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After recently having appeared in Rolling Stone’s article that praised the top twenty music clubs in America, music enthusiasts did not let a rainy evening sway their excitement towards the musical acts that rocked Lincoln Hall, Monday night.
Originally born and raised in Kansas, the now Chicago based sisters Renee and Grace Kuhl packed a powerful punch for the early arrivals as The Kuhls set the stage for an impressive evening of music.
A wide range of musical interests was ever present as the sisters launched into a powerful, edgy set that proved to set the tone for the following acts. The set was highlighted by the back and forth vocal construction of the sisters accompanied by intricate guitar riffs presented by lead guitarist, Anthony DeSanto. As their time on stage dwindled to a close, Renee Kuhl left it all out there as she departed the comfort zone of her keyboard to solely concentrate on belting the last lines of the final song. Satisfied, the audience applauded the efforts of the local band and anxiously awaited the presence of The Lonely Forest on stage.
John Van Deusen, front man of the Washington based indie rock band lead the charge on stage as the group slowly occupied the darkness that silhouetted the instruments standing alone on stage. Van Deusen’s melody driven voice put listeners in awe as the quartet jumped right into a fan favorite, “Turn Off This Song and Go Outside.”
From that point on, the audience was hooked on the witty, charming interactions the band members put forth as they carefully mastered through a set highlighting the wide variety of the band’s work. Separated by genuine conversation with listeners, each song seemed to flow right into the next with the help of an intricate rhythm section that complimented the extensive guitar playing that Van Deusen’s voice illuminated over. A truly beautiful rendition of the band’s song, “We Sing In Time,” concluded the impressive set and left music goers eager for the main act, Now, Now.
While darkness was the only thing that remained, the sleek, awkward bodies of Cacie Dalager, Bradley Hale, and Jess Abbott slowly inched on stage as the waiting crowd applauded accordingly. Rooted in Minneapolis, the trio expressed their excitement after having not headlined their own tour in a couple years. Without any delay and a few quick thanks, the band jumped into the tune, “Prehistoric,” which had the whole crowd singing along.
With this being a headlining tour, the band surpassed their short, 15 minute set that was played the last time they had stepped foot in Lincoln Hall during the summer of 2012. With the extended set came many performances of songs from the group’s older full releases, “Cars” and “Neighbors.” Specifically, the crowd developed a trance like gaze throughout the performance of an older favorite, “Roommates.”
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From there the band lead the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions that highlighted previous and present work. After apologizing momentarily for the overall sadness of the music being played, the band happily constructed an upbeat rendition of the hit, “Dead Oaks” off of their 2012 release, “Threads”. In an attempt to fool the audience, the group abruptly expressed their thanks and walked off stage only to appear a moment later for what would prove to be an encore indeed.
A powerfully played performance of the song “Threads” captivated and left the bystanders in admiration while all three members disappeared behind the black curtains draped at the back of the stage. The fluorescent lights above clicked on and snapped everyone who was in attendance back to reality following the musical journey they all had just endured.
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