Last night, the busiest duo in music, The Chainsmokers, performed a headlining set for KISS FM’s “Kiss The Summer Goodbye” concert, with an opening set from the funniest man in music, rapper Lil Dicky. And if you don’t believe The Chainsmokers are the busiest due in music, let us put things into perspective… Not only did the ‘Closer’ artists perform for KISS FM’s huge summer bash at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI but last night the two also performed a late night show at the Jewel Nightclub in Las Vegas.
From LD to The Chainsmokers, everyone in attendance got their money’s worth. Lil Dicky instantly got the crowd in a party mood, getting fans hype with his tracks ‘Save Dat Money’ and ‘Lemme Freak’, to name a few. And moments later, it was time for the biggest duo in EDM to bless the Wisconsin crowd. Everywhere you looked, fans were having the time of their life while The Chainsmokers were playing some of their best cuts and mixes for Milwaukee. We can’t imagine a better way to say goodbye to your summer.
Peep our photos from last night’s performance below and check out The Chainsmoker’s upcoming tour dates here.
Last night, Mike Posner returned to his roots, performing a headlining set for a college crowd at the Majestic Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin, a venue Mike first performed at seven years ago while he himself was still a college student. A lot has happened since then. Not only does Posner have bragging rights over his University of Wisconsin fans, as his Duke Blue Devil defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in 2014’s NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, but Posner’s sound has completely transformed since he first stepped stage at the Majestic in 2009.
To speed you up on what’s happened since Mike’s last visit to the Majestic; members of his 2009 opener 2AM Club have since parted ways and the band’s lead, Marc E. Bassy, is now a solo artist whose G-Eazy-assisted debut single ‘You & Me’ is currently climbing the charts, Mike became a household name in music, practically overnight, with the success of his record ‘Cooler Than Me’, he released his 2010 debut LP, 31 Minutes To Takeoff, and after an extended hiatus in his solo career where he passed time writing and producing hit records for Justin Bieber (‘Boyfriend’) and Maroon 5 (‘Sugar’), Posner is back with his sophomore LP, At Night, Alone., and its lead single, ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’.
And even though Mike Posner is currently on a huge arena tour in support of Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, tonight’s headlining performance seemed extra special. We have caught Posner on the road twice this summer, once with the Future Now Tour and once with the B96 Pepsi Summer Bash, both times providing great performances to get the night started on the right foot. Posner surrounds himself with talented musicians and together his band puts on a hell of a show, mixing his new records with the old. Even if you’re only getting less than 10 records with a supporting set, Posner and his band are worth the price of admission. But with tonight’s headlining show, in an environment that Posner has flourished in since his days at Duke University, fans certainly got their money’s worth.
Kicking off the night tonight was Posner’s friend, collaborator and writing partner, Adam Friedman. Whether fans tonight knew Friedman from his 2016 single, ‘Lemonade’, his opening impromptu sets on Posner’s Ninja Show Tour last year, or whether tonight was their first dose of the Santa Montica singer/songwriter, Friedman delivered for Madison. Performing his records ‘Stronger’ and ‘Gravity’, his cover of The Chainsmokers and Halsey’s new single ‘Closer’, and a few other songs to showcase his voice at the Majestic Theatre, Friedman definitely picked up some new fans in Madison tonight.
Soon after Friedman stepped off stage, it was time for Mike Posner and his band to greet the Wisconsin crowd. And although there is a lot of animosity towards anything Duke-related, ever since the Badgers’ tragic National Championship loss, all was forgiven when Mike opened with his At Night, Alone. record, ‘Buried In Detroit’. Posner and his band then continued their set with performances of ‘Be As You Are’, ‘In the Arms of a Stranger’ and ‘Jade’. Throughout the night, Posner performed an extended set, switching back and forth between records from At Night, Alone. and his early work, which not only includes his debut album but his early mixtapes, which first made Posner a local favorite on the college campus.
But just as you thought his set was winding down, it was only getting started, as Posner promised fans that it would be his band’s best show yet. The rest of the night was full of highlights; from Mike climbing into the balcony, performing in the crowd, taking cellphones from the crowd and recording a fan’s Facebook Live stream, inviting Adam Friedman back on-stage for a performance of ‘Lemonade’, and overall getting the crowd especially hyped. Posner promised fans a performance to remember, and with his supporting cast, he delivered.
Whether you jumped on the bandwagon this past year with the success of ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’ or you were a fan from the very beginning, when Posner was still an undergrad like most of the fans in attendance tonight, the Michigan-native delivered high energy and a setlist that all types of Mike Posner fans enjoyed. Do yourself a favor and check Mike Posner’s remaining tour dates at MikePosner.com.
Peep our photos from last night’s performance below.
Britney Spears is smack-dab in the middle of her huge comeback. The international pop icon just released her new album, Glory, on RCA Records, which marks her first album since her 2013, Britney Jean. Spears also made headlines this past weekend as she returned to the MTV Video Music Awards, for her first VMA performance in 10 years, joining rapper G-Eazy for a performance of their new hit collaboration, ‘Make Me…’. Whether you hear her on the radio, buy her new LP on shelves, or even catch her lovable personality shine on James Corden’s newest “Carpool Karaoke” series, Britney is back.
However fans should not soon forget that even in the middle of her big comeback, there exists a place (a city to be more specific) where music fans have been able to return to that 1998-2005 era where Britney Spears was in a tier of her own when it comes to elite names in pop music. That place of course is the “City of Sin”, Las Vegas, Nevada, where Britney Spears has hosted her Vegas residency, Britney: Piece of Me, since December of 2013. And this past week I went to see the critically acclaimed and award winning show for myself, to see if Piece of Me is still the “best show in Las Vegas”.
While I am no Las Vegas expert, I spend the majority of my nights at different shows, venues, festivals and everything music related. From the photo pit at Coachella to an intimate performance at some of Chicago’s most historic venues, whether it’s Kanye West, Taylor Swift or anyone in-between, I have seen a lot and I can’t name one other show that can be compared to Britney’s show at Planet Hollywood. You go into the night, about to see one of the biggest names in music who would need a triple LP just to put together a “Greatest Hits” album, and you expect a concert, yet you get a performance. While the two are often used interchangeably, they are subtly different in many ways.
Britney doesn’t just sing her biggest songs on stage (to be honest, she doesn’t truly sing them at all, but we will get back to that later), rather she performs her entire career. Separated into seven different acts, Spears performs her mega hits among her talented cast of backup dancers with entertaining stage changes and differing themes throughout the night. From her opening performance of ‘Work Bitch’ to her closing performance of ‘Till the World Ends’, everything about the show is well done and more than entertaining.
And what’s most impressive is how Spears gives her all, much more than just a piece of herself, to the live show. This is not only the show’s blessing, but its curse as well. If people were to make one complaint about the show (and her recent VMA performance), it’s the use of Spear’s prerecorded vocals throughout the performance. But if anyone expects Britney Spears (or literally anyone) to dance and perform to the extent she does, to swing on trees while performing ‘Toxic’, to grind and whip her hair to ‘I Love Rock n Roll’, all while singing live, than your expectations are far too high and more than realistic. If I went to a Drake or Adele concert and was met with lip synching, I would certainly be disappointed, but it’s not the case here. Using her prerecorded vocals doesn’t take away from the show, and their use actually adds to the show’s value by giving Spears free reign to truly perform.
Highlights the night, aside from pre-show people watching and checking out some historic Britney outfits in the show’s lobby, are some of the performance’s more entertaining and theatric interludes, and of course Britney’s performances of ‘Everytime’, ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘Crazy’, ‘Toxic’, her new single ‘Make Me…’ and many more. Her recent comeback is proof that Britney has still got it, but her Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood with its huge catalog of hits is proof that Britney never lost it. Stealing the crown from Celine Dion just a couple years ago, Britney Spears still reigns as the Queen of Las Vegas.
Last night ‘Honey, I’m Good’ singer Andy Grammer and the Patrick Monahan-led Train opened up their two-night residency at The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL. Performing for a sold-out Chicago crowd, both Train and Grammer delivered with high energy and performances of some of their best records.
Kicking things off for the night was Andy Grammer; a great singer, a talented songwriter and someone we dubbed as “music’s easiest guy to root for.” Grammer opened his performance on a high note with performances of his breakout single ‘Keep Your Head Up’, as well as his records ‘Fine By Me’ and ‘Kiss You Slow’. Whether he was thanking fans for their votes on “Dancing With The Stars”, even having the crowd get up and dance themselves, or whether he was performing some creative mashups of his tracks mixed with some current radio hits, like a mix of his new single ‘Fresh Eyes’ with The Chainsmoker and Daya’s hit record ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, Grammer found a way to entertain the crowd throughout his whole set. Other highlights of Grammer’s set included his performance of ‘Forever’ (with some hilarious acting in the background from his band), and his closing performance of his big single, ‘Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)’. Just days away from his co-headlining tour with Gavin DeGraw (another Ravinia Festival alum), Grammer delivered for Chicago tonight.
Next up were the night’s headliners, San Francisco roots rock band, Train. Perhaps known best for their record ‘Drops Of Jupiter’, Train’s engined is powered by much more than just one train track. ‘If It’s Love’, ‘Meet Virginia’ and ‘Bruises’ are just a few songs from the beginning of their set that instantly reminded fans of Train’s star power. Since their debut self-titled album in 1998, Train has been a staple in rock music and tonight was a reminder of just that. Tonight was also a treat for Illinois, because it was a hometown show for the ‘Hey Soul Sister’ performers, as Train guitarist Jimmy Stafford hails from Morris, IL. Highlights of Train’s night-one performance included Monahan performing in the crowd, spanning across the entire pavilion, walking on seats and taking selfies with fans, and of course their encore performance of ‘Drops of Jupiter’. It will be hard for tonight’s performance to top last night’s show, but we’re sure that Train and Andy Grammer are up for the challenge.
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below.
Minutes ago, rapper and notorious tokers Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa packed the Hollywood Casino Bowl Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL. Dubbed “The High Road” Tour, not only did Wiz and Snoop bring two of the biggest weed advocates in music to Chicago (2nd and 3rd to maybe Willie Nelson), but they brought some great supporting acts, including the lovely and talented Jhene Aiko, Kevin Gates, Casey Veggies and DJ Drama. Top to bottom, the crowd was in for a memorable night from the very beginning.
With DJ Drama keeping the crowd live between sets, up first for the night was ‘Backflip’ rapper, Casey Veggies. Originally known for his affiliation with the Tyler The Creator-led collective, Odd Future, Casey has been all about his solo career for quite sometime now, and has been recently enjoying the success of his 2015 debut album, Live & Grow. With features from Dej Loaf, Tyler The Creator, YG, BJ The Chicago Kid and more, Veggies put out an impressive debut last year and tonight he performed a number of his records from his 2015 LP.
Following Veggies opening performance, the beautiful Jhene Aiko took stage for her Chicago fans. Your favorite rapper’s favorite guest singer, Jhene Aiko has laid down some memorable vocals for everyone from Childish Gambino and Big Sean to Drake, Omarion and many more. Most recently Aiko teamed up with Sean to form their duo, Twenty88, which came with an 8-track EP that released earlier this year. Don’t be under the impression though that Aiko only works best complementing the best rappers in the game, as her solo records are perhaps her best work. Tonight Aiko performed some of her best records, including ‘The Worst’ and ‘To Love & Die’, as well as other tracks from her debut EP, Sail Out, and her 2014 debut album, Souled Out. Aiko provides a nice change of pace from the rappers that takeover the tour’s lineup, but still provides a sound that rap fans across the board can enjoy.
Next up was ‘Really Really’ and ‘2 Phones’ rapper Kevin Gates, who brought performances from his 2015 debut, ISLAH’. Gates brought street rap straight from Louisana to Chicago tonight, and it was more than well received. With Snoop and Wiz’s headlining performance just minutes away, the crowd was ready to turn up the tempo and Gates got the amphitheatre off their seats.
And before fans had the opportunity to catch their breath after Gates turned up performance, it was time for Snoop Dogg to great his Windy City fans. Opening the solo portion of his set, Snoop Dogg started things on the highest note possible by blessing fans with performances of his classic records, including ‘Gin & Juice’ and ‘Nuthin’ But a G Thang’. And before you knew it, was time for Wiz to join Snoop on stage. If you’d expect two weed advocates like Snoop and Wiz to put on a slow paced and mellow performance together, you’d be greatly mistaken as the two performed together with especially high energy (no pun intended). While Snoop and Wiz both have casual and laid back personalities on-stage and off, their performance tonight was far from mellow, and gave fans everything they wanted and more.
Check out our photos from tonight’s stop on Merry Jane’s “The High Road” Tour below.
Moments ago, singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor brought The Untouchable Tour to Chicago as she paid a visit to the Rosemont Theatre in the Windy City’s western suburb of Rosemont, IL. The ‘Me Too’ artist didn’t travel alone either, as the diversely talented Hailee Steinfeld is supporting Trainor throughout the massive tour, with tonight being no exception. With a sold-out theatre of Trainor and Steinfeld’s biggest fans ready to sing along to the pop stars’ biggest records, the stage was set and conditions were perfect for a memorable and untouchable night.
To get things started, Los Angeles-native and all around triple threat, Hailee Steinfeld, hit the stage. Not only can she sing, act and model, but anyone that is part of Taylor Swift’s squad, must be pretty fun to be around as well. She was a breakout star with her role in the Coen brothers’ film True Grit, which landed the young Steinfeld an Academy Award nom for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, but tonight was all about the music and required no acting skill whatsoever. Steinfeld is no one but herself on stage and through her music, and it pays dividends. Whether its because of her natural charm and relationship with the audience or it’s her fun performances of ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘Love Myself’, you can’t help but like everything that Steinfeld has to offer. In her breakout single Steinfeld pledges to love herself without needing the love of anyone else, and while that may be the case, she isn’t alone, as thousands loved Steinfeld and her opening performance tonight in Rosemont.
Soon after Steinfeld said her goodbyes to the Windy City, it was time for night’s headliner, Ms. Meghan Trainor herself. An overnight star ever since the release of her 2014 hit, ‘All About That Bass’, Trainor is easily one of our favorite pop stars of today. Her latest album, Thank You, has the rest of us saying thanks as it has brought fans hit after hit, including her newest singles ‘Me Too’ and ‘No’, each which bring a ’90s pop vibe and sass that had since started to fade in pop music. Trainor has a big voice, an infectious attitude, and while she boasts her “champagne problems”, she is more relatable than any other pop star out right now, all things that she showcased live for her Chicago fans.
As the packed crowd erupted as Trainor and her band hit the stage, Trainor provided an untouchable mix of her biggest records to date and performances of the majority of her new album. It wasn’t just about the hits however, as Trainor made her big production an intimate one as she took time between a number of records throughout the night to talk to fans, introduce her songs, and generally just made the theatre feel smaller by making the night a more personal one. Through her music Trainor promotes confidence, healthy self-images, and overall positivity, and this doesn’t take a back seat during her live performances. Trainor has an especially cheerful stage presence, and whether she is belting out one of her biggest hits, dancing her butt bass off, or playing some adorable videos of her dad dancing, Meghan Trainor is just having fun out there, where you can’t help but have fun with her.
Check out our photos from tonight’s Chicago date on TheUntouchable Tour below, and peep the remaining dates on the tour here.
Minutes ago, singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes stepped off stage at opening night of the Wisconsin State Fair, after bringing his World Tour to Milwaukee, his biggest headlining show to date. Performing at the fair’s Main Stage, Mendes was also joined by Island Records labelmate, 18-year-old British singer, James TW. Both young singers delivered memorable and polished performances for their Wisconsin fans, that were far from amateur, showing that both Mendes and James TW are especially talented and experienced beyond their years.
As fans continued to fill in past 7:30, James TW kicked things off for the Milwaukee crowd. Not only did James set the tone for the rest of the night, but it is hard to imagine a better opening act for the night’s headliner. Shawn Mendes and James TW share more than just their label. Both teenage artists have big voices and similar styles, who each standout with their impressive songwriting, all while finding home behind an acoustic guitar.
And although, James is just barely old enough to vote (by American standards), he is no stranger to music. Named after his parents’ favorite musician, James Taylor, James TW first picked up a guitar at the age of 12, and he hasn’t looked back since. He draws influences from Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and BB King, he also plays the piano, he places a strong emphasis on the lyrics of his records, and these are just a few of the things that add clarity as to why one of Island Record’s youngest artists seems far ahead of the game. James gained a number of new fans in Milwaukee tonight, with his performance of his single ‘When You Love Someone’ and a few other records from his debut EP, First Impressions, which released earlier this year.
Moments after James TW said his goodbyes to fans, it was time for the night’s headliner, Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes. Even younger than James TW, Shawn Mendes can barely see a Rated-R movie, yet it seems like he has been a staple in pop music for quite sometime already. Initially Mendes gained a core fan base from the mobile phone application, Vine. However while many artists and personalities, become and remain “Vine famous” and never see a social reach outside the app, such was not the case for Mendes. After landing a deal with Island, Mendes released his breakout single ‘Stitches’ which soared to the Top 10 in the U.S. and Canada. An EP, debut album and huge supporting tour with Taylor Swift later, Mendes has a number of radio hits under his belt and is one of the most exciting acts in pop music today, with no signs of slowing down.
Mendes’ set tonight was everything that his fans wanted. His performance of course consisted of all his biggest records to date, including ‘Life of the Party’, ‘Ordinary’, his newest single ‘Treat You Better’, and even some fan favorite and lesser known records from his debut album, Handwritten. The highlight of the night though came as rain and lighting almost cut the show short. Near the end of his set, the weather caused a power outage on stage, luckily for fans however, production was able to get things back running for one last song, Shawn’s biggest record to date, ‘Stitches’.
Throughout the night you had to remind yourself that Mendes is still just a kid by many standards, because it doesn’t show. He has a big voice, he stands at about 6′ tall, and his performances are anything but amateur. Pop Music will certainly have a place for Shawn Mendes for many years to come.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and see the remaining dates on Shawn Mendes’ World Tour here with support from James TW through August 21st.
Last night pop superstars Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato brought their Future Now Tour to Chicago’s Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. With support from At Night, Alone singer/songwriter Mike Posner, Honda Civic’s 2016 tour is another dream pop music lineup, and Windy City fans got to see it all come to life last night. From Posner’s opening performances of ‘Cooler Than Me’ and ‘I Took a Pill In Ibiza’ to Nick Jonas’ performances of ‘Chains’ and ‘Levels’, and finally to Demi Lovato’s performances of ‘Confident’, ‘Cool For The Summer’ and more, even the security guard heard a catalog of hits that they knew every word to.
The night started off with an energetic performance from singer/songwriter/producer Mike Posner. Known originally for his fan favorite mixtapes that he released while attending college at Duke University, Mike Posner has come a long way as an artist. Originally the Detroit native found his way into music by producing music for others, and after his initial commercial success due to a remix of his track ‘Cooler Than Me’, Posner again returned to contributing to other artists’ careers, penning songs for Justin Bieber (‘Boyfriend’) and Maroon 5 (‘Sugar’), scrapping albums and putting the release of his own music on hold. However Posner is back, sharing his own music with fans, and you can tell he is having the time of his life doing it. Mike Posner has again been embraced by pop radio with ‘I Took a Pill In Ibiza’, from his new sophomore LP, At Night, Alone, and his energetic opening performance last night shows us that he still loves performing the songs that brought him up while also sharing his new tracks as well.
Next up was co-headliner Nick Jonas. Jonas kicked things off with his hit single, ‘Levels’, which instantly got the packed arena on their feet. Throughout the night Nick Jonas performed some of his biggest records, including ‘Jealous’ and ‘Chains’, as well as some new records, including his addictive track ‘Champagne Problems’. Jonas put on a great set of his own, but even after he stepped off stage, it wouldn’t be the last we would see of him for the night.
As Jonas’ set ended, Demi Lovato’s began. Opening with some huge records like ‘Confident’ and ‘Heart Attack’, Lovato took no time in reminding fans just how big her music is. Lovato didn’t just stick to the hits however, as she still found time to fit in some memorable performances of some of her B-side records. Then, more than halfway into her headlining set, it was time for Lovato to invite her co-headliner Nick Jonas back onto the stage. The night wouldn’t have been complete without the two joining forces live for Chicago. Jonas and Lovato performed her record ‘Stone Cold’ as well as Jonas’ Tove Lo collaboration ‘Close’, a definite highlight of the night. As Lovato continued her set, later closing the night with her hit single ‘Cool For The Summer’, the night came to an end but not without a number of memories made for Lovato and Jonas’ biggest fans.
Check out our photos from Demi and Nick’s Chicago performance below and check out the remaining dates of The Future Now Tour here.
Frank Ocean’s highly anticipated and long-awaited sophomore album, Boys Don’t Cry, is reported expected to release this Friday, August 5th, via an exclusive deal with Apple Music and music fans everywhere could not be more excited. After failed expected release after failed expected release, with most of our hopes going down after this past July passed with no new music from Ocean, this time it finally looks like the moment we’ve all been waiting for is upon us.
And to be fair to Frank Ocean, it’s not just the time that has passed by since his 2012 debut, channel ORANGE, rather it’s the fact that the ‘Swim Good’ singer skyrocketed as the new face of R&B with his debut mixtape, and with channel ORANGE he put out one of the most critically acclaimed debut LPs in R&B, perhaps of all time. Whether we had to wait four years or four months, any amount of time seemed too long to wait and see how he answers to the critical success of his 2012 album.
So with August 5th just a few days away, we are certainly down the home stretch, but as we all set our Google News alerts and stay glued to Apple Music, these next few days will go by slow, so we have made a list of 5 Frank Ocean songs to get you through these next 3 days.
Lollapalooza just wrapped up its huge 25th Anniversary this past weekend. With huge headlining performances from Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Red Hot Chile Peppers, Ellie Goulding and more, perhaps our favorite performance from the extended weekend was Lana Del Rey’s headlining set on the festival’s opening night. Fans began to wait in line for the show as early as 8PM of the night before, with hundreds sprinting to the Bud Light stage as the festival gates opened. After some entertaining performances from Frances, Melanie Martinez, City and Colour and The 1975, Lana’s biggest fans and the thousands that joined in throughout the night, got to see the moment they had been waiting for.
Highlights of her set included her performances of ‘Born To Die’, ‘Carmen’ and her numerous visits into the pit to greet fans and take selfies. And following her memorable closing performance of ‘Off To The Races’, Lana Del Rey said goodbye to the Chicago crowd… Until next time.
Check out our Lollapalooza Photo Series of 2016, of Lana Del Rey’s memorable performance.
The Early Registration 