Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi returned to Chicago this past Friday, 10/4, now as a headliner for his Fall tour with previous experience playing in the Chi including Lolla.
While Capaldi has risen in the Pop world thanks to his ability for writing heartfelt & emotionally-charged ballads, on the other side of the coin is a young man that is still getting used to his fame and is not afraid to engage in playful banter like one of us. He made sure that in between these songs about love he would interact with fans, at times telling them memorable anecdotes about the next track on the setlist or reacting to the crowd when something significant happened.
Among my favorite lines was Lewis talking after opening his show with the mighty “Grace” to ask those in attendance “do you like Rock & Roll? Well, you’re not gonna enjoy this next fucking song then” to make sure everyone in there knew exactly wtf was about to go down. Another fun moment was when he responded to seeing that a rose a fan threw on stage was plastic by saying “net time, if you’re throwing flowers, buy a fucking real one.” She quickly jabbed back with “like that rose, my love for you is undying,” and Lewis wisecracked back with “or maybe your love is like this flower, plastic, and therefore fake?” And lastly there was the time where he grabbed the phone of a girl standing in the front row and talked to her sis that was on FaceTime watching the show from home. It was all in good fun and it provided some comic relief to the intensity that surrounds his music.
The setlist was comprised almost completely by the songs that make up his debut album, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, with notable tracks including the aforementioned “Grace” as well as “One,” “Bruises,” “Hollywood,” & “Hold Me While You Wait.”
While I very much liked those performances, the song that left a lasting impact on me was seeing “Lost On You” live. This somber piano-led track has incredible lyrics about heartbreak that hit you in your soul, and the crowd would attest to that as the inspired the biggest singalong of the night. It gave me the chills. I don’t typically get that, but if a live performance can get that kind of reaction out of me, I have to share it with the world that Lewis Capaldi should be on your artists to witness the next time the opportunity presents itself.
I was having a perfectly fine week and here I was now voluntarily putting myself in an environment that invited me to get in my feelings… and though I was struggling to not let it take over me, now I wish I would’ve let my instincts steer me. I have to give Lewis Capaldi props for fostering this kind of vibe.
Photo Credit: Oscar Oliva Jr / Pursuit Of Dopeness
