The Dear Hunter Summer Headline Tour – REVIEW

On the Dear Hunter Summer Headline tour, they came to Lincoln Hall in Chicago. With them also came Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, O’Brother and The Felix Culpa. You can check out our review after the break.

I have always found that seeing a show at a venue I have never been to before can be somewhat stressful. It may just be me, but I am a big fan of routines when it comes to going to concerts. I like arriving at a time that I know I will be able to get in without standing outside for too long, getting a spot where I can see the stage and hear the bands very well, and know the general layout of the venue so I do not look foolish trying to maneuver through the crowd while bands are playing. All of these concerns somewhat disappeared when I arrived to Lincoln Hall for The Dear Hunter’s show this past Sunday night. The same brothers that run Schuba’s, which is an exciting place to see music in the city, own Lincoln Hall and definitely lived up to the reputation that the Schuba brothers have built.

First up on this night was the Felix Culpa, a band with roots in Illinois that have made enormous strides since the first I had heard of them a few years ago. Their sound reminds me of a more progressive Brand New, making them a perfect opener for this tour alongside TDH. They played mostly tracks from their latest “Sever Your Roots,” and had the entire crowd thoroughly enjoying their set. They are definitely a band to look out for in the coming years.

O’Brother came up next and gave the crowd a completely different vibe than the Felix Culpa started the show off with. The Atlanta, Georgia natives have a knack for writing well thought out songs that bring to mind their label owners’ band, Manchester Orchestra. There was something very laid back about O’Brother’s set that really excites me when I hear it in a live setting. This is another band I suggest fans of Brand New, Thrice, Manchester Orchestra check out!

Next up was a band featuring members of Gatsbys American Dream called Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground. Now I am a huge Gatsbys fan, but Kay Kay could not be further from the sound Gatsbys is known for. The best way I can describe the 40-minute set was ‘70s psychedelic pop.  The nine-person band had the crowd completely engulfed in the entire set and I, like the rest of the audience, loved every second of it.

Last but certainly not least, The Dear Hunter took the stage and the crowd was ecstatic. The band played a majority of songs from the critically acclaimed series of EPs “The Color Spectrum” and nailed every single song throughout the set. One thing I have always loved about TDH is their ability to execute the concept album perfectly throughout the EPs and 2 full lengths they have put out. The same thought they put into their recording goes into the live performances and I was absolutely mesmerized by the way Casey Crescenzo could sound exactly as he did on the albums. The band’s performance was perfect in my opinion and I left the show completely satisfied with the show. If you have never seen The Dear Hunter before and love bands with a theatrical tinge to their music, I highly suggest seeing the next TDH show in your area. You will not be disappointed!

Information about the review…
Tour: The Dear Hunter Summer Headline Tour
Bands: The Dear Hunter, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, O’Brother and The Felix Culpa
Venue: Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL
Date: July 24, 2011