Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL
Oct. 27th, 2022
By Colette Custin
Led by the soulful voice of Sameer Gadhia clad in an all-white ensemble, American rock epics Young the Giant graced the stage at the Aragon Ballroom on Thursday night. Far from their humble beginnings in Irvine, California back in 2004, a full house amidst the painted stars was an appropriately themed venue for their performance. The iconic orange Amaranthus garlands wrapped around each of their mics seemed to reflect a new hope after the darkness we all experienced during the pandemic.
The quartet covered a fan-friendly mix of each of their albums, including American Bollywood: Acts I, II, III and IV, Mind Over Matter, Home of the Strange, Mirror Master, and their self-titled epic released in 2010. Each of the four “acts” throughout the performance signaled a change of emotion, lighting, and tone. The crowd cheered for the Bollywood ballads, and especially rose to the occasion for the discography’s classics in “Apartment” and “Cough Syrup.”
Young the Giant’s latest album American Bollywood brought a renewed reflection of the band’s collective identity over the past few years. The songs felt much like poetry, honoring the past and looking toward the future. Dance anthem “Dollar $tore” had the crowd grooving, while a softer “Guardian Angel” calmed all there under the painted stars. The variety across the band’s discography left us fans looking with excitement toward the band’s future.
Setlist:
American Bollywood
Wake Up
Something to Believe In
Apartment
Guardian Angel
My Way
Cough Syrup
The Walk Home
Call Me Back
Dollar $tore
Cult of Personality
Heat of the Summer
Nothing’s Over
Tonight
Otherside
Tightrope
Dancing In The Rain
My Body
Encore:
Superposition
Mind Over Matter
Silvertongue
