Ariana and the Rose @ Schubas, Chicago, IL
Photos and review courtesy of Taylor Nettnin | February 1st 2020
Photo by Taylor Nettnin
Ariana and the Rose took the stage in Chicago for the first time with a band on Saturday, February 1st, 2020. The pop artist from New York united the crowd during her set, letting everyone express themselves by dancing to her catchy beats while strongly relating to the lyrics that she was singing.
One of the strong points of her set was when she performed “You Were Never My Boyfriend,” the lead single from her most recent EP “Constellations Part 1.” The crowd bopped along as she sang through the powerful lyrics, “you made me think that it was in my head, but I swear, you were never my boyfriend.” The strong message mixed with soulful synth and drums called for a powerful aura from the mostly female crowd.
Photo by Taylor Nettnin
Dazzling the crowd with her strong vocals and whimsical dance moves, Ariana is a force to be reckoned with. Connecting with the crowd as if she was wearing her heart on her sleeve, she put everything she had on the stage and it truly showed. Powering through her popular tracks like “Night Owl,” “Lonely Star,” and “Supercool,” she owned the stage and proved that she is an impeccable performer.
Ariana is a powerhouse performer that everyone needs to put on their radar. You can catch her again in Chicago on Saturday, April 23rd, 2020 at the Empty Bottle. Be sure to be on the lookout for her immersive event Light + Space in your area!
La Dispute @ Metro, Chicago, IL
Photos & review courtesy of Micki Harris | November 18 2019
Last weekend, La Dispute embarked on their fall tour with long time friends and creative collaborators, Touche Amore, as well as Philadelphia native noise punk band, Empath. The tour is promoting Panorama, La Dispute’s fourth studio album which was released in March of this year. As Panorama would be their first new album since Rooms of the House in 2014, the anticipation and the release brought a wave of pent enthusiasm.
Though the new record is brassier than any of their previous works, La Dispute has stayed consistent in what makes them them. After 15 years of making music, listeners can still turn to La Dispute for intense, dark, poetic storytelling accompanied by intricate compositions, often with atypical time signatures. They speak of grief and agony, as they’ve been doing all these years, making their live shows a space for release.
As usual, their set ignited an emotional fire in the crowd, in a room packed from wall to wall. The majority of their setlist were songs from Panorama but made sure to throw in some deep cuts, like “How I Feel” and “Why it Scares Me” from their 2010 split with Touche Amore, joined onstage by Jeremy Bolm, Touche’s vocalist. For their encore, they came back onstage with “The Last Lost Continent,” a 10 minute song off their earliest record, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair. It then became clear how dedicated the room full of fans were and how long they’d all been a part of La Dispute’s journey.
The tour will be travelling across the US through mid-December and I highly recommend trying to make it out to the show nearest you. Check out photos from the Metro show below:
Fever 333 @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
Photos courtesy of Gili Dailes | November 7 2019
COIN with Dayglow @ The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
Conan Gray with Umi @ House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Photos & review courtesy of Taylor Nettnin | November 1, 2019
Conan Gray's The Comfort Crowd Tour had its third tour stop in Chicago on Friday, November 1st, 2019, to a sold out crowd at the House of Blues. LA-based R&B singer Umi opened the show with a colorful and soulful set that set the tone for Gray’s performance.
20-year-old Texas-native Youtuber and musician Conan Gray was welcomed to a crowd full of screaming teens that were chanting and dancing along to his dreamy pop set. Even though the venue was packed with screaming fans, Gray managed to make the performance feel intimate as he blazed through his popular tracks like “Generation Why,” “Comfort Crowd,” and “Crush Culture.”
Gray bounced all over the stage during his entire performance, matching the energy of the crowd. Whether he was wooing the crowd with dance moves that matched his music, or strumming along on his guitar, Gray knows how to captivate his audience and keep them wanting more. The Comfort Crowd Tour continues through North America until December 13th, 2019.
Scenic Route to Alaska @ The Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos and review by Jenny Ramone Photo | October 19, 2019
Three piece indie-pop trio, Scenic Route to Alaska played an intimate set at Winnipeg’s Pyramid Cabaret October 19, 2019.
The three piece based out of Edmonton were on the second of thirteen dates in support of their latest single “Give a Little” which was released just the previous day. The band sandwiched the new material in the middle of the set which included fan favorites “Love Keeps”, “Paris” and “Coming Back”. “Give a Little” and it’s message of trying to bring a little light among the darkness of everyday life is a welcome addition to the band’s repertoire.
One can tell the guys in the band, which formed in 2011, are good friends. Their banter on stage is playful and goofy, which kept the vibe in the room laid back and loose even through the slower moments.
