The wind was roaring outside, but inside Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, the steam was rising as The Struts took the stage. A packed house raised hands and glasses to the UK glam rockers and the band returned their energy tenfold all night.
Backed by an enormous Union Jack, singer Luke Spiller pulled focus with his flamboyant outfits and swaggering stage presence. The band opened the show with three of their most prevalent singles- “Primadonna Like Me”, “Body Talks” and “Kiss This” had the room shaking and set the tone for the rest of the night.
The Struts are incredible performers, utilizing every ounce of stage room, colorful lights and bombastic instrumentals for a show like no other. Spiller urged the fans to dance and sing along, pointing out the balcony crowd to keep the momentum going. After a heavy rocking first half of the set, Spiller and guitarist Adam Slack slowed things down for an acoustic version of “Mary Go Round” from their first album.
Barely stopping to breathe, they jumped right into a massive 6-track medley that kept the audience on their toes for each change. The band put Slack front and center for his spotlight guitar solo before closing things out with “Wild Child” and “I Do It So Well”.
The audience was undeterred by this ending and soon called the band back out for a two song encore before exiting the theatre sweaty and exhilarated from the night’s events.
Check out photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
