Concert Review: Lorde & Remi Wolf @ The Chicago Theatre — 4/23/22
“Chances are if you’re here with me tonight, you probably bought tickets about five minutes after they went on-sale. I know everyone in here is a real one.” Lorde quipped this during one of her many pauses on a legendary Saturday night in Chicago a few weekends ago. Even though there were nearly four thousand other eager, devoted fans of hers besides me packed in the century-old theater that evening, in my mind, she was only speaking to me. I won’t be shy in calling myself a real Lorde fan any day of the week, but surprisingly, I was not one of those lucky few that made the initial Ticketmaster cut. When her short stateside spring run went on-sale last summer, I, like thousands of others, stuck out attempting to secure a spot to one of her two Chicago dates. Within those infamous five minutes, both shows in The Windy City (and the rest of the tour) were completely sold out. A valiant try proved fruitless, but the bad luck would not count me out, and I was determined to attend this tour without breaking the bank. I checked re-sale tickets almost every single day after June 25th of last year, and one day, just over a month ago, the sun kings and queens granted my wish. One wonderful seat was mine to see the New Zealand pop princess for the third time and I immediately knew I was in for one hell of a performance. Just like she did when I saw her in 2014 and 2018, Lorde cemented exactly why she has the reputation she does for her work, providing another unforgettable show that currently stands as one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
A smirk smeared my face when I realized that Lorde has played to progressively smaller crowds each of the three times I’ve seen her in Chicago. Her Lollapalooza 2014 appearance, fresh off of her debut record Pure Heroine (2013), likely saw 25,000+ sweating fans in Grant Park on that wonderful Friday evening. 2018’s trip to promote her Melodrama (2017) album was a sold-out stop in Rosemont that probably maxed out at around 20,000 attendees. But even if you combine the first show at The Chicago Theatre last month, her latest venture to the big city wouldn’t even touch 10,000 people altogether. Why would Lorde pass up the opportunity to not only cash in but give so many more people a chance to see the set of a lifetime? I doubt it’s due to narcissism, laziness, or privacy, really. More than anything, it’s because she cares about putting on a show the way it deserves to be. The most legendary concerts I’ve experienced never failed to feel less than a personal love letter to everyone in the audience and myself, and the artists and bands that I think of when I remember those shows knew how special the moment was for everyone that paid to see them. This show entered those ranks. Armed with a comfortable theater accessible for all, a trimmed-down audience that by default featured the best fans, and an eye-catching stage of props, band members, and dancers, Lorde did the last thing a major artist or band does at the height of their popularity — downsized — and hit a home run in the process.
Former American Idol contestant Remi Wolf warmed the crowd up, and even though she and her band only performed seven songs over roughly thirty minutes, it was a rousing collection of tunes. Her booming voice, funky musical style, and quirky lyrics are destined to make her a star (I’ll see her again at Lollapalooza later this summer for round two). What felt like a millisecond passed before the lights cut and the crowd roared to welcome Lorde on-stage. I still can’t get over the supremely unique stage design and choreography of the people around her during the set. Rigid, homemade-looking shapes and trance-like, cultish bodies leaned into Lorde the entire time. She was the Sun and her collaborators and fans faced her like sunflowers, feeding off of her glow. Sometimes, she would ascend and descend the thin series of steps resting on a double-sided circle like a stairway to heaven. The rest of the time, her bandmates and back-up singers stood motionless on Colosseum-esque steps around her like actors in a play. In-between the times I wasn’t singing my heart out and smiling, I was in awe yet again of Lorde’s impeccable vision. At times, I recalled The Melodrama Tour’s glass box, vibrant dancing, and outfit changes that would make Kate Bush proud. Let’s just say that if her goal was to surprise her audiences with simplicity and strangeness, she passed with flying colors.
Some weird buzz regarding a hushing scandal multiple moons ago was addressed by the woman herself before she dove into “Writer In The Dark” for the first time in about four years. Apparently, a series of online videos recently brought this event to light again. At the risk of sounding out of touch, I really don’t care about what magnitude of uproar this shh-ing event may have caused. You can look at the handful of videos of Lorde explaining this phenomenon, but in the age where every action a celebrity makes is examined under a CSI-grade microscope, any clamor over this is a waste of time. If Lorde asked me to shut up to prepare for an emotional performance of a very personal song, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Other than that, I had zero expectations regarding a setlist I wanted to hear. I’ve seen every song on Pure Heroine performed live at least once, and every song on Melodrama too except for “Liability (Reprise)”. Her four selections from her debut were beloved most by the audience, and every time she dipped into a Melodrama track, a different ghost of yesteryear took over inside of me. Even though I still consider “Oceanic Feeling” off of Solar Power to be somewhat lackluster, the shortened version to end the main set has me re-considering my point-of-view. Lorde is approaching that level in her shows where she will have to cut some excellent tracks due to performance restraints, and this saddens me, but it’s an impressive task too. Her music is getting so strong that infusing any filler would be a laughable thought. In my opinion, it’s been that way since Melodrama, and not every artist or band experiences that bittersweet luxury.
I could just feel the energy radiating off every single body as I walked out of The Chicago Theatre. Maybe it was mostly myself, humming from the happiness pulsing through my veins. From a non-critical standpoint, few other singers hold a brighter candle to the girl from New Zealand. Bands and rappers are another category, but in terms of my passion for just standalone singers, maybe only my girl Kacey Musgraves beats her out. After April 23rd, she became one of just nine (out of 230+ acts) that I’ve seen three times or more live. But apart from the massive crush I have on her, the biggest reason why I care for Lorde so greatly is because I feel like we’ve grown up together. Barely a year apart in age difference but opposite in hemispheres, her music to me since my late teenage years represents major moments in my life that songs only can. The dark confusion, critical state of mind, and skepticism of growing up? That’s Pure Heroine during my senior year of high school. The disillusionment of getting older, failed relationships, and the nostalgia of time gone by? My senior year of college was soundtracked by Melodrama. Last year brought the sunshine of Solar Power (2021), in the midst of a world and personal life cast over by dark clouds, unhappiness, and a desire to feel the light again. I don’t know — sometimes the things you really love just work out in your favor; they speak to you when you don’t know what to say. Simply put, that’s why I love music and that’s why I love Lorde.
Will it be another four years until I’m in the same room as Lorde again? Only time will tell. Right now I’m looking at my two huge tour shirts I purchased, knowing I will be able to comfortably fit in them for years to come to remember the night. I told myself that once concert tours rev up again after the height of the pandemic that I would never take “the moment” for granted again, like “the moment” when the artist or band comes on-stage to begin the set, “the moment” when your favorite song starts and you sing every word like an automated android, or “the moment” when you leave wondering the next time you’ll see a show like that one again. Lorde once asked: “What the fuck are perfect places anyway?” I believe I discovered the answer: on the floor, dead-middle, and a baseball’s throw away from her, knowing every syllable to every song, and not thinking for a single second about anything else outside of whatever venue’s doors she may be at that evening. Can you reach me? No — you can’t!
Setlist for Lorde: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lorde/2022/the-chicago-theatre-chicago-il-bb60d22.html
Setlist for Remi Wolf: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/remi-wolf/2022/the-chicago-theatre-chicago-il-7bb6767c.html
