Caroline Rose performs at Thalia Hall in Chicago on April 16, 2024.
It’s hard to be human during a time when AI is creeping into every facet of life. People are fighting to keep up with the speed and perfection of technology while also contending with so much suffering, heartbreak, grief, and pain. But, there’s beauty in mistakes and joy in chance encounters, especially when one finds themselves surrounded by the good vibes that Caroline Rose brings to the stage, and even more so when that stage is located at Thalia Hall in Chicago.
“I think this is my favorite venue to play like maybe in the world. It’s so good. You guys have know idea how good you have it,” said Rose during an April 16 concert. “I feel like we have a magic juju here. I really think a big chunk of that is because the people who work here who are amazing.”
Rose spent the first half of the 90-minute setlist sharing songs like “Tell Me What You Want,” “The Doldrums,” and “Stockholm Syndrome” from The Art of Forgetting, which was released back in 2023. Though the album conjures feelings of loss, in the live setting the meditative music brought people together in an uplifting understanding that while we all get hurt, we can also bounce back with new armor. No song better highlighted the metamorphosis of sadness to survival to strength better than “Miami.” The loud-soft dynamics perfectly built into the affirmative declaration, “You’ve gotta get through this life somehow,” which found everyone on the floor singing along in agreement.
Caroline Rose performs at Thalia Hall in Chicago on April 16, 2024.
Rose often took time out to chat with the crowd. Along with revealing some of the bands’ adventures at the strip club, pondering how the influence of The B-52s manifests in the music, and lamenting the ever-present scourge of Ticketmaster fees, Rose also shared some thoughts on AI and live music.
“AI is becoming more and more prominent in everything, our whole existence. Everything is just like perfect all the time. Everything’s so fucking perfect, like Taylor Swift. Is she human? Is she cyborg? Is she a robot? Is she AI? Is she a hologram? We don’t know,” said Rose. “But I actually think, mark my words, you heard it here first. I’m patenting this thought that musicians fucking up on stage is gonna become a commodity. Remember when ripped jeans became really expensive? Musicians fucking up on stage is gonna be a hot ticket item. So this is why you should pay us every time we fuck up.”
Elsewhere in the set, Rose revisited their rock roots with “Getting to Me” and “More of the Same,” the latter of which the singer-songwriter performed while standing only on one leg. Later, the sleek synth-pop of the Superstar era had everyone moving on the infectious “Feel the Way I Want” before easing into the disco sounds of “Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?”
Caroline Rose performs at Thalia Hall in Chicago on April 16, 2024.
Humor weaved through every interlude as Rose marveled at Thalia Hall’s box seats, going on to impersonate Statler and Waldorf – the opinionated Muppet duo who love to heckle.
“What even is this? Is it pop? Is it rock? Is it folk? People can’t even choose a genre these days,” Rose said in a cantankerous Muppet-esque voice mocking the critiques that are often hurled at genre-defying artists.
It was clear from this Tuesday night concert in Chicago, that fans love how Rose refuses to be defined by any one genre or restricted by an algorithm’s idea of music. It is a rare feat for an artist to provide an experience that inspires laughter, tears, dancing, and even crowd-surfing in the span of one setlist, but Caroline Rose is a rare talent.
Check out photos from Caroline Rose’s April 16 show at Thalia Hall – with support from La Force – below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information can be found at Carolinerosemusic.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
