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Jenny Lewis played Chicago (pics), makes fun of child star past in new video ft. Vanessa Bayer, Fred Armisen & more

photos by James Richards IV

Jenny Lewis @ Chicago’s Vic Theatre 5/19/2015
2015 Sasquatch Festival Day 3

“I’m a professional musician … (but) all these balls are distracting me,” she said with a laugh, as she fumbled the opening of her encore. Lewis is indeed a pro, a one-time child actress who still brings a hint of Hollywood glamour to her show. She’s at ease in front of an audience; confident, stylish, with a knack for selling the songs with a raised fist, twirling wrist or pogo hop. At times, she and her six-piece band came off as slick, especially when they plunged into a half-dozen sleek rock songs from across Lewis’ career, including her off-and-on band Rilo Kiley.

Yet her pristine voice, a piercing instrument in the upper register with a timbre reminiscent of a young Emmylou Harris, specializes in dispensing honesty, no matter how discomforting or withering it might be.
[Chicago Tribune]

Jenny Lewis is currently on tour and in the last week or so has played Chicago’s Vic Theatre (5/19) and Gorge, WA’s Sasquatch Music Festival (5/24). Pictures from the Vic, with opener Nikki Lane, are in this post.

In other news, she’s also just released a couple videos, both of which feature SNL’s Vanessa Bayer. The first is part of Bayer’s “Sound Advice” series where Bayer plays media coach Janessa Slater who, among other topics, asks about Lewis’ old group…Troop Beverly Hills. You can watch that below.

Lewis’ child star past comes up again in the new video for “She’s Not Me,” the new single from last year’s The Voyager. She directed it herself and it has nods to not only Troop Beverly Hills, but also The Wizard and her guest appearance on The Golden Girls. Helping her out are Vanessa Bayer, Fred Armisen, Girls‘ star Zosia Mamet and Leo Fitzpatrick (Telly from Kids). Watch it below.

Jenny’s summer tour dates include a few opening for Wilco, and a few as part of Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road Stopover tour, the latter of which hits NJ’s Seaside Heights Beach on June 5 & 6 (tickets). All dates are listed with more pictures below.

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis – 2015 Tour Dates
May 28 Fox Theater Oakland, CA
May 30 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Jun 05 Three Rivers Arts Festival Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 06 Gentleman Of The Road Stopover w/ Mumford and Sons – Seaside Heights, NJ
Jun 20 Gentlemen of the Road Stopover w/ Mumford and Sons – Waverly, IA
Jul 10 80/35 Festival Des Moines, IA
Jul 11 Basilica Block Party Minneapolis, MN
Jul 12 Winnipeg Folk Festival Winnipeg, Canada
Jul 24 Splendour In The Grass Ryde, Australia
Aug 07 Regina Folk Festival Regina, Canada
Aug 11 Marymoor Park w/ Wilco – Redmond, WA
Aug 12 Orpheum w/ Wilco – Vancouver, Canada
Aug 14 WILD BUFFALO Bellingham, WA
Aug 15 Gentlemen of the Road Stopover w/ Mumford and Sons – Walla Walla, WA
Aug 19 CLUB RED Telluride, CO
Aug 20 Belly Up Aspen Aspen, CO
Aug 21 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
Aug 22 Gentlemen of the Road Stopover w/ Mumford and Sons – Salida, CO