Photos by Andy Argyrakis

“It’s like a mini Lollapalooza!” exclaimed the jubilant Fitz And The Tantrums front man Michael Fitzpatrick in the middle of the soulful pop band’s socially distanced but no less satisfying stop at the Lakeshore Drive-In set beside the stunning downtown skyline.

Along with explosive Fort Worth rockers The Unlikely Candidates and party-starting Chicago DJ Marty Mars, the more than three-hour evening made fans forget what a bizarre year it’s been and get the closest to a communal concert experience current conditions dictate (with expanded safety measures to make absolutely anyone feel comfortable and a courteous staff, who have everything from traffic flow to food and merchandise delivery down like clockwork).

Thanks to these visionary promoters and artists willing to give it a go, it’s a trend that’s steadily picked up steam since the outdoor series rolled into the Adler Planetarium parking lot this summer and blossomed from local indie rock, hip-hop and electronic tastemakers, to touring acts of multi-platinum status, such as these “HandClap” hitmakers.

In spite of some serious wind and just a handful of gigs on the books, Fitz And The Tantrums confidently barreled through no less than 21 tunes of escalating exuberance, kicking off with the neo-soul struts of “Get Right Back,” bouncing to the sugar-rushing beats of “123456” and hurling a huge a wall of harmonies towards the new wave-leaning “Fools Gold.”

In addition to fueling the festivities, the stomping “I Need Help!” reminded everyone to make mental health a priority, while the title track to 2019’s “All The Feels” added another assertive anthem to the group’s playbook with its extremely applicable battle cries of “you win, you lose, you get back up and try again.”

As Fitz And The Tantrums brushed off prior smashes “MoneyGrabber” and “The Walker,” its namesake expressed extreme appreciation for the Windy City’s support dating all the way back to the beginning at Metro, and as the constant blowing of car horns indicated, the feeling seemed more mutual than it’s ever been.

Click here for more photos of Fitz And The Tantrums at the Lakeshore Drive-In.

For additional information on Fitz And The Tantrums, visit FitzAndTheTantrums.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Lakeshore Drive-In include Subtronics with Zia (Oct. 22); Subtronics with Bommer (Oct. 23); Subtronics with Vampa (Oct. 24); Subtronics with Al Ross (Oct. 25); Born Of Osiris (Oct. 28); Manic Focus with Mersiv (Oct. 29) and Maceo Plex with DJ Pierre (Oct. 30-21). For additional details, visit LSDriveIn.com.

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