Delta Rae, Lincoln Hall, Chicago, Illinois

Like The National a couple days before, Delta Rae were another band that I saw at my most recent Bonnaroo. Even though I had not heard any of their music before, I was quite impressed, particularly by the vocal talent of not just one but several of the members. Upon coming home, their debut album, Carry the Fire (2012), became another album that I listened to regularly.

The band consists of three siblings – Ian (guitar/vocals), Eric (vocals/guitar/piano) and Brittany Hölljes (vocals) – as well as Elizabeth Hopkins (vocals), Mike McKee (percussion) and Grant Emerson (bass). Several of the guys played several

instruments throughout the show as well as sang, giving the band a full, rich sound. Lindsey is a big Delta Rae fan because she knew one of the band members, Eric, from college. We arrived fairly early so even though the show was sold out, we were fairly close to the stage, slightly to the left side.

The show was very enjoyable even if pretty much what I expected. As is typical with most bands, it was a much better show here in a small venue filled with their fans than at Bonnaroo during an early afternoon set, with just a smattering of people across the large field. Most people in the audience were dancing and clapping along. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the full setlist but it contained a significant number of songs from Carry the Fire, including “Twisters in the Canyon,” “Is There Anyone Out There / Morning Comes,” “Surrounded,” “After It All,” and “Dance in the Graveyards.” I was surprised by how many other songs they played, including one introduced as “Bethlehem Steel,” which I assumed will be included on their upcoming album. They also threw in a nice cover of the Patti Smith/Bruce Springsteen song “Because the Night,” one of those songs that I think pretty much everyone in America enjoys.