The Decemberists, Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

It was my fourth time seeing Portland based indie rockers The Decemberists, though my first time seeing them for a solo performance, rather than at a festival. Our seats in the Chicago Theatre were located towards the back of the orchestra, a little further back and to the left than for the Alabama Shakes. While the view was fine, I think the sound suffered from us being situated underneath the balcony. The sound wasn't terrible, but it made their mix of upbeat pop and instrumentally lush ballads sound distant, as if they weren't playing right in front of us.

The stage was sparsely adorned and lit except for an artsy backdrop of their most recent album cover. The members of the band include Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar, principal songwriter), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, accordion), Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums). Frontman Colin Meloy did all the talking – chatting up the audience, introducing a few songs, and telling a few stories. He also did a few stripped down songs, only using part of the band.

Part of the reason that I love The Decembersists is because they have released so many concept albums, studio albums where all the music or lyrics contribute to a single overall theme or unified narrative. In the past, they’ve made a habit of playing these albums in their entirety, something else I generally appreciate. When I saw The Decembersists at a pair of festivals in 2009, they played a live performance of The Hazards of Love (2009). However, for some reason I didn’t particularly enjoy the first experience at Bonnaroo, while I loved the following one at Treasure Island. Perhaps I had a chance to listen to the album a bit more in the interim, or perhaps I was pulled to another stage at Bonnaroo and didn’t give the set my full attention. When they returned to Bonnaroo in 2011, they were mixing up their setlists considerably more, though I still enjoyed the show. This show at the Chicago Theatre pulled songs from an even broader array of their albums. Half of the evening’s songs were from their new album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (2015). However, these were interspersed with selections from albums going all the way back to Her Majesty the Decemberists (2003) as well as others in between including Picaresque (2005), The Crane Wife (2007), The Hazards of Love, and The King Is Dead (2011).

Perhaps the highlight of the show was their closing number, “The Mariner's Revenge Song.” The song tells the tale of a ship’s crew being swallowed by a whale. The performance included a theatrical element, a large cardboard whale traveling across the stage to swallow the members of the band and a few small children who joined them onstage, presumably the band members’ children. After a brief interlude, in keeping with the lyrics of the song, Meloy returns to the microphone to sing alone about how he miraculously survived.

Setlist:
The Singer Addresses His Audience
Cavalry Captain
Down by the Water
Calamity Song (Hank, Eat Your Oatmeal Intro)
Till the Water’s All Long Gone
Philomena
The Wrong Year
Make You Better
The Crane Wife 3
The Island
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Carolina Low
The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
The Rake's Song
16 Military Wives
A Beginning Song
Encore:
12/17/12
The Mariner's Revenge Song

Mat Kearney, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

We arrived at the Riv in the midst of the opening act, Parachute. Lindsey recognized a few of their songs. Even though we arrived not long after they took the stage, and we still could have found some room on the floor, we opted for the balcony. I was having some issues with my back, and I wanted to make sure I could have a bit of space to myself and sit down if needed. Like the Cold War Kids show, we were once again forced to the very last row of the balcony. Even in the corner this time. This was actually quite fortunate, as it meant there was no one behind me, and I could stand the entire show, even though nearly all of the rest of the balcony audience was seated. Of course, I probably would have just migrated down to the floor had I been forced to remain in my seat.

Though from Oregon, Mat Kearney claimed he had a special connection to Chicago, as it is the home of Aware Records, his first major record label. As common with many artists coming to Chicago, he recounted moving up through the various venues as his audience grew. Playing the acoustic guitar himself but accompanied by a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer, Kearney and his band played a mix of old and new songs, including a song from Bullet (2004), a pair from Nothing Left to Lose (2006), three from City of Black & White (2009), seven from Young Love (2012), and a half dozen from Just Kids (2015). I enjoyed the setlist, as I’m a more recent fan, and there were not any songs that I specifically wanted to hear. Lindsey was disappointed that he didn’t play the title track from City of Black & White (2009).

Setlist:
Heartbreak Dreamer
Moving On
Count on Me
Fire & Rain
Closer to Love
Down
One Black Sheep
New York to California
Nothing Left to Lose
Where We Gonna Go from Here
Undeniable
Uptown Funk [Bruno Mars cover]
Runaway/Where the Streets Have No Name [U2 cover]
She Got the Honey
Heartbeat
Sooner or Later
Billion
Hey Mama
Encore:
Just Kids
Ships in the Night

The Orwells, The Walters, & Delores, Schuba's, Chicago, Illinois

In what would be considered the spring months in most cities, though still in the midst of winter in Chicago, Schuba's offered a series of free weekday shows featuring local bands. Considering they were also running some good drink specials, there was nothing to lose in going to see a new band, even if I had never heard of them before. Tonight’s acts were billed as Delores, The Walters, and DePaul Women’s Basketball. I wasn’t so sure about that last one. It seemed like a strange and potentially illegal name for a band. Would they just be showing one of their games on TV?

Upon arriving around 8pm, I was pleased to find that DePaul Women’s Basketball was playing last, meaning that I could catch a few bands but get home earlier than expected. However, I soon learned that DePaul Women’s Basketball was a pseudonym for the Chicago-based band The Orwells. Apparently, there were a few hints of the evening’s actual headliner on Twitter, and we suspected that they used a fake name so as not to create too much demand for the free show.

The opening act of the evening was Delores, a four piece alternative rock band. They were fine but a bit forgettable. Immediately following were The Walters. Though with an extra guitarist, they had a similar alternative rock sound if a bit more polished. The lead singer was a bit ridiculous and awkward but certainly entertaining. Finally, The Orwells took the stage to close out the evening. They are another five piece band, though the lead singer doesn’t play an instrument. His long blond hair and onstage antics (including hoping around the stage and simulating fellatio on a guest singer) certainly made him memorable though. The members of The Orwells were only a few years out of high school. One of the guys in the band explained that they chose their pseudonym for the evening because it was always his dream to play for the women’s basketball for DePaul, but his grades weren’t good enough. Their set was much higher energy than the last two, much of which was due to an excited mosh pit of fans near the stage. The Orwells didn’t do an encore and ended their show a bit after eleven.

Alabama Shakes, Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Since their formation in Athens, Alabama in 2009, the Alabama Shakes have come a very long way, exploding in popularity following the release of their debut album, Boys & Girls (2012). The genre bending band, mixing blues, roots, and garage rock consists of guitarist and lead singer Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboardist Ben Tanner, and drummer Steve Johnson. They have also augmented their live performances with an extra pair of multi-instrumentalists and a small troupe of backup singers.

Frontwoman Brittany Howard not only has a beautiful, soulful voice, but is the force that drives the band, both in their sound and their presence. Interestingly, the nineteen songs through which she led the band during the ninety minute set included every one of the dozen songs from their yet unreleased upcoming album, Sound & Color (2015). Quite a bold move. It meant this would be the first introduction to most of the songs on the setlist for many audience members, myself included. Furthermore, considering the number of fans recording videos on their smartphones, it would also mean that the entire album would inevitably be released through a series of YouTube videos rather than traditional media. This shouldn’t have been surprising considering that at many points throughout the show, Brittany Howard looked as if she was singing only for herself and her band, indifferent if anyone was listening or not. I was very surprised though that their setlist didn’t include the song "Hold On," their beloved breakout song. While I understand their desire to no longer be defined by it, they’re a bit early on their career to completely ignore crowd favorite. Their catalogue isn't nearly deep enough to skip their signature song. However, clearly the Alabama Shakes have gotten this far on their own terms.

Setlist:
Rise to the Sun

Miss You
Future People
I Found You
Dunes
Don't Wanna Fight
Always Alright
Guess Who
This Feeling
Gimme All Your Love
The Greatest
Shoegaze
I Ain't the Same
Be Mine
Gemini
Encore:
Sound & Color
On Your Way
You Ain't Alone
Over My Head

Blackberry Smoke, Joe’s on Weed, Chicago, Illinois

Before receiving an invite to attend their show, I had not heard of southern rock band Blackberry Smoke. However, they must be quite popular, as they sold out Joe’s on Weed, and tickets were a few times face value on the secondary market. In the weeks leading up to the show, I listened to their albums in high rotation, enjoying their blend of southern country rock, in the tradition of ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

From Atlanta and signed to Zac Brown’s label, the lineup consists of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards). All have long flowing hair, which fit in well with their fans. While it was my first time at Joe’s on Weed, and I can’t comment on whether or not a Blackberry Smoke concert represented their normal clientele, this show was older and…dare I say…more redneck than any show that I have attended in quite a while. Certainly not the normal people I would expect to see on a trendy neighborhood in downtown Chicago. Joe’s on Weed, with a warehouse setting with exposed ductwork, feels like a large bar that happens to host concerts. This is balanced out by a staff of only attractive female bartenders and other scantily clad women wandering the venue passing out samples of terribly flavored shots. The crowd, Friday night time slot, and bar’s vibe certainly lent itself to a hard partying atmosphere.

We didn't arrive particularly early, so we slid in towards the back of the main floor area. Though I don’t know the name of many of their songs, they played a half dozen or so that I really like, though I could think of a few tunes that were missing. Their setlist included songs like: "Pretty Little Lie," "Six Ways to Sunday," "Good One Comin' On," "Holding All the Roses," "Up in Smoke," and "Sleeping Dogs." The crowd was a lot of fun, but thinned out towards the end of the show, meaning that we could comfortably slide up fifteen or more feet.