I was lucky enough to see Bleachers on their Gone Now tour part 2 in Chicago both on November 11th and 12th, 2017. Opening for them was Amy Shark and Bishop Briggs, who I had never heard of before. The first night, Bleachers played at The Riviera Theatre, and the second night at The Vic Theatre. I had seen Bleachers live once at PIQNIQ this past summer, and I also reviewed the album Gone Now as soon as it came out, so I was very excited about these shows. I will say that Bleachers did not disappoint, these were two of the most amazing and fun shows I have ever been to. It was definitely worth waiting in the freezing cold/rain for hours to be front row both nights.
Amy Shark
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I had never heard anything about Amy Shark's music before coming to night 1 of Bleachers, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed her and her set. Shark is an Australian indie pop singer/songwriter, who released her EP "Night Thinker" this year. Shark has no trouble carrying her set and hyping up an audience. With her powerful vocals and emotion throughout her set, her lyrics come alive. It's obvious she is passionate about performing, constantly smiling and dancing during her set like she didn't have a care in the world. I will say listening to Shark's recordings since seeing her perform, I think she sounds even better live. While performing, Shark's vocals seem to have more of a kick, and have a stronger, raw sound. The vocals in her recordings are still great, they just seem toned down. Shark also has a humble stage persona, and connected very well with the audience. I would definitely recommend checking out her music. If you want to see her live, Shark just announced her next tour. If you're from the Chicagoland area, she will be at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL on March 5th. Shark will also have many different tour dates not only in the U.S., but all around the world.
Bishop Briggs
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I knew Bishop Briggs only for her song "River", which has recently gained a lot of popularity on alternative music stations. Briggs is an indie pop/alternative rock singer and songwriter. Her performance was very impressive, and I really enjoyed getting to see her. Brigg's voice is powerful and egdy, bringing a strong sound to all of her songs. Briggs also has some of the most interesting movement on stage that I have ever seen. Wearing Adidas warm up clothes both nights, Briggs moves like she is ready for a boxing match. By dancing, stomping, and even running laps across the stage, Briggs appears to be overflowing with energy through her entire set. While her outward appearance and voice could make her seem intimidating, Briggs has the most sweet and humble personality on stage. Graciously thanking everyone for taking the time to listen to her set, and also telling the story of how Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff discovered her at a small club in L.A., taking the time to thank him for the opportunity to tour with his band. Overall, Briggs has a unique sound that is great to dance to and get you hyped up. I would suggest checking out her music if you enjoy a powerful female voice.
Bleachers
The best way I can describe a Bleachers show is that it's like one big party. Bleachers is known for their hit song, "I Wanna Get Better", and more recently their single off their Gone Now album "Don't Take The Money". Singer, songwriter, and producer Jack Antonoff makes up Bleachers, but brings a band on tour with him. The touring band consists of Evan (saxophone and keys), Mikey (bass, keys, guitar), Riddles (drums), and Sean (drums). Frontman Jack Antonoff has incredible amounts of energy and charisma while on stage. Fans from all parts of the audience cheering and saying how much they love him, even handing him gifts and notes from the front row on multiple occasions throughout the show. The variety of musical styles and instruments featured during this show made it so there was never a dull moment. At one point, Jack and Evan had a saxophone vs. guitar battle on opposite sides of the stage, encouraging the audience to cheer for their side.
One of the most unique parts of this concert was singing happy birthday to Riddles. A birthday cake with candles was brought out. After Riddles made a wish, the cake was handed out to the audience. I never got a piece of cake (disappointing). The second night, people in the front row were throwing cake on stage, covering Jack's pants and shoes with pink frosting. It was very interesting and fun to celebrate a band member's birthday in this interactive way. It was definitely memorable and I'm glad I got to be there to experience it. I was also very pleased with the setlists at both shows, which varied slightly each night. The song "Nothing Is U" made it's full version debut on tour the second night at The Vic, which was really exciting to hear. I have honestly never been very fond of that song on the album, but hearing it live was different and I think it made me appreciate the song more. As a nod to the band Fun., in which Jack used to play guitar, the band covered the song "Carry On", which was definitely a crowd pleaser. I used to love Fun. many years ago, so getting to hear Jack cover that song really took me back. I was also excited that they played "Foreign Girls" as one of their last songs. That has always been one of my favorite songs off of Gone Now, and I wasn't really expecting them to play it. The set flowed well together, similarly to the way Gone Now does.
The energy from the audience made the concert even more fun. While there are always people who are pushing and being annoying, the overall attitude from the audience was great. There was this group feeling of excitement and happiness as soon as Jack came out on stage. It was as if while we were all there together, singing along to these great songs, nothing else mattered. Jack continuously expressed his love for the city of Chicago and for the venues he was playing, saying that since the beginning of Bleachers, Chicago always "got it" when it came to their music. No matter how many times artists express that Chicago is the best city to see live music (which is absolutely true), it never becomes less exciting. Being able to come together in a beautiful city to see such an incredible, talented, and energetic band is one of the best experiences I have ever had. If you don't already listen to Bleachers, you should. Their music can relate to your lowest moments, but also raise you up to the happiest you've ever been. They are one of the best bands in the alternative/indie scene right now, and I would definitely recommend anyone who loves an exciting show to try and see them live before they get too big, because I'm confident they will only grow in popularity.
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