I recently watched First Man, a 2018 dramatic film about astronaut Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 moon landing. Starring Ryan Gosling, it’s a big budget movie with great acting, beautiful cinematography, and seamless cgi to make for an immersive viewing experience. The thing that tied it all together for me though, was the soundtrack. Composed by Justin Hurwitz, it certainly bore resemblance to other space movie soundtracks, using hallmark techniques to convey the vastness of outer space. Huge, deep synthesized drones crescendoed along with impending percussive pulses in intense moments of panic, sometimes reinforced by heavy low brass reminiscent of Holst’s The Planets suite. These are all techniques that master film scorer Hans Zimmer uses in films like Interstellar. A Space Odyssey and Star Wars also use some of these in the brass minus the synthesization.
Unlike other space soundtracks I’ve heard, however, Hurwitz added a certain humanness to the score with delicate strings and harp. And unlike some other space movies, First Man is really about humanizing Neil Armstrong, tackling his personal relationships, mental health struggles, and emotions rather than just focusing on scientific, calculated space travel, rockets, and engineering. This brought a really nice balance to the soundtrack as a whole. Hurwitz knew when to employ more traditional space scoring sounds in more traditional space scenes, but also when to shift the sound to soft harp arpeggios, strings and sometimes light upper woodwinds in more intimate moments.
Another touch I loved was the use of theremin in these moments. Theremin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without any physical contact, but rather by interacting with the instrument’s electromagnetic field in two planes to control pitch and volume. It is strongly associated with aliens and space, and while you may not have heard the name, I can almost guarantee you have heard the sound at some point as an alien appeared on screen. However, Hurwitz brilliantly repurposes the theremin in the intimate scenes of the film. He is able to use it softly and delicately to yield a truly beautiful sound that is a far cry from its typical use to convey the weird and bizarre.
While the soundtrack is almost entirely original cinematic music, it does tastefully use one pre-recorded song from 1947 called “Lunar Rhapsody” by Samuel Hoffman. It obviously fits the theme of the film given the title of the song and helps to place the setting back in the early 1960s with its old-timey recording sound. It has no lyrics, but does use vocals in that classic, nostalgic mid-20th century vocal harmony. Despite this, it actually integrates pretty well into the rest of the soundtrack. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hurwitz drew some inspiration from this song for the delicate moments of his composing, with its use of harp and strings. The upper vocals even sound reminiscent of a theremin at times. It is a really beautiful and nostalgic piece and I think it was a great choice for an addition to the soundtrack.
First Man has joined the ranks of my favorite movie soundtracks. It beautifully fits the film, and I applaud Hurwitz. You can stream First Man on Netflix or stream the soundtrack on any music streaming service.
Discovering June’s music split my mind. It centered around this voice that seemed to suddenly appear out of the ether in the most angelic and graceful way. Deeply emotive and raw, I didn’t expect its kaleidoscope of reflections of 60s/70s folk and more modern sounds. June’s 2023 EP, With Strings, opens with “Emerald River Dance,” a haunting track followed by a cover of the traditional Appalachian ballad “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair.” The EP continues with orchestrally arranged versions of June’s original songs, previously released on a self-titled EP in 2022. Acoustic guitar rings out with arpeggiated motion while the orchestra’s longer tones reverberate to surround June’s yearning melodies. With drum machine and synth, the first EP includes some elements of 80s pop and rock. At the same time, it builds an intimate, contemplative world that strikes me in a similar way that Sibylle Baier does with Colour Green. Whatever way you categorize her work, it clearly demonstrates authenticity and seamless diversity of style.
Although Black musicians throughout history have contributed significantly to guitar centered genres (folk, rock, etc..) they hardly ever receive recognition as such. Implications around which styles belong to each kind of person continue to rule the industry, but June’s work ignores what “should be” to embody intuitive creativity, unlocking endless possibilities–possibilities we all need to believe in.
June’s multidimensional affinity for music grew out of her teenage years, during which she learned guitar, inspired by Simon and Garfunkel and Lianne la Havas, and then studied vocal jazz in undergrad at The New School in New York City. A Jamaican folk musician, June’s grandfather also had a hand in shaping her appreciation, as did her father, who was a part of the MC scene in New York in the eighties.
I saw June perform on a shared bill with the compelling and talented Kara Jackson at Schubas Tavern. Illuminated by a bright, full moon the mid-summer night felt extra special because of the two phenomenal Black women on stage who used sound to vulnerably share themselves and their individuality in ways that I had never seen. Later in early September, I interviewed June about her journey in music. Thanks to June for being yourself and for allowing our conversation to continue beyond that night with your invaluable insights!
(Photo by Bella Newman)
We dove right into June’s feelings behind what she does.
June said, “the main reason I want to make music is to encourage people, specifically with folk music and genres that Black people have been shut out of. A lot of the folk music I listen to, a lot of the artists are white and I think about that period of time, the late sixties and early seventies, it just makes me so mad to think about how not diverse those communities were at that time, especially in New York.”
Music-making communities in NY are now evolved, however, not totally absent of the industry’s genre confines and categorizations. June understands how her uniqueness helps her stand out, but at the same time, she feels that the music itself is most important.
“I think the industry is an interesting place when you’re creating and people recognise that you’re different in the space that you’re creating stuff in. I really just want to make the best music possible and be open minded and free in that way. I don’t want to overshaw what I’m making,” June said.
Even in the knowledge of such challenges, June felt drawn to the art of songwriting and diy creation which eventually resulted in her stunning, dreamy EPs.
“Most of the time that I was working on it was during covid,” June said. “I was in college for music and I was like ‘ok I wanna make my own project’ and I had been compiling a little group of songs I had been writing and I thought ‘how do I start recording this?’ I tried to go to some studios and that was tricky. I didn’t know anything about recording cause I had been performing live and that’s a totally different art form. It took a long time, essentially. It took so many months and eventually after like a year. I realized that I really liked doing it on my own at home and I also was working on it with Evan, my partner. We both had a lot of time because of covid and we were patient. In the end I think the EP has a definite diy vibe. I feel like I’ve had insecurities about it but I think it’s special because it marks a time of me trusting myself to do it on my own with someone I really trust. We both were learning. The thing about making music that’s tricky these days is trying to listen to yourself over everyone else. Because it’s such a universal artform and everyone has a valid opinion about music. It’s so accessible. Like I’ll finish a recording and then, my parents aren’t musicians, but I’ll send some things to my parents and they’ll have good opinions about something I could change. Anyone can listen to music and have something to say about it. I worked for maybe three years on my EP kind of loosely in college and I didn’t really show anyone.. You should take as long as you want to record a project. Some days if you’re feeling kind of lazy or lost that’s so normal and just take your time. We are the ones that make the mental deadlines and they don’t really need to be there. If you show someone something and they’re not into it, but you’re into it, that’s fine. Not everyone is into everything or understands what you’re doing, but I think especially when you’re a new musician you really have to practice the muscle of trusting your own voice, which is really hard.”
When clouded by the noise of everyone and their opinions, tuning out to find her own voice was a patient process.
“I think I realized I could sing around ninth grade and honestly my voice was kind of weird at that time (laughs) like I’ll listen to recordings,” June said. “A lot of jazz spaces are very technical so I was very focused on technique for like four years. And then when I realized I wanted to grow outside of jazz, I kind of started thinking like, you know what, I don’t really wanna think about my voice in such a technical way. I feel like that’s when I really started to like what I was doing when I sang. When I do a show I don’t really do any warm ups because I just feel like the less I think about the technical performance of my singing the more connected I’ll be. Anyone that ever comes to me and they’re like, ‘hey I wanna get a voice lesson’ the whole lesson I’m just saying, ‘any anxiety you have, get rid of it.’ I love my voice so much more nowadays when I don’t think about technique. Your voice is completely connected to your body.”
She laughed remembering how differently her voice sounded years ago.
“The voice is so different from any sound-making thing or instrument. The crazy thing is I sound like another person and that’s the cool thing about the voice, it can only get better as you get older because you’re getting more comfy in your body, hopefully, more free in your sound, and I feel like every year my voice changes.”
June spoke with such gratitude regarding the experiences that allowed her to learn and grow alongside gifted musicians who have become important collaborators and mentors in her life. In the last couple of years, she has toured with Nick Hakim and Jessica Pratt, two artists she had been an admirer of and who ended up significantly influencing her work.
Recalling those memories brought us to discuss June’s ongoing experimentation with live shows. Typically, she and her bandmate and main collaborator Evan Wright play with cassette tracks, but gradually, they are moving toward a full band, perhaps along with new music.
“I’ve only played with a full band a couple times, I think recording is more so the space that I spend a lot of time thinking about,” June said. “I really wanna play with people that I really like, my friends, good people. I’m trying to figure out a band and I don’t take it lightly. It’s a super hard thing to figure out. Evan has only confirmed how important it is to have someone that truly understands you and makes music with you. He’s helped me grow so much as a musician.”
In these early stages, June expressed introspection about the self-discovery and evolution this career has brought about and looked to the gleaming possibilities of the future.
“This year has been the first year of doing this thing for real,” June said. “It’s a hard career. I’m a super social person but also an over-thinker. I’m trying to find how to deal with how social and vulnerable it is to share music. Sometimes I’ll forget to tell my mom that I’ve got a tour coming up haha. It can feel like a lot because it’s such a public thing.. sometimes you kinda wanna go hermit mode. I’m learning a lot about it and a huge amount about myself.. Maybe I’ll always feel this way in music.. Like anytime I play a show I’m maybe not fully satisfied.. Live shows are extra complicated because I have a hard time with the idea of being perceived by people, but with recording you have the space to reflect and make it the best version of yourself.. (recalling the Schubas show) Kara Jackson had the best stage banter I’ve ever seen by far.”
June returns to Chicago on September 27th at Hungry Brain. With Evan Wright opening, it is sure to be an alluring night that you do not want to miss. Then, she joins Clairo on the enchanting Charm tour in March 2025.
The release of Cassandra Jenkins’ new album My Light, My Destroyer launched her current run of her North American tour, her first in two years. On Thursday, September 19th, Jenkins’ performed her first show of the tour. In fact, it was her first performance in Chicago, held at Sleeping Village, a funky and suave bar and venue in Logan Square.
The show began with opener Andrew Sa, an alt-country singer from California. He strolled onto stage wearing an outfit consisting of patchwork jeans, cowboy boots, a button down and a flat cap, echoing the aesthetic of the California cowboy. On stage stood only Sa and his guitarist, making this opening act extra special for listeners.
One of his most intimate songs of the night was about the death of a character from the iconic 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain. Sa opened the song with the statement: “this song is about a gay cowboy. No, not me!” which made the audience chuckle. Sa’s lilting vocals and peaceful poise dominated the stage and kept the audience in rapt attention.
After Sa’s set, it was Jenkins’ time to shine. She strolled onto the stage in a black bow and a floral jacket. Electronic music and vocals surrounded the darkness of the venue.
The show began with the opening track of the album, ‘Devotion.’ Jenkins sang delicately and talked about other songs on the album in tandem with going through a breakup. At the end of the show, a flutist featured in the opening act came back out to accompany Jenkins’ and her all-female band for a climactic finale.
On Friday, September 20th, Vocalo presented a free “Summer Finale” concert in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago featuring several homegrown Chicago artists. Vocalo was one of five organizations selected to present free programming this summer as part of Millennium Park’s 20th Anniversary Summer Season, and the second year of Millennium Park’s Residency Program.
Gates opened at 5:00pm, and guests were serenaded for two hours by Chicago-native DJ Lady D as they awaited the main show, beginning at 7:00pm with opening act KAINA. Chicago-based singer-songwriter KAINA performed with a solid rhythm section and her show had a mellow, laid-back vibe, featuring lyrics about her experiences growing up in Chicago.
Next came my personal favorite act of the night, renowned trumpeter Marquis Hill, who performed alongside Rhodes, electric bass, drums, and vibraphone. I’ve heard Hill live several times before, and he never disappoints. He is perhaps most recognized for his unique warm and breathy tone, which somehow always comes across beautifully in every live sound setup. This is no small feat, and I think it is important to note his absolute mastery of the microphone. His ensemble as a whole also always crafts a great live sound with good balance and blend, and Friday night was no exception.
Hill performed songs from his new album Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox, complete with samples of an unidentified male speaking straight wisdom with repeated lines like: “the sound of music is very powerful,” and “music is light, light is music, music is food, music is nutrition.” The samples definitely reflected how I felt about the performance.
To further enhance the performance, Hill incorporated use of harmonizer and delay effects on his trumpet sound for some songs and occasionally picked up some auxiliary percussion as he cued samples such as clave, shaker, and even surprisingly-effective finger cymbals. Halfway through the 45-minute set, Hill brought out guest vocalist Manasseh Croft to round out the last few songs.
The final act of the night was Pivot Gang, “a hip hop collective of independent rappers with a wide range of styles carefully synchronized into one sound,” according to their bio. The group was founded about five years ago in Chicago’s West Side by brothers Saba and Joseph Chilliams alongside their cousin John Walt and their high school friend. This was a special performance for the group; not only were they back in their hometown, but it was also the birthday of former member SqueakPIVOT, who was shot and killed in August of 2021.
Pivot Gang got the mid-sized crowd on their feet and moving with their good energy and great stage presence. On stage were a dj, guitarist, Rhodes player, and five rappers. Everyone on stage donned cool, unique outfits and showcased their unique character while remaining cohesive as a group.
I think it is wonderful that Chicago funds free cultural programming like this for the public, and Vocalo definitely understood the assignment with their well-crafted lineup celebrating Chicago artists. The audience clearly appreciated all of the acts, but Pivot Gang seemed to be a favorite, which makes sense as they have the most fans out of all of the artists on the bill. For the last song of the night, Pivot Gang invited KAINA and Marquis Hill back to the stage to sing with them and improvise a trumpet solo respectively. It was a satisfying and climactic conclusion to the evening of quality Chicago music.
A portion of this article was redacted after initial publication.
On Sunday, September 15, 2024, the band Horse Jumper of Love performed live at Lincoln Hall. The show featured music from the opening bands villagerrr and Teethe. All of the bands belonged to either indie rock or slowcore genres, creating a cohesive sound throughout the different sets which the audience seemed to enjoy.
Hailing from Ohio, the first opener, villagerrr, included members Mark Allen Scott, Cam Garshon, Zayn Dweik, Ben Malicoat, and Colton Hamilton. villagerrr performed songs from their albums Tear Your Heart Out and Like Leaves. Their music sounded unique and folky, and their overall performance felt very calm and pleasant. They interacted a lot with the crowd, who seemed to enjoy their performance, and they even brought out a member of Teethe to support them with additional guitar for one song.
The second opener, Teethe, is a Texas-based band made up of the members Boone Patrello, Grahm Robinson, Madeline Dowd, Jordan Garrett, and Kai Wilde. They played songs primarily from their 2020 self-titled debut album, Teethe, with a lo-fi sound. They enhanced their stage presence by cracking jokes and developed great rapport with the audience. Attendees clearly loved the set, dancing despite the slowness of the music and calling for an encore at the end of the set.
Horse Jumper of Love, the headlining band from Massachusetts, includes members Dimitri Giannopoulos, John Margaris, and Jamie Vadala-Doran. They performed songs from their newest slowcore album Disaster Trick, which was amazing to hear live. The lyrics exuded melancholy and longing, contributing to an emotional and moving performance. Though they displayed a more reserved stage presence than the opening bands, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the performance, expressed by singing along and dancing to the music. Lead singer Giannopoulos thanked the audience for their support in between songs.
Villagerrr, Teethe, and Horse Jumper of Love were all wonderful bands to see live. You can check out their music on streaming services or buy their merch on Bandcamp. Definitely consider catching any of these artists the next time they’re on tour.
Riot Fest 2025 is quickly approaching. As Chicago’s premier music festival for punk, rock, metal, and alternative music, fans were shocked to see that the festival would be moving to SeatGeek stadium in Bridgeview- close to an hour drive outside of the city, and largely inaccessible by public transit. After some uproar about the change, Riot Fest announced that they would be moving back North Lawndale’s Douglass Park, which has housed the festival since 2015.
I attended my first Riot Fest in 2018, and the festival truly changed my life forever. Overwhelmed by the experience of community, joy, and artistic expression, Riot Fest would become a significant factor in my decision to pursue a career in the music industry. I have attended every year since, so as a self-proclaimed Riot Fest expert, as well as Radio DePaul’s music director, here are my must-see sets for this year’s festival.
FALL OUT BOY
Hometown heroes Fall Out Boy are returning to Riot Fest as Friday night’s headliner this year. The Chicago band headlined Riot Fest in 2013, and played their last Chicago date at Wrigley Field in June 2023 on the So Much for (Tour) Dust run. This might be the last Fall Out Boy hometown show for a little while, so you know they are going to bring their best– and you would not want to miss former DePaul student Pete Wentz on the Riot Fest stage.
Cleveland band Heart Attack Man will be opening the Radical stage on Saturday at Riot Fest this year. Having recently toured with bands like Microwave, Origami Angel, and Hot Mulligan (who you can catch at Riot Fest on Friday), Heart Attack Man continues to be one of the most promising bands in the 5th wave emo scene. Frontman Eric Egan is sure to start out the day with a high energy set, so arrive early for the full experience.
Basement’s 2012 album Colormeinkindness is one of the most influential albums on the emo/post-hardcore scene of the 2010s. Combining a heavy, grunge inspired dark sound with the catchy qualities of emo and pop punk, Basement is bound to play a hard-hitting set on Saturday afternoon. You can also catch guitarist Alex Henery with supergroup Fiddlehead on Sunday.
Still contending for one of my favorite albums of 2024, St. Vincent will play a Saturday night set at Riot Fest this year, as she tours on the aforementioned All Born Screaming. Known for elaborate stage design and virtuosic guitar work– she was named by Rolling Stone as one of the best guitar players of all time in 2023– St. Vincent returns to Chicago for the first time since Pitchfork Music Festival in 2021 for a set that is sure to be a festival highlight. If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch her after show at Metro on Wednesday night too.
This Irish post-punk band will be playing early on Sunday, but you definitely do not want to miss their set. Letter to Self, the band’s 2024 release, is monumental as a debut album. I was not able to make their sold out Schubas show in March, but I will not be making that mistake again, as this band is going to continue to gain traction with any fans of noisy tracks to get your blood pumping.
Even though I am not allowed to add hardcore to our Radio DePaul rotation (apparently some people do not like to hear screaming on the radio), that does not mean that I will not tell people to listen to New Jersey hardcore heroes GEL every chance that I get. The circle pit at GEL’s set on Sunday will be the place to be. I highly recommend this set to any Riot Fest attendees, even if hardcore punk is not normally your speed.
Some other highly anticipated sets for this year’s Riot Fest include three nights of NOFX as a farewell tour, and the return of Slayer, who have not played in Chicago since Riot Fest 2019. Riot Fest will be September 20-22 this year, and it is the ideal way to close out your Chicago festival season.
Pitchfork Music Festival returned to Chicago’s Union Park in West Loop this past weekend for its 18th year, bringing thousands of music fans together for a weekend of exciting performances. One of Chicago’s most prominent and well respected festivals, Pitchfork Music Festival features a lineup that often spotlights artists that are heavily promoted or praised in Pitchfork’s reviews and articles. The featured artists differ greatly by genre and often may be experimental, independent, and bringing fresh ideas and style to the musical landscape. This year’s headliners included Texas-based neo-soul band Black Pumas, electronic music mastermind Jamie xx, and 90s alt-rock superstar Alanis Morissette.
Saturday’s lineup in particular highlighted some of Chicago’s best and brightest rising musical stars. Alt-rock three piece Lifeguard played the first set of the day, greeting a sizable, energetic crowd with their signature brand of post-punk meets power pop. Likely the youngest musicians to grace the Pitchfork stages this weekend, the trio pulled off a polished, neat set of tunes, often flowing from one right into the other. Despite being sequestered to a folding chair due to a foot injury, Kai Slater and bandmates Asher Case and Isaac Lowenstein led the crowd in a raucous set, leading to the fest’s first mosh pit of the day. Slater even opted to use one of his crutches as a slide on his guitar during the set.
Lifeguard’s Kai Slater by Ariele Palmer
Another notable Chicago native on Saturday’s lineup was Kara Jackson, whose debut album Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? was included in Pitchfork’s “Best Albums of 2023.” Jackson was accompanied by a collection of Chicago music’s heavyweights: Sen Morimoto, KAINA, Macie Stewart, and Kurt Shelby. Her performance entranced the Pitchfork audience, displaying one of the unique qualities about Pitchfork as a festival– a festival crowd entirely silent and still while watching an artist. Kara Jackson’s vocal talent truly seems to be a once-in-a-generation type of voice, with such rich tones and emotional weight. Jackson’s set was a highlight of the festival weekend, as well as a testament to the incredible talent that is thriving within the Chicago music scene.
Kara Jackson by Ariele Palmer
With just three festival stages, Pitchfork Music Festival maintains a lowkey, relaxed environment, allowing for a more casual festival-goer experience. The space between stages gives attendees more space to spread out, sit down, or take a break away from the crowd, which can be difficult at more densely populated festivals like Lollapalooza. Festival sets have little overlap, reducing the stress of running from stage to stage to catch your favorite artists. The festival also features several brand activations, such as Nespresso and Kotex with free products, and vendors within the Renegade Craft Fair and record fair sponsored by CHIRP Radio. Fans could also catch live interviews of their favorite artists at the Visit Austin stage.
Photo by Ariele Palmer
Additionally, the festival’s sound quality and mixing was above and beyond compared to other festivals, where sets can become muddy and vocals can be lost. Despite some sound bleed between stages, the Pitchfork sound crew accomplished quite a feat by delivering top-tier mixing for extremely different genres and dense, layered, and complicated musical compositions.
Some of the festival’s best-attended sets this weekend included queer hyperpop duo 100 gecs, punk/ska showman Jeff Rosenstock, pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen, and feminist punk quartet Mannequin Pussy. British producer & songwriter Jai Paul performed for the first time in Chicago on Friday. Riot grrrl pioneers Bratmobile reunited for their first show in the city in twenty years, along with fellow Olympia, Washington band Unwound, on Saturday. Headliner Jamie xx also had his debut Chicago performance as a solo artist at the festival.
Jamie xx by Ariele Palmer
With picturesque sunny skies all weekend, Union Park made a great location for the festival, recovering quickly from the tornado that had unexpectedly passed through West Loop earlier in the week. Chicago and its music community look forward to celebrating the immense musical talent that Pitchfork Music Festival brings to the city again in 2025.
Akenya at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Maxo at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Nala Sinephro at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Model/Actriz at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Model/Actriz at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Mannequin Pussy at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Mannequin Pussy at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024MUNA at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024MUNA at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Brittany Howard at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024Les Savy Fav at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
CHICAGO | On Thursday evening, April 18, we traveled downtown to Chicago’s Goodman Theater to see Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, a fantastic play by one of America’s most celebrated playwrights, August Wilson. The play is part of Wilson’s American Century Cycle, a collection of ten plays that chronicle the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. Set in a boarding house in 1911 Pittsburgh, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone portrays life when slavery was only 50 years in the past.
The title of the play references the real-life Joe Turney, a “man catcher” who effectively re-enslaved emancipated African Americans by accusing them of a crime and forcing them to work in a chain gang as punishment. The play explores the effects of such imprisonment on a man’s psyche and the lives of those around him while also dealing with issues of interpersonal relationships, marriage, love, childhood and spirituality. The residents of the boarding house assist him in his attempt to heal from a traumatic past in which he lost his wife and seemingly his sanity. He and his daughter lead an interesting journey that results in something the audience would never have anticipated. The community which he encounters is a closely knit group of Black men and women who lean on one another as they face the difficulties and day to day happenings of life. Many of the play’s scenes make you feel as if you are there having tea and coffee and chatting late into the night. They bond over joyful laughter, dance, folk music and a connection to the spiritual realm.
Upon entering the theater, we immediately noticed the stunning set design. The stage was quite large and an artistic frame complemented the central set. The interior of the boarding house was highly detailed, including beautiful hardwood floors and ornate antique tables, chairs and a kitchen. The set was complete with real food and coffee consumed by the actors in recurring breakfast scenes of biscuits and grits. Pairing the outstanding set and props with flawless costumes made for a highly immersive visual experience even from a distance — however, these stunning visual details were not the only sensory experience at this play. Both live and recorded music was woven throughout the story including an acoustic guitar and other percussive instruments which the cast actually play, yet another dimension that helped immerse the audience into this charming, antique-feeling play through visuals and sounds.
While we are not necessarily theater experts, the acting was undeniably excellent. There was not a single weak link in the cast of eleven, including one 12-year-old and one 8-year-old. All of the actors’ talents came together in a seamless blend of humor and dramatic emotion.
With a run time of roughly two hours and 40 minutes, one might worry about getting bored, especially in this era of short-form content and shortened attention spans. Rest assured, the overall product was a truly captivating and thought-provoking experience.
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.
