Chastity Belt at Lincoln Hall

Few things are as exciting to me than having new music sent my way. Whether it’s an album, a single track, a music video— I’ll give them each an equal chance. I love discovering new music, and I appreciate nothing more than those who think of me when they uncover a new tune. Chastity Belt is one of these bands: a pure recommendation. They might have found their way to me in another facet, my most common and pillaged was that of Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlists. It was their album, No Regerts (it was misspelled on purpose), was sent to me and upon a walk around town, I consumed the whole thing, and loved every ounce of it. 

Their most recent show at Lincoln Hall was almost entirely pulled from their most recent album, which was self-titled. I only listened to it through a few times on my laptop. I wasn’t as affected by it as their previous work. However, live, the music felt much fuller and more developed. The whole band displayed their musical chops. At one point the lead singer and drummer switched spots in the middle of the show, without a flinch. There was barely a falter in the tone and pace of the show. I had never seen such a thing. After a few songs, they switched back without a wrinkle in the show. 

I had an obsessive personality when it came to popular culture. I didn’t just love my favorite bands; I was full-on married to them. I was devoted, a sworn protector of them. I simply couldn’t help this. It was purely the way I was hardwired. Because of this, when I went to concerts. I normally had a solid grasp on the whole world, I knew every band member’s entire life story. I knew all of the footnotes of the performance. Even for musicians I was not as enamored with, I usually know more about their lore and history. With Chastity Belt, a band that I was a much more casual listener to, I decided to go in blind, letting myself discover things along the way.

I only really knew that one album, and even so it came out in 2013 and there was a slim chance that they were going to play the majority of the album. I loved the edginess and the gruff of their previous work and the new album felt like one long song, mellow and spacey. It was still cool, but not what I was expecting from them. 

The band walked out on stage to the theme song from Sex and the City, and immediately launched into a song that didn’t particularly match the fervor of that iconic opening. Each song had tight harmonies and dissonant guitars. Since the setlist featured primarily new material, all of their songs sounded woven from the same yarn, to create a mosaic of memories all tied together in this hazy dreamscape they created on a chilly Chicago evening.  

Their music all felt incredibly geographic, like each line and strum of the guitar could easily be puzzle-pieced into a specific latitude and longitude coordinate. Most of them felt like the perfect soundtrack to accompany every sunset beach trip. At times the music felt sleepy, almost like some sort of indie lullaby, like a cool oscillating fan on your face as you dozed off. 

The visuals and the lighting were also deliberate and fitting for the music. There were harsh pink lights on the band members for long periods of time and were a harsh distinction from the gentle music they were playing themselves. A lot of the projections behind the band consisted of spinning circles or rotating flowers, they were all incredibly hypnotic, fitting alongside the music. I thought that wave or water visuals would have also been very affective, especially since they did sound similar to the band Beach House. 

The only songs I really knew weren’t until the very end, so I felt strange, usually I knew the majority of the lyrics. I felt like such a fake fan. But then again, did it really matter that I didn’t know every single band member’s history and everything about their production? Maybe not. I looked the part with my short bangs and my Dr. Martens, but I still felt strange. It was an interesting experience; it forced me to be present, taking in all of the information in one fell swoop. It made me guess how old the band members were and where they were from. It allowed me to be surprised, in a way that I normally didn’t experience at concerts. 

I loved watching the die-hard fans at the front that were having the time of their lives, I knew that energy and it heightened the experience for me. I was able to familiarly put myself in their shoes. So, friends, family, mortal enemies, send me your music recommendations, I want to go to more concerts.