by Caitlin Dennis | June 9th , 2025

All images are from The Kook’s - North American Tour in Chicago, IL on 6/9/25.

This week in Chicago kicked off with a Monday night show at the Vic Theatre. The Kooks and Lovelytheband made their stop in Chicago, just about half way through their US leg of their world tour. If the band’s name rings a bell, you may know The Kooks from their most streamed song on Spotify ‘Naive’. That song has been a staple on my karaoke playlist since I can remember. They have been a leading name in the indie rock scene (at least they definitely were in my circles growing up) and it was a super cool experience to get to see them perform live.

The show was a great way to kick off the week, and I appreciate the early start time of 7 for a weekday show. It's always exciting when I can get back home in time to get a full eight hours of sleep. The show was relocated from the Salt Shed to the Vic Theatre which provided a bit of a more intimate experience with the band. This was my first time at the Vic and it's a charming venue with a floor that has three staggered levels (a short person’s dream in a floor scenario, it was nice to be able to see over the people in front of me.) and a seated balcony as well. A perfect venue for this type of show.

Fans began to pile in and as the air began to buzz, it came time for Lovelytheband to play their set! Lovelythe band is an LA originated indie rock band who you may recognize from their songs ‘broken’, ‘make you feel pretty’, and ‘these are my friends’ off of their 2018 album “finding it hard to smile” which really shot them up in their popularity in the scene after their first ep release. They certainly know how to put on a show! They found a way to make the most of an opening set, leaving you wanting more but still feeling like you got the whole lovelytheband experience. I can’t wait to get to see them play a full set and hear some more of my favorite tunes from them. The set was full of energy and got the crowd buzzing.

Next, it was the Kooks' time to set foot on stage. Cheers erupted and didn’t really stop the whole show. The vocals were recording worthy and the crowd control was great! They had the crowd in the palm of their hands the whole show. They just released a new album this year and we got to hear some of the new songs live for the first time on this tour, along with plenty of the classics. ‘Ooh La’, ‘Bad Habit’, and ‘Jackie Big Tits’ all made their way onto the setlist to fans' excitement. An acoustic set with just lead singer Luke Pritchard left on stage with a keyboard had everyone take a breath and gave a great flow into the later half of the show. Of course the set would not be complete without the whole room singing along to ‘Naive’ to end the night. It was a privilege to finally see them live and I hope they keep at it for years to come!