Japanese four-piece CHAI began the North American leg of their WINK TOGETHER tour at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on February 4th.
CHAI’s opening act Su Lee comes from “the land of BTS, barbeque, and kimchi” of South Korea. This was the musician’s first-ever live show and she blew us all away. Her quirky personality and nervous excitement showed through as she took us on a journey through her bedroom pop tunes with “Tired,” about when she couldn’t sleep for 36 hours, and her upcoming single “Dancing in the Wild” where she encouraged the crowd to do a lot of booty shaking.
Su Lee ended her set with the song that jumpstarted her career after she filmed and posted a music video on reddit during the pandemic: “I’ll Just Dance” – a relatable tune about “what breakdowns sound like.”
Touring in support of their 2021 release WINK, the all-female rock band CHAI started their show dressed in matching tinfoil-like jackets and pink tulle dresses while they began their group choreography.
Known for their dreamy collection of melodies and frenzied dance moves, CHAI took the crowd to a whimsical land as they opened with “No More Cake” and “Action” before each taking their place behind an instrument. This is one of the things that sets CHAI apart — the fact that each member is multi-talented. Twins Mana and Kana, and best-friends Yuuki and Yuna take turns playing different instruments while all contributing to vocals.
The show continued as they played “N.E.O,” “End,” and “Ping Pong!,” all while constantly moving between playing an instrument and dancing for the crowd.
The band closed their show with “Maybe Chocolate Chips,” but not before bringing out a surprise guest; Chicago native Ric Wilson, who is featured on the song.
The WINK TOGETHER tour ends on March 17th in Los Angeles, CA – see tour dates here.
Photos by Ann Storlie (@ast_lie) & Website
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