Indie/Alternative Shows in Chicago

Doors open at 7PM. Performance begins at 8PM. This show is for AGES 17 AND OLDER. Valid Photo ID is required for age restricted shows. Forms of valid ID are current and non-expired Driver's License, State ID, or Passport. House of Blues Chicago is a standing room only venue, all tickets are General Admission unless otherwise stated. *All support acts are subject to change without notice.* Upgrade Your Experience: https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/hobchicago/hobwebsite

Jamila Woods is a poet, singer, and multidisciplinary artist from the South Side of Chicago. Her critically acclaimed debut album HEAVN an ode to Blackness, girlhood, and home was released by JagJaguwar Records in 2017. Her sophomore project, LEGACY! LEGACY!, features twelve tracks named after writers, thinkers, and visual artists who have influenced the creators life and work including James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni and Frida Kahlo. Her third album, Water Made Us (2023) is a genre-blending song cycle on love and the wisdom of surrender. The albums sequence is cleverly designed to echo the different stages of a relationship: the early days of easy compromising, flirtatiousness, and fun; the careful negotiation through moments of conflict or hurt; the grieving of something lost; and the tender realization at the end of it all that the person who is gone never really leaves, but stays with you as you find yourself ready to try again, refreshed and reassured. The albums sprawling 17 tracks span from autotuned RSend A Dove, to gentle acoustic folk rock on the heart wrenching Wolfsheep, to bubbly dream-pop on dance anthem Boomerang.Jamila has been featured on NPRs Tiny Desk, CBS This Morning, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She has shared stages with Corinne Bailey Rae, Rafael Saadiq, Bonobo, Common, Chance the Rapper, Brittany Howard, Macklemore, and many others. In 2022 she served as artist-in-residence at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University, teaching workshops on poetry, songwriting and live performance. An award-winning poet, Jamilas work often blurs boundaries between poem and song. As cultural critic Doreen St. Felix writes, It makes you wish all singers were poets.

PLEASE NOTE: Pricing is all-in and includes fees (before taxes if applicable). By purchasing tickets to this event, you agree to abide by the health and safety measures in effect at the time of the event. Government mandates, venue protocols, and event requirements are subject to change. For more information, please search your event on www.chicagotheatre.com. This event may have immersive elements, which may include flashing or strobe lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises, smoke and/or fog. Such elements may aggravate certain medical or physical conditions, and guests should take this into consideration if they have a history of discomfort or physical symptoms when experiencing these elements.

PLEASE NOTE: Pricing is all-in and includes fees (before taxes if applicable). By purchasing tickets to this event, you agree to abide by the health and safety measures in effect at the time of the event. Government mandates, venue protocols, and event requirements are subject to change. For more information, please search your event on www.chicagotheatre.com. This event may have immersive elements, which may include flashing or strobe lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises, smoke and/or fog. Such elements may aggravate certain medical or physical conditions, and guests should take this into consideration if they have a history of discomfort or physical symptoms when experiencing these elements.

This is an AGES 17 AND OVER event. Valid Photo ID is required for age restricted shows. Forms of valid ID are current and non-expired Driver's License, State ID or Passport. Outset is a standing room only venue, all tickets are General Admission unless otherwise stated. There is NO re-entry. There is an overall 6 ticket limit for this event.

Doors open at 530PM. Performance begins at 630PM. This show is for ALL AGES. House of Blues Chicago is a standing room only venue, all tickets are General Admission unless otherwise stated. *All support acts are subject to change without notice.* Upgrade Your Experience: https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/hobchicago/hobwebsite

Hurts Like Hell, Toronto songwriter Charlotte Cornfield s March 27, 2026 Merge Records debut, is the most open-hearted, full-voiced album of her career and the first shes recorded since the birth of her daughter in 2023. Decamping to Philip Weinrobe s Sugar Mountain studio in Brooklyn, New York in January 2025, Cornfield was joined by Palehounds El Kempner (guitar/vocals), Lake Street Drives Bridget Kearney (bass/vocals), Adam Brisbin (guitar/pedal steel), and Sean Mullins (drums). She and Weinrobe then recruited Feist , Buck Meek , Christian Lee Hutson and Maia Friedman to sing on the album. Every musician involved was a dream collaborator, Cornfield says. These ten songs are at once a reaffirmation of Cornfield standing among the great singer-songwriters of her generation and the first articulation of her future, whatever uncertainty and love it may bring______ Music for sleeping and waking, walking and driving, hunting and fishing, for loitering outside a roadhouse on the haunted tundra. Okay in elevators, not great for dinner. On Caveman Wakes Up Friendships new album and second for Merge Records, the bands historically capacious definition of country music grows wider still. Shambolic guitars are offset by flute pads, bleary poetry is set against a Motown rhythm section, a song about Jerry Garcia and First Lady Betty Ford fades out with a drum solo, like if Talk Talk came from a dingy Philadelphia basement, and was fronted by James Tate. Songwriter Dan Wriggins ragged baritone cuts through eleven murky, swirling country-rock songs with profound lyrical substance and sincerity. Like an alarm clock incorporated into the edge of a dream, Caveman Wakes Up belongs equally to the conscious and subconscious mind, fraught with background, steeped in reference and experimentation, delivered casually and as a dire warning, dedicated, above all, to musics creative soul.

Despite its title, Ratboys? new album Singin? to an Empty Chair is not defined by what?s missing. Rather, it?s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band?s sixth studio album ? its first for New West Records ? fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers ? twangy, effervescent, as confident as they?ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023?s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini?s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois.

Anna von Hausswolff is a Swedish musician and composer whose work carves out space for the celestial and the transcendent to enter into the modern world. Following her breakthrough album, Ceremony (2012), von Hausswolffs subsequent releases quickly cemented her as an artist of unpredictable and vast creativity, always moving forward, always melding tradition with experimentation in unimaginable ways. Taking the pipe organ, with its ancient whirring character, as her instrument of choice, von Hausswolfs sound has long played with the ethereal qualities of breath: of taking in, holding, and releasing it. This sometimes takes the form of colossal, doom-laden rock songs, and at other times, as intimate organpieces. On ICONOCLASTS, her sound evolves again, bringing a poppier and more vibrant element to her moving songs. ICONOCLASTS is von Hausswolfs sixth LP, and her debut release on Swedish record label YEAR 0001. Produced by von Hausswolf and longtime collaborator Filip Leyman, it is an opus of stirring movement, anthemic ritualism, and maximalist composition, marking a new chapter in von Hausswolffs music and featuring appearances from Ethel Cain, Abul Mogard, Iggy Pop and Maria von Hausswolf.ICONOCLASTS begins with brass heralding out, beckoning listeners into the boundless story that is about to unfold. Before long, von Hausswolfs first beaming vocals ring out: I came to take you back to where you came from, but thats not what you want. From this, the groundwork is set for an album of blistering, mounting tension and hard-fought, euphoric release. Addressing themes of love, freedom, and autonomy, its title, ICONOCLASTS, hints at a shattering and reimagining of the sacred personal symbols that bubble under the surface of contemporary life: commitment, time, dependency, and belief.In this pursuit, von Hausswolff chooses Atlashe who carries the worlds weight upon his shouldersas a sympathetic character. How does one find the strength to prevent collapsing in these trying moments? For von Hausswolff, it is the pursuit of the divine. She finds inspiration in the fears and contradictions that arise when one is faced with monolithic power structures and concepts. The songs on ICONOCLASTS transform these uncertain feelings into kindling for the creation of sonic bonfires of immense scale. Von Hausswolff sows her songs in the borderlands between the gargantuan and the intimate, and it is the ashes of these demolished symbols that fertilise its grounds for new possibilities.Stripping back the metallic qualities that have characterised her sound, on ICONOCLASTS, von Hausswolff breaks open the gates into a warm sound world, rich in organic, gleaming potentials. Between echoing drums, murmuring organs, and reverberating guitars, von Hausswolff herself becomes one figure in this fluttering aural space. On ICONOCLASTS, her ensemble is expanded to include the virtuoso saxophonist Otis Sandsj, who brings his swirling saxophone trills to the core of the record. With a magnetic power, her voice pulls the listener closer, offering glimpses into an emotive world of secrets and madness, of heartbreak and desire, of beauty and life. Although pushing towards new sonic territory, ICONOCLASTS features all of the signature qualities of a von Hausswolff release: mammoth intensity, crystalline iridescence, and lustrous dynamism

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM / 21+ Anna von Hausswolff is a Swedish musician and composer whose work carves out space for the celestialand the transcendent to enter into the modern world. Following her breakthrough album,Ceremony(2012), von Hausswolffs subsequent releases quickly cemented her as an artist of unpredictable and vastcreativity, always moving forward, always melding tradition with experimentation in unimaginable ways.Taking the pipe organ, with its ancient whirringcharacter, as her instrument of choice, von Hausswolfssound has long played with the ethereal qualities of breath: of taking in, holding, and releasing it. Thissometimes takes the form of colossal, doom-laden rock songs, and at other times, as intimate organpieces. OnICONOCLASTS, her sound evolves again, bringing a poppier and more vibrant element to hermoving songs.ICONOCLASTSis von Hausswolfs sixth LP, and her debut release on Swedish recordlabel YEAR0001. Produced by von Hausswolf and longtime collaborator Filip Leyman, it is an opus ofstirring movement, anthemic ritualism, and maximalist composition, marking a new chapterin vonHausswolffs music and featuring appearances from Ethel Cain, Abul Mogard, Iggy Pop and Maria vonHausswolf.

There is a delivery delay on all orders until approximately one week prior to the show. This show will be taking place inside the Shed.

I dont make spells anymore; now I make offerings.What does it mean to let go and return to yourself? This is what Offering asks, the latest album from Ibeyi. Coming four years after their third album, Spell31, the French-Cuban twins bring you on a journey of rediscovery, an evolution of sound and self. Offering is an invitation to release.Now, 12 years after their breakthrough EP Oya, Ibeyi are less interested in seeking validation; they are robust in their convictions and their art. Offering also marks Ibeyis first project since going independent, working with a number of new producers, with Naomi Diaz and Lisa-Kiand Diaz also handing over the reins of percussion and piano to a host of talented musicians.The Ibeyi stamp is still present, building on their previous EP and three albums that gained them global recognition, singing in English, French, Spanish and Yoruba alongside their enchanting vocals. And now, in Offering, we traverse through a kaleidoscope of thumping percussion and heavy bases, to subtle incantations and delicate harmonies.Through their visuals, Ibeyi invites audiences into a part of their world they have never shared before: Cuba. All shot on location in Havana, and working with local artists, musicians and their community, Offerings visuals are the manifestation of their homecoming.Grounded in the future, their latest project is a hopeful revolution of self, representing a vulnerability that can only come with growing older, accepting failure and passing through it.- Niellah Arboine

Doors open at 7PM. Performance begins at 8PM. This show is for AGES 17 AND OLDER. Valid Photo ID is required for age restricted shows. Forms of valid ID are current and non-expired Driver's License, State ID, or Passport. House of Blues Chicago is a standing room only venue, all tickets are General Admission unless otherwise stated. *All support acts are subject to change without notice.* Upgrade Your Experience: https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/hobchicago/hobwebsite

Doors @ 7PM, Performance @ 8PM This is an ALL AGES event. Aragon Ballroom is a standing room only venue, all tickets are General Admission unless otherwise stated. There is NO re-entry. https://www.aragonballroomchicago.com/

Doors: 7:00PM | Show: 8:00PM | 17+

Independent local night out.

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM / 21+ JAKE XERXES FUSSELL Over six unique and very personal studio albums, Jake Xerxes Fussell has found his musicalfuture by reimagining, reorchestrating, and reunifying the past. By combining differenttraditional music sources in a completely original way, he routinely creates fresh works of artthat are at once rooted in tradition and ingeniously modern. Recorded in North Carolina,The Old Beloved Pathwas mixed by producer Ben Whiteley, amember of the band The Weather Station who has also played bass on tour with Fussell.Friends Dominic Billett, Isa Burke, Wayne Horvitz, and Ken Whiteley add their instrumentalvoices to Fussell's singular musical amalgams. As producer, Ben Whiteley fulfilled Fussell'sdesire to make an album that was more direct: a document of musicians playing live together ina room, dwelling less in atmospherics and musical elaboration. Working together, theyintentionally limited their palette - focusing less on all the things a song could be, and honing inon the essential. In the revelatory , "rdquo" -> Every Time I Go to Town," the sprightly spider rhythms of, "rdquo" -> Boney," a traditional tune rarely played let alone recorded, and his upbeat take on anothertraditional American classic, , "rdquo" -> Boll Weevil," the overall approach is airier, focusing on buildingtextures and staying focused and direct in the art that sustains him. The songs Fussell chose forThe Old Beloved Pathare songs he has heard for years, but many ofthem felt newly illuminated - hitting different., "rdquo" -> Traditional music gets more intense the older I get. The way that I see the world is throughthese songs. The world of traditional music has been such a gift to me. If nothing else, a lifelongcompanion. "The Old Beloved Pathis in stores September 18th via Fat Possum Records

Since his acclaimed 2006 debut Gulag Orkestar, Condon has continually woven indie-folk, orchestral pop, and global influences into music shaped by wanderlust and introspection. Following the atmospheric Hadsel (2023), recorded on a remote Norwegian island, A Study of Losses continues Beirut?s evolution through an exploration of places and histories that have vanished, and what remains after they are gone. Across nearly two decades, Beirut has maintained a distinctive balance between nostalgia and reinvention?an ever-shifting reflection of places, people, and the passage of time. The 2027 North American tour marks a long-awaited return to the region and a new chapter for one of indie music?s most singular voices.

$1 per ticket goes to HER Campaign: https://hercampaign.org/about/The seventh album from Foy Vance, The Wake marks the completion of a decades-long journey defined by tireless soul-searching and life-altering revelation. While playing a gig on the Spanish island of Lanzarote in January 1999, the Northern Ireland-born singer/songwriter experienced a moment of unprecedented transcendence onstage, then learned the next morning that his father had suffered a fatal heart attack that very night. Overcome by grief and a galvanizing clarity, Vance immediately resolved to create seven albums informed by the loss of his fathera traveling preacher who moved their family to the American South when Vance was a baby, and set him on his lifes path by teaching him to play guitar early in his childhood. At turns devastating and ecstatic and wildly illuminating, The Wake reveals an artist highly attuned to the task of preserving the human spirit in an often-unforgiving world.Produced by Ethan Johns (the Brit Award-winning producer known for his work with Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, and more), The Wake brings Vances gritty vocal work to a potent convergence of folk and soul and Southern blues, instilling every moment with an unbridled vitality. In his intimate exploration of the human condition, the Scotland-based artist muses on matters both intensely personal (e.g., fatherhood, heartbreak) and wholly existential (the slippery essence of time, the looming crisis of AIs unchecked ascent). The final volume in a run of albums that began with his 2007 debut Hopeand also includes standouts like 2016s The Wild Swan (executive-produced by Elton John), 2019s From Muscle Shoals and To Memphis (recorded at the historic FAME Studios and Sam Phillips Recordings Studios, respectively), and 2021s Signs of Life (partly made at Vances home in the Scottish Highlands)the result is the purest distillation yet of his truly singular artistry, imparting a defiant joy into songs of longing and loss and hard-won acceptance.

Crowned the heir to the French Touch and dubbed by Jean-Michel Jarre himself, Simon Henner (French 79), has established himself as an essential pillar of the global electronic music scene. In the space of three foundational albums (Olympic, Joshua, and TEENAGERS), the Marseille-based producer has shaped a singular, immersive, and viscerally unifying musical universe. If his music reaches far beyond the boundaries of the techno sphere, it is thanks to its synesthetic power: his harmonic sequences and arpeggios transform sounds into emotional landscapes, creating a universal connection with his audience.Today, the impact of French 79 is reflected in staggering numbers. He gathers a community of 770,000 fans and accumulates over 1.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His first three albums have generated more than 150 million streams, driven by music videos that exceed 50 million views. He continues to rack up prestigious certifications, with two export platinum singles (Diamond Veins and Lovin Feeling), not to mention the resounding diamond single Moon, produced and co-composed for Kid Francescoli.On stage, the triumph is absolute: his last tour thrilled 180,000 spectators across 106 dates in 23 countries, with a string of sold-out shows from Paris to Los Angeles. His creative influence has also conquered new spaces: he composed the original soundtrack for Reda Katebs film Sur un fil, scores campaigns for prestigious brands (Apple, Dior, LOral, Emily in Paris), and creates monumental events, whether its the video mapping of Place Stanislas in Nancy or performing alongside Cerrone for New Years Eve on the Champs-lyses.Yet, at the peak of this effervescence, a vital need for a break emerged. Far from the protective bubble of tour life (sound engineers, managers, crowds), Simon Henner felt the urgent need to return to calm, to lose himself in order to find himself, and to listen to the silence. A huge enthusiast of extreme and outdoor sports (paragliding, kite surfing, ski touring, sailing, etc.), the artist has made radical adventure his new creative laboratory.To design his fourth album, expected by the end of 2026, French 79 relocated his studio. Fleeing software and sedentary comfort, he built his own modular synthesizer housed in a suitcase. This nomadic studio followed him into extreme environments: from his sailboat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea in the dead of night, to isolated mountain huts surrounding the 4,000-meter peaks of Chamonix.By reconnecting with a primitive and carnal relationship with electronics (plugging in cables in the freezing cold, recording sound directly to tape), he has transformed adrenaline and physical fear into musical matter. This new opus will be a philosophical quest, resonating as a double homage to the pioneers of extreme exploration and to the overwhelming immensity of nature.

Independent local night out.

Independent local night out.

Vincent Fenton is a multi-instrumentalist from France. As FKJ, aka French Kiwi Juice, his loose and colorful arrangements could soundtrack just about anything, anywhere; which is evident from his global spanning fanbase. FKJ is a Platinum-selling recording artist with over 2B streams to date, and his all encompassing visions and approach to his music create a unique, spontaneity-first delivery that shines in his complex live performances.