Synth Pop Archives - Chicago Concert Reviews

England’s arty The The “Ensouled” a sold out Salt Shed following first official album in 24 years

In the 24 years since The The officially released an album, sole constant member Matt Johnson switched to the world of movie soundtracks where he maintained the English [More…]

“Funklordz” Chromeo, synthwave breakouts The Midnight get Aragon Ballroom grooving

The ad for the “Chrome Nights” Tour looked like it could’ve come straight out of a “Knight Rider” or “Miami Vice” episode, and after The Midnight, followed by [More…]

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey dives “Into The Gap,” Thomas Dolby blinds HOB with science

Two influential English artists from the 1980s who just so happen to share the same first name, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey and Thomas Dolby, finally joined forces for an [More…]

LANY’s life-affirming pop is “A Beautiful Blur” to Indy’s Old National Centre, Salt Shed up next

“We’re like the biggest band you’ve never heard about,” LANY front man Paul Jason Klein once told Chicago Concert Reviews, but no matter where the indie [More…]

Duran Duran’s fab “Future Past” 40th, Bastille’s “Bad Blood” and Chic’s “Good Times” fill Northerly

For a lesser band, a 40th anniversary celebration would be nothing more than a mere trip down memory lane, but when it comes to Duran Duran, there aren’t only one but two [More…]

Pet Shop Boys, New Order attain “Unity” while turning Huntington Bank Pavilion into a dance floor

The second it went on sale in 2020, the “Unity” Tour sold out thanks to the unbeatable combination of the Pet Shop Boys and New Order, two of England’s finest exports [More…]

England’s Heaven 17 chronicles four electronic decades during belated but bountiful debut

Believe it or not, in a little over four decades together, England’s Heaven 17 never stepped foot on American shores until now, which meant the duo comprised of keyboardist [More…]

“Love Is The Drug” at United Center as the artful glam of Roxy Music reaches a half-century

When Roxy Music debuted in 1972, the English group broke every mold imaginable by blending art rock, glam, proto-punk, progressive and experimental sounds with the blue-eyed [More…]

Marc Almond spreads four decades of Soft Cell’s irresistible “Tainted Love” around House Of Blues

The project that put English synth pop stars Soft Cell on the international map, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,” just turned 40 and vocalist Marc Almond is marking the [More…]

Ascending indie pop/alt-rockers LANY make Northerly Island feel like its “Summer Forever”

With the picturesque backdrop of the Chicago skyline, Huntington Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island is already a staple of the outdoor concert season, but when rising indie [More…]