Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago
June 1st 2023: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, SASAMI @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL
Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Photos Courtesy of Emily Nava
On Thursday, June 2023, Yeah Yeah Yeahs brought their tour to Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago, Illinois. The NYC indie rock trio's last Chicago performance was at Riot Fest in 2022, and it was clear from the start that fans were very excited about their return that night. Starting off the night was the bold and intense SASAMI, who brought a rock and roll energy while expressing her excitement about opening the show. Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the stage and played songs from all of their previous releases, including songs from Cool It Down—their first new album in 9 years. Lead singer, Karen O, captivated the audience with her fierce energy and throughout the night, made references to the band's history and dedicated their song "Maps" to a number of people, with a special nod to the LGBTQIA+ community in honor of June 1st being the first day of Pride Month. Yeah Yeah Yeahs will continue their tour in the United States through mid-June before touring around the world in places such as Australia, Europe, and Asia for festival dates all summer long.
SASAMI
Valley @ House of Blues Chicago - Chicago
May 31st 2023: Valley, Aiden Bissett @ The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL
MUNA - Photos Courtesy of Emily Nava
On Wednesday, May 31st, 2023, Valley brought their Lost In Translation tour to an eager crowd at House of Blues Chicago all the way from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. TikTok sensation Aidan Bissett opened the show with catchy guitar-based indie pop songs and plenty of crowd interaction. Valley kicked off their set strong with arguably their most popular hit, "There's Still A Light In The House" from their 2019 album "MAYBE". The crowd jumped up and down so much throughout the night that the floors of the venue were shaking! Valley played songs from all of their previous releases and a few new songs from their soon-to-be-released album Lost In Translation. Towards the end of the set, vocalist Rob Laska came into the audience and walked through the crowd for one of their more intimate songs "Paper Cup (sorry for myself)" before heading back onstage to close out the set with fan-favorite "hiccup", a song with a mention of Chicago in its lyrics. Valley's bright and nostalgic pop sound, as well as their interactions with each other on stage and with the crowd, made for a very fun and entertaining show that will be remembered by fans for a long time. Don't forget to check out Valley's "Lost In Translation" when it comes out on June 23rd, 2023 and see Valley on tour in a city near you!
Aidan Bissett
Hippo Campus @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia
June 1st 2023: Hippo Campus @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia
Nate of Hippo Campus - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Minneapolis 5-piece, Hippo Campus, made their Philadelphia stop of the Wasteland EP Tour on June 1st. Lucky online folks also got to catch the live stream of the show (thanks to Veeps). The venue was packed with Hippo Campus fans from ogs to new blood. Philly’s Drexel University (semi-alum), Gus Dapperton, opened the show to what seemed like a large fanbase filling the room as well.
Hippo Campus treated the crowd to a perfect mix of classics across their catalog from “baseball” to “South”, sprinkling in their new country-infused tracks from Wasteland. The band always does an amazing and flawless set, set to a moody perfectly lit stage.
Gus Dapperton
Paramore @ Capital One Arena - Washington DC
June 2nd 2023: Paramore, Genisis Owusu, Bloc Party @ Capital One Arena - Washington, DC
MUNA - Photos Courtesy of Krystina Brown
Paramore played their biggest DC show to date Friday at Capital One Arena. It was a warm welcome since the last time the group came to the DMV area in 2018. Kicking the show off with the song "You First" from their new album "This is Why", it set the tone for a night of new music and old favorites from the band. The stage setup was incredible, with large screens giving fun visuals of Hayley and the band throughout the show. Mid-way through the show, drummer Zac Farro performed one of his singles from his group Halfnoise called "Baby". It was a night of fun, angst, and memories as Hayley expressed the group's appreciation of their fans for so many years. Another fun moment was when the group invited the first Gen Z congressman, Maxwell Frost to the stage to sing "Misery Business" along with a fan from the crowd. The show closed with their lead single "This is Why". The show felt so freeing and welcoming, it was like getting back together with old friends and not missing a beat. Paramore has gone through so many experiences as a band over the years and you could see the growth and maturity that was refreshingly exciting. They continue their North American tour through August 2 in Saint Paul, MN.
Genisis Owusu & Bloc Party
Billy Porter @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville
May 27th, 2023: Billy Porter @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY
Billy Porter - Photos Courtesy of Emily May
“You have to choose love and you have to keep choosing it every day”. These were the opening words from actor, singer, writer, and director Billy Porter, who brought his Black Mona Lisa Tour Volume One to The Louisville Palace on May 27th for a beautiful evening of music, dancing, and stories, performing hits such as “Love Is On The Way” and “Love Yourself”. In his first-ever career-spanning pop music concert tour, Porter wowed his audience this evening with an amazing full-band performance, multiple costume changes, a powerhouse vocal performance, and a tinge of Broadway. Backed by a video installation, the screen would show video montages and interviews with Billy between costume changes, with him speaking on his role in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, for which he won a Tony, and the television show Pose, for which he won an Emmy, amongst other important moments in his life and career. Early in the set, with empty seats on the floor near the front, he told the crowd that anyone who wanted to was welcome to come forward and get closer to the stage!
A true performer, Porter walked the stage like a catwalk, encouraging the crowd to dance and let loose and have fun, at one point joking with the crowd about his love for cursing and saying that “I’m 53 so I can say whatever the fuck I want!” and how in Queenglish, “Bitch” is a term of endearment, which earned him plenty of cheers from the crowd. He announced that the Black Mona Lisa Tour is done in honor of his new album, a retrospective of his life and that he would be playing a lot of songs from the album this evening. He sang a song from his first album, saying how it didn’t do too well back then, as the music industry was very homophobic, but oh how times have changed. Showing side-by-side photos of himself then and now, he joked that it’s always crickets when people see early photos! “Yes, that’s me”, he said. A few songs in, in an homage to Kinky Boots, he came out with the red boots he wore in the play and went out into the crowd, much to his fans’ delight.
He talked about how thrilled he was to be on his first rock and roll tour, on a tour bus, and how as a kid he had lots of dreams. One of his dreams was to create a character in a Broadway show and win a Tony Award, which he did. A second dream was to be a film and television star, which he achieved. He then talked about how he wanted to be the male Whitney Houston, and while he has been blessed to play the fairy godmother in the recent adaptation of Cinderella, “There’s only one Whitney Houston and there’s only one Billy Porter, and he’s pretty great too, so maybe I should just focus on being me!”. He went on to say how he hasn’t been touring with his own band in maybe 6-7 years and in nearing the end of this tour, he was so grateful to all of the audiences who have come out to his shows and who have all graciously welcomed him back. “I love ya’ll!”.
He then sang an incredible cover of “Stop Children What’s That Sound”, followed by a message for the audience, his message of hope. “It’s time for the people to rise up and take our humanity back! I’m told not to be so political, that I scare people, but fuck that! Ya’ll better pay attention. Kids can’t go to school or concerts, Breonna Taylor was killed without any investigation. Be not deceived. This isn’t new. 81 million people didn’t vote-are you kidding me? But ya’ll want to complain that we don’t have rights. We need to stay engaged. Ya’ll come to see Billy Porter and I have things to say and I’ll never stop speaking out!”. He talked about growing up Pentecostal and how he has since left organized religion but how in the church they used to talk about surrender. It doesn’t mean giving up or giving in, but rather being present for what is right now, in this moment. “I am grateful to have lived long enough to be present for this day.” He then performed his newest single “Fashion”, which had everyone on their feet!
He then pulled several audience members onto the stage, pairing them into teams of two for a series of “walk-offs”. He and his roadie Blake then demonstrated. He then joked “Oh lord! They get up on stage and do whatever they want!”. Towards the end of the set he introduced and thanked his band and all of the fans who came out, saying he was nervous at the start of the tour that no one would show up. He also thanked his crew, as well as the crew at the venue for all of their hard work loading in and out. He then performed “For What It’s Worth. “Thank you Louisville! I love you so much!”. Leaving the stage for a bit, he came back out in a silver sparkly suit for an upbeat encore. Billy Porter gave his fans a great night of music and performance! It was a night none of us will forget!
MUNA @ The Salt Shed - Chicago
May 16th 2023: Muna, Nova Twins @ The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL
MUNA - Photos Courtesy of Emily Nava
On Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, MUNA brought their Life's So Fun tour to a sold out Salt Shed in Chicago, IL. Fans eagerly awaited MUNA to take the stage and were engaged from the beginning of the show, starting with UK-based opening act Nova Twins—who brought a lively rock and roll edge to their set. Unfortunately, once MUNA took the stage, the show was stopped by a medical emergency in the crowd, but MUNA restarted their performance after ensuring everyone's safety. In between songs, the band expressed gratitude towards their crew and fans, and even dedicated their song "Kind of Girl" to the transgender community. Throughout the night, MUNA performed songs from all three of their albums, as well as their newest song "One That Got Away". From beginning to end, the crowd was incredibly receptive to MUNA's music and message. This was made most apparent by the crowd's nonstop singing along and dancing but what was most moving was the way everyone in the room jumped up and down to the chorus of "I Know A Place" —one of MUNA's most popular songs and an anthem for the safety of the LGBTQIA+ community. Their headlining tour in the U.S. has ended but MUNA will continue to play shows across the country in June and July, opening for Taylor Swift, before heading to Europe/UK in August.
Nova Twins
Elderbrook @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall - Dallas
April 8th, 2023: Elderbrook @ The Echo Lounge - Dallas, TX
Elderbrook | Photos Courtesy of: haidyn mckenzie
Elderbrook’s Little Love Tour in North America comes to a close at the Echo Lounge in Dallas, TX. With openers Erez and Ford, a great amount of energy was brought to the tour for the fans. With each song that was performed, the crowd was more ecstatic and never wanted the night to end. Everyone was excited to come together to celebrate his latest album, Little Love. This EDM show is sure to get anyone interested in the music and rave culture.
Caamp @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville
May 17th, 2023: Caamp, Boa Boys @ Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY
Caamp | Photos Courtesy of: Emily May
Ohio Folk/Americana band Caamp brought their current US tour to Louisville, KY on May 17th to a sold-out crowd! With this being the first night of their tour, they definitely kicked it off on a high note! Opening the show this evening was a local favorite, Boa Boys. A psych groove rock band that combines elements of funk, psychedelic, and rock music, they always bring fun and groovy energy to every stage they perform. With many fans in the crowd cheering and singing along, they had everyone warmed up in no time! It’s always fun to see these guys live, as they have a fun and easy-going rapport with each other, having formed and performed together since 2016. Although they mostly let their music do the talking, they did chat a bit with the crowd, asking how everyone was doing this evening and thanking them for coming out early to catch their set. Towards the end of the set, they joked with the crowd that they were going to do something cringe and take a video, with the house lights coming on and everyone cheering! They ended their set with a really amazing cover of Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritavile”, which had the crowd dancing, singing, and in good spirits!
Closing out the evening was Caamp. By the time they took the stage, the venue was packed, with hardly an empty seat in the theater! Everyone was ready to dance and were on their feet from the first note, with the band feeding into the energy of the crowd. In June of 2022, Caamp released their latest album Lavender Days, and started their set off with the first track from the album, “Come With Me Now”. Performing plenty of songs from the new album, the band also performed some older tracks, such as “Great Heights”, “Vagabond”, and “All The Debts I Owe” from their 2016 self-titled album. Singer/guitarist Taylor Meier had a really good energy and was having a great time on stage, often walking along the front of the stage and engaging with the crowd, especially the fans who were right against the stage in the pit section. One such moment was during the song “Fever”, which saw Meier sing without his guitar, meandering along the front of the stage and singing along with the fans up front. Intimate moments such as this made the evening all the more special.
When the band sang “By and By” a couple of songs later, the title track from their 2019 album, you could hear masses of fans singing along to the ballad. As moving as it can be to see a band perform, it can be equally moving to watch a fan’s response to certain songs. There were many songs that elicited very moving responses from their fans, who clearly felt every word of many of the song lyrics, with “By and By” being one such song. Performing several more songs, including “Ohio”, “I Keep Going”, “Penny Heads Up”, and a new song entitled “Think of the Name”, they ended their set with “Going To The Country”. The band briefly left the stage after waving and bowing to the cheering crowd before coming back out for a two-song encore. They ended the evening with “Officer of Love” and “All The Debts I Owe”. It was a really magical evening, with the band performing an amazing 22-song set, keeping their fans dancing and singing until the very last note!
Boa Boys
