Braving a literal tornado on a Monday night, fans flocked to Subterranean in Chicago to see Crawlers, an alt rock quartet from the U.K. This is the band’s first ever U.S. tour following a sold out U.K. tour, and during the performance lead singer Holly Minto shared that they’re driving across the country in a Chevrolet van. Unapologetically themselves, the band created an atmosphere where the audience could also be the same.
The majority of the audience seemed to be younger, many hands had a Sharpie drawn “X” on them. Additionally, there were a decent amount of parents accompanying them, making for a unique crowd dynamic. My partner and I arrived just as the opening band, Thus Love, took the stage. They were extremely energetic, and following the show I immediately headed to Spotify to add their music to my playlist.
One thing about both Thus Love and Crawlers is that both bands are openly queer, and the audience reflected that. At one point a few people held up a pride flag with “CRAWLERS” sprawled across it, and several others waved small pride flags throughout the show. A young girl in front of me was there with her dad, and she proudly waved a pride flag all throughout “Come Over (Again)” while her dad took a video of her. It was really heartwarming to be in such a welcoming and positive environment, and I saw a younger version of myself in a lot of the young queer kids in the audience.
Throughout the show, lead singer Holly Minto did a phenomenal job of interacting with the crowd and keeping everyone engaged. The venue was intimate, but the band’s energy is what made the show feel so personal. It felt like a gathering of friends, and that energy is rare to find at shows these days. Despite Holly expressing that they had been sick recently, she still managed to give the performance her all. My favorite part of the show was when she brought out a trumpet, I didn’t know they played any other instruments besides guitar. It was an awesome surprise, and really added to the performance.
It was guitarist Amy Woodall’s birthday, and not only was the audience decked out in party hats, but the band also gave her a cake later in the show. Complete with everyone singing “Happy Birthday” and Amy blowing out the candles, it was a great birthday celebration. The energy throughout the night remained electric, and at one point the band got everyone in the house to kneel down. Even some of the people on the top floor! Everyone then jumped and danced together when the upbeat part of the song kicked in, and it was wonderful.
Despite the hazardous weather, it was a show that was well worth the treacherous journey to get to the venue. It was a relatively short concert as well, so I was home before 10 PM, and as someone with a 9-5 office job, I’ll never complain about getting home early. Everything about this show was perfect: the venue, the audience, the performances, and especially the energy. I’ll be listening to “Placebo” on repeat for the next few weeks and remember Holly dancing around stage holding a squishmallow that a fan gifted them towards the end of the show.
