It’s always an honor when artists choose Chicago as the first stop on their tour and last weekend Chicago was spoiled with not just one but TWO nights with the legendary alternative rock band, Bleachers. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, what better venue to host such an acclaimed band than the Salt Shed? Though the band performed pretty much the exact same set each night, both shows were completely different and unique experiences.
The anticipation of their tour kickoff on night one was met with a rejuvenating sunny warm climate that perfectly captured Bleachers’ upbeat alternative tunes. In contrast, Sunday night’s show was rather moody, rainy and cloudy (and not as packed!). Despite the circumstances, Bleachers confidently outshone the gloomy weather for their second night at the Salt Shed. I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I am a huge fan of renowned artists performing across multiple nights at smaller capacity venues rather than one big show at an arena or stadium. This gives a much more intimate feel to these shows making the overall fan experience that much more remarkable.
If you’re even remotely a fan of modern pop music, I’m sure you’re familiar with our contemporary Mozart, Jack Antanoff. Antonoff’s extensive history within the ever-expanding music scene dates back as early as his time with his band Fun; fast forward to later producing acclaimed records for the likes of artists including Clairo, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift to name just a few. To say this show at the Salt Shed with Bleachers was a monumental experience is an understatement. Being the indie head that I am, I have been listening to Jack’s music for as long as I can remember and that nostalgia was revived by him and his band as their set was a celebration of the band’s work over the years.
Despite the crummy weather, fans obviously still made the trek out to theSalt Shed Fairgrounds as they were not going to let weather keep them from experiencing the extraordinary show that took place last Sunday evening. The fan anticipation was too real for Bleachers; and the crowd put up an excellent effort participating along with Jack’s antics on stage. Their setlist not only incorporated songs from their latest album release, Everyone for Ten Minutes; it also was a gold mine loaded with Bleachers classics. Some notable highlights from the evening included their performance of “Modern Girl” from their 2024 self-titled record, Bleachers; as well as a handful of oldies such as “Wild Heart,” “Don’t Take the Money,” and of course their anthemic tune “Rollercoaster.” The saxophone was prominent in orchestrating their live renditions of most of their tunes which translated beautifully on stage.
Though this was only my first time getting to experience a Bleachers show, it was clear that Jack Antonoff and his band were having the time of their lives on stage. Expectations were definitely exceeded Sunday night and I’ll be looking forward to the band’s return to Chicago. The band's history within the music scene along with Jack’s various triumphs over the last few years have awarded Bleachers that household name status.
All photos by Andrew Lagunas.
