The Raincoats were never meant to fit into a mold. When Gina Birch and Ana da Silva created the all-girl band in 1977, they weren’t interested in the gritty energy of punk or the polished precision of mainstream rock. Instead, they embraced chaos through an offbeat, dissonant space where a lack of instrumental experience became a tool rather than a hindrance. Their sound was not just music; it was a statement, which raw and unfiltered themes emerged from the depths of post-punk’s experimental spirit.
Post-punk itself emerged as a rebellion against the stripped down simplicity of classic rock and early punk. It was a response, an evolution, and perhaps even a challenge, through jagged music that refused to be bound by conventional song structures. While some bands from this era clung to punk’s anthemic energy, such as Joy Division, The Chameleons, or The Cure, the Raincoats leaned to a different direction. Their music echoed and staggered, embracing the same fearless defiance as their counterparts, but without the need for speed and belligerence. Palmolive, who had drummed for the Slits, eventually joined the Raincoats team, further cementing their place in post-punk’s rebellious sisterhood.
While some of these bands mentioned wanted to still embrace classic punk-rock anthems, the Raincoats had no interest in recreating the speed and rigor of bands like the Sex Pistols or the Clash, which led them to create a livelier and echoey sound. Thus, they gained much of their influence from avant-garde and experimental music like the Vaselines and Scritti Politti. This unpredictability and commitment to off-kilter rhythm would go on to influence generations of music, including Kurt Cobain, who once confessed that Nirvana’s first album carried echoes of the Raincoats’ raw, unfiltered energy.
While others clung to structure, the Raincoats thrived in freedom. Their music wasn’t polished because it didn’t need to be. It wove together themes of female autonomy, social critique, and personal freedom, proving that imperfection could be its own form of rebellion. They turned dissonance from a flaw into a feature. The songs moved unpredictably between tempos and keys, sometimes almost feeling out of tune, yet always holding an undeniable sense of purpose. Some could chalk this up to inexperience, but the Raincoats were far too intentional for that. Their music mirrored their boundary-breaking, unconventional, and impossible to ignore ethos. Their off-beat rhythms and piercing violin lines weren’t just sounds. Instead, they were statements and acting as declarations of independence in a world that often tried to drown them out.
Even their album covers reflect their spirit. Rather than relying on glossy photography, they leaned into art, such as hand drawn sketches and bold handwritten fonts that declared (with quiet defiance) that they were the authors of their own narrative. Their aesthetic was almost childlike at times, but that was part of the magic. It was a rejection of the status quo and a refusal to conform to expectations. Their visuals further symbolise their stances on freedom, autonomy, and a willingness to embrace the undefined.
The Raincoats may not have set out to be pioneers, but their impact is undeniable. Their themes of female empowerment and social critique set them apart from other post-punk bands and helped pave the way for future artists that want to experiment with different musical endeavors. Their influence can be traced through decades of alternative and indie artists, each borrowing a piece of their fearlessness and their refusal to be categorized. They were never just a band, rather a movement and a testament to the power of unfiltered expression. In the grand tangled web of post-punk history, the Raincoats remain as a reminder that the most groundbreaking music comes not from mastery, but from the sheer audacity to create on your own terms.
On Tuesday, February 11, I attended an evening lecture at DePaul titled “More Power Than We Think: Unleashing Creative Nonviolence.” The event was co-sponsored by the DePaul Humanities Center and DePaul’s Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies (PAX) program and featured two guest speakers. Given the size of the event, I am sure they had been planning this since before President Trump’s inauguration, but the subject matter seemed particularly pertinent in light of recent executive branch actions, and the large audience turnout reflected that.
After a brief welcome and introduction, we met the first speaker, Trey Baker, an Emmy-nominated spoken word artist, community educator, and DePaul PAX senior. He grabbed our attention by beginning with a beautiful spoken word piece before explaining the work he does as a change-agent. Baker travels to schools to give workshops teaching underrepresented minority group students how to use poetry to express themselves. He shows them how poetry can help them connect with, understand, appreciate, and celebrate their identities. He emphasized the power of poetry as a means of healing generational trauma and called it an “access point to liberation,” explaining how poetry is anti-hate and pro-hope.
Relatively young yet highly accomplished for his age, Baker contrasted the next speaker, Kathy Kelly. Comparatively much older, Kelly provided a different perspective, drawing on decades of her experience as a global activist and war resister. A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, she told stories of her activism from planting corn on top of intercontinental ballistic missile silos in Iowa during the Cold War to giving blood in Afghanistan for Afghans injured from the US bombing a hospital.
Throughout her lengthy activist career, Kelly has never strayed from nonviolence. She noted that “the means you use determines the end you get,” and “blood doesn’t wash away blood.” She laid out the ‘works of war’ as “to destroy crops and land, seize food supplies, destroy homes, scatter families, contaminate water, imprison dissenters, inflict wounds and burns, and kill the living.” She contrasted these with the ‘works of mercy’: “to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the imprisoned, care for the sick, and bury the dead.”
Kelly also showed some political cartoons from the 1950s that were eerily relevant today. One titled “In America – At This Restaurant Only One Person Is Served,” by Ukrainian cartoonist Yuliy Ganf in 1953, shows a restaurant scene with characters at tables representing the arts, education, healthcare, science, and war. Waiters representing the leaders of different countries serve “war” with heaping plates of the sustaining nutrient currency, while the characters representing other sectors are neglected and starving.
Even while trying to avoid much media consumption for the sake of preserving my mental health, I have not been able to avoid such recent headlines as “Trump Administration Dissolves President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities,” or a recent article from NPR stating “President Trump plans to fire several Board members at Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts naming himself chairman. He says that he is firing the Board chairman and other members who ‘do not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.’” This has since been enacted. If having a sitting president serve as chairman on the board of a semi-private arts organization is not an abuse of power, I do not know what is. For a president who ran on a platform of supporting the so-called “working man,” this truly feels like a direct attack on my career and livelihood.
But the arts are so much more than an occupation. At the lecture, Kelly and Baker highlighted how art serves humanity. It helps us see things in different ways; it helps us humanize each other; it helps us sterilize and disarm hate; it helps us remember our humanity and makes us more human. Baker noted jazz specifically as a means for making sense of our current time and finding ways to reimagine our world. It is no coincidence that jazz has been intertwined with many of the most significant social and political movements in American history.
And just as jazz is an inherently collaborative art form, Kelly and Baker stressed that we have more power than we think to make change, especially when we come together. We cannot create meaningful change by ourselves. We need to keep encouraging each other, checking in on each other, and sharing resources with each other. While war and hate divide and separate us, love and art bring us together and help us find collaborative solutions.
Art is a means of resistance and a source of power. The government may be able to restrict funding and resources from art and humanities, funneling them towards agents of hate and violence instead, but they cannot restrict our creativity. They cannot forbid us to think or to love, so we must not give up on hope and humanity, for if we come together in creative resistance, they cannot stop us.
On November 11, 2024, in a crushing blow to the Chicago music community, Pitchfork Music Festival announced via Instagram that the festival would not be returning to Chicago in 2025, ending its 19 year run in Union Park. The publication cited little cause other than the rapidly evolving music festival landscape.
The announcement comes not quite a year following the announcement that media giant Condé Nast would be nesting Pitchfork under the umbrella of men’s style magazine GQ, resulting in layoffs of over half of the music publication’s key staff members and editors. Not only did the consolidation represent a significant loss in the world of music journalism, as Pitchfork is the most well known music journalism site in the digital age, it also begged the question, why in 2024 would music journalism be considered mens’ media?
The choice seemed especially confusing and unnecessary considering that Pitchfork had the highest daily site visitors of any Condé Nast properties, according to an audience development editor from the company.
Many attendees and employees of the final iteration of Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2024 could feel a change in the brand’s identity. With the addition of a VIP viewing tier, sponsorships from brands like Nespresso and Butter Chardonnay, and a more mainstream lineup, with headliners like Alanis Morissette and Black Pumas, the festival’s intended demographic had clearly shifted from the indie-loving concert heads of the past to a more comfortable, luxury festival experience. While the cancellation of the 2025 festival came as a shock, it was not necessarily a surprise. With the announcement’s specific wording that the festival “will not be returning to Chicago”, many Chicagoans worry that we are seeing the city lose another one of its homegrown musical institutions to New York City or Los Angeles.
With music and media more widely accessible than ever via the Internet and social media, why are we seeing journalism and critical thought about said popular media fall to the wayside? In the age of streaming, music listeners no longer have to make a financial sacrifice to try out a new album, taking the relevance of album reviews from informed consumers to a more niche subsect of music enjoyers. However, in the same way that radio introduces a human aspect to the listening experience, music reviews provide connections, history, and critical thought about a piece of music in the context of its cultural landscape that your Spotify algorithm cannot. However, since anyone can share their opinions on social media, it’s easy for well-educated and evidence-supported takes to get lost in a sea of tweets and TikToks.
There continues to be a strong heart of young music journalists despite the lack of infrastructure provided to pursue music journalism as a career. College radio stations, such as our own, continue to be a hub for those who care about the continuation of music journalism, despite the diminishing resources that college radio stations across the nation are facing. Zines, such as Off the Record Press and Sunlight Magazine, represent the continued interest in more traditional forms of music journalism, even if DIY is the only realistic way to publish them.
To aspiring music journalists: I don’t think that all hope is lost for music journalism, but its landscape is surely changing. Find venues to make your voice heard, and if you can’t find one, make one. Practice your craft, even if it is just for your own eyes. Music journalism will never truly die out, as “you can’t have art without criticism, or criticism without art.”
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.
CHICAGO | On Tuesday, March 24, dark and ethereal singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, played the decadent Vic Theater alongside the droning tons of metal duo Divide and Dissolve. Chelsea Wolfe, born in Northern California, has pioneered her unique style of metal-influenced rock music since the late 2000s/early 2010s, becoming an iconic figure in Goth culture. Wolfe’s 2024 record, She Reaches Out to She — released on February 9 of this year — is one of her most esoteric and ambitious releases as it showcases her delving into trip-hop influences with syncopated percussion over vivid lyrics. Wolfe’s incredible performance at the Vic solidifies her as a generational talent, who continues to evolve in sound and production.
The crowd at the Vic was filled with generations of alternative music fans in the city, it felt like a homecoming for lovers of Gothic music and culture. The stage was set by Divide and Dissolve — a thematic rich and politically motivated duo based in Australia, that have a distinct focus on indigenous cultures and colonization around the world. The political message of the music resonated with the Vic audience who broke out into chants when guitarist/saxophone player Takiya Reed referenced both American colonization and the rising death toll in the Gaza Strip. Their music channeled imagery of drone and stoner metal groups in the likes of Boris and Sleep; with distortion-soaked chords playing over the hulking drawn-out percussions from drummer Sylvie Nehill. Being one of the youngest people in the crowd, I quite enjoyed Divide and Dissolve’s unique sound, as they found themselves in some brilliant and rich musical pockets during their set.
Following Divide and Dissolve, Chelsea Wolfe and her band arrived on stage they were met with massive applause from the audience. When looking at the faces around me during this performance, it was obvious to see just how important Wolfe is to so many individuals. The set itself mostly included cuts from the new record and featured heavenly falsetto vocals layered over heavy and dense instrumentals. Faces were lit up as Chelsea Wolfe powered through her dynamic set. The night’s theme was full-audience immersion, made possible by the incredible lighting during the performance further reflecting the sentiment and emotional energy of each song.
Wolfe began the show solely on vocals delivering note-perfect singing, over her band’s captivating and somber textures, pulling out her guitar. The drum sound was incredibly electronic despite it being an acoustic kit, which I found interesting. The sound quality of the venue was also worthy of note, as I got to watch the audio engineer work toward the end of Chelsea Wolfe’s set. While I had been a fan of Wolfe’s music years ago, specifically her record Abyss, seeing the songs live made me delve further into her recorded material. It was a privilege to see such an influential and unique artist at their very best — and although it was my first time — it definitely won’t be my last seeing Wolfe perform.
Make sure to check out Chelsea Wolfe’s tour dates in your city! Thanks so much to the Vic Theater and Pirate Radio for getting me out to the show.
Thank you so much to the Vic and Pirate Radio for sending me out to cover this show, you can catch Chelsea Wolfe + Divide and Dissolve in a city near you.
CHICAGO | In July of 2023, I was sitting on a curb waiting for my Lyft home after what I considered to be the best show I had ever been to, furiously texting everyone I knew about a little band called Footballhead and their incredible debut album Overthinking Everything. I had just attended the album release show and was absolutely obsessed. After this show, I transitioned from a casual fan of Footballhead to an absolute superfan, or “stan” as it’s known in some online circles. I saw them whenever the opportunity presented itself; oftentimes going to shows with four or five bands just to see Footballhead play a support set, but I craved a headlining show.
In an interesting turn of events, Footballhead’s debut album was pulled from streaming services in October because they got signed to independent label Tiny Engines, and were going to do a proper rollout of the album under their new label. This began the longest six months of my life, not being able to listen to what I considered to be my album of the year for 2023. Getting to witness the building hype for this album and knowing what people had in store was so special, and on March 1 of this year, Overthinking Everything was released again. I am so absolutely stoked that this album is out again, but that is not the point I wanted to make.
The album was officially (re)released, and you know what comes with an album (re)release? An album (re)release show of course! This means that I had the opportunity to relive the best live show I had ever been to with my two best friends and with the added connection of not only celebrating the album, but also to the band, whom I have become friendly with through attending their shows as often as humanly (and financially) possible. I knew this would be a special show, so I decided to bring you along.
Support on this show came from bands Demo Division and New Age Thief as well as local rapper Woes. I always expect the best from support acts, that’s how I have found many of my favorite bands and artists, but these acts were next level. I had seen Demo Division live prior to this (coincidentally on a lineup with Footballhead), but the energy they had on that Saturday was insane. They had the crowd absolutely moving. New Age Thief kept this energy going, and I was baffled to learn that this was their second-ever live show — making them a band to definitely keep an eye on. The last support act before Footballhead’s set was local rapper, Woes. I will admit, before this show I had never heard of Woes, but I was blown away. Woes had one of the best sets I have seen in a long time, he had great interaction with the crowd, incredible visuals to accompany the set and an incredible stage presence as he was absolutely commanding the room. Although Woes is not the type of artist I generally gravitate towards, I am now a fan and I really want to catch a show when I actually know his material.
On to the main act… Footballhead. I could talk forever about this band and this set, but I think I’ll let the video speak for itself. I will say that the decision to open the show with the closing track from the album, the title track “Overthinking Everything,” was an absolute power move. This set had everything I could have hoped for; every track off of the album, a good selection of songs not on the album — including unreleased tracks and selections from their debut EP, Kitchen Fly — shots of Malort and a cover of Crossfade’s “Cold” (which I think should be included in every live set ever). The only disappointment (besides the disappointment of the set ending) came from the song “Nervous POS” not being included on the setlist, but that’s just me being nit-picky. This is all just a plea for anyone reading to check Footballhead out now, that way when they get huge you will have bragging rights. Join me and my best friends for our real time reactions to the show, and see for yourself why this band keeps me coming back!
CHICAGO | Ryan Beatty, a Central California native and former YouTube cover-era heartthrob, touched down (or rather, parked) at Thalia Hall in Pilsen, on March 4, an oddly calm, humid and warm evening in the city after traveling from Toronto. Hundreds of people lined the block on Allport Street, anticipating having their heartstrings pulled by Beatty’s third and highly acclaimed studio album Calico, live and in concert.
The album immediately establishes two central themes: California and loneliness in its melancholic opener “Ribbons.” Beatty brings the same soulful and sad, yet eternally grateful vein to the stage that the song elicits – “It’s out of my hands / What can I tell you / I’m not losing it / I’m just having a laugh.” Most likely uncoincidentally, this song is also the show opener. He is doing what he loves after a career start that left him feeling empty and out of his own body. In 2011, Beatty was deemed “The next Justin Bieber” by J-14, which should have made any aspiring popstar at the time absolutely elated, but to Beatty, it was simply not him. In 2016, he came out as gay and decided he would make music that challenged everything the public thought they knew about him.
In 2018, his debut album Boy in Jeans was released, followed by his sophomore album Dreaming of David in early 2020. While he is proud of how each album is its own specific identity, Beatty is most proud of Calico, which he wrote as a well-rounded late-twenty-something living in Los Angeles, reclaiming his childhood life. Born in Clovis, California, where everyone wears cowboy boots and drives trucks—Beatty thought that he could never be like those people as he always felt out of place. This latest project sees Beatty falling into a sort of avant-garde country sound and he even currently drives a truck. He is clad in blue jeans and cowboy boots during every performance and has a fan-favorite lyric “Chewing licorice in your cowboy blues.” He’s managed to go full melancholic, indie cowboy.
I honestly had no idea what demographic to expect in the crowd, given Beatty’s childhood popularity, his time spent with hip-hop boy band BROCKHAMPTON and his current music style. But as 7 PM swiftly approached, I had the pleasure of speaking with two long-time Beatty fans who were first in the general admission line, Lilly and Kevin. Kevin spoke highly of Beatty, noting that he is “[his] favorite vocalist” and that he connects most with how he “conveys such emotion and depth, not only with his sound but also with his lyrics,” especially through Calico, where listeners can “feel everything he has to say.” Lilly first listened to “Powerslide” from Beatty’s first project, and appreciates his “raw talent” that his recent work displays. I found that most fans casually enjoyed his work through BROCKHAMPTON and early projects and stayed because of Calico. I also met with Sophia, a fan since Beatty’s earliest days who sat before the show in seats lining the venue’s general admission floor, observing the buzzing scene. Although she’s drawn to all that Beatty has to offer, it’s Calico that specifically was “the first time [she] actually [got] the visceral feeling of his songs.”
Beatty’s show began promptly, as he has no opener for this tour — it is simply himself, accompanied by his band which includes two guitarists, a pianist, two synth players (one who doubles as a bassist), and a drummer. The show opened with an instrumental cover of Sufjan Stevens’ “Death with Dignity” on piano — which in hindsight may have been an ode to Stevens’ connection to the city of Chicago. Beatty took the crowd through the entirety of Calico, standing only during the emotionally charged ballads “Bright Red,” “Bruises Off The Peach” and “White Teeth” which served as his pseudo-closer. But for the greater part of the show, Beatty sat with his eyes closed, on a stool; as if he were trying to remain at the same level of the sunken pit. It added to the sensitive nature repertoire of his songs, as well as the integrity placed behind their meanings.
He feels these songs wholly and wants his audience to feel the same. Amongst the seated songs was a mashup of “Haircut” and “Powerslide” from his first album that included an untitled song he wrote while on this tour in Boston that he just recently added to the setlist at the show before Chicago. The song notes his thoughts during the tour, by including lyrics like “California cries / while I’m in Massachusetts / thinking of you tonight.” He often says how grateful he is to be able to do what he does, and that even though his eyes are closed, he appreciates the crowd “singing loudly + listening quietly” and “catch[es] glimpses of it all.”
Every arrangement was embellished with vocal runs, a testament to the true vocalist he is. The slide guitar solos and sweeping piano melodies soared over a quietly choral crowd, while the use of brushes by his drummer added to the intimacy of the performance — just loud enough to be heard, but not enough to overpower. My favorite song performed was “Casino” off of Dreaming of David. There is something so wonderful about hearing a song for the first time at a live performance. I took a short video of the song to send to my mother at home (she is in California, which connects me even more to Beatty in a way), and that 36-second clip has replayed in my mind ever since. He closed with Calico’s closing song “Little Faith” for which he also stood and at the end of the song’s 4-minute run, the band stopped playing, leaving the paired vocals of Beatty and his onlookers ringing through Thalia Hall’s beautiful interior. (He did note during the show both the “beautiful crowd” and the “beautiful room”).
When leaving the show, I was greeted by a warm thunderstorm and Ryan Beatty himself, leaving for his next location. Both were like the cherry on top of a perfect show. Never have I felt like the crowd at a show embodied the artist as much as Beatty’s did. No crowd has been so attentive, so kind, so engulfed by what this blossoming artist has to offer, and I am so grateful to have experienced the unusual delicacy that Beatty has brought to both the stage and to the listener. I feel very moved by witnessing this performance, and if you have not done so already, have a listen to Ryan Beatty’s Calico– it is life changing.
CHICAGO | Growing up in Michigan, two things are taught to you from a very early age; number one is win or (more likely) lose, you must always root for the Detroit Lions. Two is that Detroit-style pizza is superior to all others. Given that the state’s loyalty to the Lions has yet to pay off with a Super Bowl appearance, it is fair to say these teachings may have some minor flaws. When I first arrived in the Windy City, I didn’t give Chicago pizza the time of day. Some may call my lack of interest naive, but almost four years later, I see it as downright foolish. I’m happy to say that I have since reformed and I am a certified Chicago pizza enthusiast. So, given my shared love of Radio DePaul and Chicago slices, I present to you my list of all of the Chicago pizza places I’ve tried as songs about Chicago.
Gino’s East
With a cheese pull guaranteed to get your mouth to water, it’s no surprise that Gino’s East is beloved by so many. Although I wish the deep dish was a little crispier, Gino’s saving grace is its flavorful sauce. Plus, its Mag Mile location makes it feel like an extra Chicago-y experience. Because of this, the comfort you’ll feel after Gino’s East can be further relished by putting on “To Chicago”by Ciaran Lavery. Just watch out for tourists and you’ll be in store for a wonderful meal.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
It is with a heavy heart that I must admit that I don’t understand the hype of Lou Malnati’s. It may be controversial to say, but for me, a good deep dish is all about the sauce… and the time I went, the sauce was not saucing. It wasn’t justlacking in flavor, but also simply mediocre and bland. I genuinely do respect Lou Malnati’s and all the passionate rants people go on about how it’s the best, but like howSurjan Stevens said in his song “Chicago,” I just get sick of hearing it sometimes.
Homeslice
Come on, I couldn’t talk about pizza as a DePaulian without mentioning Homeslice. Is it very Instagram-able in a way that makes me slightly uncomfortable? Yes, totally. Is it also…. delish? Yes, totally. Much like the song that is blowing up on all of our feeds right now, Homeslice is the beloved song “End of Beginning” by DePaul’s very own Djo.
Professor Pizza
Just thinking about Professor Pizza’s dollop of whipped ricotta plagues my stomach with hunger. With toppings like shaved garlic and braised leeks, it’s a pinkies up kind of pizza that’ll make you want to waltz. Professor Pizza is a little slice of romance that can be summed up by “Ghost of Chicago” by Noah Floersch.
Giordano’s
Even though you’ll be absolutely stuffed to the brim after a slice or two, you cannot go wrong with Giordano’s famous stuffed pizza. It’s the type of pizza that makes me feel lucky to live in a place that strives to push the socially accepted cheese-per-slice boundary. Complete with dramatic stomach rumblings of indigestion and a long trip to the bathroom, the feeling after a Giordano’s visit sounds like “Chicago” by Flipturn.
Pequod’s Pizza
Pequod’s made me fall in love with Chicago-style pizza. From the caramelized crust to the crispy yet airy cheesy edges, a slice at Pequod’s is a masterful bite of pure bliss. Full of Chicago references and a cheerful hook that will make you want to skip to the El, the euphoric feeling that Pequod’s Pizza brings is best summed up by “Angels” by Chance the Rapper —- because let’s face it…, Pequod’s is truly so magical that you feel like you died and went to heaven with the angels.
There are still loads of slices in Chicago for my taste buds to explore, but I can say with full confidence that Chicago pizza makes my heart sing. Well, not quite as much as Jet’s Famous Ranch does…. But that’s a joy only made in Mich. Suck it, Chicago ranch.
CHICAGO | On Friday, March 1 in a sold-out Metro show Chicago-based rock duo Friko celebrated their monumental album release supported by Smut and Neptune’s Core. Friko — composed of Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger — has been prolific in the Chicago music scene for many years with their enchanting live performances and eclectic EP releases leading up to their studio debut. Released on February 16, Where We’ve Been Where We Go From Here, is a stunning and anthemic realization of the band’s clear potential. Picking up international attention from fans, publications and music forums, Friko’s debut is much bigger than anything we have seen out of the city in quite some time; helping to define a generation of indie-rock music. Nothing illustrated the tremendous impact of the record, quite like their Metro release show, an almost-spiritual experience, that mesmerized the sold-out crowd.
Setting the stage was Chicago four-piece Neptune’s Core, who I got to write about last November during their performance at Thalia Hall with Sen Morimoto. Neptune’s Core consists of two groups of sisters Sophie (guitar/vocals) and Hannah Richter (bass) along with Jackie (guitar/vocals) and Kaitlin (drums) Cynewski. I remember being stunned by the band’s talent and unique sound, channeling elements of traditional rock music with layered harmonies, complex vocal runs and textured instrumentals. It was great reuniting with Neptune’s Core at the Metro, as they were the perfect act to open for such a special show – playing a variety of released music and new material, progressively immersing the audience more and more with each song.
A standout moment had the four-piece previewing a new track in its early stages with a beautiful vocal arrangement from Jackie, Sophie and Hannah, reverberating through the venue in a lush beam of pleasant frequencies. While I instantly connected with this band’s music when I first saw them at Thalia Hall, standing in front of Kaitlin Cynewski on the right side barricade gave me a specific appreciation for their rhythm section. Throughout the performance, she delivered incredibly creative and refined patterns elegantly lifting the music on each song. I can’t wait to see what Neptune’s Core has in store for the future.
I was lucky enough to connect with Jackie, Sophie and Hannah to ask them a couple of questions about their band and playing the Friko release show. It was an entertaining interview and I wish I could’ve included more of it.
Aden Van Hollander: What’s the genesis of Neptune’s Core, I know you have music going back to 2021, but when did y’all actually start writing songs together?
Sophie Richter: It started actually in middle school…then it really took a turn when we played with Dehd, that was the pivotal point in our music career where we realized woah this is getting serious, we want to be playing gigs all over and making it something bigger.
Hannah: I think that was a big point for a switch in our sound as well. It felt like especially in that moment we were more open to experimentation, we were more excited to try new things. That moment being on stage and playing a bunch of new songs that were way different from our other stuff felt really fulfilling and made us want to try new things more.
AVH: You’ve already played a ton of special bills alongside amazing acts, what was it like supporting Friko for their Metro album-releasing show with a completely sold-out audience?
Jackie: That was a super special night because we’ve known Friko and we played with them 4 or 5 years ago at Martyrs, it was just special playing that album release show knowing it was such a big moment for them. Even just like seeing them run around to all their interviews and doing their singing at Reckless, it was super cool, they’re the best.
Sophie: I feel like the energy was very contagious, they just were so excited to be there performing their album for their release show, we were just so excited for them. I remember Jackie and I were sitting in the Greenroom after we played and before Friko was going on, and we got to be there for their team huddle, and it was very heartwarming, it was like this is what we want to be someday, playing our album release show at a beautiful venue like Metro with all our amazing friends around us. They are such a perfect example of what being a musician should feel like. They really represent how healthy it can be and how it’s good to put your emotions out there and always be supported in doing so.
Hannah: They did a great job of uplifting everyone. There was so much positive energy that it was impossible to even feel bad. I went home and I was like smiling from ear-to-ear, like oh my god that was the most perfect moment ever.
AVH: I saw on your Instagram that you are dropping new music! Is there anything else new with Neptune’s Core?
Sophie: We are heading to SXSW then we are on an East Coast Tour! We have a stacked March and we are so excited.
Thanks so much to Jackie, Sophie and Hannah for speaking with me! Check out Neptune’s Core and their new single “Box / Anyway” that was released on March 8.
Following Neptune’s Core was Chicago-based band Smut, who provided a compelling performance and danceable atmosphere. Featuring heavier arrangements inspired by many corners of music, Smut made me a fan with their solid outing at the Metro, having never heard them before. The dynamic vocals of Tay Roebuck controlled the feel of each song, with her screams, spoken word, and singing — I particularly enjoyed the tracks with the spoken word, as they had a unique Life Without Buildings feel. I have since checked out Smut’s recorded music and online performances and am excited to hear more from them in the future.
Friko poured out onto the Metro stage with cataclysmic power. You could feel the already-packed crowd squeeze even tighter as they played the first chords of their vibrant single “Crimson to Chrome.” So much was released from the audience who sang along to almost every word. Friko delivered a masterclass of manipulating tension, splicing in serene string-arranged tracks with their heavy-hitting rock music. After having Niko and Bailey in the Radio DePaul studio for an acoustic set, it was fantastic to hear these songs with full live arrangements.
Being in the audience for Friko’s release show was an extremely memorable experience since it was clear to everyone in the building that their songs carry immense weight. This sentiment was reflected by the sheer intensity of the audience who jumped and spun in one of the more sweaty mosh-pits I have been a part of — however, despite the frenzied crowd, there was a clear level of respect given to Friko and their music during the performance.
It is safe to say that this past month has been the busiest Friko has ever been, making dozens of media appearances, signing records, playing sets and getting interviewed, after releasing their debut album. From briefly speaking with Niko before the show, you could see the tangible blend of fatigue and appreciation. Friko more than rose to the occasion at the Metro, playing an almost-hour-long set without missing a beat. Bailey’s fierce drum rhythms and textured vocal harmonies perfectly complement Niko’s expressive melodies and bold instrumentation, while new addition David Fuller on bass provided a level of completion to the duo and had great chemistry with the band.
Friko ended their performance by showing gratitude to all the people who helped get them to where they are, bringing out their friends and collaborators to celebrate with them as they played their iconic opener “Where We’ve Been.” Encoring with a stunning rendition of Radiohead favorite “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” — cause why not — Friko brought down the house in a major homecoming for Chicago music. As the iconic drum pattern and guitar slide began you could feel the entire crowd lose their collective mind. In one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen at the Metro, Friko more than delivered, now it’s about seeing and hearing where they go from here.
