Chicago – When I last wrote about Meg Myers, I praised her up and down: “Every once and awhile you watch a sensational act, capable of sending a chill down your spine, and in that instant you know the artist is destined for fame. That is exactly what happened when I saw Meg Myers.” My admiration continues. This past weekend I saw Myers perform at the Metro in Chicago, where she stunned fans and performed a bevy of new material.
During the past two years, Myers has been touring relentlessly – which included a stop at Lollapalooza - and working on her debut album, Sorry. It dropped this September and has begun to catapult Myers into stardom. The single “Lemon Eyes” has been punching airwaves with a killer mix of pop and rock. Myers is hard to lump into any one particular genre. Her band, which includes a cellist, melds together the sounds of punk, grunge, garage rock, screamo, indie, and pop. At times she sounds like PJ Harvey, while at others, she reminds you of Courtney Love, Tori Amos, and Amy Lee.
Myers began the evening with “Motel.” She stood, in the darkness, singing, “Tell me why I always feel alone / And I can’t fight this feeling anymore / Show me what I’m really living for.” Myers wasn’t alone at the sold-out show. Fans packed tightly in the Metro to reveal what they have been living for: Myers’ music. One woman up front held high a handmade sign that read, “Meg Myers is my spirit animal!”
During “Go,” Myers looked animalistic, backlit and twitching around stage, whipping her hands back and forth, and jumping repeatedly into the air, all of which have become her signature moves. Hands flung in the air throughout “Curbstomp,” an oldie off the 2013 EP Daughter in the Choir, and during “Make a Shadow,” fans sang along, making Myers smile. She didn’t talk much between songs, other than a thank you here and there. Though, not much needed to be said. All eyes and ears were on Myers’ powerful performance. Her performance has grown ten fold since I first saw her opening for Broods in the tiny, dark music hall at Schubas. Now on a much larger stage, in a bigger venue, she shines… and it’s not just from the lights she brought along for this tour. Confidence radiated from Myers.
Myers’ sound has also blossomed. One of the most interesting songs of the night was “Feather,” off the debut Sorry. Myers and her band were rather restrained for most of the song till about three-fourths of the way in. They exploded. Engrossing tribal beats and killer guitar pulled you in, then Myer’s chilling voice took ahold. The provocative “Lemon Eyes” was also intriguing and showed off her new direction. The crowd clapped along. Myers was bathed in yellow light and strumming a badass bass line, while staring deeply into the eyes of those down in the front. Her eyes looked as dark as her black Converses, that donned Myers’ heart logo. Meg Myers told us she designed, in her Best New Bands interview last June.
Myers unapologetically screamed into the microphone during “Sorry,” riling the crowd into even more of a frenzied excitement. Hands were in the air. People were rocking out hardcore. When the night got close to an end, Myers said, “This is our last song.” The audience vocalized their sadness with a loud and harmonious, “Aaaaaw!” A quiet chuckle could be heard before the band broke into “I Really Want You to Hate Me.” The emotion was thick in the air. Afterward, people whistled and cheered, “One more song.” Blue lights filled the stage. Finally Myers returned to plenty of applause and hollering. Myers began softly playing guitar. People screamed, “I love you.” Myers stopped for a moment and said, “I need you guys to be quiet, so I can play this. I’m going tell you a secret: We have one more song after this, but if you’re not going to be quiet, I’m not going to play it.” Fans hushed one another. Myers sweetly sang “The Morning After.”
Myers closed out her set with “Heart Heart Head.” She thrashed around stage, bathed in red lights, a complete contrast to what fans had just witnessed, but nonetheless still stunning. Myers is ready to join the ranks of pop stardom. I wouldn’t be surprised if within a few years she’s onto even larger stages and selling out arenas.
Meg Myers is on tour now. A list of dates can be found on her Facebook page. Sorry is available for purchase on iTunes.
Photo by Sarah Hess for BestNewBands.com
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
Latest posts by Sarah Hess (see all)
- The Wild Feathers Check One Off The Bucket List - July 31, 2017
- RY X Captivates Chicago - October 24, 2016
- Four New Bands at Day Three of Riot Fest - September 20, 2016
