The Arcs & Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

We arrived toward the end of opening band Mariachi Flor de Toloache’s set, an all-female Mariachi band from New York. I liked what I heard and wished that we would have arrived a bit earlier. I have a feeling they’ll be around for a bit though, so I doubt this was my only chance to see them. I could see them being quite successful on the festival circuit as they gain popularity. The show was sold out, but it was easy to find a good spot on the second landing, out from underneath the balcony so the sound was still very good.

The Arcs are a new side project for Dan Auerbach, lead guitarist of the Black Keys. The band includes five other members, with members often playing a variety of instruments. Generally this always included a pair of players on the drums throughout the show. Their debut album, Yours, Dreamily (2015), will be another contender for my top albums of the year list. The entirety of that album, plus a cover, would comprise the show’s setlist. Their sound is similar to the Black Keys, though less blues and more garage rock. They carry this with them in their attitude on stage. While they rocked hard, Auerbach and company all have such a casual demeanor about them, as if they actually were just a few friends practicing in one of their parents’ garages. There were some improvised jams and meandering solos. Mariachi Flor de Toloache, who had also contributed to Yours, Dreamily joined The Arcs onstage for a few songs.

Setlist:
Stay In My Corner
Bad Girl
Keep On Dreaming
Pistol Made of Bones
Put a Flower in Your Pocket
The Arc
Nature's Child
Little Baby [The Blue Rondos cover]
Cold Companion
My Mind
Chains of Love
Young
I Want a Holler
Outta My Mind
Encore:
Aretha
Velvet Ditch