Louis Tomlinson @ Ascend Amphitheater - Nashville
July 18th, 2023: Louis Tomlinson @ Ascend Amphitheater - Nashville, TN.
Louis Tomlinson - Photos Courtesy of Bridget Craig
Louis Tomlinson, a previous member of the band One Direction, put out his second full-length album as a solo artist, Faith in the Future, earlier this year. His world tour promoting his album came through Nashville and stopped at the Ascend Amphitheater. The crowd loved singing along to fan favorites such as The Greatest and Back To You. One highlight of the show was the fan interactions during the songs Chicago and Copy of a Copy of a Copy. Tomlinson also sang a cover of Where Do Broken Hearts Go, a song performed by One Direction.
This particular tour stop was postponed by severe weather, which unfortunately cut one of the opening acts’ set. Fans were lucky enough to see the Berlin-based rock band Giant Rooks open the show - the band’s first date supporting Louis Tomlinson. The rest of the show went off without a hitch.
Giant Rooks
Yung Pinch @ Old National Centre - Indianapolis
July 21st 2023: Yung Pinch @ Old National Centre - Indianapolis, IN
Yung Pinch - Photos Courtesy of Asia Austin
Yung Pinch, from Huntington Beach, California, had the Deluxe Room at Old National Centre filled with excited fans who had been waiting anxiously for this night to come. On Friday, July 21, 2023, doors opened at 7 pm sharp, and fans quickly rushed to the barricade to secure their spots for the thrilling night ahead. Yung Pinch had two openers, “MoonLander” from North Carolina, who did a nostalgic transition of ‘Replay’ by Iyaz, and “RILEY” from Los Angeles, California, who face-timed his wife and daughter mid-performance. Following them, Pinch had his DJ Gloupjake, known for his work with Lyrical Lemonade, play a few songs for the crowd. All of them did a very good job of getting the crowd hype before the main event.
As Yung Pinch, AKA “Beach Boy” took the stage, the crowd became louder than ever and Pinch brought an immense amount of energy the entire room could feel even in the back of the pit. Performing fan favorites such as “Perfect”, “20 Years Later”, and “Nightmares”, and having a mic stand wrapped from top to bottom in flowers and string lights, the crowd was singing every lyric nonstop, prompting Gloupjake to admit that Indianapolis was probably the best crowd on tour thus far. As a first-time attendee at a Yung Pinch concert, he most definitely exceeded my expectations and I’m very excited to see what he continues to do in the future.
Horsegirl, Iceage, Water From Your Eyes, and Lifeguard @ Central Park SummerStage - NYC
July 20th 2023: Horsegirl, Iceage, Water From Your Eyes, and Lifeguard @ Central Park SummerStage - New York City
Horsegirl - Photos Courtesy of Edwina Hay
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, Horsegirl, Iceage, Water From Your Eyes, and Lifeguard performed at Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. All four acts have one thing in common: they’ve all released music on the same record label that’s based in New York City, Matador Records. The show was free to attend, for all ages, and was one of the highlights of their schedule this season.
Chicago’s Lifeguard, who began their tour with Horsegirl tonight, just released a pair of EPs on Matador Records (Crowd Can Talk EP and Dressed in Trenches EP) and kicked off the show at 6 PM. The young band was full of energy and was a great start to this highly anticipated show.
Water From Your Eyes released their Everyone’s Crushed album at the end of May on Matador, and their set featured songs from that release. The duo of Nate Amos and Rachel Brown were joined by an additional guitarist, Al, and seemed to have many fans in the audience who were eager for their early evening set.
Copenhagen’s Iceage went on next at 7:41 PM, and the last performance of theirs I caught was in 2019 in Queens and Central Park’s outdoor stage seemed to fit them well, with many people near the barricade dancing and singing along during their set. Singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt barely stood still during their performance. Immediately after “High & Hurt,” Elias declared, “We love you, New York.”
Horsegirl, who I last saw in March opening for Unwound, closed the show when their set began just before 9 PM. The second song of their set was brand new, and Penelope mentioned her brother, Isaac Lowenstein, of Lifeguard, while on stage. Before starting their second brand new song, Horsegirl announced they were recently in their hometown of Chicago working on their second album. During “Billy,” Horsegirl brought out the trio of Lifeguard to assist them on the final song of their set.
Throughout the show, a t-shirt gun was used to launch t-shirts into the audience, and was done by a member of a band who wasn’t performing at that moment. For Lifeguard, Nora of Horsegirl shot a t-shirt to a lucky audience member who was near me, proudly whipping it around in the air after catching it. During Water From Your Eyes, Kai of Lifeguard used the gun, in Horsegirl’s performance, Nate of Water From Your Eyes shot shirts into the audience a few times before the show came to an end. The venue also kept fans cool by having their security team occasionally spray water but simultaneously needed more than just one water fountain/bottle refill station located in a somewhat hidden spot, which was a noticeable change compared to last year. Between the strong bill and venue inside one of our city’s most famous public parks, Thursday night was a stellar way to spend a warm July evening in New York City.
Horsegirl
Lifeguard
Water From Your Eyes
Iceage
Tori Amos @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville
July 12th 2023: Tori Amos and Tow’rs @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY
Photos Courtesy of Emily May
Musical icon Tori Amos brought her Ocean to Ocean Tour to The Louisville Palace on Wednesday night to a nearly sold-out crowd of fans, many of whom it was clear had been following her music for decades. With many passionate and loyal fans, you could feel the excitement in the air! She walked upon the stage to a roar of applause and cheers, waving and bowing to her fans as she sat at her piano. Starting the set out with “God”, she then performed “Ocean to Ocean”, the title track from her most 2021 album, and the only song is sung from the album this evening. The song saw her play both her piano and keyboard, set up side by side, a hand on each set of keys. The stage was awash throughout her set in beautiful hues of multicolored light, and Amos spoke very little during her set, allowing her music to speak for her. With a different set list each night of the tour, her fans this evening were treated to a 14-song set and a 2-song encore. It is evident, however, that many in attendance would gladly listen to her play for hours and hours.
Performing tracks such as “Beauty Queen”, “Horses”, “Hey Jupiter”, “and Siren”, she performed much of her set with her band mates, bassist Jon Evans and drummer Ash Soan. She did, however, perform 2 solo tracks, “Twinkle” and “Toast”. Having mesmerized the crowd with her beautiful voice and piano playing thus far, she finished her pre-encore set with the crowd's favorite “Cornflake Girl”, with many fans cheering and rising from their seats. As the song concluded, Amos and her bandmates gave a bow and waved to the crowd before briefly exiting the stage. They soon came back out for an encore, performing “Big Wheel” and “The Waitress”. Upon the end of the set, the crowd gave Amos a well-deserved standing ovation. It was a beautiful evening, and with a career spanning over 3 decades, Amos gave both older and newer fans alike an evening to remember! Opening the set this evening was Arizona folk band Tow’rs, known for telling stories through their music. They performed a short but beautiful set of songs, with husband and wife Kyle and Gretta Miller creating beautiful harmonies.
Tow’rs
Postmodern Jukebox @ Mercury Ballroom - Louisville
July 3rd, 2023: Postmodern Jukebox @ Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
Postmodern Jukebox | Photos Courtesy of Emily May
Postmodern Jukebox brought their ‘Life In The Past Lane’ Tour to Louisville on July 3rd for a rip roarin’ good time! A rotating musical collective founded by New York based pianist Scott Bradlee in 2011, the band has been delighting crowds with fun covers and arrangements of popular songs for over a decade, reworked into different vintage genres such as swing and jazz! This evening featured Tia Simone, Tatum Langley, and Eva Mikhailovna on vocals. Fans started filing into Mercury Ballroom as soon as doors opened, and many dressed up in retro clothing to reflect the mood of the evening! From start to finish, the band gave 110% and showed the crowd a high-energy and insanely enjoyable night. With the musicians, singers, and dancers having fun on stage with each other and engaging heavily with the crowd, the songs were arranged to put a unique and creative spin on songs/artists such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, Green Day’s “Basket Case”, Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army”, Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”, and "Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”, to name a few.
Each song was different, with some featuring a single singer and others featuring all three singers, with tap dancer/performer Demi Remick tap dancing a few times throughout the set, as well, which was super fun! Towards the end of the set, founder Scott Bradlee came out and, upon getting some song requests from the crowd, dazzled the crowd with a medley of a few different song songs! He thanked everyone for coming out and gave a heartfelt thank you to the fans for their support in keeping the band going for over a decade. He played the piano for the duration of the set, with the ensemble “ending” the evening with U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, before ultimately playing one more song, closing out the evening with Radiohead’s “Creep”. With everyone coming out to take a collective bow, the crowd cheered for all of the talented artists who gave us all a fun and enjoyable evening.
Fall Out Boy @ Wrigley Field - Chicago
June 21st 2023: Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio, The Academy Is.., Royal The Serpent @ Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
Fall Out Boy - Photos Courtesy of Amanda Huerta
Fall Out Boy kicked off the first day of summer, and the first day of their So Much For (Tour) Dust tour in their hometown of Chicago at the legendary Wrigley Field. This show was special not only because it was a sold-out hometown opener, but also marked the first show back for guitarist Joe Trohman since his hiatus from the band. The sold-out show was filled with a good mix of fans old and new, which was evident by the 20 years' worth of Fall Out Boy shirts throughout the stadium. Opening the show was Royal & the Serpent, and Chicago bands The Academy Is.., and Alkaline Trio.
I’ve had the privilege of attending many Fall Out Boy shows but the atmosphere of this particular show was unmatched. Even before they took the stage, fans had huge smiles, kept up great energy for all the openers, and the whole stadium even sang along to all the songs that were played during the intermissions.
Before we get into the actual set, I must mention that the production of this show was truly amazing. There was fire coming up behind the band, behind the stage, and Pete Wentz also had a flamethrower attached to his bass that released flames to the beat of certain songs. The stage set also included what appeared to be handmade wooden structures, a giant “singing” Doberman inflatable, and a huge spooky tree. Patrick Stump had mentioned that Wentz designed most of the set for this tour himself. If you thought they were done, think again, they had fireworks throughout the set and a firework show that concluded the concert. Fall Out Boy had so many tricks up their sleeve to make this concert unforgettable for all fans.
Fall Out Boy opened their set with their hit “Love From The Other Side” off of their newest album So Much (For) Stardust. Fans let loose immediately and gave it all they’ve got by singing and dancing along. The band performed a whopping 27-song-setlist that consisted of a balanced blend of songs across their albums. Amongst the setlist was the live debut of G.I.N.A.S.F.S. which was released back in 2007, this sent a shockwave throughout the crowd as soon as the first note was played. A few other hits included in the set were, “Sugar, we’re goin' down”, “This Ain't a Scene, It’s an Arms Race”, “My Songs Know..”, and “Dance, Dance”. Fall Out Boy ended their set with long-time favorite “Saturday” where Pete Wentz jumped into the crowd and sang next to fans.
This tour is one you definitely don’t want to miss. Catch them on the rest of their summer dates here:
July 5 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
July 9 – Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 11 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
July 13 – Somerset, WI @ Somerset Amphitheater
July 15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 16 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
July 18 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
July 19 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 21 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
July 22 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
July 24 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 25 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 26 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater
July 29 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 30 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
August 1 – Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
August 2 – Boston, MA Fenway Park
August 4 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
August 5 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
August 6 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
The Academy Is…
Alkaline Trio, Royal The Serpent
Dermot Kennedy @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion - Philadelphia
June 20th 2023: Dermot Kennedy, Sasha Alex Sloan @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion - Philadelphia
Dermot Kennedy - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
Dermot Kennedy closed out the US run of his worldwide tour on June 20th in Camden, NJ. This tour is in support of his latest album, Sonder, which was released late last year. It’s been exciting to see the expansion of Dermot’s career from playing small venues like Underground Arts a handful of years ago, to now playing venues like Madison Square Garden, doused with upscale production. Dermot also switched things up a bit on this tour stepping away from the guitar for the majority of songs, which you could tell was a bit of a struggle. The show was kicked off by the lovely Sasha Alex Sloan.
Sasha Alex Sloan
Shania Twain @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion - Philadelphia
June 9th 2023: Shania Twain, Breland @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion - Philadelphia
Shania Twain - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
I’ve recently been following Shania Twain’s journey and I can’t help but really take it all in seeing her perform. If you want to get a take on what she’s been through, not just in the last few years, but her whole life, be sure to check out the recent Netflix documentary “Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl”. Shania has gone through monumental loss in her life and has come out striving, something truly inspiring. Especially as a female in music you also have to respect the genre-bending she’s done for Country music and women in music. Not to mention literally losing her voice, struggling with COVID, divorce, and coming back swinging with her latest album Queen of Me (which is full of fun new bops), proving she’s still got it and no one should underestimate her.
Setlist
Waking Up Dreaming
Up!
Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)
I'm Gonna Getcha Good!
Roll Me on the River
You're Still the One
Giddy Up!
Any Man of Mine
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
Honey, I'm Home
Inhale/Exhale Air (with BRELAND)
Rock This Country!
Nah! / She's Not Just a Pretty Face / Waiter! Bring Me Water! / When / Thank You Baby! (for Makin' Someday Come So Soon)
(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!
From This Moment On
Happy Birthday to You (Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover) (Dedicated to Nicole, a fan who posted on instagram)
Number One
Party for Two
Forever and for Always
Queen of Me
Encore:
That Don't Impress Me Much
Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
Breland
