Follow the Flow of Mo Lowda and the Humble at Thalia Hall
On March 22nd, Thalia Hall was rumbling with energy and excitement in anticipation of Mo Lowda and The Humble.
Bright Light Social Hour first took the stage. They began their set by asking the crowd if they could “take it to outer space?” before launching into “Not New” from their newest album Emergency Leisure. Each song flowed into one another, creating a fluid, psychedelic experience for the audience. It was hard to tell where one song ended and the next began, allowing us to become fully immersed into the flow of the music. The acid rock band had a palpable flow and charisma that made the music even more exciting. Bassist Jackie O’Brien and guitarist Curtis Roush seemed to battle each other, riffing off what the other was giving. They announced the coming of their next album later this year, Prefecture, and there was chatter of excitement from the people around me. They closed the set with an homage to their home city, Austin, TX, in the form of their hit song “Shanty.” The crowd went wild for the country-psychedelic-rock tune of the song and quickly began singing along. As they ended, all of Bright Light Social Hour came together to end the song in unison; the lights cut and they exited the stage as the crowd kept cheering, urging for more.
By the time it was Mo Lowda and the Humble’s time to take the stage, the venue was packed with people and excitement for the music they were about to experience. There was a loud reverberation that bounced between the walls of Thalia Hall as the lights became red; intense cheering came from the crowd as we all realized this is the moment we have been waiting for. Jordan Caiola (vocalist), Shane Woods (drummer), Jeff Lucci (bassist), and Kirby Sybert (keyboardist) all took the stage and immediately launched into their first song, “Standing in Place.” After the bang of this first song, Caiola created a rapport with the audience, greeting us with an excited “Hello CHICAGO!” and calling for us to sing along to the songs that we knew. The crowd went wild for Lucci’s guitar solo during “Card Shark” as he shredded, looking right into the soul of the audience.
As I looked around, I saw everyone swaying to the rhythms of the rock band’s performance. The heartfelt and earnestness of the lyrics and vocals coupled with their alt-rock music style created a perfect harmony. They danced their way around the stage, encouraging the audience to join into their fun. During their performance of “Beachtown,” every bandmate turned towards drummer Shane Woods and danced right to him; pumped up, Woods went equally as hard back to them, creating a magical unspoken communication between each of the players. After the song “All Good Fun,” Caiola tells the audience it is time for things to “get a little weird” as he striped off his button-up shirt into just his white tee, and we knew the music is going to get even more pumped up as they launch into “Coast is Waiting” and “Restive.” The music seemed to be touching everyone in different ways; some people were moved to tears while others were going all out in full body dance moves at the barricades.
At the end of the set, they slowed it down with a heartfelt solo of “Shenandoah,” the most popular song from their newest self-titled album, performed by lead singer Caiola. The sincerity of his tone was felt throughout the venue as silence enveloped the crowd in a communal calm moment. After the stage was cleared, the crowd wanted more and began shouting for an encore for which the band excitedly jumped back onto the stage to give us what we were asking for. They performed their most popular song, “Lunar Guidance,” to which the crowd came together and sang along to. I felt serenaded not only by the musical talent of Mo Lowda and the Humble but also by the sheer joy of the crowd around me.
The atmosphere at Thalia Hall last Friday night was exhilarating all thanks to Mo Lowda and the Humble. Their sheer musical talent left people speechless as they left the venue. This wonderful group of artists know how to perform and involve the crowd in an exciting one-of-a-kind rock experience.