SPRING 2022 CONCERT GUIDE

by Kathleen Hinkel

The past 2 years have been a challenging time for all of us, especially musical artists who have not been able to perform in front of live audiences. For many artists, COVID has been a time to reflect on the state of the world and create art accordingly. Multiple artists in this guide have created fresh work in the pandemic and this spring will be their first time on the road to test out new material developed while on lockdown. Chicago has no shortage of impressive bands that come through town as a stopping point on their tour and there is also a long list of beloved local venues where we can wander out and catch music any night of the week. Here are a few suggestions of shows to check out this spring. Be sure to catch local acts Don Lifted, Marcus Atom, Dos Santos and Wilco, among the rest!

March 19

GARCIA PEOPLES

Schubas Tavern 8:30 pm $20 3159 N. Southport Ave.

Garcia Peoples is an indie rock band that is uniquely fronted by three guitars and a lot of effects pedals that together create a psychedelic sound that emulates a 1960’s Haight Street vibe. Guitarist DannyArakaki has described the music as “the Acid Quiz,” but don’t be fooled by these details or their name. They are not a Grateful Dead cover band. Their experimental sound is uniquely their own, carrying on Jerry Garcia’s tradition of creating distinctive and adventurous rock n’ roll.

GARCIA PEOPLES

Riot Act Media

March 19 + 20

WEEN

Riviera Theatre 6:30 pm $59+ 4746 N. Racine Ave.

Ween is an eclectic rock 'n' roll band. From their earliest days, founding musicians Gene and Dean Ween (stage names) have claimed to be “sprouted from the demon-god Boognish” and the music they have produced in their nearly four decades together has maintained an essence of obscure storytelling that is beloved to their cult-like following. Their music draws from various genres, often paying tribute to their wide range of musical influences, which include Prince, the Beatles, Dead Kennedys, Pink Floyd and Parliament Funkadelic.

WEEN

Red Light Management

March 25

MARCUS ATOM

The Hideout 9:30 pm $15 1354 W. Wabansia Ave.

Chicago artist Marcus Anthony Johnson, known as Marcus Atom, has recently released his debut album of catchy soulful tracks with Love vs. War. A known session musician who has collaborated on several projects as a drummer and backup singer, Marcus Atom’s arrival as a solo artist has been brewing for some time with many of the tracks on the album being written over several years. Love vs. War introduces us to a thoughtful artist who intimately sings about personal experience. “I hope listeners go through the same rollercoaster of emotions as I did creating it,” he says of the album.

MARCUS ATOM

courtesy photo

MARCH 30 + 31

LIDO PIMIENTA

Empty Bottle 8:30 pm $28+ 1035 N. Western Ave.

“Pimienta often writes from the perspective of someone who has drunk deep from the poisonous wells of misogyny and racism,” Pitchfork’s Peyton Thomas said of afroindigenous, queer feminist Lido Pimienta in a review of the Canada-based Colombian artist’s most recent album Miss Colombia. The content of Pimienta’s work powerfully explores indigenous inequality and racism while embracing self-love and expressing solidarity. Musically, the artist draws from Afro-Latin musical traditions and contemporary rap artists such as Cardi B.

LIDO PIMIENTA

Anti-

March 31

SHOVELS & ROPE

Thalia Hall 8 pm $28 1807 S. Allport St.

The folk Americana duo Shovels & Rope is composed of married artists Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, who have received continued acclaim since debuting as a pair in 2012 with the album O’ Be Joyful. Both artists play multiple instruments throughout their set, each taking turns with percussion, guitar, leading vocals, backing vocals and harmonica. It’s a lovely metaphor for the shared responsibilities of any relationship, band, friendship, or marriage. Their most recent album Manticore draws on the ups and downs of life, love and parenthood.

SHOVELS AND ROPE

Leslie Ryan McKellen

April 1

THE KNOCKS

Concord Music Hall 8 pm $20 2051 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The Knocks will host their electronic dance party at Concord Music Hall on April Fool's Day. Before their rise to success, the electronic duo would get a lot of knocks on their door from neighbors asking them to turn the music down, which is the origin of their name. The Knocks have produced beats for several of pop music’s biggest names, such as Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Nikki Minaj. They have released two albums and are known for successful singles such as “Classic” with POWERS and “Kiss the Sky” with Wyclef Jean.

THE KNOCKS

Joe Perri

April 1

GREYBOY ALLSTARS

Park West 8 pm $30 322 W. Armitage Ave.

Soul jazz funk 5-piece the Greyboy Allstars saw an opportunity to create music and connect with their fans during the COVID lockdown. They developed a four-part livestream series for fans to enjoy from home, which aired as Soul Dream. Taken from this series of COVID performances are the 10 tracks that make up their new album Get a Job, which is being released the same day they play Park West. It’s the quintet's first tour in five years. The musicians that make up the Greyboy Allstars are household names in the worlds of jazz and funk: Karl Denson, tenor saxophone/flute; Elgin Park, guitar; Aaron Redfield, drums; Chris Stillwell, bass; Robert Walter, Hammond B3, keyboards.

GREYBOY ALLSTARS

The Kurland Agency

April 4

SONS OF KEMET

Lincoln Hall 8 pm $25 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

Sons of Kemet is a propulsive jazz quartet led by “defiantly forward- (and outward-) looking” musician Shabaka Hutchings. A central figure in London’s jazz scene, Hutchings plays in a variety of groups; Sons of Kemet has a soul, calypso influence that ties to our present moment. The quartet's latest album, Black to the Future, was described by Pitchfork as a “body-moving record, advocating through music that change comes from speaking directly about collective oppression.” Sons of Kemet are Shabaka Hutchings on saxophone, Theon Cross on tuba and percussionists Edward Wakili-Hick and Tom Skinner. Chicago musician Angel Bat Dawid is a collaborator on Black to the Future.

April 7

ALEX CUBA

Old Town School of Folk Music 8 pm $30 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.

Grammy-winning, Cuban-Canadian musician Alex Cuba may reside in a remotely situated town in the mountains of British Columbia, but when he sings, he delivers the soulful warmth of Cuba. The acclaimed Latin singer-songwriter will be performing at the Old Town’s School’s Maurer Hall in support of his pandemic album Mendó, which is a collaboration with some of Latin music’s biggest stars. Alex Cuba is a completely independent artist known for his vast musical vision that reaches far beyond his Cuban roots. A celebrated musician who produces, composes, sings and plays multiple instruments on all his projects.

ALEX CUBA

Paquin Artists Agency

APRIL 15

TERRANCE SIMIEN & THE ZYDECO EXPERIENCE

Evanston SPACE 7 pm $20+ 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston

8th generation Louisiana Creole musician Terrance Simien is a two-time Grammy winner who has been bringing zydeco music to audiences for over four decades and over 9,000 concerts. The accordionist is a wellrespected American roots musician who has been an integral to the preservation of Louisiana musical traditions. Sidelined from the road during the COVID pandemic, Simien kept busy by creating a new album, campaigning for Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” to be the first Louisiana state song ever written by a Black artist and assisting in the curation of a zydeco exhibit for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.

April 16

DON LIFTED

Schubas Tavern 9 pm $13 3159 N. Southport Ave.

Don Lifted is a multidisciplinary Memphis artist who brings his low-key hip-hop show act to Schubas. His 2021 album 325i could be described as mellow hip-hop but the artist resists the limits of genre labels and suggests the album be described as pop. It’s an album about personal evolution through the turbulence that the past two years have brought. In addition to being a musical artist, Don Lifted is a poet and visual artist whose work portrays narratives of displaced Africans living in America. His work has been displayed at galleries and museums throughout the mid-South.

April 22 + 23

LORDE

Chicago Theatre 7:30 pm $200+ 175 N. State St.

“Born in the year of oxycontin,” the opening line of Lorde’s most recent LP, Solar Power, reminds you right off the bat that despite being a household name for nearly a decade, the 25-year-old artist Lorde remains youthful and delivers her take on the world as she grows. She describes the vibe of her most recent work as a sonic lyrical walk through a “psychedelic garden.” The whimsical ambience of the album is a departure from the energy of 2017’s Melodrama, and it will be thrilling to see how she presents her new work alongside her instant classics of yesterday such as “Royals” and “Green Light.”

LORDE

Ophelia Mikkelson Jones

April 22, 23 + 24

WILCO

Auditorium Theatre 7:30 pm $85+ 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive

It has been 20 years since the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, one of the most acclaimed indie rock albums of the new millennium. Over the course of their career, Wilco have come to be as iconic to Chicago’s musical landscape as the Marina City Towers are to the city’s architectural landscape. (The view looking up at the towers adorns the cover of their 2002 masterpiece album.) The band performs three shows as part of the We Are Trying to Break Your Heart tour to celebrate the LP’s big birthday. When not working as a musical artist, Jeff Tweedy has notably given his time to designing T-shirts for GiveAShi*t, an organization that raises money for StreetWise.

WILCO

Anton Coene

April 23

DOS SANTOS

Schubas Tavern 8 pm $10 3159 N. Southport Ave.

“Dos Santos have reframed the narrative of what Latinx music is or should be, unafraid to spotlight our collective struggles. They’ve catapulted traditional music in a new, borderless direction and become a symbol of success” wrote Sandra Treviño for the Chicago Reader in praise of Dos Santos’ 2021 album City of Mirrors. The Chicago-based quintet has been creating provocative music from the Americas since their debut in 2013, drawing on traditional rhythms from Latin and South America, musically crossing borders while honoring cultural roots, addressing migration and social justice and looking forward to the future.

DOS SANTOS

José Calvo

April 24

LP

The Vic Theatre 7:30 pm $34+ 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

LP is an American musician known for their emotionally charged pop vocals and songwriting prowess. Their writing credits include songs for big name acts such as Rihanna, Cher, the Backstreet Boys, and Céline Dion, but they’ve gathered a devoted following of their own through electrifying performances and the great success of the 2015 single “Lost on You.” Their most recent album, 2021’s Churches, is their sixth studio album. It’s an experimental reminder of LP’s honest songwriting and affecting vocals.

LP

Ryan Jay

April 26

PASSENGER

Thalia Hall 7:30 pm $40+ 1807 S. Allport St.

In the 2000’s, Passenger was a five-person band that released one album. One of the members of that band was Michael David Rosenberg, who continued to perform under the moniker Passenger after the band’s breakup in 2009. In 2012 Passenger catapulted to mainstream success with the single “Let Her Go” and has been productively releasing work ever since. In 2021 they released the LP Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted, an album released one year late due to the COVID lockdown. A portion of album sales will go to combat deforestation worldwide.

April 27

JOY OLADOKUM

Lincoln Hall 8 pm $18 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

This quote from Joy Oladokum, speaking about words, reflects the understanding of language that the artist brings to their songwriting. “Words are such a powerful tool. I remember all of the best and worst things anyone has ever said to me. I love and respect the ability of words to touch on the physical realm… people are traumatized by words or uplifted and encouraged to change their lives and careers by them.” Last year the Queer Black singer-songwriter released an album, In Defense of My Own Happiness. On her music: “When you listen to me, I want you to feel like you’ve taken an emotional shower.”

JOY OLADOKUM

Nolan Knight

April 29

CHARLI XCX

Aragon Ballroom 7:30 pm $39.50+ 1106 W. Lawrence Ave.

For a decade, Charli XCX has delivered her own brand of pop that challenges the tired/naive notion that pop music can only be formulaic fluff. Charli XCX has been called the MySpace Prodigy because her rise to fame came through posting music on the platform when widespread social media was still in its infancy. Her 5th studio album, Crash, is due to be released on March 22 and this tour brings her through Chicago just after its release. Charli XCX draws inspiration from a wide range of pop influences such as Kanye West, Madonna, Kate Bush, the Cure Weezer and Britney Spears.

CHARLI XCX

Kathleen Hinkel

May 3

GANG OF YOUTHS

The Metro 8 pm $27.50 3730 N. Clark St.

Gang of Youth’s new music fuses their knack for soaring melodies, indelible hooks and dynamic rock uplifts with a love of neoclassical, minimalist composers and experimental sampling. The Australian indie rock quintet comes through Wrigleyville in May. Their most recent album, 2017’s Go Farther In Lightness was widely praised with one reviewer (perhaps boldly) drawing comparisons to Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night.” Sonic poetry is an apt description of Gang of Youths.

May 10

ORION SUN

Lincoln Hall 8 pm $18 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

“Tiffany Majette wanted to be an astronaut; instead, she turned to music. As Orion Sun, she writes songs that hover and drift along, tenderly excavating past traumas and recent relationships.” Pitchfork’s Dani Blum wrote this fitting introduction to Orion Sun with a review of 2020’s Hold Space for Me. Orion Sun is a noteworthy queer Black multi-instrumentalist performing contemplative indie soul and drawing from R&B, hip hop and jazz influences.

May 20

LUCIUS with CELISSE

Riviera Theatre 8 pm $27.50 4746 N. Racine Ave.

Lucius is a four-piece band that is known for its two frontwomen Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, who dress identically for performances and provide luminous vocals. They will be touring upon the release of Second Nature, their fourth studio album, which will be released April 8. The album is produced by their fan and friend Brandi Carlile who also sings backup vocals with Sheryl Crow on one of the songs. This pop album encourages you to find joy in the darkness that has come with the last few years. They will be joined by rocking vocalist and guitarist Celisse Henderson.

May 23

BAKAR

Park West 7:30 pm $25 322 W. Armitage Ave.

Rising North London star Bakar just released his debut album, Nobody’s Home, which follows his successful 2019 single “Hell N Back.” The artist is a multi-instrumentalist who pulls from various genres to create his work and has been compared to the late star Amy Winehouse, who was also from North London. Drawing from varying influences creates a unique flare for Bakar’s experimental music, which lyrically digs deep emotionally and speaks to matters of social justice.

May 25

TORI AMOS

Auditorium Theatre 7:30 pm $70+ 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive

Mezzo-soprano, pianist, one-time child prodigy and activist Tori Amos comes through Chicago on the Ocean to Ocean tour, which is the singer’s 16th studio album. The album was written while in COVID-19 lockdown and explores “a universal story of going to rock bottom and renewing yourself all over again.” The album features the hallmarks of Amos’ work, a powerful sense of composition and poetic witty lyrics, while addressing global issues like the environment and personal struggles like the recent loss of her mother.

May 27 +28

KURT VILE and the VIOLATORS

Thalia Hall 7:30 pm $38+ 1807 S. Allport St.

Master songwriter and indie psych rock musician Kurt Vile comes through Chicago with his band for the first time post-pandemic this May. The singer counts songwriting greats Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan among his influences and it’s evident in his writing. The Philly-based artist has joked that he’s “Philly’s Constant Hitmaker” and he is one of the city’s most beloved and successful rock artists. His most recent album (watch my moves) was recently released.

June 1

DADJU

Concord Music Hall 7:30 pm $45

2051 N. Milwaukee Ave. French R&B singer and rapper Dadju is from a musical family; his father was a Congolese singer and he is the brother of acclaimed rap artist Gims. Previously he was a member of the duo The Shin Sekaî before embarking on a successful solo career in 2017. This June he makes a rare trip to Chicago to perform, presumably in support of a third album, that is about to be released. The singer has already released a single named "KING" from the album and has promised via his Instagram that is will be the “album of the year.”

DADJU

Totem Entertainment

June 3

SOFI TUKKER

Radius Chicago 8 pm $31+ 640 W. Cermak Rd.

Sofi Tukker is an electronic dance pop duo that takes direct inspiration from Brazilian rhythms and poetry. The duo is made up of two friends who met while studying at Brown University in Rhode Island, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. They’re best known for their songs “Drinkee,” “Best Friend,” and “Purple Hat.” During the the COVID-19 quarantine, the duo livestreamed over 400 performances from home daily, reaching over 400 performances. They’ve used the livestreams as a means of working through new material and recently released a new song “House Arrest,” which was developed during this time.

SOFI TUKKER

Primary Talent

June 7

ROBERT PLANT and ALISON KRAUSS

Jay Pritzker Pavilion 5:30 pm $60+ 201 E. Randolph St.

When Alison Krauss and Robert Plant originally formed their super duo, it seemed like an unlikely genre pairing. She is one of the most Grammy-winning female (bluegrass) vocalists of all-time while he is rock 'n' roll royalty as part of Led Zeppelin. Nevertheless, the album they created when they formed in 2007, Raising Sand, was a Grammy-winning effort; providing new life into the covers they were recording. Fourteen years later, the pair is back touring with another album, Raise the Roof, featuring mostly folk rock covers and produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett. Pitchfork’s review praised the two’s ability to breathe new life into existing work they cover, “With versions that bend and reshape the originals, they once again leave their imprint on a well-curated songbook that suits their mystical nature. They dig deeper into the corners of American music and by doing so, come up with something far more rare and incisive about its past.”

ROBERT PLANT ALISON KRAUSS

David McClister