The opener, Theo Katzman joins Lake Street Dive on stage for the final song of the night. Katzman shows off his high pitched voice with a solo. After each of the six members of Lake Street Dive got a solo of their own, now it is Katzman’s turn. He sings his heart out, and it is a celebration of vitality with the upcoming new year on the stage.
Katzman’s appearance on the stage signified Lake Street Dive’s devotion to all types of music and their importance in the band. They are an ever growing set of musicians that make up a band, all dependent on each other. Each member of the band had their own solo, with all types of instruments. They are a band that is not contained within a genre, nor do they want to be. Their strength is in numbers, and the effect was this celebration of music.
Rachael Price, the frontwoman, smiled and danced throughout the performance, but she relied on Akie Bermiss to take the vocals on a few songs, while being on the keys. Price has a jazzy alto voice, and sings about love, love and love. James Cornelison (no relation to Chicago legend Jim Cornelison, that I am aware of) played guitar and had a solo toward the end. They were especially joyful, and having tons of fun together, but I could not help feeling like I was searching for something more.
I think much of this feeling came from a superficiality with their lyrics. If you have read my other entries you will know that I put a lot of importance in lyrics, and Lake Street Dive’s do not quite do it for me. They lack depth and are awfully repetitive. They do not experiment with subject or form. They are easy to understand and are too generally relatable. They are not all bad, and certainly encourage dancing. Lake Street Dive certainly is comfortable with creating this kind of music, but the performance left me looking for more.
I enjoyed the start of the show the most, perhaps because of an eventual repetitive feeling, with songs like “Seats At the Bar” and “Baby Don’t Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts.” They played a few covers, including an acoustic “I Want You Back.” I was at the show with my cousins and they were disappointed that they did not play “Godawful Things.” They definitely enjoyed the show more than me though. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience that left me itching for something more.