Chicago – At 6 p.m. the line snaked down the block, around the corner, and coiled in a factory lot. A redline train whipped by, ushering in a chilling breeze. The temperature began to dip into the 40s. Kids were anxiously waiting in the cold to see Twenty One Pilots, MisterWives, and Vinyl Theatre. The three bands rolled into town on the Quiet Is Violent Tour. The sold-out show packed the historic Aragon Ballroom, and warmed up Chicago for the night.

“It’s very cold today! Thanks for warming me up!” Lead singer Mandy Lee of MisterWives blushed when doling out her sincerities. The crowd whistled and clapped. MisterWives heated things up with their soulful, folk-infused pop and instantly got the room moving. Lee glowed under the lights; she looked glorious. The opera-trained singer belted out notes with ease and skipped around the stage to the beat of “Reflections.”

MisterWives played gems like “Reflections” and “Vagabond,” off their EP Reflections (Photo Finish Records). The NYC band recently performed both songs on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Vagabond” stunningly showcases Lee’s vocal range and captivating voice. MisterWives also played a new song, “Our Own House,” indicating that the band has been busy working on new material for an upcoming full-length.

Mandy announced, “It’s been one year since we started touring together as a band. Today is our anniversary!” The room filled with applause. When it came time to tour, Lee, drummer Etienne Bowler, and bassist Will Hehir brought guitarist Marc Campbell and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Blum  on board. The full band,  with the added saxophone and trumpet, make MisterWives sound even more incredible! The room clapped and snapped along with Mandy. She excitedly said, “I don’t think I’ve seen that many people snap together. I don’t think I’ve seen that many people together before!”

Given their wonderful performance, they’ll likely soon be accustomed to playing for larger and larger crowds. MisterWives ended their set with the upbeat and catchy “Imagination Infatuation.” Horns brought the room to life. The crowd went wild. Lee danced around stage with her tambourine. It was magnificent!

Twenty One Pilots’ label mates Vinyl Theatre opened the night with their dance inducing indie-electronica. Vinyl Theatre is comprised of guitarist and vocalist Keegan Calmes, keyboardist Chris Senner, bassist Josh Pothier, and drummer Nick Cesarz. The Wisconsin natives recently signed with Fueled By Ramen and released their debut album Electrogram.

Vinyl Theatre put on an amazing, energetic performance. The Milwaukee quartet played plenty of songs off Electrogram, including “Breaking Up My Bones.” Fans sang along to “Summer” and “Gold” while dancing with Calmes, Senner, and Pothier the best they could in the tight pit.

Vinyl Theatre had their fair share of fans in the audience. Kids held up signs with the ▼╤ logo, and one girl called out, “Happy Birthday Chris!” Keegan Calmes heard her scream and smiled in delight. In a recent interview with Best New Bands, Calmes called Chris Senner the glue of the band. Later he asked everyone to wish Chris a happy birthday. What better way to celebrate your birthday than rocking out to a sold-out show!

Both bands put on wonderful performances. You can catch MisterWives and Vinyl Theatre on tour with Twenty One Pilots until the end of October. For more tour dates for MisterWives click HERE, and click HERE for Vinyl Theatre tour dates. You can purchase Reflections and Electrogram on iTunes.

Photos By Sarah Hess

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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.

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