Chicago – Grizfolk brought their sweet folktronica to the Windy City. The LA band was excited to be playing the Aragon for the first time in their careers and it showed! The stage and the audience buzzed with electricity throughout the set, making it clear why Grizfolk was handpicked by Bastille to open on select dates for their European and North American tours.
Grizfolk consists of singer Adam Roth (lead vocals and guitar), Sebastian Fritze (synthesizer, backing vocals), Fredrik Eriksson (guitar), Brendan James (bass), and Bill Delia (drums). In 2012, a chance encounter led Fritze and Roth to cross paths in LA. The two started collaborating together, eventually growing into a five-piece known as Griz Adams, mixing Americana with electro-pop. After a name change and some radio play, Grizfolk signed with Virgin Records in 2013 and released their debut EP From The Spark earlier this year.
The guys started the night off with “Waiting For You.” The packed room clapped along to the beat. Roth and Fritze smiled as they scanned the beautiful concert hall; awe filled their faces. Indeed, the Aragon is a magnificent sight when the 4,500 capacity venue boasts a sold-out show. People could be seen singing and dancing from the packed floor up to the ornate balconies.
After a lovely sing along to “Vagabonds,” Roth thanked the crowd and shouted, “Chicago, you sound beautiful tonight!” Grizfolk sounded beautiful, too. Especially when they sang “Cosmic Angel” and a mirror ball dropped from the ceiling. The room glistened while Roth gracefully sang his heart out.
Grizfolk played all the songs off From The Spark. They also played some new material. In fact, the guys have been playing new songs like “Young and Restless,” “Bounty,” “The Ripple,” and “The Barrens” all fall…a definite sign that a full-length is on the way! Towards the end of their set, Roth leaned into the mic and said, “If y’all know the words to this next song, please sing along!” The guys then broke into David Bowie’s “Suffragette City.” Eriksson stepped to the edge of stage and just annihilated his guitar, pleasing concertgoers. Man, can that boy riff!
The crowd went wild during the country-heavy “The Ripple,” when Roth sang, “We struck gold down in Chicago.” Fans cheered and sang along. At one point, Roth held his microphone out to the crowd, catching voices in the chorus. Grizfolk ended the night with the dance-inducing single “Hymnals.” People jumped up and down, bathed in blue and purple lights. Before leaving the stage, Grizfolk posed for a photo, tossed picks and drum sticks to the crowd, and then made their set lists into paper airplanes. Paper planes soared into the hall while girls squealed in delight.
The room boomed when English rockers BΔSTILLE took the stage. Triangle cutouts rose from the crowd, welcoming lead singer Dan Smith, keyboardist Kyle Simmon, guitarist Will Farquarson, and drummer Chris “Woody” Wood to the stage. Bastille has been flying high since releasing their debut album Bad Blood (Virgin Records) last year, which includes the chart toppers “Pompeii,” “Bad Blood,” and “Flaws.” Bastille’s Chicago shows have sold-out– even long before their international success – and the band continues to fill bigger venues. It wouldn’t be surprising if they’re soon playing arenas.
Smith acknowledged his massive audience, noting how many more people were here compared to their first Windy City show at Lincoln Hall: “This is insane!” He also made sure to say hello to the “lazy bastards” in the balcony before breaking into a new song, titled “Blame,” from their upcoming sophomore album. Smith told fans, “I hope you like it; it’s real different.” Indeed, “Blame” has more of a rock edge and is filled with guitar, but it still holds Bastille’s signature synths and heavy drums. Despite being a new song, hardcore fans knew all the words, undoubtedly from watching live YouTube videos.
Of course Bastille played their latest single “Oblivion.” The English lads also played “Of The Night (Icarus Remix),” their mix of Snap!’s “Rhythm Is a Dancer” and Corona’s “Rhythm Of The Night.” Smith talked of their previous Other People’s Heartache mixtapes and announced that they were releasing a third installment, which would feature their take on TLC’s “No Scrubs.” When Smith gently sang, “a scrub is a guy who thinks he’s fly,” the Aragon filled with whistles and applause at the surprising cover. (Note: On Wednesday Bastille posted “Torn Apart,” featuring Grades and Lizzo, on YouTube, officially announcing the upcoming release of VS. Other People’s Heartache p III on November 30.) Another surprise that evening: Smith grabbed a cordless mic, jumped off stage, and ran upstairs to sing to concertgoers in the balcony. It seemed as though everyone pulled out a phone to capture the moment in photos and on video. Screams were heard coming from shocked fans who had the joy of encountering Smith up close.
Bastille’s night ended with “Pompeii.” After thanking Grizfolk and gushing over them, Smith asked the audience to put phones and cameras away so as to simply enjoy the moment. Then bodies started to jump up and down. Hands waved in the air. Smiles spread and “Eh-eh-o eh-o” echoed through the room.
Grizfolk and Bastille are now on tour. Click HERE for Grizfolk tour dates and click HERE to purchase From the Spark on iTunes. Click HERE for Bastille tour dates.
Photos by Sarah Hess
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.
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