Real Friends is one of my all-time favorite bands, from their raw and honest lyrics to their goofy personalities. They know how to put on an amazing show while still being one hundred percent authentic to themselves. This past Friday in Chicago was honestly no different. I’d do (almost) anything for this band. I mean, I went to their Madison show just this past October and then decided I needed to photograph their Chicago show in November. The entire show was pure perfection. The openers were all equally amazing and made sure that crowd was warmed up before Real Friends took the stage.
Kicking it off, Slow Joy played. I’ve seen him three times this year and I can honestly say, each time I see him, he gets better and better. The energy he bought was absolutely perfect in kicking off the beginning of the night and I knew it was only going to get better. It’s so much fun getting to see artists continue to grow and being able to photograph them again in a much bigger setting.
Next up was Carly Cosgrove and I love them so much. This is my third time photographing them and second time they’re appearing on The Concert Chronicles, in the same year. Wild! It was a little sad not getting to see their customized ‘Fuck Dan Schneider’ drum kit on stage, especially since not everyone was familiar with the band or the backstory and references on the band name. I snagged a sticker which was a plate of Spaghetti Tacos and unexpectedly got my hands on their setlist. These keepsakes are going to be kept forever. “Fluff My Pillow” has been stuck in my head now since the show, oops! There were a handful of people on stage right side that were losing their minds the whole set. It was so much fun to watch. On the other side of the pit, there was a little circle pit.
The last opener was Can’t Swim. I’m going to be honest, the first time I saw them was in a decent sized sports arena and the sound was not great. I left their set thinking that was so bad and I never want to see them again. This was my third time seeing them this year in a smaller-mid-sized venue and my mind has definitely changed around. They sounded great, they performed great, their energy was so good. They were absolutely so dynamic on stage which makes for amazing photos. Floored by how much better they sounded in comparison to the memory I have from almost six years ago. I’ll definitely be excited to see more of them now. The first crowd surfer made an appearance and they only kept coming afterwards.
Finally, it was time; time for Real Friends to come out. Before they could, the curtains were closed. By start time, the stage was transformed. There were so many lights and some cute fluffy clouds hanging around. It was such a great setup. I love seeing bands with their different setups and backdrops, it really adds to their set and provides an atmospheric feeling of personal moments with the bands when they all have their own.
They kicked off the night opening with “Our Love Was Like a Sad Song” and the crowd’s energy multiplied by ten as soon as it started. Honestly, the whole set was great. The crowd was mostly rad. I watched a few super drunk crowd surfers try to jump the stage or refuse to leave the pit when told. Don’t be like them, it’s not recommended. That’s a guaranteed way to just be evicted from the venue entirely.
Real Friends also played a little riff of a cover song which was especially fun. The confusion amongst the people was especially entertaining before the realization hit that they weren’t playing an original. I love a good cover. I wish more bands played them, it’s especially perfect for a smaller opening band. It gets everyone involved and singing along. PSA to all bands, play more covers, I support them!
Anyways, if you’d haven’t seen Real Friends live, you should. Just go, you won’t be disappointed. I know I’ll be at another one of their shows in the future. Here’s to hoping they come to see me in Milwaukee though because traveling to Chicago isn’t cheap. They already wrapped up this tour so follow every band on social media to stay up to date on their next whereabouts.
REAL FRIENDS | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE
CAN’T SWIM | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE
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