Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Outside of a sole Spice Girls reunion, Melanie C hasn’t been to Chicago since her “Northern Star” landed at House Of Blues in 2001, making multiple generations of fans clamor for a chance to catch the global icon is as relatively intimate of an environment as the Concord Music Hall.

And considering the club was near capacity, the “Sweat” was certainly flowing on the dance floor when the pop/rock/electronic vocal powerhouse flawlessly performed much of that entire new project and plenty from the multi-platinum past.

In fact, Melanie C came out swinging like an “Undefeated Champion” from the second the strobe lights started flashing and quickly empowered everyone to know they were “Free To Love,” even after a painful break-up.

More bangers were in apply supply, including “Til It Breaks,” “Emotional Memory,” “Attitude” and “Pressure,” pointing to the seasoned entertainer’s ability to indeed stir up a steady stream of feels set to a euphoric soundtrack.

Those hoping to catch a slice of “Sporty Spice” had a trio of chances, starting with the acoustic sing-a-long “Say You’ll Be There,” a significant contributor to more than 100 million records sold.

From the early days on her own, “Never Be The Same Again” served as a fitting companion, followed by recent rave-ups “Sweat,” “Flick Of The Wrist” and “Good For Nothing,” which were especially embraced by a sizable LGBTQ+ following.

A DJ interlude, comprised of anthems from the 1990s and early 2000s, got everyone in the frame of mind for the Spice Girls’ greatness of “Who Do You Think You Are,” mashed up with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” plus the always festive “Spice Up Your Life.”

“Drum Machine” kept the grooves flowing and fueled an encore of “A Place Where We Belong,” though it was “I Turn To You” that cemented Melanie C’s place as a bonafide solo artist who just so happens to come from the world’s best-selling girl group.

For additional information on Melanie C, visit MelanieC.net.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Concord Music Hall include The Beths (Sept. 18); Motion City Soundtrack and Bayside (Sept. 19); Virtual Riot & Blanke (Sept. 25); Dennett (Oct. 2); Seth David (Oct. 3); Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats (Oct. 4); Sabai x Hoang (Oct. 9); Baby J (Oct. 10); Castle Rat (Oct. 15); NOTD (Oct. 16); Jason Ross (Oct. 17); Truth (Oct. 23) and The Damned (Oct. 31). For additional details, visit ConcordMusicHall.com.

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