Chicago Acts Show Out Across The City Amidst Busy Thanksgiving Weekend
Photo by Nolis
The holidays have arrived and with it, the always-busy time for concerts in and around the city. Like the epic back-to-back of Kids These Days at The Vic to Chance at The Metro a day later in 2012, the hectic time of year once again provided plenty for music-lovers around the city to get excited about. From Wednesday through Saturday, artists and acts from all sides of the city packed venues like Reggie's, Metro, shit even a church! All in all, it was another indication of how far the city's talent has come and a little peek into where it's going as well. While we couldn't get people to everything, we were able to round up some work from our network of local photographers and videographers that we assembled below. Check it out and get ready for next weekend utilizing our Events Calendar.
Nov. 23: The O'My's with The Burns Twins and Kaina & Sam Trump at Reggie's
It wouldn't be a holiday season in Chicago without some well-adjusted vibes from the 'Purveyors of Soul' better known to most around the city as The O'My's, who brought a brand new show and list of friends to Reggie's for a memorable performance that packed out the South Loop venue. The show served as one of the first for the new-look O'My's who have been dilligently working in the studio on a follow-up to 2015's Keeping The Faith. Joining the guys on the bill were close friends The Burns Twins & Kaina and Sam Trump which came together as a sort of cross-generational glimpse at the layers the city posseses. Eddie Burns did double duty, handling drumming duty for both The O'My's who he has become a mainstay with, and his group alongside twin brother IZ and Kai. For her part, Kaina Castillo continued to step out from the background. Having bided her time working odd jobs and hustling throughout the local scene, the 21-year-old act has impressed consistently over the last few months en route to creating a great deal of buzz that manifested itself Wednesday. Mike Heinz was out at the show and collected some dope shots for us, check them out below.
Nov. 23: DJ Oreo, Thelonious Martin, Sahar Habibi & More at Open Format
The extended Thanksgiving holiday offered plenty of opportunities to get out and be seen, but it would be hard to beat Open Format on Wednesday night, which boasted a crowded lineup of local DJ talent from our October cover story, DJ Oreo to Thelonious Martin, Soulection's Sahar Habibi, Knox Fortune and more supplying the backing for a packed crowd. Since kicking off last year, the monthly Open Format gathering has grown as a local mainstay from it's beginnings at East Room and jumped down to 19 E 21st St for a larger venue tucked just behind Reggie's, which provided a perfect back-and-forth from the The O'My's set for the most dedicated of fans and friends. Ear2Ground's Evan Brown was on hand for it all, check it out in the recap video below and be sure to be on the lookout for the next Open Format coming in December.
Nov. 25: Eryn Allen Kane & Homme at Fourth Presbyterian Church
Eryn Allen Kane has had arguably one of the most impressive runs over the course of the last year and put an exclamation point on that successful calendar by offering up a spirited performance of her debut project Aviary: Act 1 & 2 inside the cavernous housing of Fourth Presbyterian Church. Arriving back in town fresh off a similar set in her hometown of Detroit just ahead of the holiday, Kane reminded those in attendance why no less than Prince himself tapped the young songstress before passing away earlier this year. Capping a year that has seen the 27-year-old emerge as one of the most talented young acts in the country today, Kane rattled through her pair of debut EPs complete with a narration to string it all along, the set was equal parts heart-wrenching soul and open-ended happiness that came together for one of the most memorable nights of the weekend or the year at large. Nolis was on hand to catch the action, check out the shots from him below.
Nov. 26 & 27: Louis The Child Sells Out Three Consecutive Shows at Metro and Smart Bar
Since emerging just over a year ago, our January 2016 cover boys Louis The Child doubled down, literally, on a whirlwind year by arriving home from their first tour with a vengeance, selling out a trio of sets at The Metro and Smart Bar (all ages, 18+ and 21+ events) the weekend following Thanksgiving. A feat that the venue's owner Joe Shanahan hasn't been accomplished in the space's 30+ year tenure. At 18, the artists themselves hardly qualified for a curfew later than 10PM, but the throngs of youngsters that packed inside to hear the post-edm stylings of the local pairing were not disappointed. Drawing from the energy and experience a first headlining tour will supply to a growing young artist, LTC proved to their friends, family and fans in attendance that they've certainly arrived home with decidedly more confidence that has renewed the independent dance scene, giving further rise to acts like openers Win + Woo. Furthering the hysteria inside, the headlining pair unveiled a new collaboration with New Orleans rapper Pell that made its debut on the Metro floor amidst a sea of sweaty teenage bodies packed like sardines across the idyllic hometown benchmarks on Friday night. The single apparently is a nod to an upcoming full collaboration project between LTC and Pell which has had the hip-hop and dance rumor mills running ever since. Check out the moment that made a public display below and much more from the shows coming soon.
