In my years living and working on the North Side of Chicago, the Vic Theater has had an interesting evolution. It started as the Victoria Theatre with vaudeville shows before it became the Old Vic. When I moved to Lakeview, it became Clubland with Berlin across the street, and Club 950 Lucky Number right next to the "L," just a bit south. Thankfully, in true Chicago style, it is The Vic again, and on May 8, 2025, Allison Russell and a band of goddesses lit up the stage.
Allison Russell is a brilliant musician and vocalist. She wielded her clarinet like a magic wand and shook her banjo to reverberate like a rattle. Her music blends Americana and rock with a healthy dash of funk. I swear I heard a bit of Vasantha Raga from her clarinet. Her concert was a mystical ceremony.
Russell proclaimed her all-woman band, Goddesses, each blazing their unique trail in music. Drummer Caoe de Barra, bassist, guitarist Ganessa James, and guitarist Caimhe Hopkinson fill out the crew. They all sang rich harmonies that seemed to reach into my soul while Russell led incantations of love and rising above hard times again, like our mothers before us.
Russell recently starred as Persephone in a revival production of Hadestown on Broadway. Her set included "Persephone" and a mostly a cappella "We Raise Our Cups" as an encore and benediction for the audience. Russell sings a gospel of inclusivity and the Divine Feminine, which also rang true for the audience. For once, I was not the oldest person standing in the general admission area. The seats in the balcony were for the VIPs, but everyone was treated like a VIP. She thanked the musical women who inspired her and topped it with a bow to B.O.B., "because of Brandi". Russell sang "You Are Not Alone" from the album Night Drive Slow Mix, which featured powerhouse singer Brandi Carlile.
Speaking of powerhouse women, Russell also sang "Superlover," which featured Annie Lennox on the album The Returner. Russell and her Goddesses sounded great. The venue's sound system was balanced and at a perfect volume to hear Russell's sweet alto. She adds texture to her vocals with vibrato and melismatic phrasing. She twirled, kneeled, and waved her hands with her voice as an incantation. "Eve Was Black" reminded the audience that the cradle of humankind leads back to Africa and one spiritual DNA.
The audience was adoring and knew the words to every song. Russell did not shy away from the audience, touching hands and making eye contact. She is a masterful performer who mesmerizes the audience. Her husband, JT Nero, joined her on stage for the anthemic "American Flowers." The duet reminded people we will get past this dark time and bloom again.
The show opened with an acoustic set from Kara Jackson, who played solo with spare accompaniment on her guitar. Jackson, who is from Oak Park, was dressed in a cool Chicago Bulls-themed dress. Her music is similar to Russell's, with themes of feminism and fluidity. Songs such as "Why Does the World give Us People to Love," Brain," and Dickhead Blues" evoked laughter and acknowledgement from the audience. Jackson has a gorgeous contralto that reaches down into baritone notes. Her vocal style bends notes and leans into melisma for some passages, similar to Lauryn Hill. Jackson can pull it off without affectation, which is no easy task. Her sound is pure and thankfully absent of the vocal pyrotechnics.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and recommend that you give an extended listen to Allison Russell's solo music, Birds of Chicago with JT Nero, and Kara Jackson's wonderful Why Does The Earth Give Us People to Love?
All photos Lyra Wilson