Vintage Trouble at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL

It’s been a long time coming, but Vintage Trouble made a welcome return to Chicago, and it felt as if they’d never been away.

The “Troublemakers” came out to celebrate Vintage Trouble‘s return to the Windy City. It has been two years since they were last in town, but during that time they released some new music in the form of Chapter II – EP I & EP II. 

Getting straight down to business, they opened their set with “Total Strangers” from their debut album, The Bomb Shelter Sessions which set the party atmosphere for the night ahead. If you’ve ever been to a Vintage Trouble show before, you’ll know exactly what we are talking about. If you walk through the door not knowing a soul, you’ll for sure walk back out knowing most of the audience in the venue. There is an extremely strong sense of camaraderie with the fans and the band alike. The brotherhood on stage extends out to the very back of the music hall. 

It is impossible to see these guys live and stand still. At the very least, your foot will be tapping but it would be very surprising if you don’t find yourself singing and dancing along. Their blend of blues, rock, soul and R&B give them a unique sound. The energy exuded by Ty Taylor is infectious. The moment the first notes of “Run Like The River” rang out, he was off the stage and up on the balcony in no time at all. A minute later he was crowd-surfing and doing forward rolls on top of the sea of hands that helped steer him back to the stage. He is a fire cracker of a performer, constantly on the move and not standing still for a minute. If ever there’s a frontman that grabs your attention and keeps tight hold of it, it’s Ty Taylor. 

Due to the strict curfew they fired through the set, trying to cram in as many songs as they could. They included songs from their most recent releases, such as “Knock Me Out” and “Crystal Clarity,” however the majority of the set was comprised of fan favorites from The Bomb Shelter Sessions. There’s something incredibly special about seeing them perform “Run Outta You.” This song is one of Nalle Colt’s moments to shine, and boy, does he?! If ever you want to see a guitarist totally lost in the moment during his solo, this is it! All work stress and life worries are completely forgotten as you get immersed in the beautiful tones ringing out from his enchanting guitar. A truly impassioned performance. 

Something that shines out throughout their performance is the passion for what they do. During all the shows we have seen them perform at (and there have been quite a few) not once have they ever looked like they were just dialing it in or didn’t want to be there. Whether they are on the stage at Lincoln Hall or Wrigley Field, you get the same enthusiastic show. This is just one of the many reasons why the energy is reciprocated from the crowd. 

It might have been an early finish for the show, but it’s doubtful that anyone was able to get an early night after being fired up from a performance like that. Here’s hoping they don’t leave so long until they come back around.