Last night the Riviera was packed full as Slowdive made their return to Chicago to perform in front of a sellout crowd. It was a beautiful night for a show, and what a soundtrack they had lined up for the evening!
Drab Majesty was the opening act and they are opening on this entire tour. The duo of Deb DeMure and Mona D created some really nice soundscapes that was a sort of blend of new wave, post-punk and shoegaze. The songs were very atmospheric and the androgynous duo had a really cool look to them that was enhanced by the cool visuals being displayed behind and on top of them. They played an incredibly entertaining 45 minute set and they are really a must-see so if you plan on seeing one of the shows on this tour, you owe it to yourself to get there on time to see this band.
When Slowdive walked on stage, they got a huge roar of applause from the very eager audience that packed themselves all the way up to the ceiling of the Riviera. There was people as far as the eye can see in every direction of the club. The band started the night off with “Shanty”, the opening track on their brand new album, Everything is Alive. The band then proceeded to drown the audience in their lavish, ethereal soundscapes of shoegaze goodness. They multi-layered guitars were hypnotic, add that to the cool visuals being displayed on the giant screen behind them, and it would just immerse you in what felt like an otherworldly experience. The band wasted very little time between songs, they just powered through an amazing set of songs and unique visuals.
The main set consisted of ten original songs and ended with a Syd Barrett cover of “Golden Hair” which sounded amazing (and better than the original). The entire time they had the audience mesmerized and in the palm of their hands, you could scan the room and see people just soaking it all in, almost as if in a trance. The band played pretty flawlessly and the whole set felt like something really special and that we were all lucky to be there.
The band left the stage for a few minutes and then returned for a three song encore that started with “Dagger” and ended with “40 Days”. When the left the stage and the house lights came on it took the audience a few moments to snap back to reality after being on a 75 minute trip to a most beautiful galaxy. Slowdive put on a stellar performance, it was one of those special shows that the people in the audience will be reminiscing about for years to come.
