Photo Gallery: Spiritualized at The Vic Theatre

Brassneck | April 12, 2019

It would not be an overstatement to say that Jason Pierce creates music at a glacial pace. His three-decades old project Spiritualized has produced a mere eight albums in that time. So it’s no surprise that word of him hitting the road to support is 2018’s And Nothing Hurt caused a stir after a six year absence between records.

The tour of the same name brought Pierce-along with four additional musicians and three backup singers-to Chicago’s Vic Theater earlier this week. The evening consisted of his now characteristic sweeping arrangements and unconventional rock compositions. Add to that a hypnotic stage production which featured projected, geometric shapes and moody lighting.

The setlist was a smattering of songs from throughout his career, augmented with And Nothing Hurt played in its entirety-as the centerpiece of the evening. Combine all of those elements, and the end result was something resembling an ethereal, fever dream set to a shadowy and darkly dramatic soundtrack.

-Words and photos by Curt Baran