Julien Baker\u2019s self-proclaimed \u201cbummer tunes\u201d sounded especially\u00a0melancholic\u00a0inside the historic and grandiose Thalia Hall in Chicago\u2019s Pilsen neighborhood. Almost as if her sound was\u00a0meant\u00a0to be heard in such a seasoned venue that has undoubtedly seen and heard the\u00a0heartbreaks and joys\u00a0Julien writes about.\u00a0Supported by Petal and Half Waif, it was a beautiful\u00a0evening full of emotion\u00a0and passion from a strong female line-up.<\/p>\n
Petal\u2019s Kiley Lotz, though sometimes accompanied by additional musicians on stage, opened the night standing alone on stage presenting a set of beautifully delicate and melodic songs, switching between a guitar and keyboard, but never abandoning the\u00a0intensity.<\/p>\n
Though accompanied by a bassist and a drummer, Half Waif\u2019s front-woman Nandi Rose Plunkett had all eyes on her with beautifully designed lighting and her equally beautiful voice and movement.<\/p>\n
At first, Julien Baker seemed so small standing alone on such a vast open stage, filled only with a mic stand and keyboard on an oriental rug with an electric guitar on a stand at the far back of the stage. Though, not for long, as her voice quickly filled the void space as she deeply and with emotion belted songs like Sprained Ankle\u2019s \u201cRejoice\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0numerous others. Her set alternated the more quiet and slow songs of Sprained Ankle, with the more robust and complex songs of her sophomore album, Turn Out the Lights<\/a>, released October 27, 2017.<\/p>\n Julien Baker attracts an audience that connects deeply to her lyrical content and music and it\u2019s almost as if watching her play is a cathartic experience. The crowd was quiet and respectful, paying diligent attention and gasping at the beginning chords of recognizable songs. \u00a0Her music hosts themes of heartbreak and depression, but delicately balanced out by weaving in sentiments of religion and joy as well.<\/p>\n For the final songs of her set, she invited violinist Camille Faulkner to accompany her on stage, adding an additional layer of complexity and emotion to the songs. As an encore, Nandi of Halfwaif and Kiley of Petal joined Julien and Camille on stage to perform the final song as a quartet, sealing the evening with beautiful harmonizing, a hug between the ladies, and a final bow.<\/p>\n [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”94″ gal_title=”Julien Baker”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"