On October 17th, Utah-based indie pop group The Aces took the stage at the House of Blues during their “I’ve Loved You For So Long” world tour. The band’s tour follows the release of their third album of the same name that came out in June of this year.
The four-piece consists of bassist McKenna Petty, guitarist Katie Henderson, drummer Alisa Ramirez and frontwoman Cristal Ramirez. With the band touring their new album, the Chicago crowd was full of girls decked out in blazers and leather pants eager to hear its songs for the first time live.
The crowd was radiating with anticipation and excitement as the lights dimmed, and The Aces logo was projected on the stage with electronic bass echoing throughout the theater as the band walked on stage. They kicked off their set with the track “I Always Get This Way,” which is a fan favorite that immediately captivated the audience. Through this first song, with their high energy and bright instrumentation the band established that they were here to show Chicago a good time; a goal that was accomplished through the whole set.
From the moment that frontwoman Ramirez stepped on the stage, she commanded the crowd with her effortless swagger and cool demeanor; coming out in a leather blazer, slick backed hair and shades, with a strut that mirrored the confidence of a 2000’s boy band heartthrob. However, she supports that confidence with a powerhouse voice and impeccable vocal techniques.
While Ramirez led the crowd on an emotional journey filled with queer joy and heartbreak, each member of the band showed how they are masters of their craft — both individually and as a whole. Early on in the set, drummer Ramirez and bassist Petty established that they are the backbone of the band, with the rhythm section never failing to be in-sync throughout the set. In tracks such as “Person” and “Miserable,” Henderson’s light and airy backup vocals shone through when paired with her lead guitar riffs, adding a level of brightness to the songs covering the topic of feeling lost in life. Each member of the band shined in their different elements of their performance, leaving their all out on the stage.
While the star of the show was their latest album, the band balanced out the new tracks with songs off of their previous albums, which drove the crowd wild. Songs performed off of their sophomore album Under My Influence, such as “Kelly” and “My Phone is Trying to Kill Me,” provided a sense of 2000s boy band nostalgia in both the instrumentation and performance. It felt that while they were playing the songs off their sophomore release that they were in their element of bringing their album to life, while receiving a huge audience reaction, with people singing along and dancing throughout the venue.
In between songs, Ramirez brought up how she was in a dark place when the band was writing their most recent record. She opened up to the audience about how this time made her feel the same way that she did when she was younger, closted and hiding who she was. Ramirez went on to say that during these times the reason she got out of bed every morning remained the same: The Aces.
Since the band has been playing together since their pre-teen years, the band represents a unique dynamic that not only shows their talent as musicians, but how their friendship plays into their performance as well. One of the most enthralling elements of the band is the ability that they have of bouncing off one another which led to an electrifying performance on the stage of the House of Blues.