I recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend a local show where Austin Glass and Jack Romero performed for a packed house and very excited crowd. The show was to celebrate Jack's EP release and was held at EMPIRE, a local restaurant that specializes in burgers and brewery in Naperville, IL. The venue offers performers of all ages and ranges as a source of live entertainment.
Austin Glass is a 16 year old from the city of Naperville and as he says "a heart for the city." Austin describes his history with performing as "off and on again". He has been playing guitar for seven years, and only a year ago did he start writing his own music. When I asked Austin how he would describe his music to to others his response was, "Acoustic/coffee house covers." I am interested to see how this description changes as his music progresses and he moves from covers to originals. He plans on releasing his first single before 2017 is over and releasing a full EP sometime in 2018. He is currently working with Sound Summit, a multi-purpose music studio also located in Naperville. On Saturday, Austin opened for Jack Romero and gave attendees a warm welcome to the show. With his soothing voice, Austin turned covers of what appeared to be some of the crowds favorite songs, into beautiful creations of his own. My personal favorite was "Robbers" by The 1975. Austin captured the depth and emotion of this song while still maintaining the flow of happy and playful vibes. This is very difficult to do with songs that bring out a lot of emotions in listeners. Austin not only sung throughout his performance but also played the guitar and Ukulele. His wide range of performance skills will no doubt put his ahead in his journey in the music industry. Jack Romero is a 15 year old also from Naperville, IL. He also is currently working with Sound Summit and his producer Devin Rodarte. Jack's performance history began about four years ago, as he told me that's when he really began being interested in the music industry. He has been working with his producer for about two years now. In his young age and short time with a producer, it is amazing that Jack has already released an EP of his own, and plans to release more material very soon. He says a single will likely be out in the coming months, and hopefully a full album within a few years. He says his music so far can be described as "Vibey, True, Groovy, Chill, Authentic." All of those adjectives happen to be some of my favorite words. Another favorite me and Jack shared was our favorite song on his EP, "There Is My Baby." It was quite a delight to hear this song, as well as the rest of the songs on the album on Saturday. With a strong team behind him, including Alex Arce and Devin Rodarte on guitar, Jeannine Garland on bass, and Charlie Dresser on drums. Together they created a fun, energetic, and passionate performance. From Jeannine's bright smile, to Alex and Jack's sick moves, it was quite clear that this performance was as fun for them as it was for the audience. I find that to be one of the most important qualities of a show. Seeing performers ave fun, causes the audience to want to have fun with them. Jack's playful attitude only added to to the audience's energy, whether it was screaming girls, or supportive parents. One quality that helped me drastically and was wonderful in Jack's performance was his stage coverage. He never stood in one spot for too long and truly covered all angles and spaces the stage had to offer. I look forward to seeing Austin and Jack's advancements and successes in the music industry. They will no doubt have many of them, and I am glad I will be able to witness it. They will be on my radar and I will be on the lookout for more of their performances. It is not often you find such young individuals with such drive and passion as both Austin and Jack possess. All photos of the event can be found HERE!
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North Coast was truly the best way to kick off my new life in Chicago. What made the experience even better was having my friends Krista and Ally come visit me for the weekend. It made my heart so happy that they would travel hours to come see me and come to a festival with me. Krista was wild as always and never let the day get boring. Everything is always such a crazy time with her and she always knows how to make me laugh till my stomach hurts. Ally (or Graul as I often refer to her as) had such a peaceful smile on her face the entire weekend and I'd often find myself looking at that smile and just being so happy she was there. Krista and Ally both looked amazing throughout the weekend and hearing them plan their outfits was just as exciting for them as it was for me. I love when people dress freely at festivals. They pick out super cool outfits that are also comfortable and it's just another fun aspect of music and art festivals.
One thing I really loved about North Coast were the chill vibes that echoed throughout the festivals. Of course there were people going wild, and dancing in wacky ways, but there were also so many people hanging out, drinking a beer, and listening to the music. However you wanted to experience the festival, you could. Traveling less than 30 minutes (in city traffic) from my dorm was such a nice convenience to have. I was able to meet up with friends including Hallie from back home in Detroit, and Alexa of whom I met at Lollapalooza. I seem to find them at the perfect, unexpected times and we were able to jam out together. Hallie shared her new love for festivals and I couldn't be more happy for her. The art at North Coast was what I like to call simple but extraordinary. Their use of paint, string, and furniture made me look at how I could use refurbished or "random" materials to create beautiful and interesting works of art. The venders at North Coast were also super cool. I found myself exploring these tents and looking at all the things they were selling. From scarfs, to tapestries, to bongos, to crystals, I found something that caught my attention at every single stand. The silent disco was something new to me and after North Coast I will make a much harder effort to hit them up at other festivals. Switching between the two channels/performers was a lot of fun and could have occupied me for hours. A few of my favorite moments during the performers were Post Malone, Vallis Alps, Hippie Sabotage, and Tipper. Post Malone never failed to get the crowd hype, even during the downpour of rain, and the Chicago winds that came out of nowhere. Vallis Alps had beautiful visuals, peaceful (but dancy) vibes, and such a humble stage presence. With the sun setting in the background, their set made an AMAZING transition into the final night on Sunday. Oh I was also VERY close to the stage and that was super awesome. Hippie Sabotage was a true party and I honestly cannot wait to see those wacky hippie guys again. They made me laugh with every crowd interaction from crowd surfing to bringing a girl onstage and giving her a intimate dance. Tipper was an experience unlike anything I had ever seen before. The use of lasers during this performance amazed me and had my jaw dropped for the entirety of the set. They took over the sky and trees with lines of color and it truly felt like another world. I definitely recommend checking out Tipper at a fest, even if you're a little unsure of his music like I was. His stage production will not disappoint but truly amaze you. Overall North Coast was yet another amazing festival and definitely an amazing way to end summer and begin my life in Chicago. I remember one moment specifically , as I was looking to the skyline and thought "Wow, I'm not GOING live here anymore, I DO live here." Chicago has so much to offer, and North Coast was the only the beginning. 8/10 on the Evan Scale. |
AuthorEvan Hazlett Archives
September 2017
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