Bastille

I had waited for so long to see Bastille, and I had thought I had missed my chance after they sold out their show last fall. Fortunately, Songkick answered my prayers, notifying me that Bastille didn't forget about me, and they were coming back to Chicago in the spring. I finally got to see them at The Riviera Theater, and it was so worth the long wait. Ever since the release of their Overjoyed EP, I wanted to hear Dan Smith's voice and also see how the band produced their amazing music live. They did not fail to impress, and the show was better than I'd imagined it was going to be. The show started with a bang as they played "Bad Blood," getting the crowd hyped up. From start to finish, Dan really impressed us all with his ability to control his voice while jumping up and down and moving around on the stage. It's crazy how good his voice was; he sounded exactly like their audio recordings. He would sing and interact with the crowd, and for some songs he would play the drums or the keyboard. What was really cool about Bastille was that the other band members all moved around the stage as well to play different instruments during different songs. For "Overjoyed," they moved to a corner of the stage and played a version of the song with keyboards and electric drums. The lighting of the stage changed colors throughout the show which really added to the upbeat vibe. Dan was so happy and personable; he wanted us to dance with him and told us that he didn't want to look like a fool dancing alone (even though he didn't, of course). But he didn't have to tell us twice; we were more than happy to oblige. Jumping up and down while singing/dancing and playing the drums couldn't possibly be enough for the lead singer, so he took it to the next level - literally: during the song "Flaws," Dan precariously climbed up the side stairs and into the balcony while singing, not once missing a line or beat. He took full advantage of all the areas he could sing in throughout the venue, and it was so entertaining to watch where he was going to go next. The quality of Bastille's performance was unreal. They put on a show that highlighted how diversely talented each of the members are. They were so connected with each other yet aware of the audience, and they acknowledged our enthusiastic cheers and singing. When they played their single "Pompeii," the band (To Kill a King) who opened for them came back out and sang with them. It was such a cool thing to see them join Bastille because their voices are also on the audio recording. It was such a fun show, and I'm so glad that there are so many other people who appreciate Bastille as much as I do.

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