Music fans in Chicago were in for a treat last night as MetroPCS and Pandora brought Big Sean to Park West in Chicago for their Sounds of Chicago event. With free drinks and food from some of the city’s best spots, a photo booth, tons of free swag and a DJ to warm up the crowd, the night was set for Big Sean to close things out with a full 18-song performance.
Repping a killer Dennis Rodman jersey, Big Sean got the crowd moving with his I Decided track ‘Moves’, which he then followed up with tracks like ‘Paradise’, ‘No Favors’ and his stand out GOOD Music verses on ‘Mercy’ and ‘Clique’. Early on Big Sean also took time to thank the sponsors for bringing him back to one of his favorite cities in the world, where he also had to give a big shoutout to Harold’s Chicken.
Only a few months removed from his memorable performance at Lollapalooza, Big Sean could have easily mailed in his performance. After all, since it was an entirely free show for fans, everyone would have left with their money’s worth. However Big Sean brought the energy and hits that come with one of his tour dates, but in a much more intimate setting, making for a great and unique experience for all of those lucky enough to attend. Chicago fans already can’t wait for Big Sean or Pandora to return for another memorable performance.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below.
When Imagine Dragons last performed for their Windy City fans, it was at the Allstate Arena on June 15th, 2015. That same night, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in a thrilling game six victory at the United Center. Just a couple years later, Chicago is hoping that the Las Vegas natives bring their good luck again, as the defending World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs, are facing elimination at Wrigley Field, as Imagine Dragons perform just a few miles away, and where else, the United Center.
But irregardless of the story that would be told at the historic Wrigley Field tonight, music fans took home the “W” as Imagine Dragon’s Evolve Tour delivered from start to finish. From K.Flay’s amazing performance to warm up her homestate crowd to Imagine Dragon’s encore performance of ‘Believer’, no fan left with their voice and everyone left having a memorable night.
While Imagine Dragon certainly did their part to sell the lion’s share of tickets for their headlining sold-out show, the tour’s supporting acts of K.Flay and GROUPLOVE put on a great performance in their own right and gave fans reason to head to the arena moments after doors opened. Wilmette, Illinois native K.Flay blew the crowd away with her impressive vocals, performing a half-hour of her stand out tracks, including ‘Blood In The Cut’ and ‘High Enough’.
While technically labeled a rapper, K.Flay has a diverse sound that Top 40, indie and hip-hop fans alike can enjoy. A sound so great and diverse that it caught the attention of Imagine Dragon’s Dan Reynolds who signed the Everywhere Is Some Where artist to his “Night Street Records” imprint. Although Chicago fans tonight weren’t late to the K.Flay party, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon now, because Illinois’ own has been gaining momentum ever since her 2014 debut.
Among the tour’s supporting act was also the Los Angeles indie pop band, GROUPLOVE. Led by Hannah Hopper, GROUPLOVE delivers a polarizing sound that may not be for everyone, but either way, the group brought a ton of energy and character to the entire night. While we certainly enjoyed GROUPLOVE’s set, their live performance might be enjoyed best during a more intimate headlining club show.
After crew finished prepping the stage for the act of the night, it was time for Imagine Dragons to greet their Chicago fans. Kicking things off with their new album’s opening track, ‘I Don’t Know Why’, the crowd erupted from the general admission pits to the nosebleeds. The band emerged through the laser lights as their giant video board supplemented their performance.
Directly after, Dan Reynolds took a moment to get serious before his band performed their 2012 track, ‘It’s Time’. Speaking on the recent tragedy and shooting in Las Vegas, which especially hits close to home to the Las Vegas-natives, Reynolds refused to allow anyone to destroy people’s love for music, which set the stage for ‘It’s Time’, a track that Reynolds wrote during a very difficult and depressing time of his life.
And while the crowd shared an intimate and sincere moment with the band early on, it hardly set the tone for the rest of the night. Throughout the set Imagine Dragons performed a catalog of their biggest hits from the past decade, of course with a lot of attention to their newest LP, where the tour get its name.
One highlight of the performance included the band’s B-stage visit, where fans closer to the back got an up-close performance of ‘Bleeding Out’, ‘Dream’ and a tribute to the late great Tom Petty with ‘I Won’t Back Down’. As Reynolds returned to the catwalk and the clock started to creep on midnight and word traveled that the Cubs got the win, Imagine Dragon’s closed out their set with a memorable performance of their mega-hit ‘Radioactive’, only to return to the stage for some free music when the band truly ended the night with an encore performance of ‘Believer’.
We were all believers tonight, and Imagine Dragons did not disappoint. Chicago fans already can’t wait until the band’s next visit.
Hoodie Allen returned to Milwaukee Saturday night, as the Long Island native brought his headlining The Hype World Tour to The Rave, with support from Myles Parrish and Luke Christopher.
And while it seems like it’s been awhile since Hoodie blessed the stage for his Wisconsin fans, the ‘No Interruption’ rapper is no stranger to The Rave. Allen has performed a number of memorable shows at the infamous venue, including visits for his People Keep Talking Tour, his Cruisin’ USA Tour and of course his 2012 co-headlining tour with G-Eazy.
Having just kicked off The Hype World Tour days ago, Hoodie’s Milwaukee fans got an early taste of the tour and were some of the first in the world to hear cuts from Allen’s brand new and self-released album, where the tour gets its name and which dropped just a couple weeks ago on September 29th.
Throughout the night, Hoodie Allen performed a perfect mix of tracks, both from his new album and his biggest singles and fan favorites from his previous albums and EPs, including records like ‘Know It All’, ‘Sushi’ and ‘All About It’ to name a few. What made the selection of tracks so perfect was likely the fact that the fans themselves chose the setlist for the show, when Hoodie gave fans the opportunity to play a role in the tour by creating an online poll for each night’s setlist. Although time wouldn’t allow Allen to perform every single song he has ever recorded, you can bet that everyone in the crowd left as a happy camper.
It wasn’t just the songs that made last night so great, as Hoodie Allen delivers an exceptional amount of energy into his live performances. You may not find the production level that a high budget arena tour may offer, but Hoodie Allen works the crowd like none other. And what better cherry on top, than to bring a inflatable raft onto the stage and float throughout the packed crowd?
From start to finish, Hoodie Allen gives his all to his fans on stage and off, so it’s no surprise that Milwaukee and The Rave continue to embrace Hoodie Allen throughout the years.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below, and get your tickets for the remaining dates of the The Hype World Tour here.
Just a few months removed from their festival performance at Milwaukee’s lakeside festival, Summerfest, indie pop’s MisterWives returned to Wisconsin for their headlining Connect The Dots Tour.
Performing at The Rave, one of the Midwest’s most infamous venues, MisterWives were joined by Los Angeles’ Smallpools, who are fresh off the release of their new EP, and Milwaukee’s own Vinyl Theatre. With a hometown performance billed for the night and a great opening set from Smallpools to warm up the crowd, tonight’s lineup gave fans plenty of reason to get to The Rave when doors opened.
But as the openers stepped off stage and the rain continued to pour down outside the venue, it was soon time for the MisterWives to greet their Milwaukee fans. While the New York natives delivered the same energy and color that fans witnessed at Summerfest, it was the set design and club vibes that made tonight a completely different performance.
Although great, MisterWives’ festival performance was just that… a festival performance. Their loyal fans showed up in numbers to secure their spot in the front, but the crowd was still full of casual fans who came to see the hits or perhaps just to catch some live music with no other introduction to the ‘Reflections’ group.
Tonight was different, as the Mandy Lee-led group and its fans benefited from an intimate performance where the majority of those in attendance knew the tracks word-for-word, from their 2014 debut EP to their albums Our Own House and Connect The Dots. And the performance’s set design and production also added to tonight’s experience, as shapes and colors gave life to the cover art of MisterWives’ newest album.
Highlights of the night include MisterWives’ opening performance of ‘Machine’, ‘Reflections’ and of course their amazing encore performance of their 2015 LP’s self-titled track, ‘Our Own House’. With two great Milwaukee performances under their belt in the past year alone, you can likely bet that MisterWives will return to Wisconsin in 2018 or when their next tour comes around.
Check out our photos from MisterWive’s Milwaukee performance below, and get your tickets for the remaining dates of their Connect The Dots Tour here.
Harlem’s A$AP Mob got cozy in Milwaukee tonight, as A$AP Rocky and company stormed through The Rave’s Eagles Ballroom for their Too Cozy Tour. Comprised of Rocky, Ferg, Twelvyy, Nast, the late A$AP Yams and many more, the A$AP Mob may be top heavy but talent is still spread throughout the group, especially since A$AP Ferg and Twelvyy have emerged from Rocky’s shadows in the past couple years.
From the very beginning the crowd was turned up, as the Mob performed some of their solo records, collaborations and of course cuts from their newest LP, the Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy. And while some of the emerging A$AP members certainly did their part by rapping some of their stand out verses, it’s to no one’s surprise that A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg stole the show. Blowing fans away with tracks like A$AP Ferg’s ‘Work’ and ‘Plain Jane’ and the Mob’s Cozy Tapes Vol. 1 track ‘Yamborghini High’, the night was an rager with the whole A$AP crew.
With The Rave also hosting a sold-out country concert downstairs in the same venue, there is no way fans at the Luke Combs concert partied like those rapping along to the A$AP Mob. And because of that, there was no better place to be in Milwaukee tonight.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below, and get your tickets for the remaining dates of the Too Cozy Tour here.
On the newest leg of The Hero Tour 2017, country music’s rising star, Maren Morris, brought her headlining tour to The Rave in Milwaukee, WI. Less than a year removed from an entertaining show at The Rave with Jon Pardi, as well as a big arena show a couple miles east in support of Keith Urban at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Morris is quickly finding a second home in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin has some competition though when it comes to Maren’s second home, because the Texas native has been everywhere in the past couple years. With her breakout singles like ‘My Church’ and ’80s Mercedes’, and her infectious country sound which has the broad appeal of a Top 40 pop record, it’s no surprise that Maren Morris has become a star in such a short period of time.
To kick things off Friday night, country singer Ryan Hurd got the show started on a high note. Although Hurd is known by many of Morris’ fans because the two are recently engaged, Hurd and Morris first met when writing a song together for country legend, Tim McGraw. Of course a relationship built from that initial chemistry, but the two complement each musically as well as they do in a relationship, for many reasons it’s no surprise that Morris recruited Hurd for her headlining tour’s newest leg. Hurd warmed up the crowd with two of his best tracks from the past year, ‘Love in a Bar’ and ‘Hold You Back’.
Moments after Hurd said his goodbyes to his Wisconsin fans, it was soon time for the ’90s baby to hit the stage. With a setlist that consisted of fan favorites from Morris’ last Milwaukee visits, like ‘My Church’, ’80s Mercedes’ and ‘Sugar’, with a number of new additions, in many ways Maren Morris’ headlining show Friday was night and day when compared to her co-headlining set last December.
Photo by Dan Garcia/The Early Registration
It was those new additions that stole the show last night. A song which premiered live on tour just last night, the highlight of Morris’ performance had to have been her moving encore performance of ‘Dear Hate’, the singer’s new collaboration with Vince Gill and Morris’ tribute to the recent tragedy and shooting in Las Vegas, at a festival which Morris performed the night before.
“We can’t stop playing music and we can’t stop going to concerts. Thank you Milwaukee, thanks for showing up.”
Another highlight of the show included Morris’ duet performance of ‘Chasing After You’ with Ryan Hurt and her tribute to Tom Petty with a cover of ‘I Won’t Back Down’. From start to finish, Morris blew us away with her beautiful voice, catchy records and contagious charisma.
If you were also in attendance for Maren Morris’ last performance at The Rave, you had to weather a major snow storm just to get to the venue. Luckily fans last night had no such trouble and the night will be memorable only for the great performances put on by Morris and Hurd. And if you missed out, fear not, as history suggests that Maren Morris will make her way back to the Badger state in the near future.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below, and get your tickets for the remaining dates of The Hero Tour 2017here.
Modest Mouse brought their indie rock sounds from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest, as the Isaac Brock-led group brought their 2017 Fall Tour to the Breese Stevens Field in Michigan Madison. From Washington state to Washington Ave., Modest Mouse played a catalog of their biggest hits, B-sides and fan favorites for the Wisconsin crowd, all while delivering a memorable night of live music.
From the very beginning the crowd was engaged as Modest Mouse performed a collection of songs from across their discography. Despite being over two years removed from their last LP, Strangers to Ourselves, and over a decade past the release of their mega-successful single, ‘Float On’, Modest Mouse hasn’t lost a step when it comes to owning the stage, which is to no fan’s surprise.
While Madison’s Breese Stevens Field saw summer concerts this season from artists like Ryan Adams and Wilco, Modest Mouse closed out the outdoor venue’s year on a high note. Performing a different setlist last night than the tour’s previous dates, Modest’s potpourri setlist reached from their newest album to their 1996 debut. Although you can’t always bet on Modest Mouse to perform some of their biggest singles, like ‘Float On’ and ‘Dashboard’, Saturday’s setlist included both and its diversity helped make the show so great.
The entire night was near perfect, despite Issac Brock thinking that he was in Michigan, until his band corrected him. Embarrassed, Brock turned the error into a joke, later acting like he was in Florida, Washington and more. Modest Mouse made up for the error and then some, in part by playing ‘Float On’.
And to put the cherry on top, Modest Mouse ended their performance with a 30-minute encore, adding to the Wisconsin Badger’s football win by giving Madison another reason to celebrate on the chilly Saturday night.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below, and get tickets for the remaining tour dates here.
Some of the biggest emerging names in rap & hip-hop took over the Windy City last night, as Adam Torres Concerts’The Freshmen concert with Cardi B, Young Thug, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, PNB Rock and Young M.A invaded the UIC Pavilion.
From PNB Rock joining A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (who is celebrating the release of his debut album) on stage, to Cardi B performing her hit single and the biggest song in the world right now, ‘Bodak Yellow’, and of course Thugger’s entertaining headlining set, the entire night was full of highlights from start to finish. If you were a rap fan in the Midwest, there was no better place to be than the University of Chicago-Illinois campus last night, as no fan left disappointed.
What was maybe most impressive about tonight’s lineup is the sheer star power of young talent across the entire cast of artists. Cardi B has become an overnight mega star, and is on her way to becoming the next big thing in rap. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is more than on the verge, and don’t be surprised if he continues to blow with his new debut LP. Young Thug is one of the most exciting rappers out of the ATL, with no signs of slowing down. And Young M.A and PNB Rock are two artists that keep the ladies in the crowd wanting more, both with promising careers ahead.
Be sure to take a look at tonight’s lineup a year from today, just to see how tonight’s artists continue to grow.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below.
Music fans are less than a week away from one of the best music festivals of the year, with the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, located just outside of Nashville in Franklin, TN. With a number of emerging artists warming things up in the day, some big headlining performances at night and a number of activities and food options throughout the grounds, people throughout the country can’t wait to #MakeThePilgrimage this weekend.
From Fitz and the Tantrums to the festival’s partner, Justin Timberlake, there are a number of performances that you won’t want to miss, but we are only going to give you five of our favorites for now.
Check out our list of our 5 most anticipated performances of 2017’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival below.
Fans at the Ravinia Music Festival in Highland Park, IL were in for a treat tonight, as the I Love The 90’s: The Party Continues tour brought your favorite artists from one of the best decades in music for a memorable night of nostalgia.
With opening performances from Snap! (‘The Power’), All-4-One (‘I Swear’), O-Town (‘All Or Nothing’) and Biz Markie (‘Just A Friend’), and headlining sets from Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath and TLC, it was rare that fans heard a track that wasn’t a big hit years ago. Whether you were singing along to TLC ‘No Scrubs’ or belting out the words to Biz Markie’s ‘Just A Friend’, it was impossible to leave the festival grounds tonight without a smile on your face.
Tonight marked one of the last major shows for the Ravinia Festival’s 2017 season, and it couldn’t have gone any better. Highland Park residents and music fans across the state of Illinois are already counting down the days to another memorable summer at The Ravinia.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below.
The Early Registration 