Post Malone @ Climate Pledge Arena - Seattle

November 5th 2022: Post Malone, Roddy Ricch @ Climate Pledge Arena - Seattle, WA

Post Malone - Photos Courtesy of Stephanie Dore

In a sea of smartphones, shrouded by heavy clouds of smoke and lit by strobes, Post Malone showed up and delivered a two-plus hour singalong to a massive sold-out crowd at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena. The rapper/singer was out touring his fourth and most recent album, 2022's Twelve Carat Toothache, supported by opener Roddy Ricch. It was a super sparse show, just Postie on stage by himself, clad in jeans and a white t-shirt, occasionally donning a token hat or necklace handed to him from the fans, who he high-fived throughout the set. Sure, there were loud pyrotechnics and a few fancy lasers, but this set was about as stripped down as you can get, which is uncommon for a big arena tour — no band, no backup dancers, no guest appearances, no distractions. Which, for nearly any other artist, might prove troublesome or boring, but Postie's die-hard fans seemed to be fully on board, shouting every lyric, recording every move, and enjoying every minute.

Roddy Ricch

Dayglow @ The Riviera- Chicago

November 4th 2022: Dayglow @ The Riviera - Chicago, IL

Stereolab - Photos & Coverage Courtesy of Timi Ikene

This was my third time seeing Dayglow live in Chicago, and can I just say, it was just especially as thrilling as the first. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Sloan Struble's Dayglow came to grace the Chicago stage live at the Riviera on Friday, November 4th. Priding himself on showcasing optimism through his music and uplifting beats, he led the crowd on a nostalgic journey through his 80s-influenced music. The young multi-instrumentalist and his insanely talented and upbeat crew were warmly welcomed by Chicago, a city that hopes to see them during every North American tour.

Empress Of @ The Met - Philadelphia

October 1st 2022: Empress Of @ The Met - Philadelphia, PA

Empress Of - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach

Saturday night we were graced with the presence of LA enchantress, Empress Of, opening for the iconic Carly Rae Jepsen. The room was full of anticipation for the captivating performance and enjoyed every moment of Empress Of.

Viagra Boys @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn

October 18th 2022: Viagra Boys, shame @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY

Viagra Boys - Photos and Review Courtesy of: Edwina Hay

shame, the UK post-punk band, joined forces with Viagra Boys, of Stockholm, Sweden for a nearly month-long tour of the United States and ended their expedition in Brooklyn, NY on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

Kills Birds, the Los Angeles based band that opened all shows on the tour went on at 7:30 PM. The band fronted by Nina Ljeti performed songs from their second record, Married, and ended their set with “Worthy Girl” which has an opening lyric of “this flower kills birds,” and Ljetl shared that it is how the band got their name before the song began.

Viagra Boys, who I caught earlier this year in Brooklyn, are touring in support of their newest album, Cave World, which was released in July on Year 001. Their setlist seemed to reflect a good portion of that record such as playing “Ain’t No Thief,” “Troglodyte,” and “Punk Rock Loser,” The group’s singer, Sebastian Murphy, dedicated the final track of that album, “Return to Monke” to their bassist, Benjamin Vallé, who passed away about a year ago said he loved New York and a fan who recently died but had friends in the audience. Their set also included older songs like “Ain’t Nice,” “Worms,” “Sports,” and “Shrimp Shack” with someone in the audience throwing both of their shoes at the stage during that penultimate song.

The post-punk quintet shame began the final set of the night at 9:45 PM. Their second studio album called Drunk Tank Pink was released by Dead Oceans in January 2021. Singer Charlie Steen seemed to waste no time engaging with fans by leaping into the crowd during their first song, “Dust on Trial.” All members were filled with energy, especially bassist Josh Finerty, who constantly ran back and forth on stage while playing his instrument.  Before the final song of the night was played, “Snowday,” Steen revealed shame will hopefully be back next year with a brand new album.

shame

kills birds

CHVRCHES @ Paramount Theatre - Seattle

September 30th 2022: CHVRCHES, Cafuné @ Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA

CHVRCHES- Photos and Review Courtesy of: Stephanie Dore

Touring in support of their fourth full-length, 2021’s Screen Violence, Scottish synth-pop heavyweights CHVRCHES stopped by Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, along with opener (and Tiktok darling) Cafuné, for a set that fully delivered on their brand of dark delight. The setlist leaned heavily on new music, which is some of their best, and saved some older hits for a three-song encore. If there’s anything to expect at a CHVRCHES show, it’s a super clean set that will get you head banging and dancing and and yelling along with lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry as she rages against these dark times. A few songs in, she self-deprecated as to how all their songs are sad. Yet, they’re still peppy, with the kind of power that feels high enough to carry everyone over.

Cafuné

Jake Wesley Rodgers @ Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia

September 30th 2022: Jake Wesley Rodgers @ Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA

Jake Wesley Rodgers - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Jake Wesley Rogers grow into the blooming superstar he is today. Several years ago I was able to catch him playing at stripped down living room shows, touring in his car with just him and his keyboard. You could tell then the special quality Jake had with his in-depth songwriting and enthusiastic stage presence. It’s so exciting to see the world finally getting a taste of JWR.

We caught him on the highest stage I’ve encountered (it was close to 7 ft tall making it near impossible for anyone in the front to see anything on stage), opening for Panic at the Disco. Such a dream line up to see Jake share the stage with, and what a way to open the show! We wouldn’t expect anything less than for Jake to take the stage in a full red sparkly outfit, Wizard of Oz red boots included. You can tell he will be an icon we all need.

Bring Me The Horizon @ Barclay Center - Brooklyn

September 24th 2022: Bring Me The Horizon, Siiickbrain, grandson, Knocked Loose @ Barclay Center - Brooklyn, NY

Bring Me The Horizon - Photos and Review Courtesy of: Ann Storlie

British rock band Bring Me The Horizon took over Brooklyn, NY’s Barclays Center on Saturday evening. The band (which consists of vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish) is currently on a long-awaited world tour supporting their 2020 EP POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR.

The band brought along three openers to warm up the crowd. The first was screamo-electro artist Siiickbrain who used to live around the corner from Barclays and told the crowd what an honor it was to play such an iconic venue.

Next up was grandson - an alternative artist whose relatable lyrics resonated with the crowd as he performed songs including “6:00,” “Despicable,” “Oh No,” and “Stick Up.”

The night took a quick turn as hardcore band Knocked Loose took the stage and a mosh pit immediately opened up in the crowd. The Kentucky band (comprised of vocalist Bryan Garris, lead guitarist Isaac Hale, rhythm guitarist Cole Crutchfield, bassist Kevin Otten, and drummer Kevin Kaine) kept the pit going while they performed tracks including “Where Light Divides the Holler,” “Deadringer,” and “Permanent.”

BMTH was ready for a stadium performance with multiple risers on stage and a giant LED screen backing the band. With a setlist of 15 songs, the band started with fan-favorites “Can You Feel My Heart” and “Happy Song” as well as “Teardrops” and “MANTRA.” More circle pits erupted in the crowd as fans danced, sang, and moshed along to “Parasite Eve,” “Shadow Moses,” and “Kingslayer.” The band continued their set with “DiE4u” before adding in a track not on their original setlist after multiple fans requested the song on Twitter - the song was “Sleepwalking” and the band had not performed it live for five years and apologized for any mistakes that were made. BMTH finished their set with “Drown” before leaving the stage and reappearing for their encore of “Obey,” an acoustic version of “Follow You,” and “Throne.”

Siiickbrain

grandson

Knocked Loose

Stereolab @ Riviera Theater- Chicago

September 29th 2022: Stereolab @ Riviera Theater - Chicago, IL

Stereolab - Photos & Coverage Courtesy of Timi Ikene

Stereolab, led by French singer Laetitia Sadier, performed for a nearly sold-out audience at the Riviera Theater on September 29th. Their mesmerizing vocals and rhythms uplifted the audience to a near euphoric state as we all swayed in time to the music. The show's pacing and relaxed energy were a perfect fit for the set, venue, and audience, and should they return to Chicago, I will be in attendance.