Article and Photos by Nathan Hogg
There’s a common cliché in the “y’allternative” and indie-folk scene that every promising new artist is “the second coming of Jason Molina.” Greg Freeman, whose 2022 debut I Looked Out earned him a place among indie rock’s most promising songwriters, is no stranger to the comparison. Saturday night, that resemblance was hard to ignore as Freeman wailed his way through “Long Distance Driver.”
Originally from Burlington, Vermont, and now based in Chicago, Freeman has spent the past few years carving out his own place somewhere between alt-country, indie folk, and noisy guitar rock. His latest album, All Set the Bone, arrived October 2, barely a year after 2025’s Burnover. The record marks another step away from the comparatively restrained sound of his debut, embracing distorted guitars and sprawling arrangements without abandoning the songwriting that made his earlier work so compelling. Saturday’s performance, part of the tour supporting the new record, brought that evolution into full view.
Freeman is far more than another songwriter indebted to Molina, though. On All Set the Bone, he trades some of that drone and melancholy for something louder and punchier. Saturday, he leaned into that sound, thundering through “Hail Mary” and “Cahokia” like he still had something to prove. Scattered throughout were flashes of trumpet and the familiar droning chords of his earlier work, but it was Freeman’s voice that held everything together. He spent much of the night wailing over the band, his vocals somehow retaining their clarity even as the instrumentation threatened to swallow them whole.
The crowd seemed unable to take their eyes off him, and for good reason. Even at its loudest, the performance never felt like noise for noise’s sake. Songs “Long Distance Driver” and “Marooned” served as bookends for the full-throttle rock-and-roll arrangements, and Freeman provided funny commentary throughout, asking audience members what they planned to dress as for Halloween, and making sure everyone was having a good time. Judging by their enthusiasm, there was no reason to worry.
Hello Shark opened the night with several somber numbers from their upcoming album The River, as well as some unreleased material, including “You Were Right” and “The River.” Their mellow, understated performance provided a fitting contrast to the considerably louder set that followed. Hello Shark also joined Freeman for the next stop of his tour in Madison.
For all the comparisons to his predecessors, Freeman’s performance made a convincing case for judging him on his own terms. He may share Molina’s gift for melancholy, but Saturday night demonstrated that he’s also one hell of a rock musician.
PHOTO PASS: GREG FREEMAN AT LINCOLN HALL
