Three 16-year-olds are having a sleepover. At first, they are all just scrolling on their phones through Tik-Tok. Eventually they get bored and start to talk. Natasha opens up about her parent’s divorce. Later on, after a lot of resistance, she admits she is dating someone that one of the friends finds objectionable. While she is in the bathroom, her friends use her phone to tell him to come over. 

Tim Venable has written a fantastic play about teenagers in an extreme situation. Along with the great drama, there are a lot of laughs. It’s all woven together expertly. 

At 95 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission. There are plenty of scene changes where it can be easily added. Join the Pro-Intermission movement here. 

The set is very well done. The audience enters through the closet and immediately feels like they are in a teenager’s room. The walls are completely covered in music posters, including one of Patti Smith. The title of the play comes from her memoir, Just Kids.

Piper Jean Bailey is outstanding as Natasha, who sees nothing wrong with the relationship. Jordan Levene is excellent as the friend who is outraged. Brandon Acosta is superb as the friend who doesn’t take either side. Lastly, Maura Kidwell is solid as the mother who was devastated by the divorce. 

Overall, it’s a must see that keeps audience members on the edge of their seat!

Check out the program here. 

Get tickets now for Adolescent Salvation through October 3rd! 

Cost of a ticket: $46

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

St Lucia are touring in support of last year’s double album, Fata Morgana. For their first set, they mostly play songs from these albums. Check out “Falling Asleep” from the Dawn album: (The other is called Dusk). 

The band is led by Jean-Phillip Grobler (originally from South Africa) and his wife, Pattie Beranek (from Germany). They now live in New York, but they create a vibrant Caribbean style sound that appropriately reflects their name. 

Early in their 2nd set, they play “Closer Than This”. It starts slowly with three chords on the synthesizer. Then, the vocals come in smoothly. Next comes the drums and bass. Finally, the chorus comes and everyone in the building is dancing and singing: “I’ve got a feeling we will never get closer than this! I can’t image there’s a way to get closer than this!” This slow build to a very catchy chorus is the perfect recipe for a dance party. 

Later on, the same formula applies to “September” which whips the crowd into a frenzy. “I just want you to remember, before you get carried away. What happened just this September, if you know you want it, baby.” It’s an excellently crafted song. One crowd member yells “This is the best song!” 

The show started at 7:30pm, two hours ago and the crowd is exhausted. However, when they start to play their biggest song to date, “Elevate”, to close out the night, everyone uses their last bit of energy to dance it out one more time. “And no one elevates you, elevates you now!  And no one’s gonna take you, gonna take you there!” Everyone leaves with a giant smile on their face. St Lucia has a bright future ahead of them. Catch them on tour now across the US!

See a similar setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $53

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Mat Kearney has been coming to Chicago often since he released Nothing Left to Lose in 2006. He started at Schubas and has since played at the Metro, the Chicago Theatre, the Riviera Theatre, and the Vic Theatre. This is his first time playing at the Auditorium Theatre. He has built his fan base solidly through all this touring and by releasing a solid stream of albums. This is the Nothing Left to Lose, Everything to Gain Tour.

For the second song of the night, he plays “Ships In The Night” from his 2011 album, “Young Love”. This is his most popular song on Spotify with over 65 million streams. It features his style of speak-singing on the verses.

Soon afterwards they play “Headlights Home” from his 2024 self-titled album. It’s a beautiful song and it instantly proves that he is still writing great music.

Late in the set, Kearney plays another song from 2018’s CRAZYTALK, “Wanted Man”. It’s just Mat on acoustic guitar. It’s so great when a band can switch gears like this. To have slow parts and fast parts really creates a full show. “I ain’t no Butch Cassidy or Sundance Kid / But I stole your heart with a-just one kiss / You were there by my side when the only reward / Was ridin’ shotgun in that Honda Accord / You’re my partner in crime when you take my hand / You make me feel like, a wanted man.” Wow, what a romantic love song for a wedding.

Soon aftewards is “Anywhere With You” from his 2021 album, January Flower. “Found there’s only so much / You wanna see alone … I’d go anywhere with you / I know you feel the same thing that I do”. This is another lovely song that has the couples swaying back and forth together.

At the end of the encore, he closes with the title track from his 2006 album, “Nothing Left to Lose” from 2006. “To a kid from Oregon by way of California Illinois!” Unlike many anniversary tours, he spreads the songs from this album out instead of doing a straight play through and it works very well. At the end he says that this was his favorite Chicago show ever! 

See a similar setlist here.

Cost of a ticket: $79 (Orchestra Side)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Tonight is the largest headlining show that Andrew McMahon has ever played in Chicago. The outdoor capacity for Northerly Island is 8,000 people. Also, he is the lead singer for all three bands! 

Jack’s Mannequin is first to take the stage and they open with “The Resolution” from 2008’s The Glass Passenger. “And I’m alive / And I don’t need a witness / To know that I survived / I’m not looking for forgiveness / I just need light / I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution.” In 2005, McMahon was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia. He was able to beat this cancer thanks to a lifesaving bone marrow transplant from his sister. Andrew now strongly advocates for registering to be a bone marrow donor. 

Later on, they play “The Mixed Tape” from 2005’s Everything In Transit. “And this is my mixed tape for her / It’s like I wrote every note / With my own fingers”. There is so much nostalgia in this song about creating mixed tapes on cassettes. It’s a beautiful piano rock song. 

To close the set, they play “Bruised”. “Hours pass and she still counts the minutes that I am not there / I swear I didn’t mean for it to feel like this / Like every inch of me is bruised, bruised”. It sounds fantastic tonight. Also, they are selling a “Bruised” t-shirt that has a picture of a beat-up teddy bear. 

Andrew McMachon in the Wilderness is second to take the stage. They close their set with the fantastic “Synesthesia” from the 2013 EP, The Pop Underground. “And I see colors when I hear your voice / Grab your wings, they’re putting gravity on trial / I see colors, I don’t hear the noise / Because we’re only flying for a while, because we’re only flying for a while”. 

Last to take the stage is Something Corporate. They play “I Woke Up In A Car” from their 2002 album, “Leaving Through The Window”. “She wrote me a letter as we passed through Rockford, She said she won’t forget”. Rockford, IL is located just 90 miles west of tonight’s concert. 

To end the night, all the members of the bands take the stage to play as one for a final set. They play “Dark Blue”, which is their most popular song on Spotify with over 50 million streams.  “Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? Well, I’m here with you / I said the world could be burnin’ / ‘Til there’s nothin’ but dark blue”. It’s emo rock perfected. Everyone in attendance happily sings along.

See the final act setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $140 (GA Pit)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Margie just lost her job at the dollar store in Southie, Boston. Her friend recently ran into Mike, an old friend who they grew up with. She encourages her to call him to ask for a job at his doctor’s office. This leads to a lot of old secrets being uncovered. 

David Lindsay-Abaire has written an excellent play about life in Southie. It develops slowly and then really explodes with drama. There is also great humor throughout. 

The cast does a fantastic job inhabiting these characters. Jodi Kingsley (Spinning) is superb as Margie, exploring every possible option to find work. Bryan Breau is excellent as the old friend who the audience can’t tell whether or not he is one of the “good people”. Maggie Cain is great as Margie’s landlord, who tries to be her friend while also being strict about the rent. Steven Horn is splendid as Margie’s former boss, who really didn’t want to fire her. Wendy Hayne is good as the friend who reconnects Margie with Mike. Lastly, Sandra Adjoumani is solid as Mike’s wife, who learns a whole lot from Margie about her husband. 

Overall, this is a production not to be missed!

See the program here. 

Cost of a ticket: $38

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Good People through August 23rd! 

Quinn Delaney

The book version of The Notebook was released in 1996 by Nicholas Sparks. The film version starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams was released in 2004. The world premiere of the musical was at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on September 28, 2022. The Broadway debut was on December 15, 2024. And now, in August 2026, it returns to Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre. 

The Notebook tells the love story between Noah and Allie. Three periods in their story are told simultaneously. The earliest in the timeline is when they meet one summer before Noah goes off to war. The second takes place when he fixes up the house that they had hoped would be theirs someday as kids. The last timeline finds Allie without any memory of her family and Noah reading her the story of their life together. 

This production does a fantastic job of capturing the story. It’s full of joy and sadness, laughs and tears. The cast is absolutely superb. It’s definitely Broadway quality.  

Spoiler Alert! Don’t read this next paragraph if you don’t want to know the ending!

This production of the musical ends with Allie remembering her life with Noah. Netflix and HBO ended the movie this way as well, which matches the ending in the novel. But in the original cut of the film, there is one final scene where a nurse enters the room and finds they have both passed away. This makes for quite a different ending.  

Cost of a ticket: $98 (Orchestra)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for The Notebook through August 16th!

Quinn Delaney

When Cambridge-based indietronica act Passion Pit first started getting Top 40 radio play back in 2008 with their hit single “Sleepyhead,” the mainstream pop scene was being flooded by indie music. Apparently, the public was starting to become sick of the ringtone rap spearheaded by Soulja Boy and Flo Rida, as the “indie sound” quickly became the newest trend in music. Quirky vocals and crystalline synths soon became the norm. Many of these bands produced only one hit wonders, fading quickly into obscurity.

However, Passion Pit’s nostalgic, uplifting sound and respectable work ethic made them stand out amongst their peers. The band is revered within the scene for combining sparkling, upbeat electronic melodies with intimate songwriting and booming kick drums. If you listen closely, the lyrics are often not as uplifting as the instrumentation suggests, the soulful and vulnerable falsetto of frontman Michael Angelakos nonetheless serves to lift up and inspire.

Their set at the Riviera Theatre was incredible. Angelakos brought humble charm and striking stage presence. I was surprised that he was actually able to hit all of the band’s famous falsettos live. They performed all of their hit singles with extended intros, ending off their set with “Sleepyhead.” The crowd was electrified, and I’m happy to say that Passion Pit’s performance exceeded my expectations.

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $56 (GA)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value +

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Justin Cabrera

This revue was originally titled Improv Supernova. When they renamed it Reality Detox, I suspect they replaced some of the improv with more prepared sketches. 

The improv tonight was very strong. In a quick scene, Anna Bortnick says “Let’s do a group sketch about narcissistic personality”. Riley Woollen goes up to the front of the stage and confidently says, “ok, I’ve got this one guys!” A crowd favorite was a sketch about a dog swimming instructor (Kennedy Baldwin). The dog (Annie Sullivan) is quiet and nervous until it gets into the water, and then she starts paddling furiously while yelling “Oh fuck, oh fuck!”

Another great one featured a small man (Chas Lilly) who reaching up can only touch the knee of the woman. It’s so funny, especially when he says that he knows this relationship will work, because he feels it in his heart, as he points to his head (which was a hilarious callback to a previous moment). In another scene, Max Thomas (The Chaos Theory of Everything) says “I love it in the back” as the last one in a line of people all on one luge! 

Overall, it has a bit more improv than past shows, but it’s still so funny and the Second City style of a mix of both.  

Cost of a ticket: $56 (GA)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value +

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now to Reality Detox! 

Quinn Delaney

Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, first appeared on Broadway in 1968. In 1979, the film version was released. In 2009, a Broadway revival opened and won the Tony Award for best revival. And now, in 2017, the production is being staged at the Mercury Theatre.

In the musical, Claude is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. His friends all tell him to burn his draft card and resist. The threat of jail time for failing to serve weighs on him.

The highlights of the show are the opening number, “Aquarius”, and the closing song, “Let The Sun Shine In”. The cast’s vocal talent is fantastic.

Unlike many productions of Hair, this one doesn’t have any nudity. Also, they have created bleachers out of plywood for the audience to sit behind the stage. These are not comfortable and I wouldn’t recommend sitting there. 

Cost of a ticket: $55

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Discounted

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Get tickets now for Hair through September 13th!

Quinn Delaney

Eight people meet on the north side of Chicago to discuss their addictions with modern technology. One by one, they share their story via song. Their addictions include playing candy games, dating apps, commenting on discussion boards, and more. 

Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) has written an outstanding musical full of humor and drama. This production is absolutely fantastic. The acapella singing is world class. The stories are so intriguing, fresh, and modern. It’s no surprise that this show earned an encore production downtown. 

One the best shares is called “Little God”. You can listen to the original cast recording here:   

At 95 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission. There are plenty of scene changes where it can be easily added.  Join the Pro-Intermission movement here. 

The superb cast includes Joryhebel Ginorio, Neala Barron, Grace Steckler, Teressa LaGamba, Elliot Esquivel, Jordan Golding, Sam Shankman and Ryder Dean McDaniel.

Fun Fact: Filming completed in June for a film adaptation that is directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and stars Amanda Seyfriend, Rachel Zegler, and Jonathan Groff. 

Cost of a ticket: $84

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value 

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Octet through August 2nd!  

Quinn Delaney