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 Lifehouse |
 Sleeping At Last |
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Story by Photos by Andy Argyrakis For those keeping tabs on Lifehouse, the group's hit parade is now too numerous to count, blasting well beyond the one hit wonder status of "Hanging By a Moment" and surprisingly boasting the longevity of four full-length studio albums with a fifth on the way. Though wrapping up a tour in support of its latest endeavor Who We Are (Geffen), front man Jason Wade communicated with the crowd early on that a new record was in the works and likely to be ready for a fall release.In the meantime, the group unveiled a pop/rock singles streak in front of over 2,000 fans at North Central College's outdoor athletic stadium, following in the campus' concert tradition that also includes venues like The Union (think a suburban Schubas) and Wentz Concert Hall (like a mini Chicago Theatre). While either of those latter locations would've been more intimate, it was apparent the band needed the massive confines to fully display its guitar-wound rockers and anthemic ballads. An early rendition of "Spin" fell in the former category, which came from the group's sophomore slump record Stanley Climbfall, but has since evolved to showcase additional instrumental ferocity and more meaty vocal stylings from its familiar leader. And like that album title implies, the guys have since ascended back to the charts on several occasions, like the recent "Blind," which also made note of Wade's more mature songwriting as of late. While "Hanging By the Moment" is the tune by which the group first found fame, it remains the most tired in the group's catalogue thanks to over saturation on the airwaves, which perhaps accounted for its early inclusion throughout the 90-minute set. But the band dug much deeper into that 2000 debut to dust off an extended version of the momentum-building "Simon," which was perhaps a more accurate reading of the band's direction almost a decade later. A case in point came in the style and substance of "From Where You Are," an iTunes exclusive dedicated to the families of teens who've lost their lives in car accidents. Other moments of introspection included the romantic rocker "Whatever It Takes" and what's quickly becoming a modern day wedding ballad "You & Me." Yet the show rounded the bases on its most poignant note with "Broken," which began as a soft-spoken diary reading turned supercharged spine chiller. There were also plenty of ethereal moments during Sleeping At Last's opening set, which came in advance of the upcoming Storyboards CD (currently available at www.sleepingatlast.com, plus hitting streets physically and digitally this fall). The new tune debut "Unmade" found the fellas breaking out the ukulele for an alt-folk motif, which promises to be one of the many surprises on the upcoming collection that boasts an arrangement from Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson's SMiLE, U2, Tim Buckley, Rufus Wainwright), mixing from John Goodmanson (Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater Kinney) and self-production from front man/guitarist/keyboardist Ryan O'Neal and bassist/keyboardist Dan Purdue. Throughout 30 short but sweet minutes, the band also dusted off the surging "Say," the sublime piano ballad "Careful Hands," the acoustically-framed "Needle & Thread" and the "Gray's Anatomy" soundtrack song "Quicksand." Come its contagious finale "Currents," the group's dynamic shifted towards all out alternative rock abandon, wrapped around poetic imagery, pleading vocal delivery and swelling arrangements that were certainly worthy of the global attention already achieved by its bill mates. |
 Sleeping At Last |
 Lifehouse |
 Lifehouse |
 Lifehouse |
 Lifehouse |
 Sleeping At Last |
 Sleeping At Last |
 Sleeping At Last |