This past year, there were so many memorable live acts that hit the local Chicago music scene. Many musicians included a Windy City stop on their tour agendas in 2014 with good reason.
Chicago is known to be a test market to gauge what music will be hot or who might be the next big thing. If you miss a performance once there's always a good chance that singer or band will be back. Windy City Times ran all over the city covering shows, sometimes more than one on the same night.
With Lollapalooza, concertgoers had to literally plan out their agendas or miss a favorite act on a different stage at the same time. Summer festivals in our town have something for everyone from rocking at Riot Fest, art pop at Pitchfork, or light dance shows in Union Park at North Coast Music Festival, which turned five years old this year. We lost Wavefront Music Festival this year but gained back Spring Awakening to appease EDM fanatics.
If concertgoers are lucky, they may discover an upcoming act before it explodes into popularity and that ticket price hits the roof. One can watch an artist move from small venues to huge arenas within mere months. This year, there were many examples of this.
Crooner Sam Smith hit The Vic in April, The Riv in September—and will return in January to the massive UIC Pavilion.
Pop princess Charli XCX was an opener for groups like Coldplay before playing intimate Schubas Tavern at the end of 2013. She moved into the larger Lincoln Hall this past October and just played the AllState Arena for the Jingle Ball concert.
Blonde bombshell Betty Who visited Chicago many times in a year with some ups and some downs. She jammed at Lincoln Hall in April, suffered bad weather and cancelled on Pridefest, rocked it at Lollapalooza, performed at an exclusive rooftop pool party, and then returned to the Windy City at the House of Blues this past October. She recently opened for Katy Perry in Australia to packed stadiums and wig-wearing teenage girls.
Speaking of teens, the gothic glam of teenager Lorde not only knocked it out of the park at the Aragon as a solo act but brought her back to town for Lollapalooza for one of the best performances that August weekend.
Rapping up in 2014, Iggy Azalea packed her "Booty" into Lollapalooza, House of Blues and AllState Arena all in the same year—and she's now flying in with a private jet.
Ones to watch are groups like Clean Bandit, which quickly outgrew Lincoln Hall the band's first time to bat, and Irish soul singer Hozier, who was at Lollapalooza and then sold out Metro. He's taking fans back to church at the Riviera Theatre in February.
Two new venues came alive this year. Concord Music Hall booked acts like La Roux and Tamar Braxton. Thalia Hall opened in Pilsen, retaining the architecture and acoustics of the original space. Mysterious Zola Jesus put on a haunting show there and partyman Andrew W.K. rings in the new year to high-priced tickets.
With the new births, historic venues like the Congress Theater were shut down due to conflicts with the city. Chicago is now requiring live singers and instruments as part of the solution to electronic music antics.
Hot spots such as City Winery have a more relaxed atmosphere where spectators may dine, drink some wine and hear a musician play up close and personal. Macy Gray, Sinead O'Connor, Lisa Fischer and Billy Bragg all brought healthy crowds to this venue in 2014.
The Bottom Lounge yielded some unique sounds with French hipster faves Yelle and fresh faced Nick Jonas brought his solo act there packing the place with sign holding teenage girls.
On the other end of the age spectrum Chicago Theatre booked class acts in 2014 such as old-school divas Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin. Women who hit it big in '90s were also on hand. Fans witnessed Tori Amos jamming on her dueling pianos and Natalie Merchant minus the 10,000 Maniacs still singing rare tracks from albums after all these years. Merchant mentioned that cell phones were not a nuisance when her music career started!
It was good to be gay as a performer this year, with political and proud Melissa Etheridge, the unstoppable Indigo Girls and newly out Neon Trees frontman Tyler Glenn all playing multiple times in the Windy City and all interviewed by the newspaper. Big Freedia brought bounce repeatedly to the Chicago music scene—showing Miley how twerking is really done—and electronic Erasure was the queerest of the queer, thanks to Andy Bell's sequined hot pants and feminine dancing. Canadians Tegan and Sara showed you can be open about your sexuality while maintaining artistic integrity and had a radio hit with "Closer" in the process. The Vic busted to the seams with their fan base this time out.
Almost every gay in town danced outdoors to the heavy beats and grooves of Swedish singer Robyn at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion over this past summer.
Lady Gaga released the worst album of her career, but with artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball she packed the United Center with gays. Speaking between hits, she treated her gay "monsters" with respect and appreciation, putting her mouth where her money is.
There was big support from our straight allies as well, such as Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson at Pridefest and Lily Allen sporting rainbow clothing at The Riviera Theatre. Hey: Allen sings, "I will be your fag hag and you can be my gay." While not politically correct, what more can you ask for?
Don't pick on this pink reviewer for being too over-the-top gay because the best concert of the year had to be Cher's magnificent one-woman extravaganza. Cyndi Lauper returned to open for her once again, as she had many years before. The girls just wanted to have fun that night—and they did.
Jogging down the aisle of the Allstate Arena dressed as a prizefighter ,Lauper showed that these ladies meant business. Cher asking "What's your granny doing tonight?" set the tone for a night full of humor, and spectacle. Appropriately titled Dressed to Kill, there were enough costume changes and strong vocal gymnastics to put artists half her age to shame. What better time of the year to present this show? June during Pride month, of course...
Who will be the newest live performance artist to break into the spotlight in the coming year? Stay tuned but here's a hint: Watch those opening acts, hit those festivals early and keep your ear to the speakers.
