This article was written by Wendy Davis.
The powerful, energized, girl-powered quartet The Aces has returned to Chicago stronger than ever! Playing at the historic Thalia Hall, this band has just kicked off their Gold Star Baby tour, with Chicago being just stop number two this past Wednesday. The crowd set a strong expectation with their nonstop dancing and being genuinely engaged with the performance the entire time. It’s clear these ladies were missed here and based on their energy onstage, the feeling was definitely mutual.
The Aces’ fourth studio album, Gold Star Baby, is still hot and fresh after just being released this past August. The vibe of this record is a generous mix of groovy pop, constantly moving your body on the dance floor while covered in glitter. Lead singer Cristal Ramirez has described it in the past as their “danciest album yet”. Many jams from this album were featured at the show, like "Jealous", "Gold Star Baby", and "Twin Flame", which had couples and besties alike dancing cheek to cheek.
The band’s cool, calm confidence was obvious as soon as they hit the stage. Appearing without a hint of nerves, Ramirez welcomes the crowd with “Chicago, how are we feeling?...We are The Aces and your only job tonight is to, if your are of age, get fucked up. If you are not, just have a good time…Where are my lesbians in the crowd?” The room then erupted in cheers from what seemed like almost every person in there.
In addition to Ramirez on lead vocals, there was her sister, Alisa Ramirez, on drums, childhood friends Katie Henderson on lead guitar and McKenny Petty on bass. Originating as a small girl band from suburban Utah, these ladies definitely carried that energy on stage with them as if they were still jamming together in their garage back home—laughing at each other, always interacting, while still engaging the crowd throughout the whole thing. Speaking of the crowd, they definitely understood the assignment; majority femme people were decked out in disco, rainbow, shiny sparkles from head to toe. Fans dedicating to the theme always adds a welcoming layer of judgement-free energy to the room. Still riding the high of some recent milestones like playing All Things Go festival in DC this year and opening for The Vamps at London’s O2 Arena, these ladies carried their confidence all throughout the night, while still remaining grounded with the people that helped make it all possible.
All photos by Wendy Davis.
