georgia's outfit. Bonus points to another artist that finds a way to get an outfit change in during the middle of a set. It adds to the performance and gives the image that an artist feels different energy for different parts of their performance. The audience can definitely key into this. With that said, the audience bought into this transition and the energy in the venue reflected what Broods put out. With songs like Recovery, Heartlines, We Had Everything, and Full Blown Love, Georgia utilized the entire stage, moving back forth to get the entire audience feeling the energy for the back half of the performance. For the record, Heartlines is just as catch live and it was exciting to have it towards the middle of the set. A set up for other songs people will definitely recognize coming up. Closing out the set prior to the encore was of course Free which was as strong as could people. The attitude and strength behind the vocals and lyrics crossed with that driving beat make it easy to feel the vibe of the performance.

For an encore, the audience was treated to three songs: Four Walls, Bridges, and Couldn't Believe. Bridges is the most well known song off their debut album "Evergreen" and I appreciate that they chose to make it part of the encore, allowing the main performance to focus on the new album (although, with a seventeen song set, you're getting a lot of both albums). And closing everything out was Couldn't Believe. I was getting anxious to hear this song and was excited to have it be the last song. It's light and has probably the highest energy off of Conscious. Being tired at the end of a Monday night show after a day of work, this brought me back to life before the drive home.

But, we can't go home without first making a stop at the merch stand. Already having a shirt and signed album, this stop was for the previously mention Jarryd James CD and to see what other odds and ends were there. A variety of T-shirts, bags, and even some autographed items were available for purchase. A great selection of items available to show your love for the New Zealand brother-sister duo, Broods.

The Struts with the Arkells at Bottom Lounge (Lolla after show)

As I've mentioned before, I was unfortunately unable to attend the 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza but I was able to take part in two after shows. Thursday, the first of four days of Lolla featured an after show with The Arkells opening for The Struts at The Bottom Lounge. I decided to head to the venue way before the doors opened to get some dinner and have a few drinks. After a three hour drive from the suburbs (delays thanks to rain and an accident on 90/94), I arrived at the venue, had a schnitzel sandwich, some Three Floyd's beers, and a four hour wait until doors. Time went by surprisingly quickly as the staff was friendly and there was a Sox / Cubs game on. The best part about waiting was realizing that a line was forming outside, but I would get to skip it: The show was 17+ so anyone over 21 and at the bar would get in line first. I got to enjoy some of The Struts soundcheck while I waited and it only affirmed that the show was going to kick ass.

When doors finally opened, things filled in at the venue pretty quickly, but it never really got more than 70% full. There was always a clear path at the back from one side to the other, which was convenient as the bathrooms are opposite the doors. My buddy Dan would eventually show up, exhausted from a full first day at Lolla. He provided some insight into how the after show felt for the actual Lolla goer. It made sense why the venue wasn't packed - some of those who had gone to Lollapalooza had probably baled because they were too tired.

One thing I'd like to apologize for is that I don't have many performance pictures (I don't have any of the Arkells) and those I do have aren't great quality. I got caught up in the performance.

The Arkells
Gene: Rock

Stage Presence: Interactive

The Arkells opened for The Struts and, as with most shows I attend, I had very little idea who they were. I had checked out a couple of songs online, but knew I wouldn't memorize them in time so I figured I'd just take it for what it's worth. The Arkells are a Canadian band whose most popular single is Leather Jacket. Overall, not knowing any of their songs didn't prevent me from enjoying them. Their songs were good music and played well live. They had a few defining moments that I want to point out. First was a huge plus: the "air" guitar share. Just before one of their songs, the lead singer disconnected his guitar and handed it to the audience for them to pass around, take pictures, "play" along. This was a bold (hope nobody brakes anything) but great way to enhance the audience's experience and bring them in to your performance. Loved it. The next moment was a bit of a down. The Arkells have a really solid keyboardist. They brought up Billy Joel and he proceeded to do a mini jam, but it left me disappointed I didn't get a Billy Joel medley with all the good hooks and some solid keyboard jams in between. But one missed cover gives way to another and probably the highlight of the set: Dancing in the Dark. Want to get an audience hyped? How about a cover from The Boss. We'll sing along. We'll jam. You just give us the music, we'll do the rest. And The Arkells did a really solid cover here. The music and vocals were on point. Great way to keep the energy up. Especially leading into some of their more popular songs. Good execution on their original stuff (at least, good enough that I think their decent songs). Would I see them as the headliner on the bill at a small venue? Sure. Would I add them to my library? I'd think about it. Will they earn a prominent spot on my most played? Probably not. But a great opener for sure.

The Struts
Genre: Rock

Stage Presence: Phenomenal

Disclaimer: I've been waiting to see The Struts live for over a year and have probably listened to the album all the way through 20-30 times since it's come out. So my expectations were high, but I also love the music they're playing. Let me just say they did not disappoint. I mean, what other rock artist does four outfit changes during a set? Luke Spiller, the lead singer, is a rock star and knows it. He executes up front backed by some really solid musicians. His ability to get the audience involved is something of legends. If The Struts had been around in the previous generation, we'd be arguing whether Queen or The Struts put on a better show at Wembley. Blasphemy, I know, but they really are that good. Their style puts them right with Queen, The Rolling Stones (who they've opened for, and soon Guns and Roses), and Joan Jett. The entire album is good and I was hoping to hear every song off it. Every. Single. Song. So that did leave me disappointed. I really wanted to hear Mary Go Round, but I respect that they didn't play it. I mean, it's after midnight the day of a huge music festival. A power ballad probably isn't the best idea. The rest of the set? Flawlessly performed. And I mean performed. This wasn't just a concert where they went through the motions, played the songs, and called it a night. The Struts put a show that was engaging to sight, sound, and soul. 

They made some bold choices with their set as you can see with their set list: Could Have Been Me and Kiss This were in the first half of the set. With a performance this late, playing the two most popular songs early risks losing an audience. But that's the beauty of having an entire album that's good: People will still stick around to hear the rest. It also helped that the audience was lead in a series of call back vocalizations that were, to be honest, quite challenging. Credit to Luke for being able to sing them, but credit to a good audience for playing along. Near the end of the set, Luke had the entire audience lower down so that we could jump back up to start dancing, but while he had everybody down, he also took a moment to show off his outfit. I found this to be playful so late into the performance ("Check out this kick ass outfit I'm wearing!") Overall, The Struts should be on your "To See" list. The Dirty Sexy Summer Tour is probably the best thing you'll see all summer, probably all year.

When 1:30AM hit, the performance ended (no true encore), and I did a quick stop at the merch stand before exiting. Five or Six different shirts were available (including a tank top), drink koozies, the album on CD and vinyl, and tour posters. I picked up a shirt and a tour poster, but I was disappointed they didn't have a certain shirt available ("Who the F___ Is Luke Spiller?") but a good selection none the less.

Once again getting home around 3AM, I was thoroughly satisfied with the show. The performed at Lolla the following afternoon with the performance streamed by Red Bull TV (I have yet to find a replay of it). Rumor has it they'll be back in Chicago sooner rather than later for a No Dough Show courtesy of 101WKQX, but that's an unconfirmed rumor. If they're in your area anytime soon, I highly recommend checking them out. And give the album a couple of listens first. It'll make singing along more fun.

Broods - Conscious

Yesterday afternoon my copy of Broods Conscious arrived in the mail and I had every intention of posting about it but life happens. So, getting excited for it today, I decided to find out when they'll be in town next and they play The Metro next Monday, August 8th. I thought about picking up tickets but wanted to see if anyone else was available to go. The local radio station, 101WKQX, had other intentions as they called later to inform me I had won tickets to the show. So, after you're pumped from the album review, pick up some tickets (I'll see you there) and then be on the lookout for a post following the show!

Broods is electronic / pop / indie brother-sister duo comprised of vocalist Georgia Nott and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Nott. Broods is based out of New Zealand and Conscious is their second album, the first being Evergreen. I was first exposed to them at 101WKQX PIQNIQ earlier this year.

After hearing them at PIQNIQ, I decided to purchase the album as it wasn't available at the event (I did, however, get an autograph). There were various options in the Broods Store but I wanted vinyl and a t-shirt so that made the autographed bundle my choice, despite already having an autograph (conveniently, the signatures matched). The album outer jacket is a fairly simple design, as is the shirt, but that's fine with me. The album itself fits on one clear vinyl that comes in an inner sleeve feature Georgia and the lyrics on one side and Caleb with some thanks on the other. So, without further delay, let's get the album on the turntable and give it a listen.




Side A
1. Free
2. We Had Everything
3. Are You Home
4. Heartlines
5. Hold the Line
6. Freak of Nature (feat. Tove Lo)
7. All of your Glory

Side B
8. Recovery
9. Couldn't Believe
10. Full Blown Love
11. Worth the Fight
12. Bedroom Door
13. Conscious


Side A

Talk about starting strong right out of the gates. The album opens with pure vocals that are strong and full. Free has a lot of attitude and drives the listener into a power groove. Phenomenal song on it's own. As the second song comes in, things back off a little bit, taking the attitude off or free. Interestingly, this is where I first heard the backing vocals and they total make things whenever I listened for them. They provide a subtle undertone during the chorus. Are You home keeps the upbeat feel of We Had Everything but gets a little bit darker. The key is that we've started to flatten into a given pace. Which is when Heartlines comes on and it's chorus is infectious. It has great balance and flow to it (Side note - Heartlines was co written with Lorde). From Heartlines, Hold the Line kept the tone, but, to be honest, nothing particularly stood out to me about this song. I actually had to go back and do the second listen to refresh my memory. That is a downside to having 7 songs on one side is that the listener is processing a lot of songs all at once. Now Freak of Nature (feat. Tove Lo) begins to slow things down but it's a song built around a foundation of solid vocals. Although I'm sure there's music playing in the background, I was stuck in a trance of just listening to the voice carry the entire song forward. Rounding out Side A is All of your Glory. A slower that eases into the flip. Overall, the first 4 songs of Side A are a must listen. The Side A bonus is Freak of Nature with it's stunning vocals.

Side B
Things pick up again with Recovery which I got the vibe would be a good song to hear live. Not necessarily sing along with, but has a good vibe to dance with. You know how there's always a hidden gem on the B side? For me, that song was Couldn't Believe. It's high energy and fun and reminded me a great deal of CHVRCHES (there's some bias here as I'm really digging CHVRCHES at the moment). But it's a really good song that brought me right back into the album. Full Blown Love had to follow Couldn't Believe and I think it was a great follow up be only bringing the tempo down slightly and having a solid synth part driving the chorus. An interesting change from using the strong lead vocals to make things happen. The next song, Worth the Fight, is the song I play to give the audience a chance to slow down without getting bored. It still has a driving rhythm at a reasonable pace and once again the backing vocals shine through and caused me to want to listen close to hear them again. A great way to keep engaged without requiring too much energy. Things slow down more into Bedroom Door which had this weird pseudo french horn part to open and close the song. The big thing here was the harmonies / echoes with the vocals. Was that needed with how strong the vocals have been? No. But it did give me the chance to hear them in a different form which added depth and range to vocal skill set. The title track closed out the album and I feel like it did a decent job anchoring things. It feels like a spoken word piece until it ends up toeing the line of dubstep. I kept waiting for the "wubs" to kick in, but likely, the song managed to get close without crossing over and keeping things tasteful. Another style development that keeps me interested for what they'll do in the future.

Overall Conscious is a really solid album. You're getting at least 6-7 songs that are worth listening to multiple times. From an album structure standpoint, not great, but not bad. With a few slower songs and upbeat numbers on the same album, it's tough to transition back and forth but you also don't want all the same things next to each other as it mutes the differences. I think the big thing for me is that I could listen to either side of the record and be okay with what I got. Playing both sides? Well, I might put in the effort to skip things on the A side and queue things up on the B side.

Thanks for giving the read and hopefully if you like what I've said, you'll check out the album for yourself and be waiting for future posts. Be sure to checkout the 45s section of the blog where I review singles from artists who have reached out to me on Twitter.

the 1975 Live at HoB

Details:
The 1975 and Dua Lipa at House of Blues Chicago
Lollapalooza After show
Doors: 10PM
Show: 11PM
When did I get home? 3AM

I'm deciding to start with the most recent show I've been to. You'll note this was a Lolla after show. I'm not starting with Lolla not because it was 4 days of music deserving multiple posts and lots of attention but because, unfortunately, I didn't have passes. I also didn't have passes to this show as it was Sold Out. But luckily, thanks to local radio station 101WKQX, I was able to attend my second 1975 show in as many months, both of them free (I'll share the other show in another post).

Some key things to understand about my attitude going into this show: I had seen the 1975 recently for what I would consider an average performance, this was my second show at HoB (first was The Darkness and I watched from the floor), and I was exhausted, just like anyone who had spent the entire day at Lolla. So, to be honest, I was excited for a winning my way into a show, but I was hoping it would be worth getting home extra late.

HoB opened the doors a half hour early because the line was already out the door, around the corner, and about the hit the bridge. They processed people fairly quickly, especially considering everyone got a bag check and pat down. I was able to claim my tickets at will call without any wait and headed up into the venue. By the time my friend and I had entered the venue, the floor was loosely packed and 75% full.  It was my friend's first time to the venue early enough to look around so we took a tour that lasted about 15 minutes (including taking a look at the merch available) and settled on the second balcony, top tier near the bar.

While we waited for the show to start, my friend showed me how to use snapchat as the venue became more and more full. By the time Dua Lipa came on stage, the floor was packed, but luckily the upper tiers had stayed fairly open. I had checked with the security at the boxes and found out that they were going for about $1200 tonight which made perfects sense for those this didn't want to be packed on the floor. Anyways Dua Lipa (who I knew nothing about) came out to start the show.

Dua Lipa
Genre: "Dark Pop"
Stage Presence: Stunning
Dua Lipa is an English performer who apparently is also a model (not kidding). And if you look at her outfit (I literally spent the entire first song appreciating her boots [you can't tell but they had clashing color heels]) and the way she carried herself on stage, it's not hard to believe. I just want to say that, since I had heard zero of her music, the bar was pretty low. Now, I can't wait for her first album "Soon and Jetlag" to be out. Steady beats with warm sounding vocals made it easy to get lost in a trance during her set. The vocals tended to remind me of Sia and left me hoping to hear more of her as a mainstay on radio. She has a new single out, "Hotter than Hell" that is definitely worth a listen. A great performance to open for the 1975 to get the energy and dance flow setup throughout the entire venue.

Once Dua Lipa was done with her set, the audience had the pleasure of multiple miscues while waiting for the 1975 to come on stage. As the music and house lights would fade in and fade out, the audience would cheer, ready for the band to come on stage. After the 4th time, most just assumed it was another miscue and went on chatting with friends, getting drinks, etc. Eventually, the 1975 did come out to a very excited, sold out House of Blues crowd.

the 1975
Genre: Rock (casual pop rock)
Stage Presence: Casual and Mellow

The 1975 are an English rock band with two albums out, the first a self titled album and the second, recently released "I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It" or, as I like to call it "The White Album". The made a solid decision to open with "Love Me" (off The White Album) which drove the energy through the roof to start the show. Big kudos to them for acknowledging the audience is probably tired at 1230AM after spending most of the day at a musical festival and probably needs something to pick them back up.

They progressed through their set, playing what felt like more songs off the second album. Now, admittedly, their popularity has grown recently, but the first album received a decent push by being on the Victoria's secret playlist. Anyways, they tried to keep the energy high for a few songs but inevitably, some of their songs get fairly mellow. Especially as the sax showed up with an elevator music backing. That's not to say the performance was dragging or boring, not by any stretch. More like they were giving the audience a chance to relax and connect. In fact, during "A Change of Heart" the lead singer very tastefully requested everyone put the phones away for just a few minutes and connect. And a vast majority of the audience obliged.

Without a set list in hand, it's hard for me to recall exactly what songs they did and didn't play. I recall enjoying "Loving Someone" (backed by the entire audience), "She's American", "The City", "Menswear", and "Girls". I don't remember hearing "Talk" or "She Way Out" which are two songs I appreciate off the first album, but there's only so much time.

As time dug deeper and deeper into tomorrow morning, the audience got the big three songs most people came for: "Chocolate", "The Sound" and "Sex". I think this was a great order to play the songs. Starting with "Chocolate" provided the audience with a little more energy and pepped everyone up for "The Sound" which everyone went crazy for. Personally, I loved that they closed out with "Sex", a song with high energy but that's a little bit edgier than the rest of their music.

Overall, the performance was really good. Acoustically, it was easy to enjoy. You could hear every part very easily, even as the audience sang along. The set list gave multiple feel changes that gave the audience a chance to wake up, relax and vibe, and then wake up again before a drive home. Finishing out the set sometime around 2AM, I was very glad I had attended. Would I go to another the 1975 show? Absolutely, but I'd choose the venue carefully. Based on my previous experience, the venue and crowd helped to make this show run as good as it did. As for the no encore side of things, I heard everything I needed to and was ready to go home... after I stopped and grabbed some merch.

I bought a T shirt for myself and my friend. They had a decent selection of items (tanks, hats, hoodies) and pretty much all sizes still available, even at the end of the night. I didn't see vinyls for sale which always leaves me bummed, but that's okay because my shirt had tour dates which is another need for a concert T.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, feel free to let me know!

Getting Started

Welcome to The Turntable! A blog where I'll spin some thoughts on some albums and live shows I've experienced recently.

I'm Mike, a music lover living in the suburbs of Chicago. In my professional life I'm an engineer, but in my spare time I'm always listening music, be it on the radio, whatever vinyl I've go my hands on, or checking out an artist in person.

Most of my listening is in the Alt Rock genre, but I'll give a listen to pretty much anything. I generally follow the 3 song rule - if I enjoy the 3 most popular songs, I'll give an entire album a listen. And if the entire album is worth a listen, I'll dig into the rest of an artist's catalog.

As for how I listen, it all depends on the source. With the radio, it's generally from the speakers of my 1999 Buick Century. It's not the highest quality (one of the rear speakers comes and goes and the driver's side bass is a little blown), but it has perfect acoustics for singing along on a road trip. With vinyl, I've got an audio-technica AT-LP120-USB direct drive turntable hooked up to some PreSonus Eris E4.5 Speakers. If you can't guess, I'm not an audiophile. I'm more about the music itself than the purity. As for live, it's either raw listening from the back of a venue or with some earplugs in the pit. When I check someone out live, it's not just about the artist, it's the entire experience so I'll be sure to let you know about the venue too.

I'll try to get some thoughts out at least once a week but always be on the lookout for a new post and be sure to follow on social media. Some weeks I hit multiple shows and have multiple new albums showing up. I've got a backlog of 100+ albums and some shows I've been to over the last couple of years to get us started. So let's get the needle in the groove and get listening!