Live Review: Amy Grant at City Winery • Chicago
Amy Grant
City Winery, Chicago, IL
Monday, June 15, 2026
Review and live photo by Jeff Elbel
“I just love songs that start conversations,” said singer-songwriter Amy Grant when introducing “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” to an attentive, sold-out room at City Winery Chicago on Monday. Known for clean-cut and uplifting radio hits like “Every Heartbeat” which celebrate romance, family ties, and spiritual seeking, Grant’s thought-provoking new single contrasts the idealism of the Woodstock era with the disillusionment and division of modern times, while serving as encouragement for contemplation and reconciliation. As Grant played a three-stringed “strumstick,” the tone of the song recalled the folk-pop sound of Grant’s longtime hero Joni Mitchell.
Grant led a lean ensemble featuring longtime collaborators Gene Miller on acoustic and electric guitars, percussionist Kim Keyes, and keyboardist Jonathan Hamby. The quartet treated the intimate audience to the first-ever full performance of Grant’s 20th album, The Me That Remains. The reflective songs were populated with confessions and poignant character sketches. “Music has never let me down,” said Grant during one of her frequent anecdotes, adding comments about her appreciation of music as a conduit to foster community. Referring to life in general, she said, “None of us are meant to do this alone.”
Grant introduced the moving “How Do We Get There from Here” with a story about her childhood connection to the Nashville site where the Covenant School now stands, describing a scene with six white crosses standing in the fields where she once played. With soulful harmony and propulsion by Keyes, the song mourned innocent lives lost to gun violence, ruminating upon Grant’s question about what can be done to improve gun safety in the US.
“Please Don’t Make Me Beg” offered images of a lover, an artist, and even Jesus Christ in the pursuit of connection. “The Saint” was a portrait of self-destruction and redemption drawn from a brave confession witnessed by Grant. “Does anybody see her?” she sang. With a stirring gospel melody and harmonies, the title track “The Me That Remains” was an expression of learning to love and respect oneself.
Hamby’s ebullient electric piano elevated the lively “Til We Get It Right.” The reggae-pop of “Nothing Like a Sunny Day” delivered good medicine to chase away gloom.
Grant talked about lessons learned during her 26-year-and-counting marriage to Vince Gill. “We are so different from each other,” said Grant. “All of the stuff I was looking for – he never ever hinted that he was any of those things.” Grant expressed thankfulness for learning what the relationship offered at its essence in terms of reliability and trust before beginning “Friend Like You.”
The album set concluded with the sentimental “The Other Side of Goodbye,” an homage remembering the final moments of Grant’s mother’s life. Grant sang about a desire to be as ready “for whatever forever I’m gonna find,” hoping to slip into endless joy “like a kid on a carnival ride.”
In addition to the showcase of new material, the set list dipped into Grant’s past with 1979 Contemporary Christian Music chart-topper “Father’s Eyes.” Miller’s deft playing was spotlighted during the James Taylor-styled acoustic blues of “Nobody Home.”
The gentle defiance of “Walk on Water” and grateful “Saved by Love” were delivered with heartfelt enthusiasm, but the biggest reactions came from the trio of songs that followed. The room swayed along to “House of Love” as Grant sang about betting on a resilient relationship’s ability to weather turbulent times. Grant gave a cheerful high-five to Miller following their soulful duet. The irrepressible pop of 1991 Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Baby Baby” got the crowd’s full attention and participation. “Man, that was fun with everybody singing along,” said Grant afterward. She then told a story about a starstruck chance meeting with Joni Mitchell at the Capitol Records studio in Hollywood, and being flatly declined when she inquired about purchasing one of Mitchell’s coveted paintings. A rousing version of Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” followed.
The evening ended with a moment of communion as the audience got to its feet to sing along with a spirit-lifting cover of Jackie DeShannon’s “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.”
After thirteen years since Grant’s previous album of original material, Grant’s return with The Me That Remains was an effort to keep the conversation going. Fans left with thoughtful new material, stories, and memories to discuss.
Soul singer Thunderstorm Artis opened the show with an engaging set of solo acoustic performances and accompanying anecdotes. In addition to moving original fare, including “Stronger” and “Useless,” Artis connected with an unfamiliar audience through interpretations of popular fare. George Gershwin’s “Summertime” was introduced as the song played by his mother to settle her rowdy children in the evening. The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” were recast with rich personality. Artis peppered his time onstage with stories drawn from his family experience, including life as a young father. “My three-year-old son called me a chicken butt today, and that was awesome,” he said. “Time don’t grow on trees” he sang during the upbeat jangle of “Ain’t That Rich,” describing sources of wealth beyond money. “Falling in love is easy, but staying in love is a choice you make every day,” Artis said before singing his ode to commitment, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go.”
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