The snow fell heavily in Chicago as the third night of Lotus’ winter tour passed through the city. The band must have brought the blizzard with them, after blowing out the previous shows in West Virginia and Ohio. Chicago has always been the place for bands to showcase some of their best work, new and old alike. February 9th at the Vic Theatre would follow the same pattern, as the band jammed to new heights. Lotus has never been a band to disappoint, and all in attendance were ready to dance their troubles away.

Following an opening set from Marvel Years, Lotus came onstage after 8:30 pm. The band opened up with “Grayrigg” from 2009’s Oil on Grass/Feather on Wood, whizzing the room into a groove. “Opo” swiftly followed. From there, the band went into their first extended segment of the night. The section included “Inspector Norse”, a jam in G, “Trip”, “Mikesnack”, another jam in the tune of G and, finally, a graceful landing on “Tip of the Tongue”. The energy in the room was harnessed perfectly, and the crowd was wildly pleased with the improvisation and funk flavor running throughout each song. A well-executed “Forgotten Name” came next, followed by a raging “128” to close the set.

The band returned with the first “Fearless” of 2018, followed shortly after by the vastly whimsical land of “Kalea” before diverting into a high-flying “Livingston Storm”, once again sending the crowd into a frenzy. As the notes flowed up and away, the band came together for “Slow Cookin”.

Next, the band exploded into “ClapClapClap”, taking time to experiment with their electronic influences. To end the extended jam–and the second set–the band effortlessly found their way back to “Jump Off”. A crowd favorite, “Jump Off” was truly the cherry on top of a wonderful night. Before closing the final curtain, the crowd enjoyed an inspired “In an Outline” encore. Catch Lotus next as their winter tour continues in Wisconsin on the 10th at the Turner Hall in Milwaukee.

You can check out a beautiful gallery of photos from Lotus’ show at The Vic via photographer Aaron Bradley.

For a full list of Lotus’ upcoming tour dates, head to the band’s website.

Setlist: Lotus | The Vic Theatre | Chicago, IL | 2/9/18

Set 1: Grayrigg, Opo, Inspector Norse > G > Trip > Mikesnack > C > Tip of the Tongue, Forgotten Name, 128

Set 2 : Fearless, Kalea, Livingston Storm > F# > A > Slow Cookin > Bush Pilot > ClapClapClap > G > C > Jump Off

Encore: In An Outline