CHICAGO – I think it’s a universal experience to have certain artists tied to specific chapters of your life. Whether it’s a breakup, a family event, or just a rough day, music has this incredible way of helping us process it all. I’ve always believed that music heals and nothing reminded me of that more than seeing Spill Tab live at Beat Kitchen on a Saturday night in June.
Claire Chicha, better known as Spill Tab, soundtracked my entire freshman year at DePaul. From move-in day to finals week, she was the artist I turned to. A constant I could fall back on during a year full of change. Her music captured the chaos, the fun, and the growth of that time. I’d get ready for Loop classes to “Splinter,” and wind down at night with “Cotton Candy.” She became the backdrop to my first experiences navigating Chicago, a city that quickly started to feel like home.
Spill Tab was also the first artist I ever saw live in Chicago at Schubas in 2022. Back then, I was a freshly 18-year-old freshman who could barely navigate the CTA and relied on the Student Center for all my needs. Fast forward to now, I’m 21 and heading into my senior year. Watching her again, this time at Beat Kitchen, hit differently. It was nostalgic, emotional, and affirming. A reminder that I’ve made it this far, still doing what I love, chasing live music, finding new meaning in familiar songs, and letting artists like Spill Tab help me write the soundtrack to my story.
On her four-show U.S. tour, Spill Tab delivered a vibrant mix of new tracks and fan favorites. Her stop at Beat Kitchen was nothing short of electric. She opened the set with the high-energy “CRÈME BRÛLÉE!,” immediately pulling the crowd into her world. Claire’s lo-fi vocals and dreamy, genre-blurring melodies transformed the intimate venue into a dance floor, especially as she moved into “Calvaire” and “Velcro.” Whether longtime fans or first-timers, everyone found something to connect to, each song revealing a new layer of her artistry.
What made the night even more memorable was the chemistry between Chicha and her band. Their genuine love for performing was contagious. Between songs, the banter was effortless and hilarious. Before launching into “PINK LEMONADE,” drummer Gabe Tout buttoned up his shirt, joking he was “getting more serious.”
The jokes kept coming, with bassist Caleb Buchanan riffing, “What if we just talked for 45 minutes and gradually got more and more dressed?”
The crowd laughed along, fully in on the inside jokes and off-the-cuff energy. They even shared a story about accidentally hitting a fox with their tour bus, which has not landed at some shows they’ve played, “life is so bad you have to laugh in reference to killing a fox.”
As the set continued, Claire introduced songs from her newest album “ANGIE.” Even the lesser-known tracks landed with impact. Fans shouted the lyrics to “wet veneer” and “Adore Me,” already embracing them like longtime favorites.
One of the most striking moments came when she performed “Assis,” a hauntingly beautiful track sung entirely in French. The room fell silent in awe, proof that language is no barrier when the emotion is real.
Amid all the bits, beats, and playful chaos – including the band joking that they were “cooked after this tour” – Spill Tab closed the night with the explosive 2021 hit “PISTOLWHIP.” Just like the first time I heard it live, it hit with the same raw energy and cathartic release. Fans jumped, danced, and screamed the lyrics, savoring every last moment of a show that moved through so many emotions. It was the perfect finale. Wild, emotional, and truly unforgettable.
Watching Spill Tab again reminded me of why I keep chasing shows, even when life gets chaotic. The night had felt like I had just closed a chapter I didn’t realize was still open. Spill Tab’s music carried me through the start of my college experience, and now, on the edge of my last year, she reminded me why I fell in love with this city, with live music, and with the version of myself that has grown up these past three years in both. Some shows are just concerts, this one felt like a full circle.
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