Concert Review: Billie Eilish & Duckwrth @ United Center — 3/14/22
There was a moment after performing “everything i wanted”, the Record Of The Year Grammy Award-winning and the third-to-last song of the night last Monday, where the twenty-year old Billie stopped dead-center on her elongated stage and simply took it all in. With the house lights illuminating, Eilish took the opportunity to seemingly glance at every single smiling, screaming face in the sold-out crowd at the Madhouse on Madison. Earlier in the evening, just barely into her twenty-eight song set, she remarked that the arena where six Chicago Bulls and six Chicago Blackhawks championship banners hang was the site of her very first arena concert way back in 2019. By this time in the night, however, it was obvious that there was one thing she had held in — a gracious and delayed “thank you”.
Over two-and-a-half years after it was first announced, the sequel to that kickstarting show for Ms. Eilish finally took place. And while I unfortunately do not have the statistics stating how quickly it sold out or how many hundreds of fans camped for hours outside to get as close to the California crooner as possible, I can note without hesitation that this show, my eighty-eighth concert to date, will go down as one of my loudest ever. I was glad to see fans of all ages pack the United Center, giddy with thrill, to enjoy a concert too long overdue. As the first concert I had of many that was delayed or cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic just after it started in March 2020, I have no regrets saying I was one of those fans. While it may not have been my first concert “back”, I’m sure it was for many. For those lucky goers, you sure picked a good one.
Eilish picked Duckwrth, the stage name of singer/rapper Jared Lee, as the sole opener for the Chicago trip, and although he was the only name out of her eclectic list of tour openers I did not recognize beforehand, his stunning, grooving performance with a full band and backup singer got me psyched for Billie (as if I or anyone there needed it). Once she came on, it was game over. I could feel the arena shaking all the way down from the floor, where I had arguably the most coveted spot in the whole house. Just feet away from her, Eilish just felt like God for nearly two hours. She needed no pyrotechnics nor a dancing troupe — it was just Billie, her brother Finneas (whom the girls loved seeing), and drummer Andrew Marshall. Picking at songs from her 2017 debut EP don’t smile at me and her smash debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), Billie satisfied fans with the old and was not afraid to proudly show off the new — 2021’s Happier Than Ever. Twenty-eight songs, even peppered in with standalone singles and the surprise singing of “No Time To Die”, the eponymous theme from the 2021 James Bond film, felt like too few. Ending on the raucous title track from her latest album, as platinum blonde confetti rained down from the rafters, there was simply nowhere else I wanted to be other than on the floor of the United Center last Monday night in Chicago.
March 14th was and still is the lone scheduled Illinois stop for Billie in 2022. I was surprised not to see her on the Lollapalooza lineup that just dropped yesterday. Maybe she will headline next year? If she does happen to appear close to The Windy City in the future, any so-called fan would be a fool not to see her live. Her contagious energy, devotion to putting on a show (see her bloody knees), and care for the audience and fans will make any doubters of this pop superstar eat their words. It was worth the wait and then some!
Setlist for Billie Eilish: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/billie-eilish/2022/united-center-chicago-il-389d547.html
Setlist for Duckwrth: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/duckwrth/2022/united-center-chicago-il-b8935b6.html
