And your ears shall hear…

The Generationals released my favorite single of 2023 in “Dirt Diamond,” and their sixth album Heatherhead was my favorite album of 2023 next to Hippo’s Wasteland EP. This is a show I was anticipating for months, so to say I was excited to see the band perform their new music would be an understatement, but it didn’t quite go down like that. What we recieved was a greatest hits show with a handful of new songs sprinkled in.

Before I get to the review I have to mention something that seemed sort of peculiar. I reached out to the PR person, as I normally do when blogging, hoping to review the show and have a photographer shoot photos, but I was swiftly turned down. A woman from The Glow responded saying “we’ll have to pass,” as “our list is maxed out for this one.” Funny thing is, the place was empty and I didn’t see another person taking photographs. Regardless, I told myself, “I’ll grab a ticket and hobble together iPhone photos. I’m not going to miss this show!”

On arrival for the opening band mmeadows, I really was shocked at how empty the ‘Hall was. The General’s last trip through Lincoln Hall was a sold-out affair, packed to the gills, but tonight I literally walked up to the front and leaned on the railing, taking photos and marveling at the vocal prowess of lead singer Kristin Slipp (Dirty Projectors) and wondering what that weird horn type of instrument Cole Kamen-Green (Beyoncé) was playing throughout the band’s set. Consisting of just two members, the band put out a full sound and got us ready for the headliners, the Generationals, who took a while to warm up.

Something was missing as they muddled through the first half of their set. While ordering a drink, I overheard a fan telling the bartender that the set was low energy. I had to agree. This was a slow start for an upbeat band that seemed so energized at Lincoln Hall. He remarked that the sound mix was better at LH and I agreed that it sounded “fuller,” but that they are completely different rooms, and Thalia Hall felt like more of an echo chamber in the band’s defense. He smiled and said “I’ve been promising my girlfriend that they will bring more energy for her,” to which we all started laughing, and they did.

About the time they played their lead single “Dirt Diamond,” the energy in the room seemed to change. The crowd was now singing the hook, “Are you ok, Dirt Diamond? Take me away, Dirt Diamond,” and the boys woke up from their Thursday night slumber.

Not sure how it affected this Chicago crowd, but prior to this point, we had only heard two songs from Heatherhead: “Eutropius (Give Me Lies),” a sunny seventies jam that felt uplifting, and opener “Hard Times for Heatherhead.” When you have a vast catalog, it’s hard to know what to play. Especially when you put out a new album and people look forward to hearing the new material performed live. A part of me wonders whether the crowd was waiting for new songs or if the audience just didn’t know some of the more obscure ones. Also, the band tours quite a bit and maybe wanted to revisit songs they haven’t performed often or ever. The set, in general, was Heza heavy as they sprinkled in four tracks from their 2013 release, including “Durga II,” “Kemal,” “Put A Light On It,” which got one of the biggest crowd responses of the night, and “Spinoza,” another crowd favorite.

We did get “Death Chasm” which has become my favorite song from Heatherhead since the show, and was well received by the audience. It was bombastic and melodic all at the same time. Drummer Eric Rogers pounded the skins, while guitarist Grant Widmer sang a melodic verse that hovered just above the propelling bass of Jonny Campos and the keyboard tricks displayed by Ted Joyner who took liberties sampling his chords, stretching notes, and scratching them like a DJ scratches records over beats. Joyner found his happy place during this song, creating danceable moments and new sounds by distorting keystrokes and twisting knobs, it was something to witness and be heard.

“Oh money there’s so many things I’ll never learn/Say when to save something and when to let it burn.” Widmer’s lyrics are nothing short of inspiring on “Death Chasm” as he ponders the afterlife, “They tell you not to base your worth upon material effects when nothing but the soul survives/But until we get to sail beyond the veil and leave the physical/Everybody needs to be alive.” It’s a great song that’s hard to get out of your head. They encored with “Desperado,” which they coupled with “Yours Forever,” and then gave us “Xeno Bobby,” and left us feeling happy with the song that put them on the map, “When They Fight They Fight.”

Both Joyner and Widmer are incredibly talented songwriters who write relatable lyrics and fun pop songs, and that’s why I was there. I’m a gigantic fan of the band, and have seen them several times. But, on this night they seemed tired, just going through the motions. It felt more greatest hits, than brand new record, and that’s ok. But, I would love to see them come back and rock the fuck out of Heatherhead, from top to bottom.