Caroline Rose Triumphantly Returns to Thalia Hall
By Clara Copps
Tuesday is usually a quiet night in Pilsen, but this week Thalia Hall was buzzing with
energy in anticipation for indie powerhouse Caroline Rose. “I think this is my favorite
venue”, she said about the iconic Chicago concert hall. She performed at Thalia Hall
last spring to accompany the release of her 2023 album The Art of Forgetting, and is
heading back out on the road this year for another US tour.
Opening up the show was Montreal band La Force, spearheaded by vocalist Ariel
Engle. Part concert, part performance art, La Force began their set with various audio
recordings featuring vocal warmups, children playing, a life insurance policy, and the
sound of the ocean in Portugal. Eventually, Ariel’s voice slid into focus as she took over
and led into the hauntingly beautiful tracks from their latest album, XO Skeleton.
La Force had a screen set up with visuals in the background that complemented the
topics of their different songs, including dancing silhouettes, human anatomy diagrams,
and a mysterious goo piling up on the floor. The complete package of the carefully
choreographed movements and Ariel’s crystal-clear voice blew me away and
underscored the artistry and talent of this band.
After a short break, Caroline Rose’s four-person band emerged onto the stage to cheers
from the audience. They also had a row of curtain-like parallel screens set up, adding to
their stage presence. Caroline started off the night with Tell Me What You Want, a
powerful and heartbreaking song about being broken up with. She continued to bring
the intensity with Miami, the bass-heavy chorus slamming into your chest, and the
paradoxical Everywhere I Go I Bring the Rain, which layers self-deprecating lyrics onto
a shimmery melody.
They followed this up with a few more solemn tracks from The Art of Forgetting before
switching gears and moving into some songs from their 2018 release Loner. This
marked a turning point in the night where Caroline had a much more playful tone
throughout the rest of her show, dancing a lot more on stage and interacting with the
audience. In the middle of Money, she interrupted the set to give a monologue on how
artists messing up on stage will become a hot commodity in the age of artificial
intelligence, and ironically suggested that the audience Venmo her every time she
makes a mistake.
This switch was even demarcated by a switch in the visuals, moving from flames, lava
and monster trucks to slow moving icebergs, flowing water, and breezy fields. During
Jeannie Becomes a Mom, the singer hopped around the stage, announcing her goal to
sing the whole song standing on one foot. Even though Caroline claimed that they are
“not a stand-up comedian”, their deadpan humor had the audience chuckling along and
made for a fun show.
The band ended the show with The Kiss, a steady march that culminated in Caroline
crowd surfing a lap around the audience. Somehow, she succeeded in making this an
emotional and intense moment, even though crowd surfing is usually associated with
high energy and chaos. After a brief break the band came back onstage for the
customary encore, where they performed Where Do I Go From Here?, the final track
from The Art of Forgetting. This was a fitting close to the concert, the open-ended song
a powerful statement about moving forward from a painful event.
This is clearly not Caroline Rose’s first rodeo, as I was blown away by the way they
confidently commanded the stage. I’d recommend their music to fans of bands like
Japanese Breakfast, Tennis, and Soccer Mommy. You can find her on Spotify and
Apple Music.