Thalia Hall has got to be one of my favorite venues in town. Built in the late 1800’s and modeled after the Prague opera house, it is bubbling over with charm, beauty, and character! It only seems fitting that a band of equal allure would set up camp at the venue May 23-24. Local Natives has been one of my favorite bands to see live for years. While their recorded material is certainly something to celebrate, their live sets are unbeatable. The sounds are richer, the harmonies are more passionate, and the humble personalities of the band members help to make the night unforgettable.

Local Natives has the luck of being plagued with an abundance of talented singers. Both Taylor Rice (vocals and guitar) and Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboard, percussion, guitar) have brilliant singing voices and when accompanied by the harmonized voices of the rest of the band, the effect is magnified and booming. The setlist was well-balanced to include both songs from their newest album, Violet Street, as well as signature pieces from the rest of their catalogue. While fans obviously gravitate towards old fan-favorites, the crowd sang, danced, and swayed along throughout the entirety of the set as they heard the new matieral live for the first time. The band thanked Chicago for always being so kind and supportive, and said that we have been too good to them. On the contrary, we owe Local Natives gratitude for consistently making beautiful music that makes us feel more alive. Cheers to fantastic set in a beautiful venue with wonderful people!

Review and photos by Abby Walter