photos by Zach Pollack, words by Ben Wilkes

Jessie Ware @ Lincoln Hall on 1.20.2013

Despite bone-chilling temperatures on Sunday night (1/20), Jessie Ware sold-out Lincoln Hall for her Chicago debut and delicately positioned the cherry on top of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. Ware brought broad smiles to chapped lips and smooth steps to shrunken joints as she emerged from swaths of thick blue smoke to deliver "Devotion" as the opener to a set that made me question whether listening to her recordings again could ever do her stunning voice justice.

As conversational with the crowd as I have ever seen an artist, Ware delivered graceful banter and open storytelling with her endearing British accent and phrases (she described Lincoln Hall as "swish"). Ware told us about getting her nails done earlier that day, about how "Taking in Water," though oft overlooked, is one of her favorite songs to perform because it's about her little brother, and at one pause exclaimed, "There are so many blokes in here! Where are all my girls?"

This has certainly been an overwhelmingly exciting year for Ware, but she didn't hesitate to offer sincere details on the news we've been anxiously reading about her budding career. She apologized for the difficulty of accessing her music online--lamenting Devotion being taken off iTunes--and informed us that Questlove's fro smells like the loveliest of incenses. Caught up in nervous giggles during the first verse of "What You Won't Do For Love," Ware gives us hope that a genuine, grateful pop star can succeed in the cutthroat music business. The audience was more than willing to wait for her to compose herself; it almost made closing our eyes and mouthing the words more enjoyable.

Ware's band was as remarkable as the diva herself, providing exceedingly tight soul grooves and tearing through "Wildest Moments," "Running," "Sweet Talk," and "110%" with enviable precision. Ware's crew is a studied, fluid operation. Jessie Ware was humble, passionate, and one of the best live voices I've heard in a while. The faces of fans in the crowd gave me faith that she'll stick around; Ware can't resist keeping them smiling.

On An On, Mister Lies, and DJ Kriz Baronia opened the show, and a set of pictures from the night are in this post. More below...

Continue reading "Jessie Ware, On An On, Mister Lies & Kriz Baronia played Lincoln Hall (pics, review)"

photos by Zach Pollack, words by Shelby Shaw

Chelsea Wolfe @ Schubas on 1.19.2013

For the fourth night of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013, Schubas hosted an evening of acoustic and jam-rock heaviness with first openers Sabers, followed by King Dude, The Amazing, and headliner Chelsea Wolfe.

Sabers, a quintet of jeans and buttoned shirts, kicked off the show around 9PM. Their output oscillated between lighter indie rock and something more ramped up ala Arctic Monkeys. I wish the vocals were a little clearer though, because while they put on a good show, there was something missing in the lead's clarity.

King Dude (aka TJ Cowgill) took the stage next to perform his blackened americana with help from collaborator Nicholas Friesen. With a large, tattered American flag strung on two poles behind them, Cowgill sang with a likeness to Johnny Cash that had most people in the audience commenting on just how low his voice could go. When Cowgill wasn't singing as deeply as ever, his voice rested comfortably at a mild twang. King Dude seemed casually pleased with performing, which made his set all the more enjoyable.

When King Dude's stage-spanning flag was removed, Sweden's The Amazing began to set up their gear. The quintet spoke to each other in Swedish on stage and relied on frontman Christoffer Gunrup's anxious, accented English to talk to the crowd. He said at one point, "We're not drunk, we're just very tired," and I suppose that was to explain for what read as confusion between songs, between bandmates. But it was, overall, a successful set. Their paisley-coated jams seemed to sit well with the packed Schubas crowd.

As midnight approached, headliner Chelsea Wolfe and bandmates Ben Chisholm (synth) and Andrea Calderon (violin) launched into their acoustic performance. Wolfe apologized early in her set, saying she was sick and that her voice "has a mind of its own." Despite her apology and use of a throat spray between songs, Wolfe was spot-on with excellent clarity. The trio performed stripped down versions of tracks from The Grime and The Glow and Apokalypsis, as well as numbers from her latest, Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs. Their headlining set was intimate and incredibly captivating. Wolfe returned to the stage alone for an encore, and played a cover of Sibylle Baier's "The End."

Pictures and some videos from the 1/19 Tomorrow Never Knows show are below...

Continue reading "Chelsea Wolfe, The Amazing, King Dude & Sabers played Schubas (pics, review, video)"

photos by Stan Golovchuk

Low Times hosts // Steve Albini @ the Hideout on 1.17.2013

On Thursday night (1/17) The Low Times Podcast had their first-ever live show at the Hideout as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. Much like their archived episodes, hosts Tom Scharpling, Daniel Ralston, and Maggie Serota had in-depth discussions with their Chicago-based guests at the intimate venue. Guests included Steve Albini, Richard Marx, and house band Advance Base (aka the project of Owen Ashworth). Ashworth was a part of the very first episode of Low Times, which you can listen to at their website.

A set of pictures from Low Times Live continue below...

Continue reading "The Low Times Podcast had their first live show at the Hideout (pics)"

photos by Milos Markicevic

Merchandise @ Schubas on 1.17.2013

While Wild Belle were headlining Lincoln Hall on Thursday night (1/17), Tampa, Florida's Merchandise played Schubas with Dusted, Sundress, and Sybris. Though they were without their new drummer Elsner Nino (of Shoxx), the group delivered a solid performance that we've become familiar with by catching them at the Mousetrap. During their set, frontman Carson Cox let us know, "This is the first time we've played, you know, a respectable place for adults to go." Though the crowd was a bit calmer than we've seen for them at the Mousetrap, their Schubas show wasn't any less enjoyable.

A set of pictures and some videos from the Tomorrow Never Knows show are below...

Continue reading "Merchandise, Dusted, Sundress & Sybris played Schubas --- (pics, video)"

photos by Sara Pieper

Wild Belle @ Lincoln Hall on 1.17.2013

On Thursday night (1/17) native Chicagoans Wild Belle headlined Lincoln Hall as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. High Highs, Black Light Dinner Party, and Winston Wolf kicked off the night. Were you there? What did you think of the show? We've got pictures and a couple of videos. More below...

Continue reading "Wild Belle, High Highs, Black Light Dinner Party & Winston Wolf played Lincoln Hall (pics, video)"

Jessie Ware @ NYC's The Box, December 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

UK songstress Jessie Ware welcomed her great debut LP, Devotion, in August of 2012. She's currently on tour throughout the US, and visited Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night (1/16) to perform the Devotion standout "Wildest Moments" with a little help from The Roots. Footage of her Fallon performance can be found at the bottom of this post.

As discussed, Jessie Ware will make her Chicago debut at Lincoln Hall this Sunday (1/20) with support from On An On, Mister Lies (who is on the cover of the Reader's B-Side this week), and Kriz Baronia as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. That show is sold-out, but you can still get in if you've got a five-day festival pass, which are still available.

Earlier this week, Jessie Ware released her new EP, If You're Never Gonna Move, via Island Records. The five-song EP features Devotion's "If You're Never Gonna Move," "Sweet Talk," and "Devotion," a cover of "What You Won't Do For Love," and a Two Inch Punch remix of "If You're Never Gonna Move." A stream of her new EP can be found below.

All known Jessie Ware tour dates, footage from her Fallon performance, and a stream of her new EP are below...

Continue reading "watch Jessie Ware play 'Fallon' with The Roots (video); she makes her Chicago debut at Lincoln Hall this Sunday"

Hooray for Earth (photo by Erez Avissar)

As discussed, Hooray for Earth will head to Chicago next week for a performance at Schubas on January 16 as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival. Bear in Heaven headline that show, Supreme Cuts and The-Drum are also on the bill, and advance tickets are still available.

Hooray for Earth, who are currently working on the follow-up to 2011's True Loves, have revealed a cover of Bear in Heaven's "Lovesick Teenagers" that they recorded back in 2009. You can take a listen to their their version of the track, and watch BiH play the original on KEXP at the bottom of this post.

All tour dates for both acts and both versions of "Lovesick Teenagers" are below...

Continue reading "listen: Hooray for Earth covered Bear in Heaven; both groups play Tomorrow Never Knows next week"

The Orwells @ BV-CMJ 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Fresh off a New Year's Eve show in New Orleans with the Black Lips and King Louie, the fresh-faced Orwells have announced a last-minute Chicago show. It takes place this Saturday (1/5) at the Northwest side multipurpose arts space Space Club HQ. The Hussy, Twin Peaks, and Slushy are also on the bill, and the show will cost you $5 at the door. The Orwells are also play Schubas, as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013, on January 18. Free Energy headline that show, and Boats and Wedding Dress are also on the bill. Tickets for that show and five-day TNK passes are still available.

A stream of The Orwells' debut LP, Remember When, is below...

Continue reading "The Orwells playing Space Club HQ this weekend"

Mister Lies, who recently shared a bunch of details and the lead single for his debut LP Mowgli, has just been added as an opener for Jessie Ware's January 20 show at Lincoln Hall. That show is part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013, includes Rochelle Jordan and Kriz Baronia, and is still on-sale. Again, if you're interested in the entire festival, a five-day pass is also available for purchase.

Check out some Mister Lies // Jessie Ware song streams and videos below...

Continue reading "Mister Lies is opening for Jessie Ware at Lincoln Hall (TNK)"

Lucero @ BV-SXSW 2012 (more by Tim Griffin)

As discussed, the 2013 edition of Tomorrow Never Knows is set to take place from January 16-20 at Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Metro, Hideout, Smart Bar, and the Vic Theatre. A second round of acts have now been added to the festival; some playing brand new shows and some as support for previously announced headliners.

One of the new shows happens at Metro on January 19, and it'll be headlined by Lucero. Tickets for that one go on sale this Friday (11/23) at noon CST. Another new one is Bear in Heaven, Hooray For Earth, Supreme Cuts, and one more act TBA at Schubas on January 16. Tickets for that show also go on sale this Friday at noon.

January 19th's Freelance Whales show at Lincoln Hall, with Snowmine, now also features Hundred Waters on the bill. Advance tickets are still available; five-day passes are also still available.

Check out a TNK 2013 official mixtape below...

Continue reading "Lucero, Bear in Heaven, Hooray For Earth & more acts added to Tomorrow Never Knows 2013"

Tom Scharpling, Daniel Ralston, and Maggie Serota's Low Times Podcast is coming to the Hideout for their first-ever live show on January 17, as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. They'll be speaking with Steve Albini and many other special guests (TBA). Tickets for Low Times live go on sale this Friday (11/9) at 10AM CST. A TNK 5-day pass will also get you in. Recent Low Times guests include former Saturday Night Live musical director G.E Smith, Corin Tucker, The Vaselines, Bob Mould, John Darnielle, and more. Take a peek at Low Times' archives.

Chelsea Wolfe @ Lincoln Hall in August (more by Zach Pollack)

As mentioned, the 2013 edition of Tomorrow Never Knows is slated to take place from January 16-20 at venues throughout the city. More acts have now been added to the festival, some to existing shows and some as brand new events.

One of those brand new shows is the stacked lineup of Chelsea Wolfe, The Amazing, and King Dude at Schubas on January 19. Ms. Wolfe made her Chicago debut at Lincoln Hall this summer, and recently released the great Unknown Rooms: A Collection Of Acoustic Songs via Sargent House. She's got an electric, full-band album coming soon. Sweden's The Amazing welcomed their Gentle Stream LP last month in the US via Partisan Records. They're currently supporting Tame Impala on tour and will be in Chicago on November 13 to play Metro. King Dude (aka TJ Cowgill) released his new album, Burning Daylight, in October via DAIS. He'll embark on a North American tour this weekend, which is set to reach Chicago on December 12 for a performance at the Empty Bottle. Tickets for Chelsea Wolfe, The Amazing, and King Dude go on sale this Friday (11/9) at noon CST.

The other new show will be headlined by San Francisco's Geographer, and is taking place at Schubas on January 20. Tickets for that show are also going on sale this Friday at noon CST.

Hundred Waters, who recently played Schubas with Julia Holter, have been added to Freelance Whales' January 19 show at Lincoln Hall with Snowmine. Advance tickets are still available.

As mentioned, The Walkmen, who played Metro as part of TNK 2012, will be playing the Vic with Father John Misty on January 18. That show is now part of Tomorrow Never Knows, with limited availability for 5-Day Pass holders. Speaking of 5-day passes, they are still available.

Stay tuned for more Tomorrow Never Knows 2013 updates.

As mentioned, the 2013 edition of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival is slated to take place at Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Metro, Smart Bar, and the Hideout from January 16 - 20. The initial lineup for the winter festival has been shared, and features some of the most highly-anticipated new artists. A few of those artists will be making their Chicago debuts during the fest, and some will simply be making return trips to our city.

The initial schedule-by-date is as follows:

JANUARY 16
Born Ruffians, Night Moves, Future Monarchs & guest @ Lincoln Hall (Tickets)

JANUARY 17
Merchandise, Palma Violets, Sundress & guests @ Schubas (Tickets)
Wild Belle, and guests @ Lincoln Hall (Tickets)

JANUARY 18
Free Energy, The Orwells, and guests @ Schubas (Tickets)
Niki & The Dove, ONUINU, and guests @ Lincoln Hall (Tickets)

JANUARY 19
Freelance Whales, Snowmine, and guests @ Lincoln Hall (Tickets)

JANUARY 20
Jessie Ware, Kriz Baronia, and guests @ Lincoln Hall (Tickets)

Tickets for The Weeknd's September 21 show at the Congress Theater go on sale this Saturday (8/18) at 10AM CST.

Tickets for The Soft Pack's October 12 show at Lincoln Hall go on sale today (8/17) at noon.

Tickets for Yakuza's record release show on October 16 at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for Regina Spektor and Old Son's October 17 show at The Chicago Theatre go on sale this Saturday at 10AM CST. A JAM presale will be active from 10AM-10PM today; the password is spegina.

Tickets for Shearwater's October 21 show at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for Justice's October 24 show at the Congress Theater go on sale this Saturday at 10AM.

Tickets for Daughter's October 25 show at Schubas go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Ben Gibbard and Advance Base's November 2 show at the Athenaeum Theater go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for The Misfits' November 5 show at House of Blues go on sale at 10AM today.

Tickets for Matthew Dear and Light Asylum's November 6 show at Lincoln Hall go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Japandroids' November 13 show at Metro go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Tame Impala and The Amazing's December 13 show at Metro go on sale today at noon.

Presale passes for Tomorrow Never Knows 2013 go on sale today at noon.

The Walkmen @ Metro during Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 (more by John Yingling)

As mentioned, Tomorrow Never Knows 2013 is set to take place from January 16-20 at Schubas, Lincoln Hall, Metro, Smart Bar, and the Hideout. A limited amount of presale passes for the festival go on sale this Friday (8/17) at noon CST.

Stay tuned for more information on this year's festival.

The annual winter festival Tomorrow Never Knows is set to return in 2013, from January 16-20. That's all the information we have at the moment.

While you wait for more details: check out our coverage of TNK 2012 HERE.

You can also watch a promo video for TNK 2013, featuring footage from '12 below...

Continue reading "Tomorrow Never Knows 2013 announce dates"

photos by Matt Ziegler, words by Zach Pollack

Surfer Blood @ Schubas on 1/17/2012

On Tuesday night (1/17), Surfer Blood played a last minute show at Schubas with support from Cross Record.

Cross Record, the project of Chicago via Florida singer-songwriter Emily Cross, played a mellow opening set. Featuring a three-piece horn section, guitarist, and drummer, Emily's simple ballads came to life in the live setting. Her music has an airy, ethereal quality about it paired with a fantastic yet understated voice. The project recently launched a Kickstarter page to fund the recording of a full length LP. Take a listen to Cross Record's music via bandcamp and donate to their Kickstarter if you feel so inclined.

Surfer Blood, who have been camped out in nearby Crystal Lake, IL recording a new EP at Chrome Attic Studios (and who were spotted hanging out at various Tomorrow Never Knows shows), headlined the very late show (they didn't go on until about midnight).

Presumably they needed to escape the studio for a bit and booked the Tuesday night performance in order to showcase some new material. A few new songs made their live debut at Schubas, the most impressive being a track titled "Bird For You." It kicks off with a driving punk beat followed by thick and dirty guitar lines. Think fuel-injected Astrocoast. Speaking of which, they also played hits from the debut LP. "Floating Vibes," "Swim," and "Take It Easy" all made their way onto the setlist.

More new ones were played too, but unfortunately like the night as a whole, those came off a bit flat and unexciting. Maybe it was the strange situation that included borrowed gear and, well, new songs, but they didn't sound like their usual, cohesive selves.

Some more pictures from the late show (Pomegranates and Slowdance played the early one at the venue), including one of the setlist, below..

Continue reading "Surfer Blood played a last minute show @ Schubas w/ Cross Record (pics, review)"

photos by John Yingling

White Mystery @ Schubas on 1/15/2012

On Sunday night (1/15), White Mystery closed out Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 at Schubas with some help from Mannequin Men, Mister Loveless, and City Center. Pictures from the show are in this post.

White Mystery will be DJing the previously announced Jonathan Toubin benefit at the Empty Bottle, tomorrow night (1/20). Speaking of garage rock DJ sets, they'll take over WXRT's Eclectic Company show on January 24th at 10PM, premiering new White Mystery songs and spinning vinyl from their personal collection. If you'd like to see this in person, head to The Charleston the following night.

DJ sets aside, the duo also have a bunch of full band shows coming up too. As part of GlitterGuts' Dance Punk Circus, Alex White and Francis Scott Key White will headline Metro on February 4th. Environmental Encroachment, Blue Ribbon Glee Club, Perfect Kiss, Clique Talk, Pure Magical Love, and more are on the bill. Tickets are on sale now. They'll also play the Cowboy Monkey in Champaign on February 11th, with Dirty Feathers. A short tour in March will bring the band down to SXSW; check out their full schedule below.

More pictures from the final night of TNK, all 2012 White Mystery dates, and more, below..

Continue reading "White Mystery played Schubas w/ Mannequin Men, Mister Loveless & City Center (TNK pics); playing Metro & other dates"

photos by Matt Ziegler

On Sunday night (1/15), a slew of Chicago musicians got together at Hideout, to pay tribute to Shel Silverstein as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 festival. Bandleader Jon Langford conducted the pack of Chicagoans, which included Azita and Elia Einhorn of Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (who is moving to NYC).

Check out some more pictures from the festival's closing night at Hideout, below..

Continue reading "Jon Langford, Azita & more paid tribute to Shel Silverstein @ Hideout (TNK Freakers Ball pics)"

photos by Chase Turner

Grouplove @ Lincoln Hall on 1/14/2012

On Saturday night (1/14), while The Walkmen were playing Metro and Chairlift, Class Actress, Poliça, Wild Belle, and Willis Earl Beal performed at Schubas, Grouplove, Hospitality, 123, and Kid Color (DJ) took over Lincoln Hall. BV Chicago photographer Chase Turner was in attendance, camera in tow.

Check out more of his pictures and Grouplove's setlist, below..

Continue reading "Grouplove, Hospitality, 123 & Kid Color played Lincoln Hall (TNK pics, setlist)"

words by Parker Langvardt, photos by Zach Pollack

Wild Belle @ Schubas on 1/14/2012

Wild Belle is one of Chicago's newest bands. They've only played a handful of shows, and so far only released a single song, but it's a good one. Listen to "Keep You" below and pick up the 12" when it comes out on 2/21.

Formed by Natalie Bergman (singer) and Elliot Bergman (saxophonist/keyboardist) of NOMO, they're joined live by fellow NOMO members Erik Hall (guitar) and Quin Kircher (drums), and a bassist. Erik, Quin, and Elliot are also all in In Tall Buildings.

I was able to catch their performance at Schubas during Tomorrow Never Knows on January 14. Theirs was by far the most eclectic of the night that also included sets by Polica, Class Actress, and Chairlift. Pictures from their set are in this post.

Wild Belle brought funk, reggae, blues, and r&b to the Schubas stage. Natalie has a strong jazz and blues influenced vocal style that fits well over all of those genres - following similar rhythms as Santigold. Their reggae songs remind me of the dark, stoned bounce of 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, but an indie pop version. Elliot started the show by playing baritone sax (the coolest of all the saxes), adding low, buzzy, melodic lines over the natural bass tone. He later switched to keys to play organ and synthesizers.

Stay tuned for another Chicago show to be announced. Meanwhile the band have three upcoming dates in California supporting !!! (Chk Chk Chk), and they'll eventually make their way to Austin, TX for SXSW this year.

All tour dates, more pictures from their set at Schubas, the song, and more below..

Continue reading "meet Wild Belle (members of NOMO & In Tall Buildings) ------- song stream, review & pics from their TNK show @ Schubas"

photos by John Yingling

The Walkmen @ Metro on 1/14/2012

On Saturday night (1/14), The Walkmen played one of three 10th anniversary shows at Chicago's Metro as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 festival. The band performed two sets, the first of which drew heavily from their debut LP, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, which they just released on vinyl for the very first time. Fan-favorites like "The Rat," "On the Water," and "In The New Year" made their way onto the setlist along with a slew of new tracks, some of which were played solo and acoustic by frontman Hamilton Leithauser.

Thanks to Brian Emerick, you can stream and/or download audio from the entire show!

More pictures from their Saturday night performance and the full setlist, below..

Continue reading "The Walkmen - a 10th anniversary show @ Metro (pics, setlist)"

photos by Zach Pollack, words by Parker Langvardt

Possibly due to continued touring, modern R&B collaboration Polica seem to have grown into even stronger performers since their last-minute BV Chicago presented appearance at Schubas in November. The energy of the packed room at Tomorrow Never Know's January 14th show at Schubas definitely helped too. Channy Leaneagh has tastefully developed her use of vocal effects to a more sparing level, and kept moving through the whole show, dancing and grooving. Bassist Chris Bierdan has jazzed up his lines, often closing his eyes and nodding his head with satisfaction. Drummers Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson kill it together, and represent two very different styles. Ivascu has a more straight rhythm, vertical style of rock drumming while Christopherson keeps it loose, more horizontal and jazzy. They bring great dynamics that build excitement while being constantly challenged to stay in time with the backing tracks created by their upcoming album's producer, Ryan Olson, which never seems to be a problem for them.

Polica were opening for Chairlift at this show that Class Actress also played. Pictures from the headliner's set are HERE. More of Polica below...

Continue reading "Polica returned to Schubas during TNK (pics, review)"

photos by Zach Pollack

Chairlift @ Schubas on 1/14/2012

On Saturday night (1/14), Brooklyn's Chairlift headlined Schubas as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2012. The band's set consisted of mostly new material off of their forthcoming sophomore LP, Something, which is in stores on January 24th via Columbia. You can listen to a song from the new album, and check out more pictures from their TNK set below.

Class Actress, Poliça, Wild Belle, and Willis Earl Beal kicked off the night (pictures of the openers are coming soon).

Chairlift just announced a big tour that returns to Chicago at Empty Bottle on 3/30 with Nite Jewel (tickets will probably be on sale soon). All dates and more pictures from their Schubas show, below....

Continue reading "Chairlift played Schubas during TNK 2012, announced a tour (pics & dates)"

photos by Matt Ziegler, words by Claire O'Connor

"If y'all are wondering who this black kid on stage is, I'm Lunice. I'm Canadian so let's be friends. I'm from Montreal and let's get fucked up." Lunice played a completely mind-blowing set to a sold out Lincoln Hall Friday night (1/13), the third night of Tomorrow Never Knows 2012. Being his own hype man, Lunice stole the show with his animated dance moves and '#swag #swag #swag' opening anthem.

Songs off of his One Hunned and Stacker Upper EPs got the crowd going, but most notably it was a Drake sample off of "Headlines" that really summed up Lunice's set. "Too strung out on compliments, overdosed on confidence" was repeated and chopped and repeated again as Lunice came from behind his desk and party danced with the crowd, toasting to fans and grabbing a mini Canadian flag from the audience and going wild. His smile and dance moves were a staple of his set.

The Timez Are Weird artist Theophilus London brought his high-end swag to Lincoln Hall with his 'Tour de Roses' headlining set. Opening with "Last Night (LVRS ANTHEM)," a new track he dropped via his Twitter and Soundcloud page this week (stream below), London got the crowd ready for an evening packed with new material. Literally.

"Why Even Try feat" (a song that features Sara Quin), "Last Name London," "Flying Overseas," and "Girls Girls $" are a handful of past released songs London played. Seemingly being rushed by a bout of A.D.D or complete and pure excitement for his new material, he never let a new song finish in its entirety - no matter how hard the vibe was in the room. Cutting every new song rather abruptly and ordering his DJ to play something else, the audience was often left standing awkwardly and wanting more. New song "Big Spender" shows a different, harder side to London and many of the new tracks follow suit. As he told the crowd, he has "not one new project coming out this year but two." 2012 sounds like his year.

Another stand out new track was "Lisa," a slower tempo song. He asked to the crowd to embrace the more lyrical song, and not just some commercial bought track. At one point in the show London took the audience to a "dark, strange place" in his mind by playing "Strange Love" off of his Lovers Holiday EP. Perhaps it was too dark because he ordered in a new song, a weird Pinky and the Brain intro, and then left the stage. He and band returned for "I Stand Alone" and the audience erupted with cheers at a song they could sing along and hold on to.

The night ended with a Kreayshawn sample and more new songs... a strange but fantastic night. Theophilus London is now on tour.

Retrospect and Chromatic Sparks opened the night and ushered in the crowd. DJ Misa played an eclectic mix of records before Lunice's set and started the dance party early.

Pictures from Wednesday at Lincoln Hall HERE. Thursday HERE. More from Friday below...

Continue reading "Theophilus London, Lunice & friends played TNK night 3 @ Lincoln Hall (pics, review)"