Indie rock band The Moss continued their Spring Tour in Chicago at Thalia Hall on May 2, alongside indie singer-songwriter Gatlin as the band’s opener for the evening.
Crowd members spilled into the concert hall as the time ticked down to the start of the show. At 8 p.m., the stage lights dimmed and Gatlin entered the stage, opening with tracks like “2000 Miles” and “If She Was a Boy” from her Pipe Dream EP, released in February of this year.
Gatlin’s discography touches on being brought up in a conservative environment and how it conflicts with herself and her beliefs. Her songs’ emotional and moving writing was powerfully performed with her track “LOVE ME” off her album The Eldest Daughter, released last October.
Gatlin’s performance brought an extremely positive and friendly presence along with her deep and personal songs, which drew in the crowd and connected the audience together for the night of music ahead.
After a brief break between sets, the stage lights dimmed once again as a robotic voice monologued about moss. The Moss then entered the stage, bringing an electric start to their show.
The band is composed of drummer Willie Flower, bassist Caiden Jackson, vocalist Tyke James and guitarist Addison Sharp. James mentioned between songs that Chicago is the top city of listeners for the band on Spotify, setting the tone for the rest of the show.
The Moss released their new album Big Blue Moon at the end of April. The band played songs off their latest release, such as “Devil’s Lettuce” and “Passport.” The album synthesizes a soul-rock tone which reverberated excellently live and is something to look forward to at future live shows.
The Moss’ performance throughout the night was lively, interactive and energetic. During the night, the audience sang and swayed with each other, couples danced together, and fans jumped and bobbed their heads to the music.
After playing an exciting performance of “Insomnia,” the lights turned down and the band left the stage as audio of birds chirping sang from the speakers.
A moment passed, and James returned to the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand and a spotlight shining above him. Before beginning the next song, James mentioned how he heard someone singing it next door at the venue before he performed a cover of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Then, the band joined him back onstage, with Flower’s, Jackson’s and Sharp’s instrumentals standing out impressively as the band played their closing tracks, including a performance of “Dog Valley.” James ended the night ramping up the energy: he leapt in the air and climbed on the venue’s audience box at the side of the stage before ending the show by jumping and kicking the band’s drum set.
Catch The Moss on tour through May 16 (tickets here):
5/6 — Minneapolis, MN — Fine Line
5/7 — Madison, WI — Majestic Theatre
5/8 — St. Louis, MO — Madrid Theatre
5/11 — Omaha, NE — Slowdown
5/13 — Fort Collins, CO — Aggie Theatre
5/14 — Englewood, CO — Gothic Theatre
5/15-17 — Salt Lake City, UT — Kilby Block Party
Keep up with The Moss: Instagram // TikTok // Website
Keep up with Gatlin: Instagram // X // TikTok // Facebook // Website
Story and Photography By: James Hoeck (Website // Instagram)
