By: Jenafur Schlangen
Chicago, Illinois
March 30, 2025
Man, what a night! Stereophonics rolled into Chicago on March 30th, and absolutely owned The Vic Theatre. If you’ve ever seen them live, you know they don’t mess around, just pure, no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll, and on that night, it was no different.
From the moment they kicked off with “C’est La Vie,” the energy in the room was palpable. Kelly Jones’ voice? It is still as raw and soulful as ever. Honestly, the guy could sing the phone book, and I’d still get chills. The setlist was a dream mix, consisting of “Just Looking,” “Have a Nice Day,” “Maybe Tomorrow,” all the classics, plus a few newer tracks that fit right in, like “Hanging On” (which, by the way, sounds even better live).
One of the best moments was a stripped-down version of “Traffic.” You could hear a pin drop, except for the entire crowd softly singing along. It was one of those rare, magical live music moments where you just stop and soak it all in.
And then, of course, “Dakota” closed out the night, and The Vic absolutely lost it. People were still shouting the chorus as we spilled out onto the street. That’s the power of a band like Stereophonics…they have decades in the game, and they still know exactly how to hit you right in the feels.
Long story short: If you ever get the chance to see these guys in a smaller venue like this, do it.
Rating: 10/10, would yell “You make me feel like the one!” in a crowd again…and again.
Stereophonics – OFFICIAL WEBSITE
The Vic Theatre – OFFICIAL WEBSITE
