Hunter Hunted Entrapped Chicago

Chicago – On Friday night, Dan Chang and Michael Garner walked out on stage with their band to a thunderous roar of applause at the Riviera Theatre. Garner, a Chicago native, said it was their best welcoming to date. People were clearly excited to see LA based band Hunter Hunted and their lively indie rock. Since the duo broke from Lady Danville and released their self-titled EP at the start of 2013, word has been getting around about just how fabulous Hunter Hunted is. Between playing Conan and SXSW, being featured by MTV, Billboard, Nylon, and Vogue, and touring with FUN, Weezer, and Twenty One Pilots, this duo is en route to major success with their upbeat and irresistible pop songs. They surely entrapped the Chicago crowd with their fabulous music.

As the night started out, hands were in the air, guys were jumping up and down, girls were screaming, and plenty were singing along to “Better Side.” Chang and Garner had no problem keeping the audience moving throughout their energetic set. “Operating” had people singing “Oooh oooh ooooooh” along with the band, clapping, and bopping to the catchy beat. While free from his keys, Garner grabbed one lucky lady’s phone, smiled brightly, and recorded himself singing. She looked like she just might die as she squealed in delight! The band then delighted everyone in the room when they covered “Where Is My Mind?” by The Pixies, especially with band member Andrea Babinski knocking it out on violin. After what I would call one of the best Pixie covers I’ve ever heard, Hunter Hunted played a new song of theirs titled “Ghost,” which will undoubtedly be on their forthcoming album. Garner told the audience that they would be taking pre-orders for the upcoming LP over at the merchandise booth. So, of course after their set I caught up with Michael at their merch table and asked him to spill the beans on a release date and title. Unfortunately, he was pretty tight lipped. Guess we’ll just have to keep an eye out on their facebook page.

When the band announced they only had two songs left, a loud and long-drawn-out “No!” filled the room. Garner replied, “Thank you, but trust me you want to see the rest of the show. NONONO and Twenty One Pilots are great!” The band quickly broke into “End of the World,” turning frowns upside down with their beautiful harmonizing. Hunter Hunted ended their night with a sing-a-long to “Keep Together.” The room filled with melodious voices and an air of euphoria as everyone danced their hearts away.

Hunter Hunted are currently on tour with NONONO and Twenty One Pilots. They will be hitting up a number of summer festivals, including Bonnaroo, Firefly, and The Governors Ball. Click here to find out more about their tour stops. Also be sure to keep a look out for news of their soon to be released album!

(All photos by Sarah Hess: smhimaging.com)

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

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.