BY STEPHANIE HARO

At concerts, most crowds tend to ignore openers, either by showing up late and missing their set entirely or just waiting in boredom for the main act (which honestly is a disservice to yourself.) In this scenario, you cannot simply ignore someone like Meg Elsier. From the second she got on stage, she was filled with bubbly energy. Whether it was because she was making her Chicago debut or due to nerves, she was infectious with the crowd. She had no issue filling the room with her energy. Elsier is a vocal powerhouse, with so much of her discography being filled with indie rock ballads, she belts them out like it’s nothing. Definitely a fantastic choice for an opener, and an even better compliment/contrast to her main act.

Since our interview with Elsier, she’s been busy opening a handful of shows for fellow Nashville Native Liz Cooper and releasing her latest single “Sportscar [scrapped]” which dropped about a week ago on June 18th.

You can listen to our full interview with Meg Elsier here!

Since living in the city for a year and a half, The Metro has been on my list of venues to visit since the beginning. It’s a Chicago staple and carries that style and history that many of the newer venues just don't have. The concert hall was much smaller than I expected which is always a plus in my book, smaller venues create a more intimate feeling between the artist and the audience. The performance felt different from where you’re watching the stage, on the main level you're packed in the crowd, with everything coming at you full force (sound, lights, etc.) While from upstairs, viewing from the balcony, you get a slightly more detached feel. Since you're not in the heart of the pit, the view is arguably better as you get to see the crowd react to the artist you're all simultaneously watching.

Sabrina Teitelbaum, known onstage as Blondshell, has such a down-to-earth energy with her fans. I had the chance to catch her set at last year’s Lollapalooza, yet seeing her in this light let her really shine. She shared with the audience how she’d played at The Metro only one other time, around two years ago while opening for Suki Waterhouse. She said “Before performing, I wondered ‘how do you get that many people to come to your show’” as she looked out towards her very own sold-out audience. Her casual demeanor with the crowd added to that feeling of intimacy you get with artists at smaller-scale concerts, which is a highlight of the Chicago concert venue scene. She wasn't scared to make the stage her own and take up all the space she could by interacting with the crowd, and her band, and even laying on the floor belting for all to hear.

The setlist was filled with a healthy mix of her discography, combining her new album with her older works. She performed her rendition of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” after praising the song and how it’s written, produced, and performed by women. Her audience showed their dedication, knowing all the words to her music like “Kiss City”, and “Sepsis”, and of course, she closed out the night with her biggest hit “Salad”, a revenge fantasy rock ballad. Before exiting, she brought attention to the mass amount of ICE raids taking place across the country by calling out “Fuck ICE. Fuck Trump.” as the audience cheered in agreement. Blondshell’s last U.S. tour date is on September 28th at Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee before she picks back up with the UK/Europe leg of her tour in September.

Photo by @danieltopete