Concert Reviews

Lettuce at The Big Weekend (10/4) [REVIEW]

Written by Joseph Sherman & Madison McCallister

Photography by Joseph Sherman

Last Thursday, the funk masters of Lettuce graced Chicago as a part of The Big Weekend, a cross venue festival experience hosting a variety of different jam and funk bands. Although the stop was part of their Fall 2018 “Wavelength Tour,” the legendary band made a special detour at Concord Music Hall for a two-set performance.With no openers on the lineup, the full focus was on Lettuce, and boy, it was an absolute treat. As someone who tends to go to a lot of DJ sets, I relish in the opportunity to see musicians play live with real instruments. That combined with a love for funk makes live performances by artists like Lettuce nothing short of breathtaking.Between the two separate 90 minute sets, the band was really able to dive into their discography, and there was plenty to enjoy for old-heads and new fans alike. I recognized tracks from Witches Stew, Mt. Crushmore, Crush, and Fly. There was an amazing mix of both jazz and funk, and the crowd really got moving when Lettuce played their 2008 hit “Move on Up” from the album Rage!The show was long, but that didn’t stop the band or crowd from jamming out for three full hours of music. Those three hours went by in what felt like a heartbeat, and after such a long show, I was left wanting more even by the time the second set wrapped up.Aside from the performance, the diversity of the crowd at the show really stood out to me. From ages 18 to senior, everyone in attendance was having a great time jamming out to some energetic jazz and funk.There was definitely a sense of community in the air, and everyone I encountered was nothing but friendly. This aspect of live music really means a lot to us at The Good Music Collectiv, and we’re looking forward to catching Lettuce again as soon as we can!