Atlas Genius concert review

Hello! I have been gone for a while because I'm a lot busier now that I'm in school, but I have a lot of concerts coming up so I will be posting more frequently.

I went back to Bottom Lounge in Chicago on October 5th to see Atlas Genius. I do like their music a lot, but I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan. I honestly wanted to go mostly because I fell in love with Bottom Lounge when I was last there to see Andrew McMahon. I always end up liking the opening acts they bring in and I love the intimate atmosphere. I hope to continue going there to discover new music.

Half The Animal
The first band that opened was Half The Animal. I had never even heard of them before and had no clue what they sounded like. As soon as they started I really got into them. They have an indie-pop sound, which is something I've started appreciating more recently. The lead singer, Chase Johnson, had an incredible amount of energy. He was dancing and getting into the music and the energy from the crowd, despite how little room he had on stage to move around. Overall, I really enjoy their set and plan to listen to their music in the future.

Chase Johnson, lead singer of Half The Animal

Flor

The second opener was the band Flor, who I also had never heard of. There seemed to be quite a few people in the crowd that were there for them, because I overheard a group behind me talking about them beforehand and they were very excited throughout their set. Flor had an indie pop/electronic sound as well, I wasn't as fond of them. Mostly because a lot of their songs were slow, and I prefer more upbeat music at a concert. Their set seemed to drag a bit because of this. I will admit that they are talented, but I don't think I will listen to them much in the future because I didn't get hooked on them at the concert.

Zach Grace, lead singer of Flor

Atlas Genius
Finally, Atlas Genius played a really incredible set. As I said previously, I'm not a huge Atlas Genius fan, but I have liked their music since I was a freshman in high school, so I was excited to finally see them live. I honestly didn't know they were from Australia until I saw them and heard them talk, so that was interesting. The band had a lot of energy, and a lot of crowd interaction. They played a variety of songs. Their most popular, some newer, and a few songs from when they just started out. Artists that come to Bottom Lounge often play older music for those in the crowd who have known them for a long time, which is awesome. At one point, lead singer Keith Jeffery welcomed a fan on stage and showed a symbol the band uses for peace by touching foreheads. This united the audience in accepting that we all may be different, but through music we share a unique bond. The fan also got a free t-shirt! I was also interested by the wide range of ages at the show. Front and center were a group of older women, and at first I was confused as to why they were there in the first place. However, they ended up knowing all the songs and getting really excited. At one point, one of them started grabbing at Keith's leg, and hugged the bassist. It was funny to watch, but I can understand the excitement. I was also lucky enough to get a set list, and Kaci caught a drumstick! Overall, I was really glad I got to go see them, because it was a fun experience to go see a band that I don't listen to very often. (Also, shout out to Kaci for bringing me!)