And your ears shall hear…

The Walkmen played a residency of four shows at Chicago’s Metro starting on May 17th and finishing up on the 20th. I was lucky enough to grab a ticket off of StubHub for $11 after fees for the Thursday night show, and it absolutely exceeded all my expectations. For starters, frontman Hamilton Leithauser and guitarist Paul Maroon look like they have not aged a day. Honestly, both men looked incredible and sounded even better. I never realized, by the way, how much they owe Bob Dylan for his influence and style.

They set the mood with “Dónde Está la Playa” and shuffled into “On The Water” behind Matt Barrick’s intricate, moody drumming that created a ghostly beginning to the night. “Into The New Year” brought the mood up, as Hamilton’s voice warmed up and he crooned, “Oh, I’m still living at the old address/And I’m waiting on the weather, that I know will pass. I know that it’s true, It’s gonna be a good year.” It felt like a sort of rebirth for all in attendance and the band as well. Soon, we were off and running with “The Rat,” and the world seemed whole again.

Though “What’s In It For Me” was a tad slow, it was poignant, and we witnessed some incredible musicianship as Maroon showcased his single-note tremolo while sliding up and down the neck.

My two favorite songs of the night were “Little House of Savages,” or what I call “Car Outside,” and “Heaven.” Other standouts included “Juveniles” and “Canadian Girl.”

Throughout the residency, they have played songs from Jonathan Fire Eater and Recoil, which were earlier bands most of these members had played in.

I grabbed the Heaven vinyl as I left crushing on the title track. It has a great message for Americans in present time, “Remember, remember/All we fight for.” “Love Is Luck,” and Heartbreaker,” have caught my ear since the purchase but so has “Nightingales,” and “The Love You Love.”

“Our children will always hear
Romantic tales of distant years
Our guilded age may come and go
Our crooked dreams will always glow”

There is never a bad time to see The Walkmen at this point. All of the band members are accomplished musicians in their own right, but in this band, they create something to behold live.