Following the release of his newest album, American Stories; singer-songwriter and producerRostam Batmanglij makes a momentous return to the stage after a five-year hiatus from releasing a fresh body of work. Chicago was fortunate enough to have his tour stop by Thalia Hall last weekend, which ended up being a rather pleasant and intimate evening.
Though it was a transient set, Rostam incorporated a variety of songs in his setlist from across his whole discography; joking on stage that this was his “eras tour.” Being the multi-talented musician he is, Rostam covers a lot of ground sonically across his musical works. His latest album is a marvelous cultural fusion of Middle Eastern influences and Americana. Thalia Hall was treated to a full performance of his new album with his greatest hits sprinkled in throughout the night.
Rostam is a founding and former member of New York-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend; fans had the great pleasure of hearing Rostam perform a “cover” of their Modern Vampires of the City track, “Young Lion.” (This was the last album Rostam was a part of the band for.) Other notable highlights from the night included his performance of “Bike Dream” and his beautifully orchestrated, newly released track with Clairo, “Hardy.” Rostam closed out his show with the same two tracks that close out American Stories, “Come Apart” and “The Weight.”
Though I would have hoped for just a bit more of a taste from his previous album, Changephobia; it was still a wonderful set and getting to finally see Rostam perform his work was more than a privilege. I have always been a huge fan of Rostam’s production; from his time with Vampire Weekend, to his solo work and all of his production work in between. I will be eagerly waiting for his next production collaboration and hoping we get something along the lines of his work on Clairo’s 2019 masterpiece of an album, Immunity or HAIM’s 2025 album I Quit. It's clear Rostam is a seasoned, talented musician who has a knack for creating distinct and exquisitely layered soundscapes that have really solidified his sound and brand as an artist.
All photos by Andrew Lagunas.
