Almost exactly a year to the date since they last performed in Chicago, Marvelous 3 returned for one hell of a show.
You know you are going to be in for an amazing night when the opening band comes out ready to rock! Lit has been linked to Butch Walker going back a good number of years. Throughout the years, they have worked and performed together, including Butch producing The View From The Bottom as well as collaborating on the song “Let’s Go.” It made perfect sense, therefore, that Lit should have the opening spot for the evening’s festivities.
For approximately 45 minutes, they held the crowd’s attention in their hands. The reception they received was almost akin to that of a headliner. Kicking off their set with “Kicked Off The Plane” got the entire crowd fired up, blowing off any mid-week cobwebs. A. Jay Popoff was a ball of energy, looking anything but his 51 years. A shout-out has to go to Taylor Carroll who pounded his drum kit into submission relentlessly throughout the entire set!
When they went on to perform “Let’s Go,” we’d be lying if we weren’t hoping Butch might make a guest appearance on stage with them. Alas, it did not happen, but the members of Marvelous 3 could be seen standing in the wings enjoying their performance. Of course, they had to finish their energetic set with “My Own Worst Enemy,” which many will remember from the movie American Reunion. The crowd bounced and sang with all their might throughout this song which must be a great feeling for any artist to experience.
Last year, when Marvelous 3 announced they were getting back together for an extremely limited run of shows, as much as people wanted it to be an ongoing thing, there was every chance it was going to the a one-off. Much to the joy of, well… everyone, this was not the case, and Year of the Hair of the Dog tour dates were announced for this year too. As with last year’s tour, the dates were limited. They kicked off with three nights in Atlanta before heading to Chicago, with New York and Boston dates to follow. With so few dates, it’s not surprising how many people flew into Chicago just to catch this show.Before the show, Butch Walker took to social media to explain that he was sick, and boy, did he sound under the weather. He did insist that the show would still go on. You’d be forgiven for expecting this show to maybe not live up to last year’s performance due to this illness, but ever the professional that he is, there were absolutely no signs of any illness the moment Walker took to the stage. His voice was impeccable, which is impressive considering how croaky he sounded on his video post just a few hours earlier. His live performances are known for bursting with energy and this was no exception. Butch’s sick day performance still out ranks most people’s best days.
If you ever want to see a group of friends looking like they’re having the time of their lives, you need to get yourself along to one of these shows. This does not look like work for them. Even though they parted ways musically in 2001, Butch Walker, Jayce Fincher, and Doug “Slug” Mitchell all kept in contact with each other, doing regular check-ins. Their bond has clearly remained throughout the years. The smiles on their faces throughout the night showed they were enjoying it every bit as much as the crowd, and possibly more so.
They took a trip down memory lane with us once more, with songs that felt as fresh now as they day they were released. Their set consisted of songs from all four of their albums but mainly concentrated on Hey! Album and ReadySexGo!. They kicked off their set with “Little Head” and didn’t let up for the entire night. Often when bands get back together after a long hiatus and release new music, they struggle to capture the magic and feel that their older material would evoke. This is definitely not the case here. The songs from last year’s IV, “Jackie and Tina” and “Kill a MotherF***er That Breaks Your Heart,” and the single they released this year, “Psalm of the Summer,” have a similar vibe to their older counterparts without being carbon copies.
As if the House of Blues was not already vibrating from all of the excitement from the show, they throw in a medley of hits from the 90s which kicked it up a notch! They included Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” Better Than Ezra’s “Good,” Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and Blur’s “Song 2.” Slug even got the chance to take over vocals during this portion of the songs when he came front and center. They also performed “New Thing” of Blue Island’s Enuff Z’Nuff and were joined on stage by Donnie Vie himself.
As with last year’s shows, the trio was joined by Holden Fincher, Jayce’s son. At such a tender age, it’s impressive to see him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these seasoned pros. He is no “nepo baby.” He more than stands on his own two feet, looking and sounding every bit the rockstar he is becoming. Not only did he show off his ample guitar skills, but he also had moments on the keys, drums, and vocals. Impressive work, Holden!
The show was rounded out with “Freak of the Week” and “Cigarette Lighter Love Song,” which was the last song they performed before going their separate ways back in 2001. Here’s hoping that history does not repeat itself here and that these reunion shows are going to become an annual tradition from now on.
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