What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, than at one of two sold-out shows with a stellar lineup.
You know you’re in for an amazing night when the venue is relatively full and the crowd is buzzing before the openers have even taken to the stage, especially when it’s such an early show. Wasting no time at all, Canadian rockers The Glorious Sons burst onto the stage and set the tone for the night. This was a high energy set from the very beginning and they didn’t take their foot off the gas for one second. Every single member of the band looked like they were up for it, but it has to be said that you’ll never see a more energetic and impassioned performance on the keys than that provided by Josh Hewson. Singer Brett Emmons was a force to be reckoned with as he jumped and spun barefooted across every inch of the stage. To be honest, there was so much energy on display on one stage, that at times you didn’t know where to look. Keep an eye out for these guys. With performances and crowd reactions like these, you’ll be hearing a lot more of them soon.
You couldn’t have two bands better matched up on one bill. With the crowd’s excitement already at fever pitch, it was the turn of Brit boys, The Struts, to do their thing. From the very beginning, you could see exactly why both nights at the Chicago House of Blues were sold-out, which was especially impressive given that most people travel out of town to visit family over the extended Holiday weekend. Luke Spiller is everything a band needs and looks for in a frontman. He is engaging, captivating and can somehow still manage to sing despite jumping and bouncing all over the stage like a ping-pong ball. He had the entire audience in the palm of his hand and they sang and danced along, as well as jumping up and down themselves on command, to the point it’s a wonder everyone didn’t end up in the restaurant below.In recent years, The Struts have opened for heavyweight bands such as The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters and Guns N Roses. Now, they have more than made a name for themselves across the US, and it’s their turn to sell out venues. In a year, they’ve gone from performing at The Metro and the Bottom Lounge, to selling out two nights at the House of Blues. That’s an impressive progression in anyone’s book.
Their influences are clearly evident for all to see and hear. The night opened with “Primadonna Like Me” which has a heavy Rolling Stones vibe to it. The way Spiller struts around the stage, it’s no wonder they were named after this and also why he is often referred to as “the musical lovechild of Freddie Mercury and Mick Jagger.” Add into the mix David Bowie and Steven Tyler and you’ve definitely hit the nail of the head.
This was another high octane performance throughout. By the time they started the second song, “Body Talks,” the sweat was lashing out of Spiller. A frontman such as Spiller is bound to garner a lot of attention from the audience. However, you can’t fail to also notice Gethin Davies who absolutely hammered it home on the drums all night as well as Adam Slack who provided the catchy riffs. Jed Elliott certainly added a strong backbone to the sound while adding his own glam rock flair to the stage.
This was one of those shows that leaves you gasping for breath and thankful you’ve managed to work off a bit of the turkey. The Body Talks tour continues on until mid-December. If this is one you are debating whether to buy those tickets for or not, do it. You will not be disappointed.
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