Pure Heart formed in 1994 as a group of friends on Oahu with Jake Shimabukuro on ukelele. The group disbanded in 2000 and Jake launched his solo career. Since 2014, they have occasionally regrouped. Tonight’s show is basically a homecoming show for them. 

Early on in the set, Shimabukuro plays “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles. This song allows Jake to truly shine as it begins slow with the traditional ukelele sound and then transforms into electric guitar tones. “Wow! I didn’t know the ukelele could sound like that!” said an audience member. 

Later on, he plays a song by Jeff Beck, “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers”. The influence is clearly heard while he incorporates his own exceptional ukelele style as well. 

He then brings out the members of Pure Heart. One of the songs features the percussionist expertly vocalizing soft bird sounds. Shimabukuro mentions that those who just heard the CD, assumed they went out into the woods and recorded birds. 

Jake gives a lot of shout outs to people he knows in the crowd including his high school wrestling coach and a friend who had him play at their graduation party. 

To close out the show, they play “Europa” by Carlos Santana. Jake truly shreds on this one and sends the crowd out with big smiles on their faces. 

Cost of a ticket: $56 (Plus a minimum $20 per person)

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Quinn Delaney

Jesse Cook takes the stage solo and jumps right into “Tempest” from his 1995 album of the same name. It’s a rocker and it’s immediately clear the audience is in for a great night of music. 

After playing this song, he talks about how on that first album, he played all the instruments himself. It was a lot of work. So, he decided to play with other musicians going forward. He brings out Marito Marques from Portugal to play percussion with him. They play “La Rumba D’el Jefe” from his 2009 album, The Rumba Foundation. They feed off each other’s energy in a great performance.

He then introduces Matt Sellick on guitar from Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada. Later in the night, he tells the story about how they met. When Matt was 7 years old, he first heard Jesse Cook’s music and he told his mother that he wanted to learn to play that. So, he began taking guitar lessons. About 10 years later, Matt sends Jesse a recording of him playing. Jesse says it sounds like he plays the songs better than he can. So, he goes to Thunder Bay to kill him, just kidding he says. They do meet and play together and get along very well. Years later, when the guitar position in his band opens up, he invites Sellick to join and he accepts!

Cook then says they need to continue to fill out the sound and he brings out Dan Minchom on Bass Guitar. The now four-piece band plays “Virtue” from the 2000 album, Free Fall. It’s very cool to see how the fullness of the music keeps building as they add musicians. 

To introduce the next band mate, Cook dives into the history of flamenco music. He talks about how Andalusia in Spain was under Moorish rule and that the capital was Baghdad. Then he brings out Fethi Najem on violin and mandole, who blends flamenco and Arabian music. They play “Baghdad”, which is also from his debut album.

In the encore, they play “Mario Takes A Walk” from his 1996 album, Gravity. This is his most popular track on Spotify with over 8.2 million streams. The audience is blown away and responds with a huge applause afterwards. Jesse Cook has truly assembled a superb band full of very talented musicians and it makes for a fantastic evening of music.

See a recent setlist here.

Cost of a ticket: $71 and up

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Quinn Delaney

The Vaccines last headlined in Chicago at Schubas in 2018. However, their last appearance was opening for The Kooks in 2024 at the Riviera Theatre. Tonight they are playing their largest show to date in Chicago at the Vic Theatre. 

Midway into the set, they play “Your Love is My Favorite Band” from their 2018 album, Contact Sports. This is a fantastically joyful love song. “I knew you wouldn’t understand, but your love is my favorite band”. The great lyrics perfectly pair with the upbeat guitar. 

Later on they play “Headphones Baby” from their 2021 album, Back in Love City. “I wanna live inside your headphones baby! I wanna live inside a world, wherever you are!” This is such a fun song and the audience gleefully sings along. 

https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/track/0U9q5llCokADhEG2qeEhcB?si=a31a8aa28b8d452a

Soon afterward they play “Heartbreak Kid” from their 2024 album, Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations.  “Let your heart break, kid / ‘Til you’re feeling it”. This track has a great energy which they keep high for the entire show. 

“We don’t usually take requests, but we had to take this one” says the lead singer as they launch into “I Always Knew” from their 2012 album, Come of Age. A couple gets engaged during the song, which is quite fitting with these lyrics: “‘Cause it’s you / Oh, it’s always you / Oh, I always knew”. 

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $45

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Quinn Delaney

Jo is growing up in the early 1940s in Alabama. Her mother runs a very strict religious house. The most important thing to Jo is getting married and moving out of her mom’s house. However, her boyfriend doesn’t want to get married and settle down. 

Anna Aleise Howerton has written a very funny play based on her grandmother, Anne Sellers. The audience is cracking up constantly. 

There are a few very dramatic scenes that seem out of place in this play. For them to fit, a slower buildup of dramatic tone would be needed. 

Every single character is funny in their own way. The cast includes Anna Aleise Howerton, Isaac Baker, Amanda Leo, Connor Paulson, Samantha Karagas, Mitch Apse, Caia Cammie, Danny Peterson, Marae Ashmore, Jackson Doezema, Nichole Reed, and Tanner Sells. 

The show runs two hours with an intermission. 

See the program here. 

Cost of a ticket: $31

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Get tickets now for The Creek Don’t Rise through January 26th! 

Quinn Delaney

Juicy is preparing for a BBQ to celebrate the wedding of his mother and his uncle. The ghost of his father appears and says that his uncle had him killed and that he should avenge his death and kill him. Juicy is conflicted over what to do. 

James Ijames (White, Miz Martha) has written a hilarious and modern Hamlet adaption. The audience was cracking up the entire show. There are also some strong moments of drama.  It’s no surprise that Ijames was nominated for a Tony for this play. 

Trumane Alston truly shines as Juicy, especially while he is singing “Creep” by Radiohead. Sheldon Brown (Magnolia Ballet) is strong and confident as Larry. E. Faye Butler (The Nacirema Society, Gypsy) is outstanding as Larry’s mother. She almost steals the show a few times! Ronald L. Conner (Sweat, A View from the Bridge) is exceptional as the father / uncle. His every entrance is superb! 

Anji White (East Texas Hot Links) is stellar as Juicy’s mother. She really shines during her karaoke performance of “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters.  Ireon Roach is great as Larry’s sister, who insists she is not ready to die because she is finally starting to figure things out. Victor Musoni (Toni Stone, How We Got On) is so freakin’ funny as the friend, especially while describing a video game idea he came up with while high.

Cost of a ticket: $75

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Get tickets now for Fat Ham through March 2nd! 

Quinn Delaney

Fun Home isn’t your typical sing and dance musical. Instead, it’s more intimate, emotional, and styled like a Steppenwolf play. Specifically, it shares a lot in common with Mary Page Marlowe. Both shows have multiple actresses playing the same character at different times in her life. Both jump around in time, both forwards and backwards. Lastly, both are extremely well written and executed.

In Fun Home, which is short for funeral home, the children perform an imaginary advertisement for the funeral home run by their parents called Come to the Fun Home. The choreography is so fun and hilarious. It shows off the talents perfectly of the child actors in the show. Everyone had a smile on their face after this funky jam.

Another amazing song is Changing My Major, which Allison sings about being excited and joyful after having sex with her first girlfiend, Joan. It’s such a fun song about teenage love and self-discovery. It showcases the singing and comedic talent of the actress playing college-aged Alison, Z Mowry.

For the best song of the show, the youngest Alison (Meena Sood on this night) notices a butch delivery woman and feels an inexplicable kinship with her (Ring of Keys). The song sends shivers through the audience as she begins to discover herself in this woman. Also, the song sounds beautiful as it bursts with joy.

There are only three small changes this play could use. Firstly, Lincoln J. Skoien, who plays many different characters, should have more distinct costumes so the audience isn’t confused about who he is playing. Secondly, the fact that Allison’s dad dies, which is revealed very early in the play, should not be stated. It would make for such a big climax to only discover this at the end. It would also make Patrick Byrnes’ performance, which is excellently nuanced, even more powerful. Lastly, at 100 minutes, it is quite long to not have an intermission. Join the Pro-Intermission movement here.

Compared to the Broadway version that toured Chicago in 2016, this production is far more intimate and funny, which is perfect for this play. 

Cost of a ticket: $86.50

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Catch Fun Home, the winner of five 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, now through March 2nd!

Quinn Delaney

Two men open up their record store called Hitt Records in the morning. They only sell older records and they love to tell the stories behind the music. These tales always include the modern artists that they influenced. After each story, the stage spins and the song is performed. Only two artists get multiple songs, Bob Marley and The Pointer Sisters. 

The singing and the music is very good along with all the dancing. However, the record store part gets a bit repetitive. There isn’t any connective tissue between all the songs like in most jukebox musicals. 

The cast of Hitt Records includes: Lyle Miller, Dennis Dent, Michael Lunder, Vincent Jordan, Rhonda Preston, Qiana McNary, DeVaughn Loman, Dwight Neal, Trequon Tate, Jaitee Thomas, Britt Edwards, and Destin Warner.

Get tickets now for Hitt Records through January 26th! 

Cost of a ticket: $66

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Quinn Delaney

The setting is an African hair braiding salon in Harlem, New York, 2019. All the employees love to talk and gossip while working. The owner, Jaja, is getting married and is very excited to become an American citizen. A customer comes in and asks for micro-braids, which is a very difficult job. They all try to avoid taking her. The same thing happens again with a very uptight and bossy customer. It’s so funny to watch the employees react simultaneously. 

Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) has written a great slice of life play about this African salon. It’s so very funny and also filled with great drama. At 90 minutes, it would still be nice to have an intermission. Join the Pro-Intermission movement here.

The cast is fantastic. They fully become their characters. During this performance, one of them asks another if there can ever be an easy day at work. A very young audience member quickly responds “no”, which results in a huge laugh from the crowd. The cast doesn’t miss a beat and continues on professionally. 

Get tickets now for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding through February 2nd!

Cost of a ticket: $94 (Middle Balcony)

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Quinn Delaney

Waitress is based on the 2007 film of the same name starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, and Jeremy Sisto. In 2016, it was nominated for four Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The story is about Jenna, who is stuck in a bad marriage but dreams of winning a pie contest in order to have enough money to get away. With the help of her friends and a new love interest, her future begins to look bright. But the journey is not without its struggles.

The writing for this show is great. It all started with the great script for the movie by Adrienne Shelly. Then there is the book by Jessie Nelson and the music & lyrics by Sara Bareilles. It all comes together fantastically. This production is very impressive for the size of the theatre (capacity 199). It’s Broadway worthy with its large cast, full band, and large moving set pieces. 

The cast is excellent. Ruby Day is excellent as Jenna. Her voice is so strong. Ben Euphrat has the tough task of playing the bad husband, and he does it with class. Sharon Shao is sweet and cute as Dawn. Michael Parrott almost steals the show as Ogie. His performance of “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me” is delightfully over the top and receives a huge applause from the crowd. Dorian Lockett as Cal and Tanika Baptiste as Becky have great chemistry together as they bicker in the diner. 

Cost of a ticket: $110 (Orchestra Center)

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Get tickets now for Waitress through January 18th!

Quinn Delaney

Fun aside: When the audience learns her husband’s name is Earl, some expect the song, “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks to appear. “Cause Earl had to die!” they sing!

Jenny and David are going on a first date. They met via Tinder. David was reading the New York Times article about the 36 questions that can lead to love when Jenny arrives. He wants to ask Jenny the questions as a way to get to know each other. Jenny resists and she suggests they go back to her place and have sex. David hesitates, but he eventually agrees. Along the way, he tries to ask her many of the 36 questions. 

Leah Nanako Winkler (Two Mile Hollow, The Brightest Thing in the World) has written a hilarious, sexy, and smart story about modern dating. The audience is either laughing or sitting at the edge of their seats for the entire show. 

In this production, the two actors sit at desks on each side of the stage with handheld microphones. In the back middle of the stage sits the narrator. It works very well in this style as the actors are always facing the audience. It would be very interesting to see it performed with them facing each other in a realistic fashion. 

Soren Santos is fantastic as David, who is able to respectfully disrespect Jenny as she requests. Lauren Andrei Garcia is steller as Jenny, who is very focused in her intentions. nic feliciano is great as the narrator, who describes the action with great style and emotion. 

Overall, it’s a fantastic show that should not be missed! 

Cost of a ticket: $40

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Get tickets now for Thirty-Six through December 29th! 

Quinn Delaney