The Format FINALLY Return to Chicago (Finally)

As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

Last night at Chicago's Salt Shed, we got proof that the best things come to those who wait. And wait...and wait. And wait some more. All while just about everything around us either gets worse or burns down completely.

To say that Chicago had been patiently waiting for The Format to return to the Windy City would be about right. And by 'patiently waiting', I meant 'rabidly anticipating with a hunger that would shame Galactus'. After spoiling Chicago with multiple live performances a year between 2003 and 2007, the band (primarily Nate Ruess and Sam Means) went on hiatus to work on other projects. And while Ruess' voice would continue to circle the globe in the following years as the vocalist for the band fun., it just wasn't the same and left fans of The Format even more hungry for new music.

That hunger looked like it would be sated in early 2020 when the band announced a reunion and a series of concerts in New York, Phoenix, and...Chicago! And then COVID happened and took all of that away from us.

Silver lining? The six year period it took for this show to finally happen gave the band enough time to record and release a brand new album (January's Boycott Heaven) and get a proper 14 date North American tour on the books. Notably, New York and Phoenix did not get make-up dates on the expanded tour, further proof that Chicago is the best city in the world and musicians like playing here more than whatever other city you're reading this from.

Starting the evening on the opposite side of the spectrum from the bombast and flamboyance of the headlining act, Adult Mom took the stage with the age-old stripped down standard; a chair, a guitar, and a mic. Adult Mom started as a solo project for singer/guitarist Stevie Knipe in 2012, and later expanded to a full band. But keeping with the theme of simplicity, Knipe is performing as a solo act on this tour. And while I'm sure there's something lost in the performances of their songs without the rest of the band present, Knipe does an incredible job of letting their voice carry the load of an entire group. Soft when they have to be, sharp when necessary, Knipe's songs cover a range of topics, none of them light and cheery (mental health, queer identity, anxiety), but somehow Knipe guides the audience through such rough terrain in a way that doesn't make the entire set an absolute bummer, which would be a concern in a lesser performer's hands.

As far as support acts go, Ben Kweller provides a pretty satisfying contrast when paired up with The Format. On the surface, both acts have a lot in common. Both mine everyday emotional experiences for material. Both started making noise in the indie rock/pop scene in the early 2000's. But where other bands will sing about love and nostalgia writ large, Kweller specializes in the specific, drawing you in by painting places and situations in our head with details that make you swear they have to exist. When it comes to romance and coming-of-age, Kweller paints an optimistic picture that you can't help but dance to.

There's something that hits a bit different hearing Kweller's songs like 'Wasted & Ready' and 'Penny on the Train Track' 20 years after they were released. Lyrics like 'Come on baby girl let me see those legs/before I get flattened away' hit a bit differently when viewed from the POV of a 44 year old man rather than a college-aged kid. This change in perspective did nothing to diminish the power of these songs. If anything, the new shift created some unexpected melancholy into songs that I always remembered to be pretty cherry.

Despite all this talk of aging, Kweller's live show is still top notch. With a full band behind him (currently featuring Parker Twomey on guitar, Christopher Mintz-Plasse on bass, and Ryan Dean on drums), Kweller rocked though a nine song set that pulled from his entire discography, all the way back to the Freak Out, It's Ben Kweller EP.

"We've been waiting a long time for this, Chicago," Nate Ruess mused as he looked over the capacity Salt Shed crowd three songs into their triumphant return. "And this is how you repay us, with a sold-out show singing every word."

None of those statements were untrue. Yes, it was a sold-out show. And yes, the crowd was singing along with every word. I've been going to shows at the Salt Shed for a few years now, ever since they opened. I've been to sold out shows. I've been to sold out shows on reunion tours. I've been to sold out shows where the crowd sang every word.

This was...different. The crowd assembled at the Shed last night was more engaged than just about any crowd I've ever been a part of. Not wild or unruly in any way, but absolutely locked in and intent on squeezing every bit of joy they could out of a night they had to wait two decades to come to fruition. When Ruess gave a triumphant "I'm doing alright!" to kick off the chorus of 'If Work Permits', it's almost like the crowd was compelled to just lose control for the next two hours as he and the rest of the band (Sam Means, Don Raymond Jr, Mark Buzard, and Will Noon) threw down a 22 song set that no one in attendance is at risk of forgetting a single moment of any time soon.

It always amazes me how humans do such a good job of being so happy about feeling sad. On paper, the lyrical content of the songs included on last night's setlist don't seem all that bright and cheery. In a relationship that would have been labeled "It's Complicated" during The Format's initial heyday? Can I interest you in 'Dog Problems' with a side of 'On Your Porch' and a sprinkle of 'The Compromise'? How about we delve into themes of insecurity and self-doubt with 'Sore Thumb' or the tour debut of 'A Save Situation'?

None of that mattered to the gathered masses ready to shout and dance and live like it was 2006 again. The lyrics might be sad, but the music and vibe were both triumphant. The world outside of whatever concert venue you're in is in a constant state of being a cesspool. Might as well party while we can, right? And after witnessing last night's show, this Boycott Heaven Tour may be the most fun you can have right now.

Just don't be disappointed if your city only gets one encore. Most cities only get one encore. Chicago got two, but again...it's Chicago.

The Format's Boycott Heaven tour goes through 4/19. Dates and tickets can be found here.

The Format Setlist - Salt Shed, Chicago 4.2.26

If Work Permits
Tie the Rope
Depressed
Tune Out
She Doesn't Get It
Shot in the Dark
Pick Me Up
Give It Up
Dog Problems
Janet
Sore Thumb
Holy Roller
Snails
Losing My Religion (cover)
The Compromise
Boycott Heaven
The First Single
On Your Porch
Leave It Alone (Till the Morning)
Oceans
Inches and Falling
A Save Situation