Magic City Hippies / Live Coverage: Chicago, IL

Magic City Hippies / Chicago, IL / Photo by Wendy Davis

This past Friday, January 31st, Magic City Hippies made their sold-out return to Chicago while on their current Enemies Tour run. Accompanied by Mustard Service, this late night set did not stop the crowd from bringing every ounce of energy and good vibes with them to the show! Almost one year since their last Chicago appearance in 2024, the Hippies made each song unique with varying lighting design, instrumental solos, and crowd interaction, keeping everybody engaged the entire time. Just like the band, this show was so full of personality and it’s clear their midwestern fans were excited for their return.

Their show took place at the Metro Chicago, just across the street from Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field. Initially looking around inside, it’s clear the Hippies’ music invites young adults of all kinds to enjoy. People from all walks of life, whether it’s alt twenty-somethings with mullets or typical Wrigleyville goers, everyone is there to enjoy the funky, feel-good music. Mustard Service got everybody in the groove as the venue slowly filled up wall to wall. The crowd even chanted “one-more-song!” as they left the stage. This energy carried right over to Magic City Hippies as they opened with “I Can’t Let You Go” from their latest album, Enemies. What really made this performance special was how each of the six band members all had their own spotlight moments on stage - nobody was tucked away in the dark. This kept the whole show super engaging and was very reflective of the band’s playful, energetic persona. There were even some fun surprises, like their tour manager coming on stage to play a trumpet solo and their keyboard player, Jake Pinto, crowd surfing with the keyboard in his lap! 

It’s obvious that Magic City Hippies put a lot of care and energy into creating the perfect show for a city they love so much. After closing out the night with a highly anticipated encore of their cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath and one of their own, “Hush”, the crowd was still bummed to accept the end. If there’s anything about Chicago crowds, not only do they bring the energy, but they’re packed with true, loyal fans that will continue to return to every show that an artist puts on. Their allegiance to the Hippies was no different! 

Photos and Review by Wendy Davis