CHICAGO | From Thursday to Sunday, March 21-24, two of the most heart wrenching voices in indie music, Mitski and Julia Jacklin, took residency in Chicago’s opulent Auditorium Theater for four nights of stunning performances. I was lucky enough to attend the Saturday show, where a passionate crowd filled almost every seat in the expansive amphitheater.
Setting the stage was tenured and brilliant Australian singer-songwriter, Julia Jacklin, who delivered a vibrant and intimate performance by christening the evening with her lavish vocals and sparse guitar. Jacklin’s operatic voice echoed through the palatial auditorium, gracing each audience member’s ears and soul with every note. I had never heard Julia Jacklin play live and I was blown away with not only her songwriting but the rawness of the performance. Upon Mitski’s request, Jacklin played her song “Too In Love To Die,” an evening highlight, boldly opting for an acapella rendition. Despite her short set, Jacklin’s act has stuck with me, as I have gone back through her albums several times since the show.
The anticipation for Mitski was palpable following Julia Jacklin’s set, as the house lights and free-jazz music shot back in the Theater..
Mitski is a singularity as both a human being and a songwriting vehicle. Born in Mie, Japan, and jumping from country to country throughout her adolescence, Mitsuki Laycock eventually settled in New York to launch her music project. , As a student in college, she self-recorded/released her first two records, Lush and Retired From Sad, New Career in Business in 2012/2013. Lush featured an eclectic musical palette mostly consisting of piano and vocals, though there are some heavier tracks like “Brand New City.” While Lush was a unique and impressive debut — featuring Mitski’s iconic songwriting and channeling Fiona Apple in a way she wouldn’t exactly return to — her idiosyncrasies manifested into a more cohesive narrative with her follow-up record in 2013. Retired From Sad, New Career in Business, her risk-taking second record, accompanied by conceptual and raw visual components for each song, Mitski displayed the unique anxiety-riddled confidence she would keep for the rest of her career.
Mitski has since built a massive catalog of seven unique studio records, with her third, Bury Me At Makeout Creek, being my personal favorite, along with her atmospheric and introspective The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We, released last September. Renowned for her cripplingly relatable lyrics about isolation, existential dread and unrequited love, Mitski has grown a massive following amongst Gen-Z in the 2020s, especially on TikTok. Songs like “Washing Machine Heartl,” “My Love Mine All Mine,” “I Bet On Losing Dogs” and countless others, have developed new life cycles as six-second audio clips played over thrift hauls, mood boards and cat videos; propelling Mitski to almost 37 million monthly listeners on Spotify (more than the Beatles at the time of this article!) While there are many conversations to be had about the “Tiktokafaction of art” and Mitski’s uneasy relationship with internet fame, it has been fascinating to see this meteoric rise, especially as it’ through little fault of the artist. This extremely brief biographical summary brings us to Saturday March 22, where all of Mitski’s success and artistic vision manifested into a brilliant and fun, theatrical live performance.
As the curtains fell, revealing a large platform with musicians on either side, Mitski took the stage to roaring applause. Opening with a bluesy rendition of her Laurel Hell track “Everybody,” it was clear that this was not the traditional live-music experience. While I have experienced Mitski’s music through countless album listens and Tiny Desk rewatches, this show instantly cemented her as an iconic performer, delivering highly choreographed dances, alongside her precise vocals. Mitski did it all at the Auditorium Theater, delivering an eccentric, alluring and larger-than-life performance.
The band featured a dense instrumental ensemble with a keyboard, synthesizer, pedal steel, guitars, backup vocalists, an upright and electric bass, a full drum kit and an additional half-kit — just to name a few. The seven-piece instrumental section displayed dynamic prowess, supporting Mitski with tight arrangements of definitive songs, along with some unique flourishes, notably the Honky Tonk rendition of “I Don’t Smoke,” a swift departure from the stripped-back recorded version.
The performance was a journey not only through Mitski’s discography but also her artistic development. The set was alive with vibrant and active lighting, ever-changing as Mitski took the audience through a journey of her eclectic mind. The show also featured incredibly intricate set design that included paper cranes falling from a disco ball above the stage during the emotional “Last Words of a Shooting Star,” and “My Love Mine All Mine.” The audience depicted a range of emotions; from tears to screams of joy and of course satisfaction… Mitski did not disappoint in the slightest.
I am overwhelmed with warmth and gratitude to have been able to cover Mitski and Julia Jacklin at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater. Both artists were unforgettable, and I highly recommend seeking them out as Mitski continues her global tour in North America and Europe, alongside acts like Iceage, Richard Dawson, Miya Folick, Laufey and Lamp. Special shoutout to Richard Dawson, one of my favorite working artists, who I couldn’t believe was on this tour! Thank you so much to Dead Oceans and Secretly Group for making this possible.