Leroy is walking in the woods when he meets Lucy, who is playing a guitar. They talk, flirt, and play music with each other as they slowly reveal their true identities. The story is based on the legend of Robert Johnson, the blues guitarist.
As is common for the in-the-round theatre, the set is extremely minimal, but with a few neat features. As a result of this setup, sometimes the actors are facing directly away from you, and their facial expressions are hidden.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are from Denver, Colorado. Tonight, they are playing their brand of contemporary rock and roll in Chicago on their South of Here tour.
Early in the set, they play “You Worry Me” from their 2018 album, Tearing At The Seams. “I’m gonna leave it all out there to dry up / I’m gonna leave it all out there.” This is simply a great song.
Soon afterwards, he brings out Mavis Staples to sing a song about friendship. He calls Mavis a national treasure and he asks for the audience to cheer for her numerous times. “And she lives in your city!” Nathaniel was clearly overjoyed to sing with her and it was great to see him act as a superfan. Mavis was also a surprise guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when she appeared to sing with Jeffy Tweedy at the Auditorium Theatre.
Later on they play “Heartless” from thier brand new album, South of Here. It’s a great new song that fits in perfectly with their catalog.
Midway in the set, they play “Hey Mama”. This is such a beautiful song that features great guitar and saxaphone playing. “You picked the bad time / You picked the bad time to listen to me!”
Nathaniel says he was talking recently with a bartender who showed him a picture from 10 years ago of him on stage at Schuba’s, which has a capacity of just 165. Last year, they played outdoors at the Salt Shed, which holds 5,000 people. And now they are playing at the United Center, which is the largest arena in the United States with a concert capacity of 23,500 people.
Later in the night, they cover “Dancing In the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen. It was a fantastic celebration of music and this great song. “Can’t start a fire without a spark!” Everyone was dancing and singing along.
To start the encore, the keyboard plays what sounds like “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project, which is the Chicago Bulls Intro theme song, as the band returns to the stage. It leads directly into “S.O.B.” from their self-titled 2015 album. This song has a great driving beat that you just can’t help but dance along to. “Son of a bitch, give me a drink / One more night, this can’t be me / Son of a bitch, if I can’t get clean / I’m gonna drink my life away.” This is their most popular song on Spotify with over 186 million streams.
After great sets by Moody Joody and joan, Misterwives take the stage to a grand applause.
Midway into their set, they play “Coloring Outside The Lines” from their 2017 album, Connect The Dots. Mandy Lee, the lead singer, blanks on the first verse. So, she holds out the mic and the fans sing it for her. Ironically, the lyrics are “Turn to you after we play the first song / To ask you if I fucked it up and sang wrong”. Afterwards, she says this has never happened before and she thanks the crowd for singing.
They follow this up with “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn. This is a fantastic cover and perfectly fits into their set. The audience eats it up as they dance and sing along. “I’m in the corner / Watchin’ you kiss her, oh / I’m right over here / Why can’t you see me? Oh / I’m giving it my all / But I’m not the girl you’re takin’ home, ooh”.
They follow this up with the title track from their 2020 album, SUPERBLOOM. “I deserve congratulations / ‘Cause I came out the other side”. This is such a joyful song and it creates a fantastic vibe across Thalia Hall.
Shortly afterwards, they play “Reflections” from their 2015 album, Our Own House. The expert guitar playing and the exceptional singing perfectly complement each other resulting in a fantastic track. This is their most popular song on Spotify with over 157 million streams. Afterwards, the audience erupts in a long and thunderous applause.
They end the set with the title track from their their 2023 album, Nosebleeds. “I’m up in the nosebleeds / I’m watching the show / I’m feeling some déjà vu / An old episode.” It’s an excellent addition to their repertoire and proves they are still making music after 10 years as a band.
They close out their encore with “Our Own House”. “We built our own house, own house / With the hands over our hearts / And we swore on that day / That it will never fall apart”. They play with this song with the same fireball energy they had for the entire night which was matched by the crowd.
Mandy says that after this tour, they will be taking a break. But it’s not a goodbye, they will be back.
Early on, Sixpence None the Richer plays “Don’t Dream It’s Over” from their 2002 album, Divine Discontent, which is a song originally released by Crowded House. It sounds just as good as the recording.
They just released their cover of “I Believe in Father Christmas” today. They play it for the first time ever live.
To continue the Christmas theme, they play “River” by Joni Mitchell. They really capture the beauty of this song.
Without any introduction, they launch into “There She Goes”, which was first released by The La’s in 1990. “Racing through my brain / And I just can’t contain / This feelin’ that remains”.
They immediately follow this up with “Kiss Me” from their 1997. self-titled album. This is by far their most popular song on Spotify with over 913 million streams. It was featured in the movie She’s All That starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. They seem to rush past these two songs as if they feel obligated to play them, but they don’t want to.
They close out the set with “We Are Love” from their brand-new EP, “Rosemary Hill”. It’s a beautiful new track that you can tell they are very proud of it.
They end the night with “Breathe Your Name”. “But you’re in my heart, I can feel your beat / And you move my mind from behind the wheel / When I loose control / I can only breathe your name”. The finale leaves the audience leaves with big smiles on their faces.
Leigh Nash, the lead singer, says that is definitely not a farewell tour. It’s the start of a return for the band and they’ll definitely be back!
BabyJake is from Fort Myers, Florida. He last performed in Chicago at the Taste of Randolph in June. Unfortunately, his set was cut short due to lightening in the area. He plans to make up for it tonight by playing for 90 minutes.
Early on, he plays “Confidant” from his 2020 album, Don’t give me problems, give me wine. “Don’t hit my phone late at night / Don’t call me up more than twice / I’m not your friend, not your only confidant.” This is a great song about trying to move on after a breakup.
Later on, he sings “Beast of Burden”, which was released by The Rolling Stones in 1978. It’s quite likely that most of the young audience tonight are not familiar with this song. He also covers “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles (1970).
Soon afterwards, the guitar player plays the introduction to “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) by Led Zeppelin. BabyJake asks him to play it again, and then launches into “Cigarettes On Patios”. It’s an odd transition as the songs are so different. “Let’s slide to the next damn party in the neighborhood / The night’s now over, I ain’t make it home”. This is his most popular song on Spotify with over 158 million streams.
Towards the end of the set, he plays “Head In The Clouds”. “I was never good at talking ’bout my day / I’m always late, I don’t know what to say”. This song has a great groove, and the audience happily dances and sings along which matches the great energy displayed by BabyJake.
Cost of a ticket: $28
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
The filmversion of Some Like It Hot was released in 1959 starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. The musical version was originally scheduled to first open in Chicago, but this was canceled due to covid. It ended up opening on Broadway in November 2022. It is now opening in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace in October of 2024.
Two guys witness a triple homicide, so they go on the run. They quickly decide to dress as women and become Daphne and Josephine to join an all-female band taking the train from Chicago to San Diego.
This production features lots of big tap dance numbers. It also features a new ending for Daphne that is a very satisfying modern twist. However, they also sanitized the plot which makes it less exciting.
Edward Juvier has the standout performance as Osgood, the rich man who is obsessed with Daphne. He is so energetically funny.
Cost of a ticket: $100 (Orchestra)
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Discounted +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Delicate Steve is the stage name of musician Steve Marion. Tonight, he opens with “Baby” from his latest album, 2024’s Delicate Steve Sings. This song is fresh and keeps the audience fully entranced. No words are needed. Like classical music, the emotion is in the notes.
His musical talent matches that of Joe Satriani, another instrumental rock guitarist. See our review of Satriani’s 2022 performance at the Chicago theatre here.
Throughout the show, Steve doesn’t say much beyond “Hi Chicago”. He lets the music do the talking.
Midway into the set, he plays his cover of “Yesterday” by The Beatles. It sounds absolutely magnificent and definitely fits within his style.
Later on he plays “Wally Wilder” from his 2012 album, Positive Force. This track sounds amazing. His guitar playing goes along so well with the great electric tones he has created.
He closes his set with “Butterfly” from his 2011 debut album, Wondervisions. The audience is ecstatic to hear this one.
In the middle of the last song, he transitions into a cover of “Benny and The Jets” by Elton John. Since he doesn’t sing, the audience sings the words! The crowd was very exuberant all night long and he surely made some new fans on this evening.
Cost of a ticket: $30
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
The California Honeydrops don’t just play their instruments on stage, they put on a party. Tonight’s party is at the Vic Theatre, the largest Chicago venue with them headlining to date. They have an old school sound that appeals to audience members of all ages. People young and old are swing dancing to their blues / retro soul / indie rock vibe.
Early on in their first set, they play a Wilson Pickett cover, “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You”. “It may be greener on the other side now baby, but right here in my arms is where you belong.” They make this song their own and turn it into a slow groove party starter. The audience can’t help but start swaying back and forth and singing along. It also matches a common theme in their songs about relationships.
Later on, they play “Pumpkin Pie” with the drummer on a washboard. “If they ask you for a slice, well you can give them beans and rice!” It’s a very sweet tune to sing along and dance to.
This is the last night of their tour. The lead singer comments on how tired he is, but he summons enough energy to sing the final song of the evening, “All Day, All Night” from their 2013 album, Like You Mean It. This is their most popular song on Spotify with over 25.9 million streams.
Cost of a ticket: $49
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
The Sheepdogs are from Saskatoon, Canada, but they sound like they are from the Southern United States.
When the band takes the stage, they immediately jump into “Find the Truth”. They quickly follow this up with “Downtown” from their 2015 album, Future Nostalgia. Both of these songs rock and you can hear the influence of Creedance Clearwater Revival.
Two songs later, they play “Bad Lieutenant”. “I’m a bad, bad, man / Don’t you understand / I’m a bad, bad, man / Best you turn and ran.” This track has a great groove and it’s just so cool.
Next up is “Southern Dreaming” from their 2010 album, Learn & Burn. It features a fantastic guitar riff that is incredibly catchy.
Later on is “H.M.S. Buffalo” from their 2018 album, “Changing Colours”. In the middle of the song, they play a short bit of “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers.
Towards the end of the night, they play “I Don’t Know” from their 2011 EP, Five Easy Pieces. This is their most popular song on Spotify with over 11.8 million streams.
They finish their set with “Nobody”. “Nobody is gonna bring me down / Nobody is gonna turn me ’round”. The influence of Lynyrd Skynyrd can be heard on this one. After the band leaves, the crowd chants “Sheep … Dogs”.
Upon returning, they launch into “Roughrider ’89”. It features a fantastic solo on a slick keytar that has all black keys.
They close the night out with “Feeling Good” from their self-titled 2012 album. The beginning of the song sounds like “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum. As the audience leaves the Metro, they are hoping to see The Sheepdogs live again soon.
Kenneth lives in a suburb of Rochester, New York. He works at the local bookstore and goes to happy hour at the tiki bar, Wally’s. His only friend is Bert, whom nobody else can see. Ken is content with his life. One day, the bookstore owner tells him that he is closing the store in two weeks and moving to Arizona. This sets in motion many changes for Kenneth.
This is a nice low-key play as the main character is very low-energy. It’s a slice of life story about a regular suburb dweller with some drama and some laughs. At 85 minutes, it would still be good to have an intermission. Join the Pro-Intermission movement here.
The highlight of this production is Christian Clark, who is hilarious as all the different waiters and bank customers. Fred Zimmerman (How to Succeed… at Porchlight) is so nice and friendly as Kenneth’s bosses. Charles Andrew Gardner (Boulevard of Bold Dreams) is great as Bert, Kenneth’s supportive best imaginary friend. Mike Przygoda is excellent as the onstage musician playing many instrumental covers of popular songs (i.e.. The Girl From Ipanema) along with instrumental music he composed with Brandon Reed. Lastly, Namir Smallwood’s (Bug, True West) performance is impressive as Ken, who is on stage the entire play dealing with everyday suburban issues.
Cost of a ticket: $50 (Main Floor)
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Get tickets now for Primary Trust through November 3rd.
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