With all the summer festivals in the city it’s easy to overlook some of the other equally awesome shows happening in Chicago. And, not to be easily overshadowed by events like Taste of Chicago and Pitchfork, House of Vans continues its headliner-curated-series of concerts in Chi-Town’s West Loop with Unknown Mortal Orchestra on July 27, whom coincidentally are making this the last stop of their American tour; and, you can be one of the lucky ones to see them for F-R-E-E.
A collaboration between Ruban Nielson, Jacob Portrait, and Quincy McCrary, Unknown Mortal Orchestra is a Psychedelic Rock and R&B band originally founded in New Zealand. They are currently on their fourth studio album, have a win for Best Alternative Album at the New Zealand Music Awards and their latest album Sex & Food is considered one of the best albums of 2018 by BBC Radio, as many fans might agree.
This year, the Vans’ House Parties differ from prior events because the featured headlining artist also acts as musical curator, hand-picking their supporting acts in an effort to elevate emerging talent and give fans an unmatched audio-visual experience. The openers chosen by the headliner are unsigned talent and, in this case, Unkown Mortal Orchestra has elected Shamir and True Blue to complement their show.
Shamir is a DIY pop star and Las Vegas native who finds his musical inspiration in “outsider music, country and punk” and his track On the Regular (video below) garnered a great following and a cool 5 Million views on YouTube. But his new album Revelations features a darker, electro indie rock feel that sets it apart.
Unfortunately, reliable info on the Google and Facebook machines was MIA for True Blue but given that this artist was personally picked by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, it is more than apparent that visitors to House of Vans on July 27 are in for a unique and enlightening musical treat. After this, Unknown Mortal Orchestra is off to Europe, so this may be your last chance to see them for a while.
The House of Vans shows are held at the Vans indoor skate park located at 113 N Elizabeth St, Chicago, IL 60607. But don’t be fooled by the term “skate park”, the venue is on point with several bars, lounging areas, kick-ass sound and an intimate stage. Oh, and did I mention that these shows are FREE? All you need to do is RSVP at the link below and get there plenty early because lines are long and entry is first come, first served.