Lindsey Stirling at Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, IL

Third time’s a charm as Lindsey Stirling returned to Chicago for the first time since her 2017 Lollapalooza performance. 

After being postponed due to Covid, and then again due to a rather severe storm, the show must go on and it did. Lindsey Stirling was welcomed to Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on a very hot and humid night, luckily without a single cloud in the sky this time. 

Stirling’s days on America’s Got Talented are a distant memory as her own blend of classical violin, EDM, and modern ballet have made her a stand-out performer. To play the violin the way she does is amazing alone, but add in the choreography and ballet while playing live is nothing short of astounding. As if this wasn’t enough, she has managed to introduce violin playing to a younger crowd. 

The theatrical element of the show captivated the crowd, and at one point relied heavily on audience participation as it embarked on a “choose your own adventure” scenario. As two possible outcomes were projected onto the big screen, fans got to scream for which they wanted to happen during the song, whether it be for the dancers to have a sword fight or pick Lindsey’s pockets. Throughout the show, Stirling had a number of very quick costume changes, adding to the theatrical feel of the show and bringing the story of Artemis to life. 

The stage show was nothing short of spectacular and kept the audience’s attention firmly fixed on the stage. At one point, you see Lindsey take to the stage by herself, playing the most intricate violin parts while spinning around and jumping in time with the music. The next moment she is joined by her dance troop as she dances in a full choreographed routine, while still playing. A moment later, she is playing, while blindfolded and suspended in the air! It’s no wonder that she has accumulated the following that she has. 

The majority of the evening’s music was instrumental with a few exceptions of “Love Goes On and On” which saw Evanescence’s Amy Lee projected on the big screens, and “Don’t Let This Feeling Fade” with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Lecrae. There was also a musical interlude of sorts as she paid tribute to Disney/Pixar with “Married Life” from Up, “Once Upon A Dream” from Sleeping Beauty, “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella, and “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story.

If you’ve never seen Lindsey Stirling before, do yourself a favor and catch this tour while you can. It is truly a performance unlike any other out there. It was great to see people from all ages groups there enjoying the full stage production. 

HUNTINGTON BANK PAVILION AT NORTHERLY ISLAND
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