Mayer Hawthorne with Quadron At Park West

Chicago – Sexiness radiated from the stage as Quadron opened the Valentine’s Day show at Park West. Excited to be in Chicago for the first time, Danish singer Coco O certainly pleased the crowd with her sultry voice and soulful music. She quipped that last Valentine’s Day was all about singles for her. She may have been single, but she had much to celebrate, having released the single “Hey Love.” This year she was happy to say that her boyfriend flew in for the intimate show, as she smiled ear to ear and blew a kiss to the balcony.

Quadron, the Copenhagen Duo of Coco O and Robin Hannibal, recently released their second album, Avalanche (Epic Records). The pair has grown musically since moving to L.A. They flawlessly mix electronica with R&B in songs, such as “Favorite Star.” Coco has a wonderful stage presence, investing in lively conversation. The crowd swayed and sang along with Coco, whose voice can easily be compared to Adele, and danced to Hannibal’s infectious beats. Quadron blew the audience away with their cover of Lauren Hill’s “Ex-Factor.” They closed their set with an oldie but a goodie, one of the first singles off of their self-titled debut: “Pressure.” Although still relatively unknown in the states, Quadron is sure to make plenty of lasting fans on this tour, as was evident by the non-stop applause and excitement throughout the packed room. Expect to see more of this duo, as they are destined for stardom.

Mayer Hawthorne entered center stage through a tiny door, much like Alice, engulfed in the glow of a giant neon heart. The audience went crazy, as he started out his set with “Back seat Lover,” one of the singles off his most recent album Where Does This Door Go (Republic Records). Clenched fists flew back and forth, “cruising” along to the beat. The Michigan native’s smooth, soulful voice certainly set the mood, taking fans to a magical wonderland.

Hawthorne, a previously featured artist on BestNewBands.com, thanked the crowd for making the Chicago show the first to sell out this tour. Perhaps his single “Crime,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, has exposed Hawthorne’s Motown inspired tunes to a wider audience, and he is starting to build up a larger fan base… or maybe the word is simply getting out that a Mayer Hawthorne show is not to be missed. He played plenty of new material throughout the night, such as “Wine Glass Woman,” “The Innocent,” and “Designer Drug.” One of his best performances of the night was “Allie Jones.” The crowd danced to the Reggae infused dance beats and sang “Whoa, whoooooa” along with Hawthorne. Mayer made sure to include some oldies and fan favorites, like “Green Eyed Love” and “The Ills.” He also threw in some covers, belting out a little “Poison” and bringing his sound to “Walk This Way.”

Hawthorne indulged in humorous banter throughout the night. He joked with the guys in the room, informing them that the women seemed to be extremely excited, hinting that good times were to be had by all that evening. Many couples could be seen dancing, caught in embraces during the slower songs. Later in the night, he handed one lucky fan a giant teddy bear, while wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day. He then took a moment to pose with his band for “picture time,” taking a shot of the crowd and giving the fans a moment to get some photographs before requesting that everyone put away their phones and enjoy the rest of the show. Hawthorne did not disappoint, especially when he stepped back onstage for an encore, donning a fringed blazer and dancing to some sweet choreography with his band before calling it a night.

You can catch Mayer Hawthorne and Quadron for the remainder of their U.S. tour throughout the Midwest and East Coast.

(All photos are courtesy of Sarah Hess. http://www.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.